A Look Back at 20 Years of PlayStation

Image courtesy of Sony

On September 5th, 1995 the original PlayStation made its way onto U.S. store shelves and into the hands of hungry gamers all across the country. Sony's original machine was considered a huge underdog, especially considering how much the gaming industry was dominated by Nintendo and Sega at the time. But here we are, twenty years later, and the PlayStation brand stands tall as a pillar of the industry. I can't imagine this industry without PlayStation, and shiver to think how I could have ever developed such a deep love and respect for gaming without all the countless hours I spent way too close to my television, late at night, powering through games like Shadow of the Colossus and the Uncharted games. I love all things video games, but PlayStation remains closest to my heart.

While I have a rather long personal history with PlayStation, I actually didn't own the original system. I was a Nintendo kid growing up but had a lot of friends who owned PlayStations, so I got my fix going over to their houses whenever I could. I drooled over games like Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, Crash Bandicoot, Final Fantasy VII, and Metal Gear Solid, all experiences that I could never get on my N64. Regardless, my allegiance to Nintendo was so strong that when the next generation of consoles arrived, I chose a GameCube over the PlayStation 2, a mistake that I would finally rectify a few years later.

The summer after I finished 8th grade, I saved up enough money and finally bought myself a PS2. I was now fully caught up in the phenomenon that was PlayStation. My first two games were Enter the Matrix and Burnout 2: Point of Impact, two games that admittedly weren't the best way to introduce myself to a PS2. I later picked up classics like Metal Gear Solid 2, Grand Theft Auto 3, Ico, Jak and Daxter, and Ratchet and Clank. The PS2's library of games was absolutely massive, and even though I had my GameCube and (eventually) an original Xbox, the bulk of the games I played during the 6th generation of gaming consoles were on PS2. I kept my PS2 powered up long after its life cycle had ended, and still go back to it occasionally to this day. In my eyes, the PlayStation is the greatest video game console to ever exist.

When I started college, I bought myself a PS3, along with Resistance: Fall of Man and Motorstorm. Like most people, I was somewhat letdown with the PS3 after the amazing experience I had with the PS2. I had the original "fat" model of the system, and it was bulky, loud, and constantly overheated. Though I spent a fair amount of time with it, my PS3 eventually fell by the waist side as my gaming attention turned to the Xbox 360 full-time. It wasn't until my junior year of college that I decided to give the ol' PS3 another try. My original model was dead by that point (I could never figure out why) so I picked up the smaller, remodeled version that was released in 2009. Consider this point in time the "PlayStation" renaissance for me. Games like Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, God of War 3, Heavy Rain, Infamous, and the phenomenal The Last of Us relit the fire in my heart for all things PlayStation. As the 7th generation of gaming console was winding down, the PS3 seemed to be finally finding its footing, a kind of resurgence that would carry over to the PS4. Even though my experience with the system was uneven, I'm glad I owned one.

I was also an early adopter of both a PSP and PS Vita, two machines that deserved much more than they got. The PSP has a remarkable library, and the PS Vita is perhaps the best way to play indie games, but it was clear that Sony didn't know what to do with them. I still have a strong admiration for the PSP and spent a lot of quality time with in on long car rides and sleepless nights. My PS Vita still gets some love from time to time but is still second to my 3DS. It's a powerful and impressive machine that doesn't deserve the cards it is being dealt.

I currently own both a Xbox One and a PlayStation 4, but it is clear which I prefer more. Sony's latest console corrects all of the mistakes that the PS3 made and improves on all of its successes. Not since the PS2 have I been this excited about gaming, as the PS4 has once again recaptured my love for Sony's trademark gaming brand. Its UI, online functionality, game streaming, social interactivity, and exclusives (Bloodborne, Until Dawn, The Last of Us: Remastered, Infamous: Second Son, and Resogun come to mind) make the PS4 the clear frontrunner in the race for the 8th generation crown.

So what does PlayStation mean to me? Simple: video games. I've spent a good amount of time during my life playing them, and though I share many great memories across all systems, some of the best I've ever had occurred on a PlayStation system. It's insane to think its been over 20 years since Sony first staked its claim in the gaming world, and even crazier to think about how far they've come since then. Sony's trademark gaming platform has had numerous stumbles, but there's no denying that the gaming industry would have not grown as popular if that little square box wasn't dreamed up by Sony over 20 years ago. The best part about all of this? It seems as if PlayStation is just getting started. So here's to 20 more fantastic years of gaming bliss and unforgettable memories!

Thank you, PlayStation. I owe you a lot.

20 Hours in the Wasteland: My Early Thoughts on Mad Max

Mad Max was released to absolutely no fanfare whatsoever last week, as it was covered in the massive shadow of Metal Gear Solid V. Being the fanboy that I am, I decided to pick up the Mad Max game instead of The Phantom Pain, ready to explore the wasteland and live out my fantasy of being Max Rockatansky. I've spent a good chunk of time with the game and have barely even scratched the surface of what it has to offer. There's no other way to say it: Mad Max is a HUGE game. The map stretches on for miles and miles, and there is side content covering nearly every inch of it. Like any good open world game, you are constantly pulled away from the main storyline to complete a side quest, collect scrap, compete in races, or take down outposts. It takes the better bits from games like Assassin's Creed and Far Cry and mixes them up into a pretty solid post-apocalyptic package. Critics are mixed on the game, but personally I've been having a great time with it.

For the uninitiated, Mad Max is an open-world game that focuses on vehicular and on-foot combat. It features all of the trappings every open-world game does, including vantage points, a robust upgrade system for both Max and his car, numerous side quests, hidden collectibles, and more. The main plot revolves around Max's quest to rebuild his car so he can escape to the "Silent Plains" and finally find peace. Early in the game, Max (reluctantly) teams up with a master mechanic named Chumbucket, who, with Max's help, promises to build the "Magnum Opus", a new and improved version of Max's classic Interceptor. Throughout the course of the game, Max forges other uneasy alliances with various leaders in the wasteland, completing side quests and helping them rebuild their strongholds. There is a LOT to do in this game, which serves as its strength but also its greatest weakness (but more on that later).

First off, Mad Max absolutely nails the atmosphere of the George Miller films. The world is filled with the most awesome cars and bizarre characters you would expect from the Mad Max universe. It's also a visual feast, with some of the best graphics I've seen this generation. Voice work is solid, though Max tends to talk a bit too much for my liking. From a purely audio/visual standpoint, Mad Max is incredible.

Control-wise, the game does a nice job of balancing a lot of different schemes. Driving does take a lot of getting used to, as it feels a bit sluggish and heavy at first. Nothing has ever been too problematic, but considering how much time you spend in a car, the driving should feel better. In addition, driving and shooting gets a little convoluted as you have to press multiple buttons at once that can result in cramped hands. Regardless, I never felt that the game's controls were bothersome, and the longer I played the easier and more fluid they became. Max controls well when he's on-foot, but is somewhat sluggish as well.

Combat, both in a car and on-foot, can be exhilarating at best and middling at worst. Battling against multiple enemy vehicles while blasting across the dunes at 100 mph is super fun, especially considering how amazing the explosions look in this game. The on-foot combat system is stolen right from Rocksteady's Batman games, so you spend the majority of your time countering and attacking. There are some special moves you can unlock as you upgrade Max, but the core combat remains the same. After a while of beating down the same enemies in the same fashion, the hand-to-hand combat can get a little grating. Car combat can as well, especially when you're trying to complete various objectives and a group of enemies crash your party, forcing you into combat. However, other than the visuals, combat is the game's biggest strength and provide plenty of explosive (pun intended) and memorable moments.

Max's health can be replenished with water, which is scarce enough to cause urgency but is still readily available to avoid frustration. Same goes for gasoline, which is needed to power your car (of course). However, gas can also be used as a weapon to use against enemies as well as outposts, so you have to decide how to use it.

Your car is the main attraction here, as it can be outfitted with numerous weapons and defensive features. You can choose to build and customize your own car, or steal others from around the game world to use. In addition, Chumbucket also has blueprints for cars called Archangels, which are super powerful vehicles that each have their own strengths and weaknesses.

The main currency of the game is scrap, which can be used to upgrade either Max or his car. In addition to scrap, hidden "part pieces" are scattered all across the wasteland which can be used to build various projects within strongholds. For example, if you find all of the pieces for an oil drum, each time you visit that particular stronghold your car is automatically filled with gas. Scrap is the single most important collectible in the game, so make sure you're constantly on the lookout for it.

As I've said before, this game is massive, so much so that it constantly feels somewhat overwhelming, as the map is littered with seemingly endless things to do. While there maybe a lot tasks to complete, very little of it actually feels unique. This brings me to Mad Max's biggest problem: repetition. In order to progress through the story or gain upgrades, you have to drive around the map completing the same side content over and over. It's not as grind-y as you may think, but it does take time and patience if you want to get the best stuff. Even the combat can get repetitious, though not as much as the side content.

At its best, Mad Max is a thrilling ride that pays fantastic tribute to the universe George Miller created. At its worst, it's repetitive and sluggish. Despite my gripes, I've had a really fun time with it so far. I'm not sure if the need to grind and complete the same tasks over and over again will diminish my positive feelings towards in as I continue playing, but for now I give Mad Max a passing grade.

Remember Kids: Pre-Ordering Games is Bad

Image courtesy of Kotaku

Well, now I've seen everything. Earlier this week, new information on the next entry of the Deus Ex franchise, titled Mankind Divided, was revealed. It got a firm release date of February 23rd, 2016, a pretty cool looking collector's edition, and a new form of pre-order program that Square Enix is calling "Augment Your Pre-Order". It works like this: the more people that pre-order Mankind Divided, the more pre-order bonuses are unlocked, starting with new character skins and working all the way up to new levels and even the ability to get the game early. Think of it as Kickstarter for pre-orders, which is just as horrifying as it sounds. It claims to be a way for fans of the game to "collectively expand and enhance their own Day-One edition" of the game, but I just see it for what it is: a shameless cash-grab.

Now I kind of understand where Square Enix is coming from; they want as many people to play the game as possible. But as someone who rarely pre-orders games, this is a terrible attempt to gain a quick buck and once again cheat a good number of gamers out of some cool content. Personally, I only pre-order games if I want a collector's edition that has the potential to sell out quickly (like Fallout 4's Pip Boy Edition). Back in the day when games weren't as widely spread, pre-ordering made sense, as you wanted to guarantee you had a copy on release day. In today's world games are everywhere, and you can almost always walk into any store and pick up a copy without having to worry about it being sold out. I've even had experiences where the store I bought a game from gave me its pre-order bonuses anyway, without pre-ordering it.

The biggest problem with this campaign is that once pre-order number grow enough to unlock a new tier, all the previous rewards are rendered obsolete. So if you really want those character skins, you better hope that no one else pre-orders the game or else you're stuck with a lousy digital art book instead. What's worse is that Square Enix is teasing the ability to release the game four days before it's released if enough people lay down their money early on a game that may or may not be any good. They are purposefully holding back the game's real release date because they want their money right now. If that's not an evil scheme, I don't know what is.

I don't really have anything against pre-orders in some situations. I think if publishers provide tangible rewards for putting down money on a game early (like Mad Max did with a die-cast replica of Max's Interceptor) then I'm all for it. However, I feel that digital rewards, like new levels or characters, are a scam. Gamers who opt to wait out for reviews before purchasing a game are cheated out of some potentially cool stuff and are forced to purchase them later. It serves no purpose other than to ensure sales.

Can pre-orders work? Of course they can, just with the right mindset. If a publisher is going to offer exclusive content to those who pre-order, make it available for free six months or so after launch. That way there's an incentive to pre-order a game without punishing those who don't.

My faith in the gaming industry wanes more and more each day, but I still see hope for it. Please game publishers, don't continue down this path! Treat your consumers with more respect, and maybe you'll get some back.