From the time that video gaming left the Arcades and became a prominent feature in most family homes the peripheral market began to boom.

From multi controller adapters through to memory cards, after market controllers bore one of the the must haves for any racing game enthusiast was the steering wheel.

From the 90’s until now as consoles developed, so did the racing hardware genre, from a singular wheel, to wheel and pedal combo, even full setups that include a racing chair, wheel and pedals housed in a rig. Even Xbox got in on the action three years ago with their very bold Xbox 360 Wireless Steering Wheel. U-shaped it was a racing peripheral unlike anything else, so much so many gamers were either amazed or slightly confused with it’s appearance and usage.

Throughout it all however, European hardware manufacturer Thrustmaster have been at the professional end, creating Wheel and Pedal setups for the more discerning home based motor-heads.

And, the T-150 for PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 is the most Pro of them all.

From out of the box you know you have a solid set up. It’s hefty and weighty but very very awesome.

The initial setup requires you to plug the pedals into the steering wheel base, then add mains power. That’s it. You’re done. Almost.

Plugging the USB 2.0 into your PlayStation 4 (PS4) as an extra controller may take a bit of hit and miss. At first the PS4 did not recognise the ‘controller’. The fix for this was easy enough. Restart the PS4, or make sure that you plug it in before you turn the console on. You also need to make sure that your primary Dualshock 4 controller is not on.

You can then use the standard PS Buttons on the T-150 to navigate the PS4 Menu as you would with your Dualshock.

We gave the T-150 a good run on Project Cars. Now, if you follow the steps above you will not have any issue and the game will pick up the T-150 instantly, but oddly as a secondary controller, so make it the Primary in the games controller settings.

Once into gameplay, that’s where the magic happens.

The T-150 has a rotation angle which is adjustable from 270 to 1080 and a really strong 1080 Force Feedback. When you first power on the Rig the wheel will auto calibrate itself. Same is done when you set it up within the game that you are about to play.

And, to put it mildly the Force Feedback is epic. It reflects the realism of an actual vehicle flying about a track at top speeds. You can feel the resistance as corners turn one way but your vehicle begins to slide another and you will fight with the wheel to keep on track.

Having a collision into a wall, barrier or other vehicle will cause the wheel to vibrate heavily and it will spin wildly reflecting the power of the impact.

There is of course tuning options for the T-150 within supported games. And if you are not schooled in the use of a wheel and pedal set up you will most certainly want to turn down the Force Feedback.

You can also adjust the sensitivity ratio of the wheel itself and make yourself feel, well, at home as you race uninhibited like the professional that you are.

If you are not a fan of Automatic driving and want the full real experience of manipulating the vehicles gears, the T-150 Steering Wheel consists of Dual Paddles for quick gear changes.

The pedals also have an element of customization to them aswell. They can be adjusted for sensitivity and angle, based on your playing preference, style and where the pedals are mounted physically as you play.

That said that brake pedal has been developed with progressive resistance. This reminded me of how ABS Braking works in a real car.

Using the T-150 on the PlayStation 3 (PS3) was much the same, except interestingly, the console detected it immediately, added as a secondary ‘controller’ and we were playing Gran Turismo 6 with little to no setup (other than tweaking the wheel sensitivity and Force Feedback). No probs with GRID either, infact it made GRID a hell of a lot more enjoyable than I remember it being.

So expect to need a bit of patience with the PS4. Also make sure that you have the built in slider switch on the steering base set to the correct console (PS4 or PS3).

Thrustmaster have excelled with the T150. It breathes new life into supported racing titles – taking what is a solid game and turning it into a solid simulator.

Depending on your personal preference and budget, I would recommend having the T-150 wheel and pedals mounted into a chair based rig. Having the wheel base on your lap while playing and pedal kits just idly at your feet isn’t going to work out so well. The Force Feedback of the wheel will literally throw the steering base around your lap. It needs to be used on a hard and even surface, such as a desk or table top.

The pedal kit can be prone to sliding about, but this of course depends on your environment. We tried both carpet and lino. We recommend carpet.

The T150 is a Wheel and Pedal setup designed for Professionals and Novices. The level of customisation and tuning settings means that you can use the setup to your liking and if you are new to a peripheral of this type you can easily and quickly tone down the features, such as the mentioned Force Feedback until you get a feel for simulation racing.

Built with future proofing in mind, the T-150 has built in memory, it has it’s own firmware which can be upgraded to keep it relevant with any future console or game updates.

T-150, race like a Pro at your own pace.

The post Thrustmaster T-150 Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

I’ve always found WWE to be more about the characters and the story rather than the actual wrestling. If you just throw two guys in the ring and asked them to wrestle, I would quickly lose interest. Throw in a storyline though with a few twists and give those two guys a personality, then you will have my attention. While WWE 2K16 manages to pull off the wrestling side of things pretty well, it fails to capture what makes the WWE special outside of the ring.

This failing is most exemplified in MyCareer mode which really should be where any great WWE game stands out. Here you play through the career of your character from NXT newbie to WWE Superstar.

To its credit, the mode features deep and rewarding character customisation options. Despite offering a lot of diversity, the visual tools can get a bit tedious to use if you want to go any further past the basics. In terms of move sets, you can go through and assign each individual move for your character to use or, if you are lazy like me, you can copy the move set of your favourite character.

The upgrading system also works very well. Your player has an extremely long list of attributes ranging from springboard offence to leg durability. After each match you are given points based on your performance in the ring which can be used to upgrade each of these points. As your character’s attributes are broken down into so many tiny pieces, it enables you to personalise to suit your play style.

The closest thing to a story in this mode is the very anti-climactic rivalry system. In practice this generally means that on your way to the ring in a match, someone random will come out and attack you. Following a couple of weeks of generic match interferences or matches against each other, you will fight at a pay-per view event ending the feud. Rinse and repeat. These rivalries completely fail to ascertain the sort of entertainment or emotion that is seen each week on the WWE.

The feeble attempt at character personalities also proves to be unsatisfying. If you haven’t seen wrestling before, after playing WWE2K16 you would be forgiven to thinking that wrestlers don’t have a personality. Your character is assigned the protagonist trait of “face” or antagonist trait of “heel” based on your answers in very generic interviews that occasionally take place. Other characters are also given one of these traits however they aren’t adequately played out on the screen. The attempts at personality end here.

The closest thing to a manager mode comes in the form of the WWE Universe mode. If you go in hoping for a manager type mode though you will be disappointed. This mode basically allows you to create rivalries, set up matches and also participate in them if you choose. The experience though is a bit tedious and ultimately unrewarding.

The most interesting mode to me was the 2K Showcase where you play through the epic career of “Stone Cold” Steve Austin. Having only got into wrestling towards the end of his career, I found being about to play through his career both entertaining and engaging. Actual footage is played between matches which help to throw you into the situation.

Despite its other flaws, WWE2K16 does a decent job with the actual wrestling part of the game. Matches naturally go through a backwards and forwards flow of momentum due to a mostly well implement reversal system. Each wrestler starts out each match with up to 5 reversals depending on their attributes. Every time an opponent uses a move, there is a brief window of opportunity to press a button which reverses the attack. Time it correctly and you consume one of your reversals however they slowly refill over time.

The problem arises though when you inevitably run out of reversals and are left completely defenceless as your opponent mercilessly attacks you. By the time your metre refills enough for a reversal, so has your opponent’s.  When you do finally get your reversal, you may only get a couple of attacks, if any, in before your opponent reverses your attack and you are left once again defenceless.

One thing which didn’t sit well with me was what essentially is a health bar for each character. I only ever managed to get to the three count once my opponents health was at zero. One of the exciting things about wrestling is not knowing whether someone will kick-out or not, this health system takes away this unknown and the excitement with it. It also works against the finishing moves which feel more like a way to reduce an opponent’s health than a way to actually finish your opponent off.

Commentary for matches is also a problem. There is a very limited pool of dialogue which causes the commentary to get extremely repetitive. Lines are repeated not only between matches but even inside of a single match.

The rosters in this year edition is fantastic, featuring over 120 characters containing a good mix of classic legends and current superstars. Graphically all the characters look outstanding looking just as they do in real life. The game also features a great selection of modes.

WWE 2K16 unfortunately isn’t the embodiment of WWE that it should be. Despite featuring generally solid wrestling mechanics and an epic roster, the key modes available far from live up to their potential.

The post WWE 2K16 Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Lost Dimension is a tactical RPG but it certainly ventures out to be rather unique, in that it does not keep to the generally large scale or open world themes that most others do. It is available on both PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita. It is centred in a very small space from where you set out to battle.

The game has an interesting premise. You, along with a random assortment of other psychically talented individuals, are stuck in a mystical tower. You were all sent in as part of different teams of a special justice squad known as S.E.A.L.E.D. However those present seem to be the only ones that made it inside the tower.

Amongst the confusion the bad guy, aka The End (ominous if ever I heard it), is truly malevolent in that he toys with the group and sends them playing to his own sadistic tune. He relays to the group that amongst them is a traitor. Clearly not causing enough discord within the group, The End makes progress impossible without voting out this alleged traitor, then he or she will be ‘erased’.  You, Sho Kasugai, along with your companions must vote, and it is up to you to discover the traitor and persuade those around you of your convictions.

The game is strongly based around relationships, detective work and interacting with the others in your team. However after a while you simply see them all as pawns and not individuals. Maybe that’s the point, how when faced with such choices and situations, what becomes of us.

The theme of voting off traitors continues but soon it all just becomes a game. I did really like the premise and ideas. They did try to make everything a bit more involved and create a more interesting scenario.

Maybe it was just me, but implying everyone is going to be picked off eventually had me not caring who the traitor actually was. It left me feeling the only power I had was to simply choose the order in which they die. So I compartmentalised who was useful and who wasn’t, who I liked and didn’t, and whoever was left was getting the chopping board… or eraser. So, yes, I may have persuaded the others to vote for a certain character even though I didn’t really think they were the traitor.

The squad is trapped in a Lobby. From here you can interact with others, deduce the traitor and outfit the party with new items, weapons and abilities.

Each character has a set of unique psychic abilities, from setting fire to things to levitation. This adds another level of strategy to the battle scenes. I realised certain individuals complimented each other better and so grouped them appropriately.

Participating in combat will earn your team gift points which are then spent on upgrading your abilities and unlocking new paths for them. I like the simple but expandable tree paths for each character. You could see what you needed to unlock a particular awesome special attack.

The combat scenarios are set up as individual missions. Selecting one will throw you and your chosen team into a pre-set Level. You can select who specifically you want to take with you on the mission and can even select their starting positions within certain given spots.

Being a tactical game, the combat is turn based. Each player on your team gets a move.

You get to choose exactly where you want them, within a certain range, and then make their action. You actually control the character to move them, then assign an action, and that’s their turn. A team member can also defer their turn to a nearby comrade or give an assist bonus if positioned correctly alongside allies.

This however can also be said for the enemy, so having them group together is really the last thing you want to let happen. I did enjoy the combat. It provided numerous strategic approaches with the different character abilities and deciding the layout ofparty members on the battle field. Experimenting with different abilities also kept combat interesting.

The enemies however do not seem to vary all that much, which is a bit disappointing. Versing the same looking guys over and over does get a wee bit dull. For a PS3 game the graphics are quite average. Not exactly detailed but bearable. The characters are all anime styled, so cut scenes and interactions between them are pretty enough. The environments are really the let down here.

Lost Dimension is a different sort of tactical RPG, one that focuses quite strongly on character interactions and tough decisions.

The world and environment are actually quite small but this was ok as it is not the main focus. The combat Levels didn’t really vary all that much but I still enjoyed battle and the strategic decisions involved. Graphically it’s quite average and even a little plain but once again it’s not too much of a bother as you have bigger and more confronting concerns.

It’s an interesting game and the story is quite intriguing but it does lack luster. While decent overall, Lost Dimension just doesn’t contain that special something.

The post Lost Dimension Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Activision’s Guitar Hero is back, but, unlike the recently released Rock Band 4, it’s all changed for Guitar Hero Live.

Whilst the basic mechanics of Harmonix’s original Guitar Hero game have been preserved, FreeStyleGames’Guitar Hero Live has a new presentation, a new way of getting more music and a new guitar peripheral.

They’ve also dumped the drum kit, leaving players with only the lead and bass guitar, as well as vocals, for those so inclined.

Instead of a series of five coloured fret buttons, the new Guitar Hero axe has two rows of three fret buttons, allowing for an insane combination of notes and chords. Also missing are the touch-sensitive lower frets that, to be honest, I never got to work that well, anyway.

For those unfamiliar with the Guitar Hero franchise, the idea is to follow the note prompts as they proceed towards you on a “highway” by pressing the corresponding button(s) on the little plastic guitar peripheral whilst strumming the long button on the face. Special notes, correctly hit, unlocks hero power, enabling a x2 multiplier, which means more points, that is activated when the guitar is tilted up,

On the PS4, this all works due to a tiny little dongle that you plug into one of the console’s USB ports. Once synched, the guitar works as if it is a controller, with the frets, strummer and a little joystick on the guitar body mimicking the Dual Shock 4.

Rock Band 4 uses a virtually identical music catalogue as its predecessors, but this isn’t the case with Guitar Hero Live. None of your music purchased for previous Guitar Hero iterations will work with Guitar Hero Live.  For this outing Activision have made a rather controversial decision when it comes to music delivery.

There are two ways to play songs onGuitar Hero Live, either using the on-disc Live mode or the streamed online TV mode.

On the disc there are 43 songs which are unlocked as the player progress though the single-player campaign. It’s a good mix featuring tracks from Katy Perry to The Rolling Stones, something for everyone, to use the cliché.

The Live campaign places the player into a band performing at either of two iconic rock festivals: Rock the Block in Boulder City, USA or the SoundDial festival at Stoneford Castle, UK. The game is played from the player’s point-of-view, as the lead guitar in a band.

This time, instead of using computer graphics, the other band members and the audience are all portrayed using live action footage. What’s more, they react to your performance. Play without dropping a note and your band will nod in appreciation of your awesomeness and the crowd will go wild. Screw up and the band will start abusing you and the audience shake their heads and boo. This all happens virtually seamlessly and is actually very cool.

During the festivals players will perform twenty-minute sets with a series of different bands. Successful completion of a set will unlock each song in quickplay mode and well as some bonus band info in the festival gallery.

The other way to play, Guitar Hero TV, turns your console into a streaming mixture of Karaoke and MTV. Selecting one of the many streaming channels allows players to jump into the scheduled playlist and start strumming. You can compare your performance with anyone else playing on the channel. You can’t choose your song, but the songs keep coming, with the official music video streaming in the background. For most players, the lack of immediate choice is more than made up for by the huge music catalogue.

The set playlists of the music channels are great for casual players who will likely enjoy playing the streamed songs as they come. Dedicated Guitar Hero aficionados wishing repeat the same song in order to nail it are not going to be so happy. There is a way to choose your own streamed playlist on Guitar Hero TV, but I can still see this still causing some upset for hardcore fans.

As you playGuitar Hero TV you earn tokens that can be used to buy Plays. Plays are exactly that, free plays of song of your choice. Three Plays will cost you 1,800 tokens and ten Plays 6,000 tokens. You get about 160 tokens per successful song.

Now for the controversial bit.

Running right through the middle of the Guitar Hero TV experience is a rather sneaky micro-transaction system. You can, rather than earn tokens to unlock songs, use Hero Cash. Those ten Plays can be unlocked for 450 in Hero Cash. You can buy Hero Cash in the PlayStation Store. 300 Hero Cash will cost you $1.95 AUD all the way up to 6900 Hero Cash for $25.95 AUD.

Not that expensive, but I can see a few people getting more than a little carried away, especially the aforementioned hardcore players wanting to master a song on the harder difficulty Levels.

As well as a shortcut to freeplays, Hero Cash is also required to access Guitar Hero TV premium content. Premium show grant players early access to new songs before they hit the free streaming channels.They only cost 210 Hero Cash but, again, restraint is required.

Overall, I was rather impressed with Guitar Hero Live and I take my hat off to Activision for reinvigorating the ailing Guitar Hero franchise with something new. The revised guitar design is welcome and adds a new challenge to the game. The live action footage in the Live mode is very well done. Micro-transactions aside, Guitar Hero TV works very well, with constantly updated music keeping the content fresh.

Guitar Hero Live is out now for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Wii U, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

The post Guitar Hero Live Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Being a long time fan of Transformers, knowing that Transformers Devastation was coming had me excited, albeit a bit nervous.  Platinum has a mostly good track record of action brawler games (most notably the Bayonetta series) and so the announcement of them doing a cell shaded G1 Transformers action brawler just oozed of potential.

But one cannot help but be skeptical with the way our beloved 80’s franchise has been treated (*cough* Rise of the Dark Spark *cough*).  Fortunately for aging nerds like myself, this game is for the most part an excellent title worthy of the Transformers name.

Transformers Devastation is very much an action brawler that borrows a lot of its mechanics from Bayonetta. This is most notable in the slow down mechanic (a.k.a witch time), triggered when you dodge right before you are attacked.  This is good as the controls and fighting are both very solid, fluent and work well, but by the end of the game they are a tad repetitive.

The real standout is the fanfare.

The story and the characters are exactly what I would want and the almost complete original voice cast really brings the experience home.  The cell shading looks absolutely stunning and for the most part looks like you are playing the cartoon.  The only real criticism I could level at the aesthetics of the game is the city feels a little bland and the buildings are a little generic, but that is a minor gripe about an otherwise beautiful game.

The only thing that I felt let the game down a bit was the equipment drop and upgrading system.

Weapons get dropped which can be equipped and you upgrade them at certain points in the game by deconstructing a weapon to level the one up.  Alternatively you can sell them for credits which can be used to construct power ups, or to upgrade the weapons (breaking a weapon down to upgrade another is not free).  So it is fine as a rudimentary upgrade system, but it mostly felt like an inconvenience, when a basic experience system could have been a lot more satisfying.

The story is not long. At about five hours, it is broken up into smaller Levels which are all graded, immediately adding replay value in trying to get better grades.  On top of that, as you advance the story, you will unlock challenges, which I am not going to lie, I spent much more time playing (and loving) than the story.

But the ultimate factor in the game is it is just fun.  I cannot describe the joy that beating down Megatron in a cell shaded G1 world and fortunately different playable characters have just different enough attacks that there is enough of a reason to experiment with each character and see which one suits you best.

The gameplay is simple enough that when you have finished the story it becomes the perfect game to play for 20 minutes, though one must be warned, those 20 minutes can disappear quickly and melt into an hour.

As a fussy Transformers fan, I had a high list of demands the moment I found out that Transformers Devastation would be based on the G1 series.  Somehow it managed to tick most of those boxes and a handful that I did not know existed.  A few minor annoyances aside the game is a worthwhile play.

Just put your headphones on, sit back and melt into a world dripping with 80’s Transformers nostalgia.

The post Transformers: Devastation Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.