Saturday, March 12, 2011

Hanging at SXSW with Uncharted 3 and celebs

Don't.look.down.Nathan.Drake

Don't.look.down.Nathan.Drake

SXSW 2011: Part 1

The evite said from noon to 4. Media-only event with Sony. I grabbed my mini me and rolled to Austin for SXSW. I was so looking forward to seeing some unreleased greatness from video game maker Sony.

What happened when I finally arrived was nothing short of stellar.

I immediately noticed a slick Bravia LCD with Uncharted 3 running in 3D. The game was just part of a level and that's all Sony was showing. That was cool - but the level, a burning French mansion, was as consuming as the virtual fire. The 3D really popped - the smoke, the embers so realistic, my son reached out and touched the LCD a few times. You'll find yourself ducking leaves and branches our fearless antihero, Nathan Drake, passes by. The graphics are even more polished than Uncharted 2 - and the engine was moving so smoothly that it was hard to believe it was still in development.

Hurt Locker, ftw?

Hurt Locker, ftw?

In the main area, I walked past a slew of Sony Bravia LCDs, each playing Resistance 3, Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One, MLB 11: The Show and a few Sharpshooter rifles with Moves in front of Uncharted 2. No, wait. Since when was Uncharted 2 Move compatible? It looked like Uncharted 2 when I realized it was SOCOM 4. They had two Bravias with SOCOM 4 with Sharpshooters - and another Bravia running SOCOM 4 in 3D.

The Sharpshooter (Sony sent me one for review) took some getting used to. With the Sixaxis, playing SOCOM 4 was like the original but with a shot of adrenaline in the graphics engine. I can't wait to get my review copy of SOCOM 4.

I played the tutorial level of the game and thoroughly enjoyed it. The 3D was pretty sweet - not as awesome as Uncharted 3 but good nonetheless. The controls were tight - the gameplay moved pretty quickly. I was glad to see the single-player campaign made a return.

Resistance 3 took a different approach to the series this time. The game has a for-sure retro feel to it and it actually pulls it off nicely. The game moves quickly, with aliens hopping around like a gecko on hot cement.

Baby Ski1z, Brittany Snow and M4d Ski11z in the Sony spot at SXSW in Austin on Saturday

Baby Ski1z, Brittany Snow and M4d Ski11z in the Sony spot at SXSW in Austin

The only PSN title I saw that really caught my eye is Journey. Made by the makers of the hit flower, Journey allows players to search for clues on their ... wait for it ... journey through life. The game reminds me of Shadows of Colossus and seems so large and vast. No ETA on release date, but my Sony rep did say it would be out *this year.*

And yes, if you must know, Brittany Snow and Rosario Dawson were hangin' at the Sony event for a spell. By the time I arrived, Rosario had scooted, but Brittany was still there. She was there, checking out games and getting the grand tour that I was feening for. She is definitely a stunner - beautiful and smells great.

Stay tuned for Part II of SXSW 2011 with your lovely host, M4d Ski11z. ;)

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