Play.com Live: The Final Day
by Patrick Steen on March 19, 2008 at 5:50 am
We all had fun with Gemma and Iain at Lay.com Live
No, we didn’t win anything on day two. This was most likely due to the fact that Gemma Atkinson was bored off her two bras she dons to play Wii Sports. “Have you ever wanted to race round the streets of London…then we’ve got the next best thing…” repeats Gemma ad infinitum. Reading cards is fun!
Thankfully Gemma and Iain Lee had to do more than just read. They had to play games too. Watching them get down and dirty with Rock Band was a joy to behold. Thank god they were good sports, because to be honest; it was a wash out.
Up close on the Xbox stand we could observe Gemma on bass guitar, Iain Lee on drums, and an unknown on lead guitar. They lasted 30 seconds before dropping out one by one, joined by the game ridiculing them with boos. They lasted a smidgen longer on their second attempt, but this time the surrounding crowd joined in with the booing. Iain puts on an amusing strop and Gemma slips into the crowd, dejected.
Without prior experience with Rock Band, at least they gave it go. Next up on the game was the current cast of Hollyoaks…moving on…
The first day saw the likes of Tom Baker (Dr. Who) and Robert Lewellyn (Cryton in Red Dwarf) signing autographs, but on the second day Danny Jhon Juels (Cat in Red Dwarf) and Hattie Hayridge (comedian and Holly in Red Dwarf) made a welcome appearance.
Other notable celebrities were Steve Jones from T4 and Radio 1’s Colin Murray. They all seemed to be having fun, though I’m not sure if the event was quite what they expected it to be.
Kev and me had a quick go on Rainbow Six Vegas 2 multiplayer, and in reality it looks and plays as if it’s an expensive expansion of the first game. Then again, the content could be bursting at the seams, which is certainly what the game’s fans want. To join Rainbow Six was a little bit of Las Vegas, in the form of faux Roulette to win trips to Las Vegas, and a bunch of feathered up dancing ladies.
Condemned 2 was another game we found hiding on an upper level. The sequel builds on the satisfying first person melee combat of the original, holding its survival horror routes dear, allowing you to implement everyday objects (bowling balls, toilet seats) as weapons to do your worst on your enemies. Condemned 2 is looking great graphically, since the art style really plays to its strengths; dark, gloomy, wet, creepy, and full of fear.
We once again asked Microsoft representatives where Ninja Gaiden 2 was. In reply we were told that it wasn’t there because of “technical difficulties.” Since the game is nearing release, we expect that the game was technically fine, but that it interfered with Microsoft’s family orientated presence at the event.
If Microsoft wanted Ninja Gaiden 2 they’d have to book another area on the upper level, a space that was dominated by Capcom and Sony. Even Ubisoft had to squeeze Haze on two pillars either side of the food and drink.
I had another spin of Ubisoft/Free Radical’s game, Haze. This time trying my hand at one of the vehicle levels. It was great fun getting your AI buddies to join you in a four-man vehicle, though I expect it’s more exciting when joined by your live buddies.
To my dismay I got the vehicle stuck upside down on an obstacle, and with rebels surrounding us, we had to quickly dispatch them before I could work out how to right the bloody thing. A combination of a grenade and a melee punch did the trick. You can read Kev’s preview of Haze here.
Gran Turismo 5: Prologue was making a popular showing at the event, even though Sunday was quieter than Saturday. The GT5:P pods were forever surrounded by impressed gamers who wanted to race around London and score a free GT5:P Playstation 3 bundle. It was looking incredibly sharp, and we can’t wait for the Euro release at the end of the month when we can get our hands on this baby;
All in all Play.com was very successful, with plenty to keep us occupied and enough unreleased games to make the event worthwhile. We only wish some of the promised games were playable, or at the most – present (we’re looking at you Star Wars and Ninja Gaiden.)
Full previews of Bourne Conspiracy, Race Driver: GRID, Lego Indiana Jones, Kung Fu Panda and Far Cry 2 still to come. Plus, we’ll be giving away some Play.com Live swag to two lucky UK residents later in the week. In the meantime, have a look through our gallery.
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