[UPDATE] Sci-Fi Movies of 2013 list Finished; Reviews Reviews Reviews Reviews! Much to do about reviews….The PS4 Launch Edition may include a PS4+Vita Bundle and most current features of the PlayStation Network will still remain free when the PS4 Launches

New Review added, plus several more on their way and Awesome Science-Fiction Films of 2013 list compiled and posted

Dear enlightened HD readers, thank you for sticking by my floundering blog all these days. I am working on adding a ton of new content, including a section dedicated to my most second favorite form of entertainment: Movies! Although a passive experience, I enjoy cinema very much and while In no way am I qualified to write reviews about films, I certainly can still make recommendations on which films are worthy of your Almighty Dollar to see in the theaters or buy on VOD/Blu-Ray/DVD. I just finished compiling my top picks for interesting, awesome and maybe even some original science-fiction movies for 2013, with each film receiving a brief synopsis and accompanied by their respective YouTube trailers.

Here’s the link with Five of my top picks (thus far) of interesting science-fiction films to be released this year:

https://hiddendefinition.wordpress.com/culture-movies-and-everything-else/awesome-science-fiction-movies-for-2013/

For my fellow gamers, I have been working feverishly to finish some of my recent game purchases so they can be reviewed. Coming soon to HD’s Reviews are “Sound Shapes” and the recently released, retro style fantasy brawler “Dragon’s Crown“. In the meantime, I have reviewed Gearbox’s blended FPS/RPG masterpiece “Borderlands 2“. You can read the review by clicking on the following link: Borderlands 2 Review

Sony reaffirms that most services for PlayStation Network will remain free and a PlayStation 4+Vita Bundle could be one of the launch editions this holiday season!

While not much of a surprise, Sony has reaffirmed that most non-gaming services offered via the PlayStation Network will remain free. The PS Plus Membership is required to actually play PlayStation 4 titles multiplayer online. Other portions of PSN, such as accessing Netflix, YouTube, Hulu, the game-video recording feature touted by Sony at the PS4’s February reveal and text/voice chat along with basic features such as maintaining your friends list, messaging your friends etc will all still be free (as it should be). Microsoft, in stark contrast, requires an XBOX Live Gold Membership which costs $59.99 a year to access any of the consoles services online features. Just another reason I choose Sony over Microsoft for this current generation of consoles. For a cash-strapped gamer, free online+multiplayer was a HUGE selling point in my decision to trade in my XBOX 360 towards the PS3.

A great idea for a PS4 Bundle: including Sony’s under appreciated handheld, the Vita. All PS4 games will be capable of Remote Play, meaning that you can start your game on the PS4 and if interrupted, take the game with you on the move using the Vita. A really cool feature and it would definitely make sense for Sony to create a bundle including both consoles since they compliment each other extremely well. Although just a rumor for now, hopefully this will materialize into reality quite soon.

A rumor that has been making it’s way down the gamer totem pole is that their will be a PlayStation 4 SKU that includes the Sony Vita in a bundle. Sony’s much maligned and floundering handheld needs a big boost if it’s to survive against Nintendo’s 3DS and the onslaught of Smartphones, Tablets and casual mobile gamers in general. The Vita is a powerful little handheld and will be capable, come PS4 launch day, of remote play. In other words, you can start your game on your PS4 console, go outside for some fresh air and resume the game where you left off on the Vita all without interruption. A very cool feature indeed. Also, since the Vita has it’s own exclusive catalog of games, people who purchase the rumored PS4/Vita Bundle, rumored to have a MSRP of around $500, will have instant access to a multitude of decent Vita only software. There are a good amount of Vita games, including some of Sony’s stalwart franchises in special Vita-exclusive versions such as Uncharted, Assassins Creed, Resistance, Killzone, Metal Gear Solid, Playstation All-Stars Battle Royale and some new IP’s such as Gravity Rush, Soul Sacrifice, the soon to be released Tearaway (the next upcoming hit from Media Molecule, responsible for all those awesome Little Big Planet titles) and my favorite, Persona 4 Golden (the reason I currently have a Vita on my gamer “must lust” list of gaming purchases I want oh-so badly to make).

Sony Exclusive Previews and Other Awesome Titles shown at E3

This years E3 will undoubtedly be remembered for the unveiling of the crop of next-gen hardware from Microsoft and Sony, but also for the exciting plethora of games coming for both current and next gen consoles. Let’s start off with next gen:

Mirrors EDGE -=- PS4 / Xbox One

A surprise revelation towards the end of EA’s Press Conference, this reboot of ME was probably the last thing many expected. Personally, I always thought this IP deserved a awesome sequel (EA claims this will be a reboot of the franchise) as I loved the constant pace of running and literally thinking while on your feet. The reboot, sequel, prequel or whatever the hell it is looks to improve upon the original in every conceivable way possible. Check out the teaser trailer from E3 below:

Knack -=- PS4

The pet project of PlayStation 4’s Lead Architect Mark Cerny is a hybrid of classic platformers with the infusion of new technology. Knack, titled after the main character you play as, is a self-aware robot with the ability to manipulate the environment around him. He can absorb different pieces of a level to make himself much larger to even the odds against a larger, more difficult adversary or can absorb resources such as ice, metal etc to constantly forge new abilities. Knack will be an PS4 exclusive launch title and Cerny describes Knack as a “family-friendly” oriented game that casual and hardcore gamers alike can both enjoy. Check out the announcement trailer below:

Killzone: Shadow Fall -=- PS4

One of Sony’s flagship series and launch titles developed by First-pary Developer Guerrilla looks to be the most aesthetically pleasing of the PlayStation 4’s Launch Line-up. Being a Killzone fan myself, I’m actually quite excited for this release. KZ2 and KZ3 were great FPS exclusive entries for the PS3 and I can only imagine with all the extra horsepower under the PS4’s hood that Guerilla and Sony may manage to turn KZ: Shadowfall could into a system seller. The Killzone franchise may not be anywhere close to Halo in terms of popularity, but it’s realistic environments and weighty weapon mechanics made for a compelling and addictive gaming experience. The Helghast (the primary antagonist in all 3 KZ games) can draw comparison from the Nazi war machine of WW2 and the realistic gunplay mechanics always worked well for this series. Here’s a 20-minute presentation that features a gameplay trailer and the dev’s explaining how they went about to create the impressive visuals featured in the game which should give you an idea of what the next iteration of Killzone will offer:

 

Watch Dogs -=- PS4 / Xbox One (plus every other available platform known to man)

Watch Dogs is a multi-multi platform release coming this fall developed by Ubisoft. I would say Watch Dogs is the definitive launch title amongst the next-gen consoles except it’s supposedly coming out for the PS3 and 360 at the same time, as well as EVERYTHING ELSE (literally). Obviously the game will probably play much smoother and look exceptionally better on the PS4 and Xbone. You play as character Aiden Pierce, who has a 6th sense for hacking electronic devices and controlling the digital world around him. In the gameplay demo below, it shows Aiden hacking into a cellphones, street-side video cameras, street lights and even retractable traffic poles to cease the ingress of a police cars.  Watch the gameplay vid below running on the PS4 hardware (courtesy of IGN):

 

Those were just some of the highlights of this years E3. There were many, many more games revealed and on display from Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo. Sony is said to have around 20 titles available when the PS4 launches this fall. Microsoft also had some very interesting exclusives, including Quantum Break, RYSE, Project Spark and the blockbuster shooter Titanfall being published by EA for Xbox One, the 360 and MS Windows. Here’s a look at some of the Sony exclusives coming out for the PS3 this year:

 

Beyond: Two Souls -=- PS3

A exclusive Playstation title, created by the brilliant team at Quantic Dream and featuring Ellen Page as the protagonist and William Dafoe as her caretaker. What more do you need? The game looks absolutely gorgeous and if it’s one thing Quantic Dream knows how to do it’s push the PS3 technology to it’s limit. Heavy Rain was a beautiful, if not melancholy title that contained a great story and well developed characters. The E3 demo below shows off more of the action-oriented parts of the game, as the title follows Page’s character Jodi Holmes for 30 years of her life. And it’s nice to see that the action sequences won’t be confined to just Quick Time Events like it’s predecessor. Beyond: Two Souls looks much more like a game then an interactive movie and I couldn’t be more pleased. Beyond will be released this fall exclusively for PS3. Check out the in-game demo footage below from E3:

Rain -=- PS3

Rain is one of those rare titles where art, beauty and gameplay blend seamlessly. You play as a boy that has crossed into a world where he is totally invisible to the naked eye, making only his silhouette in the rain the only visible way to distinguish him from your environment. You must navigate the streets of this world, filled with dangerous animals and puzzles and even have a partner; a little girl who you are constantly trying to connect with but seemingly are always separated by enemies, structures and even her own fear that keeps her from reaching out to you. Rain is a platformer at heart but with a much more somber and disparate take on the genre. Rain is coming exclusively to the PS3 via the Playstation Network and could be another breakout hit a la Journey. Developed by JAPAN Studios. Check out the Story Trailer below

The Last of Us -=- PS3

The Last of Us is Naughty Dog’s swan song to the PS3. The game has already been released with universal acclaim and is certainly a contender for Game of the Year. It’s no wonder that Sony acquired the studio back in 2001 after producing such PlayStation originals as Crash Bandicoot for the original PSX. Since then, the studio’s  demand on itself for exceptional quality in each subsequent title released has become ever more apparent. For this current generation, ND has released the Uncharted series to critical acclaim, with each title besting it’s predecessor. For it’s final entry into the Playstation 3 generation, Naughty Dog went with something completely different and I’m so happy that they did. The Last of Us is a survival-horror game taking place in post-pandemic North America where your character Joel, a hardened grizzly survivalist that trades for goods on the black market, must escort a 14-yr old girl named Ellie from the government dominated quarantine sector across hazardous parts of the country. North America has been overrun by “the infected”, which has decimated 90% of the population leaving factions of healthy humans looking to steal and kill you for your supplies. The game is visually stout and best demonstrates bow if effectively programmed for, the CELL processor is a unique and awesome piece of H/W. Walking through the decaying and deserted cities once populated by man to see how nature has progressively reclaimed the Earth is awe-inspiring, to say the least. If you are a Naughty Dog fan or a survival-horror fan or hell, looking for a reason to buy a PS3 “The Last of Us” is that reason. Yes, the game is that good. Look for a full review coming soon on HiddenDefinition. Below is the red-band trailer that debuted during an episode of AMC’s “The Walking Dead”.