All PS3 Reviews

Nascar 08 (Review)

Aug 3, 2007

The problem with the NASCAR series is this: even though it drives well year after year, it keeps introducing new things one season, then stripping them out the next. A few years back, a story-based career mode that started with you drag-racing a NASCAR pro at a stoplight and ended with you winning it all was introduced. It was fantastic and everyone loved it. Now it's ...

NBA 07 (Review)

Nov 17, 2006

You know how you'll drive past a park or playground where kids are playing basketball, and there's always that one kid who's obviously someone's little brother? He's busting his ass running up and down the court, and he's got skillz for his age, but everyone else is at least a foot taller and four years older, so he's just not a factor in the game. Unfortunately, if that kid were a video game, he'd probably be a lot like NBA 07. It's not that this is a bad game, really. It does what it does ...

NBA 08 (Review)

Sep 27, 2007

Sept 27, 2007 Sometimes, less is more. Other times, less is, well, just less. And in the case of NBA 08, less is definitely not everything we were hoping for. While Sony's PlayStation brand-exclusive series has historically trailed its counterparts on the court, the PS2 versions have sported a detailed career mode called The Life for two years running. These basketball soap operas have easily become some of our favorite guilty pleasures. Unfortunately, the PS3's NBA 08 still has no Life, nor ...

NBA 2K7 (Review)

Nov 17, 2006

it rocked on 360, and now it rocks on PS3. The newest hardwood hoops sim from 2K Sports is simply the sweetest looking and sounding b-ball game we've ever played, the kind that makes people stop what they're doing and watch in wonder when it's on the screen (assuming, that is, you've finally dropped some cash on an HDTV). It may not be perfect, but any faults can be forgiven because, well, it's just so damn pretty you can't stay mad for ...

NBA 2K8 (Review)

Oct 9, 2007

Oct 9, 2007 We get it - no one reads video game manuals anymore. This is evident more than ever these days, as the packaged-in booklets have shrunk from veritable tomes into barely-there pamphlets. However, sports titles are - or should be - the exception in this phenomenon. After all, modern sim games have a dizzying array of options for each button and trigger, and no matter who you are, an occasional glance at the controller map is always needed. Nowhere is this more frustratingly apparent ...

NBA Ballers: Chosen One (Review)

Apr 22, 2008

One-on-one basketball is ritual humiliation. Bounce the ball off your opponent’s head, wave it in front of his face, snatch it away, fake him out and leave him crumpled on the floor, but don’t slam it into the basket until you’ve told him at least five juicy facts about his mom. We’ve played GTA, Manhunt and that naughty Mass Effect, but no videogame has filled us with such murderous rage as NBA Ballers did. ...

NBA Live 08 (Review)

Oct 12, 2007

Oct 12, 2007 Frankly, we didn't think the Live franchise could be saved. Last year's edition on the PS3 was mercifully killed before ever seeing the light of day, and the version that actually did surface on the 360 was the most painful sports game we've ever played. So much so that we literally feared the moment that we put the brand new edition in our consoles. But a funny thing happened on the way to another scathing review of another not-ready-but-gets-released-anyway basketball title. NBA ...

NBA Street Homecourt (Review)

Feb 20, 2007

Homecourt isn't really basketball. Oh, sure, technically it is - there are lines on the court, a couple of rims, and a round, bouncy thing that the players all want. But this isn't basketball - it's an epic sideshow of seemingly every stylish way a supernatural meth-binging freak could manipulate a ball, hoop, and backboard. Yes, the gameplay remains almost unchanged from the way the corporate gods decreed it when Street first bombed us on the PS2. This yields an instantly accessible, ...

NCAA Football 08 (Review)

Jul 24, 2007

Your momma always said that the best things come to those who wait. Chances are she wasnt talking about excellent college football video games, but who cares - after a mediocre Xbox 360 outing last year, EA Sports NCAA Football 08 is back with a vengeance and belongs in every pigskin junkies library right this minute. The promise of next-generation football is finally upon us, and we couldnt be happier if we ...

NCAA March Madness 08 (Review)

Dec 18, 2007

Dec 18, 2007 PS3 gamers are tired of getting the shaft with their multi-platform sports games. After all, this was the year when 360 owners got each football title delivered with 60 silky frames per second while Sony's next-generation fans got stuck with a choppy framerate half as good. However, that's not a problem with March Madness 08, as the PS3 version is equal to its 360 namesake. Unfortunately, like a much-hyped 7-footer who turns out to bring nothing but knees, elbows and ...

Need for Speed Carbon (Review)

Nov 17, 2006

You can be forgiven for cynically thinking "Another year, another Need for Speed." Frankly, that's what we thought when the latest title in the series was announced. After all, the damn good Most Wanted just came out a year ago, so what could Carbon possibly offer so soon afterwards that would get our motors runnin'? It turns out that the answer comes in two parts. First off is the Wingman - not the buddy who'll sit with your hot date's ugly girlfriend at the bar - but a crazy fool who for ...

Need for Speed ProStreet (Review)

Nov 13, 2007

Nov 12, 2007 Ryan Cooper. Dont worry if youve already forgotten the name since youll be hearing it a few times in Need for Speed ProStreet. Its the moniker of your driver in Career mode. Hes not the most charismatic character. In fact, hes practically mute - and you only ever see him with his helmet on - but that doesnt stop the commentators banging on about him. “Its Ryan Cooper about to light this race up,” praises one MC. “If its too hot in the kitchen get out of Ryan ...

NFL Tour (Review)

Jan 16, 2008

Jan 15, 2008 Publisher Electronic Arts has gotten pretty good at blowing up and then rebuilding sagging sports franchises. After all, they killed off the moribund Triple Play Baseball and started over with MVP, which in 2005 yielded the best baseball game ever made - at least in our humble opinions. Next to be thrown into the remake-o-tron was Knockout Kings, whose successor Fight Night reigns as the current heavyweight champion of the world. Needless to say, we had high hopes when we heard ...

NHL 2K7 (Review)

Nov 17, 2006

After an extensive overhaul of the rushed NHL 2K6 game, NHL 2K7 made its debut on the 360 looking much slicker, with all-new animations and a host of new presentation and gameplay features - the PS3 versions sole meaningful tweak is the addition of some Sixaxis tilt control for those who love waving their arms around in front of their ...

NHL 2K8 (Review)

Nov 1, 2007

Nov 1, 2007 Buttons are so last year in hockey games. The thumbstick is your stick, if you see what we mean. The right thumbstick, to be exact. It apes your actual hockey stick, in the same way that EA Sports' Tiger Woods games have the right stick controlling your golf club. It means that your every twitch is translated out onto the ice; passes must be pinpoint-accurate, and even the way you shape to shoot can help fool the 'keeper. And you'll need to fool the 'keeper in order to rustle the ...

Ninja Gaiden Sigma (Review)

Jul 2, 2007

By now you should all know the story behind Ninja Gaiden Sigma on PS3. You should know that it's a remake of one of the best games on Microsoft's big black box. You should know that tons of new stuff has been added and you should also be aware that it's all been wrapped up in bright sparkling HD graphics that only PS3 can do. If you liked the idea of Genji: Days of the Blade but were disappointed that the game sucked, we guarantee that Sigma will plug that gap. As well as a complete graphical ...