[Article] 10 PS3 Game Covers

I own a Playstation 3 myself, but unfortunately have just a few titles. Disregarding that, I appreciate to look into information about new titles that are about to be released. One thing that I'm always curious to see is the box art. It tells a lot about the game and what the developers want you to experiment when playing their creation.
So today I'm making a list with 10 covers that are really worth of mention. But attention here, please: I said worth of mention. It's not the top 10 box arts, because that would be unfair. I barely have seen most of those covers myself before doing some research for this article. So anyway, let's get started.

LittleBigPlanet

Let's begin with a game that became a hype. Everyone that own a PS3 should try this game, because it's awesome. The physics are great, and you are able to use it to create wicked levels and publish them online. A rewarding experience, very worth.
The box cover is very teen. And the game itself is indeed very teen. One might think that it's kinda random, but once you've seen the gameplay, you'll agree that it does a great job to represent this awesome title by Media Molecule.

Folklore

I don't know anything about this game, to be honest. Based on what I've seen about it, it's a Zelda-ish game where you control two characters to unriddle the mysteries of a village. On their way, many fantastic creatures will rage against you while you immerse inside the Netherworld.
The cover itself is awesome. Just look at the strange creatures lurking from the darkness. The gloomy ambient. It's like a children book.

Aquanaut's Holiday

Look... LOOK! This cover is calling you for a dive. And I can't even swim... *sigh*
It seems that Aquanaut's Holiday is an submarine adventure game where you explore the bottoms of the ocean, looking for your amigo, Mr. Graber (you can call him "Bill").
The gameplay might not be very interesting, but the cover is really effective. The point of view, from inside the water, makes you feel like you're already exploring the deep seas. Brilliant, to say the least!

Heavy Rain

There are a lot of expectations about Heavy Rain. It's a noir interactive drama game. The game hasn't been released yet, but there's a huge number of followers just waiting the game to be on the stores.
On Heavy Rain there are four characters looking for a person known as "the Origami Killer" (hence the origami on the cover). Why the game title is "Heavy Rain" is beyond my knowledge, but the cover just takes all of this and throw it right on your face. The cover is dark. The game is dark. Friggin' mysterious...

Turok

If you don't know what "Turok" is, please leave your computer now and find a Nintendo 64. I mean NOW.
There were three FPS that really got special attention on N64. Goldeneye (of course!), Perfect Dark and Turok. On Turok you kill dinosaurs, beasts, aliens and what-the-hell-not. An incredible experience.
And then, they've made Turok for PS3. It took SIX years for the fans to see another Turok again, and this cover just yells "Hey asshole, I'm back for killing". Poor dinosaurs.

Splatterhouse

Okay, I'm cheating here. First, this game hasn't been released yet. And also, this isn't the box cover - it's a poster.
Do you remember the original "Splatterhouse"? Yeah, big ol' times.
When I saw this poster, I've shed a tear and said "Oh fuck yeah". Splatterhouse. Say it loudly and look at the poster. See? If the box art is half this awesome, I'd be in awe.

The Saboteur

It screams "Viva la revolución". It's an invitation for you, telling you that we need to take over Paris (see the Eiffel Tower there?) and reinstall freedom. It feels like those Uncle Sam's "I want you" posters, but bloody and dark. Very nice, indeed a cover worth of mention.

Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion

Something at this cover is enchanting. I have no clue why, though. I think it's a clever design. You see, Oblivion has some beautiful graphics that could catch your attention. But every other cover has beautiful CG graphics on it too, so what would you do? You make it look like an old book! Because while you're browsing your local store, you wouldn't expect old scrolls there. Then, wait a minute! What's this? Eeelder Scroools Four... Oblivion? Interesting!

Darksiders

Just look at that! It's a Horseman of the Apocalypse! And skulls! Isn't it awesome? The casual gamer would cringe, probably. The core gamer would look and hey, maybe I could give this a try. And then, the hardcore gamer would jump on it and scream like a killing machine. Really, I know someone just like that.
The cover is beautiful. I don't know exactly why, but it makes me want to destroy a world or two.

Siren Blood Curse

I know absolutely nothing about this game. It's a survival horror, and that's all I know. But look at that cover. It's simple and effective. Can't you tell it's a terribly scary game?
Blood. And more than one would expect. If that's not appealing enough, it's rated "18+" by PEGI, and that's something. By the way, the game has been censored on the USA. On the USA! If you're north american, you won't find this on the local stores. You can only find it available for download on the Playstation Network. So I think that the cover is deadly serious about the blood...

[Game] Garden Gnome Carnage

It's Christmas! Okay, if you never heard about GGC, you could think on it as a delightful mix of... actually, forget it. I can't remember of any game that is at least similar to "Garden Gnome Carnage". Just give it a try and be amazed by such a piece of randomness and destruction.

Garden Gnome Carnage

Download

★★★★★ 4/5

You're a gnome with a thirst for elf blood. Not really, but it could also be the actual plot and absolutely nothing would change. Your main character is a garden gnome, tied up to the chimney of a building with an elastic rope or something. It's Christmas and you hate Christmas. Santa sent an army of elves, ready to deliver this building's children a gift or two, and they are willing to give their lives on this mission. In fact, they are prepared for resistance: flying sleds, explosive bricks (?!) and an enough number of elves to take Isengard into madness.

You control the building. Moving it left and right you'll help the garden gnome hitting the nonstop elves that are trying to reach the chimney. You can also command the gnome to take bricks from the building and throw them on the enemies. The bricks explodes. Combos are made. You can control the wind for even more combos. Fun, fun, fun!

Doing enough combos, someone appears on the screen and yells "Whoopee". Do this a lot and eventually a bonus will appear. I won't describe the bonus because you'll have to see it WITH YOUR OWN EYES. Otherwise you won't believe me.

The game art isn't a big deal. It's just fine, but it could be better. Still, its simplicity helps on the gameplay. You'll see, there are moments that the screen will be filled with flying sleds and elves thrown to the air. Crazy, crazy stuff, really. And nothing better on the Christmas day than a bloodbath with holidays themes on the background. Really, it's a lot of joy.

Enough talk. Download the game. It's very worth. Still not convinced? Okay... you can see it for yourself:

[Game] Level Up!

There is a limited number of Flash games that really impress me. Mostly, Flash games are poorly done games that may draw your attention for a minute or two. But sometimes you may find something else - something impressive and creative, like "Level Up!".

Level Up!

Play / Homepage

★★★★★ 5/5

This game can't be explained or compared. It's a platform RPG, but there is all those skills and characteristics of your mysterious female character that can be upgraded and acquired. This might be what differs this game from other games if his genre. You can run and jump, and those motions can be leveled up. You take damage and your defense level rises. You can stop and heal yourself, and those will also gain experience and upgrade. You can chat to the young male character that falls at your fence and asks for gems, and your relationship will level up too! Amazing!

The gameplay cycle is also very interesting. Instead of the "mission-style" structure (Megaman) or the conventional "all-forward" (traditional Castlevania), you have a huge area to explore and a limited amount of time. When your character gets tired, the mission ends and you get into a nightmare (a boss fight!). If you lose, you'll come back to the beginning with your levels back to one. Insane? Not quite! It actually adds some difficulty, but you'll realize that it's no big deal. And when you manage to defeat the boss, it's really satisfying.

The game has some beautiful pixel art graphics. It's not something impressive like Braid or others, but it fits well and it's quite pretty. Some might complain about the character art, but the character animations are marvelous, and really works on the game. The chip-tune musics are splendid too, and adds to the exploration feeling on the gameplay.

I wouldn't say that this game is perfect, but it really touched me. This game is creative and different, the creator really put some game design skills on the conception and it worked amazingly. They included trophies on the game, what increases the replay value... By the way, have I mentioned that there's a sequel being developed? Play it now, it's great.

Hajime!

Hello everyone!
My name is Leonardo Millan, and this is my blog - Konmei! - about new games and technologies. No, I'll not speak about the buildings and fruits (got it?), only the neat stuff that most people doesn't know it exists. I'm just setting things up, so please bear with me for a while until I've set everything up.