3D Game Review - Socom 4

Game (3 out of 5)

Socom 4 is a standard first person shooter game. The graphics and sound are top notch, but the story left a lot to be desired. If you enjoy running from point A to point B and shooting bad guys then you'll probably enjoy the game. Just don't expect an Uncharted type storyline to go with it.

3D Effect (4.5 out of 5)

The 3D is where this game really stands out. Certainly one of the best 3D games I've played to date. The depth in this game is absolutely incredible. There are scenes where you have explosions and fire all around you, smoke everywhere and bullets flying by your head, that are absolutely exhilarating.

There was minimal ghosting on my Sony HX800. Occasionally the white aiming crossbar showed a little ghosting, but outside of that the image was flawless. 100 times better than Killzone 3 or Crysis 2.

Without the 3D this is a very average game, but the 3D makes this this a definite buy in my opinion. Definitely a game to show off your 3D gaming system.   

Best Selling 3D TVs, Movies and Video Games

As much as I like doing my own research, I think it's useful to see what other people are buying before making a final purchase on any item. Here are the top selling 3D products at Amazon.com as of December 29, 2011. Click on any of the links to get pricing information or to read user reviews on the products listed below.

3DTVs

1. LG Infinia 55LW5600 55-Inch Cinema 3D 1080p 120 Hz LED-LCD HDTV w/ Smart TV, 4 Pairs of 3D Glasses

2. LG Infinia 47LW5600 47-Inch Cinema 3D 1080p 120 Hz LED-LCD HDTV w/ Smart TV, 4 Pairs of 3D Glasses

3. Samsung UN55D8000 55-Inch 1080p 240Hz 3D LED HDTV (Silver)

4. Samsung UN46D8000 46-Inch 1080p 240Hz 3D LED HDTV (Silver)

5. Samsung UN60D7000 60-Inch 1080p 240 Hz 3D LED HDTV, Silver


3D Movies (Blu-Ray)

1. The Lion King (Four-Disc Diamond Edition Blu-ray 3D / Blu-ray / DVD / Digital Copy)

2. Puss in Boots (Three-Disc Combo: Blu-ray 3D/Blu-ray/DVD/Digital Copy)

3. Cars 2 (Five-Disc Combo: Blu-ray 3D / Blu-ray / DVD / Digital Copy)

4. Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (Five-Disc Combo: Blu-ray 3D / Blu-ray / DVD / Digital Copy)

5. The Universe: 7 Wonders of the Solar System [Blu-ray 3D]


3D Video Games (PS3, XBOX 360)

1. Batman: Arkham City (XBOX 360)

2. Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary (XBOX 360)

3. Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception (PS3)

4. NBA 2K12 (PS3)

5, Batman: Arkham City (PS3)

Top Five 3D Games For The PS3

So you've got a new 3DTV and a PS3 and are wondering what are some of the best 3D games you can get to enjoy and show off your system? Here is my list of the Top 5 3D games currently available for the PS3. All games were tested on my Sony HX800 and rated based on a combination of :

(1) Game Play
(2) Picture Quality
(3) 3D Effectiveness
(4) Crosstalk/Ghosting

(Click on the links to view my review of each game)

1. Uncharted 3

2. Batman - Arkham City

3. Cars 2

4. Super Stardust HD

5. Avatar: The Game

(If you're looking for the Top 5 3D Blu-Ray Movies Click Here)

3D Review - Batman: Arkham City

Game: (4.5 out of 5)

I'm still working my way through the main story but I can say one thing for sure, this is one helluva long game. I've been playing for hours and hours, yet I've only completed about 16% of the game (including side missions). So this game will definitely give you your money's worth.

I have yet to play the original Batman game (Arkham Asylum), so the controls took a little getting used to. Once you spend a few minutes it becomes second nature, but there are a few subtle differences in the controls vs. your standard FPS games like COD or Uncharted. As well there seem to be a few references to the characters or the plot of the original game, but it doesn't really take away from the enjoyment if you haven't played the first game.

The graphics are slick and the game is a lot of fun to play. The voice acting as well is quite good. The fighting (which there is a lot of) never seems to get boring. And the boss levels, while hard, are varied and enjoyable. If definitely not the same thing over and over again.

My only complaint is what happens when you die during the game. In most games when you die the game automatically does a quick reload and sends you back to the last checkpoint. In Arkham City you first get the pleasure of one of the bad guys mocking you for 5-10 seconds, and then you have to select whether you want to retry the level (or quit), and then finally it reloads the game to the last checkpoint. Unfortunately the load times for restoring a checkpoint are too long, which can get very frustrating when one of the bad guys keeps killing you over and over again.

Overall, however, there's very little to find fault with in Batman Arkham City. I can't wait to finish the game and see what other surprises the game has in store.

3D Effect: (4 out of 5)

I've been playing this game in 3D on my Sony55HX800 and I have yet to see even one instance of minor ghosting/crosstalk. The resolution looks fantastic, even in 3D, and I've experienced no issues with the brightness in the game.

Arkham City just might be the best looking 3D game I've played on the PS3 as far as picture quality goes. The 3D effects themselves are pretty good, but I think there's less depth and popout on average vs. some over titles like Uncharted 3 (which is maybe why there's less crosstalk). That being said, there were a couple scenes where bad guys/monsters jump out at you where the 3D really adds to the realism.

Overall I am really enjoying playing this title in 3D. Definitely one of the top 5 3D games for the PS3!

(Click image below to read more customer reviews on Amazon.com)

3D Review - Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception

 

Game: (4.5 out of 5)

You can never go wrong playing the Uncharted series on the PS3. Uncharted 2 was a huge leap forward over the original Uncharted. In some ways Uncharted 3 is even better than 2, but not the game changer some had been anticipating.

One area where the Uncharted series always shines is the story line. Playing an Uncharted game is as much like watching a movie as it is playing a video game. The story in Uncharted 2 was the best I've ever experienced. In my opinion, while the story in Drake's Deception is good, it's not quite up to par with the second one.

The game play itself is pretty much unchanged, although at times the aiming mechanism seemed a little harder to control than in earlier versions of the series. The multi-player continues to be one of the best out there and will add hours and hours of replay value to your purchase.

I'm the kind of guy that gets bored very easily while playing games. I've yet to finish a single GTA game to the end, and have dozens of games I've only gotten about 1/4 of the way through before I moved on to the next game. But with Uncharted 3, the disc never left my PS3 from the moment I started until the moment the credits rolled at the end of the game.

All in all Uncharted 3 is a great release and should rank right up there as one of the best PS3 releases of 2011.

3D Effect: (4.5 out of 5)

Even more than the game itself, I was really looking forward to experiencing the 3D in Uncharted 3. Naughty Dog had spent a lot of time talking about how much effort they put into the 3D and how great it looked. And early reviews were very positive.

Personally, I found the 3D in the first couple chapters of the game to be "ok". It added a little depth to the scenes, but certainly didn't add much to the game play.

However, about half way through the game the 3D really starts to shine. I don't want to give away any spoilers, but there is a scene where Drake is battling bad guys while the building they are in is burning down around them. This has got to be some of the best 3D I've seen in any game, and possibly any movie. The burning embers are floating around you while the flames flicker in and out of your screen. You can almost feel the heat emanating out of your TV screen.

Tip: I found that the 3D effects are a little bit conservative even when maximizing the 3D setting in the menu. However you can enhance the overall 3D effect by lowering the TV size setting in your PS3 display menu. You might have to play around with it a bit, as lowering the size too much could cause discomfort or increase crosstalk/ghosting.

The crosstalk/ghosting using the standard settings (even at maximum 3D) was very minimal with my Sony HX800 3DTV. This says a lot, since my TV is prone to significant ghosting at times.

As with most 3D video games, I found the 3D to be a little distracting when playing multiplayer so I usually revert back to 2D for multiplayer. But for the standard campaign mode ramp up the 3D and enjoy!

(Click the image below to read more Uncharted 3 Reviews on Amazon.com)

3D Review: James Cameron's Avatar: The Game

Game: (3 out of 5)

As far as movie-based games go, this game is actually pretty good. Sure, it's no Killzone or COD, but it's not bad. The story line itself is almost non-existent. And if you haven't seen the movie then you really won't have much of a clue as to what is going on.

As well, the game play itself can get a little tedious at times. I'm not a big fan of games where you are sent off to complete a mission. Then when you return, you are sent off to complete another mission. That's pretty much what the entire game is. But the graphics are very well done which makes the game bearable in that respect.


3D Effect (5 out of 5)

This is where the game really shines. The 3D effects are absolutely stunning. The first 20-30 minutes doesn't really do the game justice. But once you get deeper into the game the 3D becomes truly immersive. For example when your flying one of the dragons it literally looks like it's flapping its wings right in front of your face. If you're looking to find a game that can showcase your new 3D TV then this is definitely the one. Plus you can usually find used copies on the cheap on eBay or at your local used game store.

(Click on the image below to read more customer reviews at Amazon.com)

3D Review: Killzone 3 (Multiplayer Beta)

Game (3 out of 5)

I know this is just a beta, with no campaign mode and limited multiplayer modes, but my initial reaction is that it is just "ok". I was hoping for a little more. Hopefully I am more impressed when I get the opportunity to play the full game later this month.


3D Effect (3 out of 5)

The first thing I noticed about the 3D in this game is that it felt very natural. That is, it succeeded in showing increased depth, but at the same time it didn't really feel like I was "watching 3D". On one hand, that is a good thing, as the 3D is not distracting. On the other hand, this is a first person shooter fighting game. I WANT to see crazy 3D effects. The other problem I found is that much of the screen menus seemed somewhat dimmed and difficult to read in 3D mode. The game designers were obviously going for a certain "look", but in 3D mode I found it distracting.

EDIT: I was giving this game a second chance last night. As I was running into one of the rooms a robot shot some sort of missile at me from across the room. It literally looked like it was coming right at my face. Enough so that I actually jumped for a second. This has made me a little more optimistic that once I get a chance to play the full version I will be more impressed.

3D Review: Super Stardust HD

Game: (2.5 out of 5)

What can I say, this game is basically Asteroids on steroids. It is pretty, but there's not a lot to it.

3D Effect: (5 out of 5)

Wow, this is what 3D is supposed to look like. The 3D effects are simply stunning in this game. It takes a very basic game and actually makes it playable. The visuals are crisp and clean. I saw virtually zero ghosting. And when your ship explodes, little bits and pieces of it come flying out of the screen at you. I can't wait until I see these types of visuals on a more enticing game.

3D Review: Call Of Duty: Black Ops

Game: (3.5 out of 5)

3D Effect: (1 out of 5)

The 3D in this game clearly felt like it was an afterthought to me. There are times where the 3D looks cool, but it rarely if ever adds to the game. One area which I definitely think needed some tweeking was the aiming. While the aiming in 3D looked cool, it made it very difficult to actually see what you were aiming at. That might be ok when you're shooting at a bunch of AI bots, but don't even think about playing multi-player in 3D. You will be at a huge disadvantage.