Even though I’ve just purchased my shiny, new PS3, one grows tired of Warhawk and Motorstorm constantly. AS I’m financially challenged, I rent a lot of games. The best part about my 80gb PS3 right now: Backwards Compatibility. I never owned a PS2. I’ve never played most of the great PS2 games. So, while I wait for Gamefly to send me new PS3 games to conquer, I have been buying used PS2 games. Currently I am playing MGS3 and Ace Combat 4.
Time for my first impressions, five years too late.
Ace Combat 4
Since I have a jonesing for flight sims, Ace Combat 4 is right up my alley. While I find the controls a little loose, it’s not too bad. The drawback to that is you become very dependent upon missiles because using the machine gun is almost impossible to use in air to air situations.
Some of the missions remind me of shorter versions of the ones in Ace Combat 6. I do find that the game is a little more grounded in reality than 6. There’s no “angels” discussion and you’re much less of a one man army, where you have to destroy a small country’s armed forces by yourself. I do miss not having customizable special weapons on the fighters. In the old time Ace Combat 4, from years gone by all you get are sidewinders. Fooey.
If you like air combat like I do you’ll probably get a kick out of this title. Not a full priced kick, but a $9.99 kick. It’s worth it.
Metal Gear Solid 3
With MGS4 coming out this summer, I figured I had better give MGS3 a shot. I love the game, but one thing bugs the hell out of me. Why don’t most of the Russians have accents? Most of them speak clearer English than I do. Enough about that little detail, on to game play.
The game is incredibly detailed, from picking camo to fit your surroundings, killing things to eat, or healing your wounds, there’s a lot of choice to make that affect you throughout the game. On the other hand, it seems like you spend most of your time avoiding detection and being eaten by wildlife, in between taking breaks to talk to people on your walkie talkie, which I find are a little long at times. It does give you time to stretch though.
Moving around takes a bit of getting used to, since you cannot swivel the camera around and the only way to see what is in front of you sometimes is to go into first person mode. I realize that later versions of MSG3 had a movable camera, but what can I say, I’m a cheap ass. As a result of the fixed camera, the aiming sucks, because you’re forced to having to hold a button down and release it when ready to fire is a pain in the ass in a close quarters pistol fight. Yeah, you’ve got your knife, but sometimes I feel like capping a fool.
The story line is the best part, its like if James Bond and Marvel comics had a baby. Espionage and freaks, what more could you ask for in a good story?
I find the game both fun and challenging, although it is a little slower than most of the games I play. Since I am dividing my time between this Ace Combat, my CoD4 addiction, rentals, and soon GTA4, I should have this baby finished just in time for part 4.
Stay tuned for more exciting adventures of backwards compatibility and Me.
![[Post to Twitter]](http://sarcasticgamer.com/wp/wp-content/plugins/tweet-this/tweet-this-small.png)
Tweet This
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
20 responses so far ↓
1 mickrodgers // Apr 10, 2008 at 1:17 pm
I have so many ps2 games i havent played in so long. i think i will fire up that mean machine (or buy a ps3)
2 Lalaala // Apr 10, 2008 at 1:20 pm
Teheee
3 8bitBass // Apr 10, 2008 at 1:24 pm
I’d have po say the PS2 rules. I still play it even though I have a PSWii60.
There are so many ganmes out for it and all cheap too.
4 Krelith // Apr 10, 2008 at 1:33 pm
I never got on with MGS3… I loved every title in the series up until that one. I think it was because I just missed the radar, I mean if they’re going to prevent you from moving the camera the LEAST they can do is give you the damn HUD radar that I’d gotten used to using in the previous games! It really ticked me off having to go in and out of first person view constantly to see where I was going. Still, it wasn’t a bad game… just missing a radar.
I did play the two previous titles on hard so the radar disappeared, but I figured that about as hard as you can make MGS. No radar = hard. MGS3 had no radar whatsoever though (unless it was on easy but I never checked that).
I don’t really care if MGS4 is missing the radar since the camera is movable.
5 Godmil // Apr 10, 2008 at 1:34 pm
I just picked up MGS3 a few month ago, I was really stunned by how good it is. The first hour is kinda slow and confusing (control wise), but it picks up and just gets better and better. I’d probably put it in my alltime top 10, and one of the best endings ever!
6 balaamsafe // Apr 10, 2008 at 1:39 pm
Whenever anyone says PS2 all i can think about is Resi 4, that game was stunning.
7 Solidus // Apr 10, 2008 at 1:49 pm
Dave did u finish it yet ? The ending brings a tear to your eye, dont it ?
8 Lono // Apr 10, 2008 at 1:49 pm
yeah dave, RE 4 really needs to be your next game on the PS2. It’s probably the best game on the system, IMO. It rules them all.
9 Solidus // Apr 10, 2008 at 1:51 pm
opps i didn’t say what game…MGS3
10 LJ // Apr 10, 2008 at 2:07 pm
Hey if your looking for a good game to play for the ps2 that has little more action in that is cheap as hell. Try “The Bouncer” Its like a Streets of rage type game that rocks. Now this sounds corny but it does have 2 player co’op if you wana play with a friend on the same system.
11 reverend_k // Apr 10, 2008 at 2:18 pm
ace combat 4 was my favorite of the series.
also i would suggest shadow of the colossus to anyone who hasn’t tried it yet.
12 RK1 FaMiCuS // Apr 10, 2008 at 2:31 pm
Too bad for Lono he ot the 40gb.
13 Farko // Apr 10, 2008 at 2:40 pm
Too bad you didn’t pick up MGS3 subsistance. its the first multiplayer attempt in the series, and what an great job they did. i’ll admit that combat isnt great, but all the little snake antics you can pull on other people is great fun. box hideouts for the campers, dirty mags for the cheep killer and CQC/flamethrowers for the crazed rambos.
it may not be call of duty, but its slow paced stealth action is a great change, and really fills you with hope for the MGS online game comming out. I think that if you get a chance you should give it a try.
14 A Rabid Moose // Apr 10, 2008 at 3:16 pm
Anyone know some good RPGs for ps2? Below M would be good, my parents are… …never mind.
15 De Stijl // Apr 10, 2008 at 4:56 pm
God of War…
16 Adam // Apr 10, 2008 at 6:38 pm
Ico and Shadow Of The Colossus are good ones to catch up on before Ico 3 (whatever it’s going to be titled).
17 marconi88 // Apr 10, 2008 at 7:39 pm
Zone Of The Enders; the original and the sequel are both great games.
18 WarHeart // Apr 10, 2008 at 8:55 pm
@ A Rabid Moose
So many to mention. There aren’t many M rated RPGs (the Shadow Hearts and Shin Megami Tensei series are the only ones that come to mind. However, they are also some of the best ones.)
Final Fantasy X - A given, I suppose. Great story, interesting characters, good battle system IMHO. I really identified with the main character, especially his relationship with his father.
Xenosaga - The first one is awesome all around, but the second one has a crappy battle system. Haven’t played III yet. The plots to both are mind-blowing, but are very complicated. If you like stuff like Star Trek and/or anime, you might like it.
Star Ocean: Till the End of Time - This game is SO good; I can’t say enough good things about it. The plot is simply amazing, and the battle system is more active and action-oriented than your standard Final Fantasy-type system. The only drawback is that the voice acting sucks, but it gives you the option of turning off the voices and just reading text.
People rave about Kingdom Hearts, but I’ve only played about a few hours in I. It seems good. The plot seems pretty light-hearted and simple.
Many people like Final Fantasy XII. I didn’t, mainly because there’s no real character development. The central plot is decent, but I just felt like it had no heart or emotion to it. I wasn’t moved at all.
As you can probably tell, I’m a JRPG fan. (I’m actually living in Japan right now.) I can’t help too much as far as Western-style stuff, but I can say that if it’s made by Bioware, it’s probably good. Hope this helps.
19 VincentCyStrife // Apr 11, 2008 at 10:35 am
@ Krelith
You do know there is a motion sensor in the back pack right? Same thing as the radar but picks up on the animals too.
@ Farko
Is that still up? I heard they took the servers down for Portable Ops.
20 Farko // Apr 11, 2008 at 10:57 am
@ VincentCyStrife
I think your right actually, i didnt know because i sold MGS3 subsistance in the long money struggle to actually get a ps3. too bad though
i guess you wont really miss out since i hear that the beta for the next MG online is out soon.
Leave a Comment