Cloud Monday - Daxter - Part 2 - Trophies And Rewind Make This Great Game Easier To Recommend

This week's Cloud Monday video is part 2 of playing the PSP version of Daxter on PS4 via the PlayStation Plus Cloud Streaming Service to my Japanese launch model PlayStation 4.

It quickly became clear in Part 1, https://youtu.be/8O1Ue63OQ7Q, that the PlayStation Portable game #Daxter holds up today just like it did back in 2006. After that part and this, i can comfortably say that this is one of the best PS1/PS2/PSP games emulated on PS4 and PS5. Daxter was already well designed for a portable system, and things like great checkpoints, immediate respawns, and manual saves carry over into streaming this game from PlayStation Plus Cloud Streaming Service.

It's not perfect, there are some issues due to it's age and original platform it was developed for. there were times when i felt i was moving the camera and doing button presses faster than the emulated game could keep up with. this meant i was walking of ledges and not hitting enemies as i thought. this wasn't a huge issue, but something i noticed. something else is that it felt hard to walk in a straight line with Daxter. whilst out and about it wasn't a big issue but many levels have narrow ledges and platforms and more than once i ended up walking off and falling. thankfully, the emulated software has a rewind feature so i was able to quickly get back and try again.

Cloud Monday - Daxter - What Made It Great On PSP Makes It Great To Stream From The Cloud

This week's Cloud Monday video is part 1 of playing the PSP version of Daxter on PS4 via the PlayStation Plus Cloud Streaming Service to my Japanese launch model PlayStation 4.

Daxter originally came out on PlayStation Portable back in 2006 and it's a game i have played and finished. but it's been such a long time, i was excited to play it again. I've been looking at the new PS1, PS2, and PSP games that have been added to PS4 and PS5 via emulation, trying to find one that still holds up and isn't a novelty or a nostalgia recommendation. Daxter maybe the first one of these games that i've played that i would recommend as a game that still holds up. 

Daxter is smartly designed for the PSP. it's level's aren't too sprawling that they take ages to complete. there's a decent amount of platforming and things to do, but it can take 15-25 minutes to complete it. this may sound like that there'd be a lot of loss progress if there's a disconnection from the cloud streaming service. Daxter also has a great check point system and auto save system which helps alleviate those worries. The service does give us a 20 second warning first and Daxter seems to let us save anywhere in the game and it saves quickly.

These features are similar to what the emulated games can do. via the Options button you can chose to save or load at any point in the game. what the emulation software adds is the ability to rewind. but this isn't as big of deal as in other games because the game checkpoint frequently and is very fast to put us back in to the game.

Other benefits are that the game looks great. it was already a great looking PSP game, but it still holds up well in 1080p on PS4. our character, Daxter, is quite big on screen, as is other characters and things like text boxes and enemies, which mean if there are issues with stream tearing or macro blocking it's still fairly easy to work out what's happening and continue playing like nothing's wrong.

Today's gameplay was a little rough with my connection. i imagine it was a bandwidth issue more than anything. i would say that the camera does take a little getting used to. the emulation software has done a great job of mapping the controls to the right analogue stick and i found them responsive. but maybe they're a bit too responsive for the game itself. it was made with different controls in mind and sometimes i found myself fighting the game. this meant that there were moments where i failed to land a jump as i couldn't work out the 3D space well. But with the rewind feature, i wasn't too concerned. it's just a little frustrating quirk of the game.

Ready At Dawn And Sony Have Released The Announcement Trailer For The Order: 1886

Ready at Dawn, known for their portable games, have released the announcement trailer for The Order: 1886.

KEY FEATURES:

• Alternate History – The Order: 1886 allows players to discover a unique version of Victorian-Era London where technology and the supernatural collide. Players will wield advanced weapons and gadgets that didn’t exist during that era and the realism of the game experience will make you feel like these elements could have been very plausible during the time.
• Historical Mythology – The game introduces a unique mythology that will fuse actual history (real world places, figures, and events) with twists on familiar myths and legends to create an alternate history from the one we know today.
• Filmic Immersion - The game’s unique filmic presentation is designed to replicate the texture of film and use real-world motion picture and cinematography techniques to emphasize dramatic character performance and realism.
• Ready At Dawn Legacy – Created and developed by Ready At Dawn Studios, award-winning developers of Daxter®, God of War®: Chains of Olympus (PSP Game of the Year) and God of War®: Ghost of Sparta. The studio is known for pushing their target hardware to its limits, as has been seen from their past titles, and they are now setting their sights and expertise on the PS4 system.

Fact Sheet

Ready At Dawn Announce God Of War: Origins Collection For The PS3 [Update]

Ready At Dawn have announced God Of War: Origins Collection For The PS3. there's some confusion over the name as the video below calls it the God Of War Collection: Volume 2. i have emailed Sony about this asking for clarity.

God Of War: Origins Collection features both the PSP God Of War Games, God of War: Ghost of Sparta and God of War: Chains of Olympus, in 1080p HD and 3D. both will be released on 1 bluray disc. other additions include Full Trophy Support, Dual Shock compatible, including Rumble, and Dolby 5.1 / DTS surround sound support. DLC from God of War: Ghost of Sparta will be included as will be a roundtable video of the game's directors.

[Update] Sony have just confirmed to me that the game will be called God Of War: Origins Collection



Press Release

FACT SHEET

Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment America LLC (SCEA)
Developer: Ready At Dawn® Studios
Platform: PlayStation®3 (PS3™) Computer Entertainment System
Genre: Action-Adventure
Players: Single-player
Release Date: September 13, 2011
Rating: “RP” for Rating Pending

OVERVIEW:
The God of War® franchise has set the bar for the action-adventure genre, selling over 11 million units worldwide and receiving various awards, while enjoying critical acclaim from the videogame industry’s top media. This began in 2005 when Sony Computer Entertainment America’s (SCEA) Santa Monica Studio introduced God of War, a game that won over a dozen ‘Game of the Year Awards.’ Then in 2007, the award-winning development team introduced God of War II, the second chapter of this sprawling odyssey, followed by God of War III in 2010, the franchise’s first title designed for the PlayStation®3 (PS3™) system and one that sold over 1 million copies in its first week of release last March.

In 2008, the adventure moved to the PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system with God of War ®: Chains of Olympus, a game that is currently the highest rated PSP title of all-time on MetaCritic.com with a score of 91. Developed by Ready At Dawn Studios, in collaboration with SCEA’s Santa Monica team, Chains of Olympus has been praised by fans and critics alike as one of the best portable gaming experiences to date. The same creative team then continued that excellence with God of War®: Ghost of Sparta for the PSP and PSPgo systems, detailing a journey that takes place after the conclusion of God of War, telling the story of Spartan warrior Kratos’ ascension to power as the new God of War. Combining intense action, a fresh storyline, stunning graphics, and depths of scale never-before-seen on the portable platform, Ghost of Sparta was also critically acclaimed, boasting a current MetaCritic.com score of 86.

Now, discover the origins of Kratos with the definitive compilation of God of War: Chains of Olympus and God of War: Ghost of Sparta on a single Blu-ray disc for the first time! Fully remastered in 1080p and stereoscopic 3-D, players will discover the dark past that continues to haunt the Spartan Warrior, and why he is forced to choose between his own personal redemption and saving the ancient world from destruction.

KEY FEATURES:
Experience the award-winning PSP games – God of War: Ghost of Sparta and God of War: Chains of Olympus in high-definition and on one Blu-ray disc for the first time.

This is the very first time PSP titles will be made available on Blu-ray for PlayStation 3 in the US.

Fully remastered in 1080p HD and stereoscopic 3D.
Full PlayStation Network trophy support.

DualShock compatible with rumble support.

Dolby 5.1 / DTS surround sound support.

Bonus content will include DLC contents from Ghost of Sparta – God of War: Game Directors Live roundtable video and Legionnaire Kratos & Forest of the Forgotten.


For more information about God of War: Origins Collection, visit www.GodofWar.com, or please contact:

Developers Ready At Dawn Reveal The Ready At Dawn Engine For Playstation 3, Playstation Portable, And Xbox 360

http://engine.readyatdawn.com/home/Welcome/Welcome_files/shapeimage_7.png

Ready At Dawn have announced that they are building "...the only comprehensive and fully integrated console game development platform designed for the creation of cutting-edge AAA interactive entertainment." the Ready At Dawn Engine is being designed to support the Playstation 3, Playstation Portable, and Xbox 360. Ready At Dawn will offer tailored evaluations of each projects needs, support, and a no-nonsense approach.

Ready At Dawn say they built this engine for those developers who are "...tired of the challenges of PC engines shoe-horned into consoles, or trying to stitch together layers upon layers of middleware from multiple vendors" and that their solution is a complete development platform.

Press Release

IRVINE, Calif. --(Business Wire)-- Oct 12, 2009 Acclaimed independent console game developer, Ready At Dawn Studios, has revealed that the studio is building the only comprehensive and fully integrated console game development platform designed for the creation of cutting-edge AAA interactive entertainment. The studio will integrate its proprietary code-base with the top providers of 3D content editing, audio, user interface and asset management systems, all packaged into a single ready-to-use game platform.

“At Ready At Dawn Studios, we are faced with the challenges of making a great game everyday,” Didier Malenfant, president, Ready At Dawn Studios, said. “We are building something for developers who are tired of the challenges of PC engines shoe-horned into consoles, or trying to stitch together layers upon layers of middleware from multiple vendors. Our solution will be a complete game development platform that simply works.”

The Ready At Dawn Engine offers a flexible data-driven tool pipeline and a high performance true console engine with support for the Sony PS3, Microsoft Xbox 360 and Sony PSP.

The studio will offer tailored evaluations of each project’s needs, simple licensing models, world-class support, and the studio’s core value of a no-nonsense approach.

About Ready At Dawn Engine
Ready At Dawn Engine is the only comprehensive and fully integrated console game development platform designed for the creation of cutting-edge AAA interactive entertainment, created by Ready At Dawn Studios. The development house draws from its creative and technical expertise, and integrates its proprietary codebase with the top providers of 3D content editing, audio, user interface and asset management systems, packaged into a single game platform that works. Ready At Dawn Studio is a premium game development studio, best known for God of War: Chains of Olympus, Daxter and Okami Wii. For more information, please visit http://engine.readyatdawn.com.