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How does the first PSP to PS3 port play?
January 8, 2007 | 12:31 PM PSTWith Sony trying out the digital distribution method of delivering games, they have yet to strike gold with a must own title digital title. Only a few months ago, Sidhe Entertainment and Sony Online Entertainment announced they were going to be remixing the PSP game GripShift and fans of the sleeper hit of 2005 rejoiced. Now that the updated GripShift is available, does it stack up with other downloadable PS3 games?
Controls
The controls of GripShift have a nice overhaul to make the game easier to play without a large learning curve. GripShift now stays true to its name by letting your cars “grip” to the roads and not skid out of control into the bottomless pits each level floats above. The basic controls are straight forward; you hold down one of the R buttons to go, L buttons to e-brake, and X to turbo boost. There is no option to enable SIXAXIS steering which would have been a nice touch. However, you can adjust the pitch of your car while soaring through the air when you enable the SIXAXIS function in the main menu.
Sound
For starters, there is a more robust soundtrack for the game. Much like the PSP version, the tunes are hit or miss and are of the electronica variety. It’s worth noting that there are more hits than there are misses. The game sound effects don’t fare well. Each car doesn’t sound like a super rocket but more like wind-up toys. Even with the added power of the PS3, it doesn’t seem like the sound department got upgraded too much.
Visuals
GripShift DLX got a huge face life with some spiffy looking 720p High-Def graphics. While that might sound impressive, most of the levels are themed with the standard, jungle, desert, and snow tile sets so there isn’t much variety of setting. The tracks you race on are magically suspended in the air and consist of hairpin turns, loops, and other obstacles that hinder you from reaching the finish line in a record setting time. When you first boot up GripShift, you will see the art direction is sparse and minimalist. This will bring praise for some while leaving others looking for a more fleshed out game still, gameplay is what GripShift is all about.
Gameplay
The first session of GripShift you will play is challenge. There are three “challenges” in each level. One, you have to get to the finish line under a time constraint. Two, you have to collect all the stars on the track, than get to the finish line. Three, you have to find a GS token hidden in the level. Of course, these challenges ramp up as you progress further into the game so the difficulty is not an issue. Sidhe wisely sprinkled in some circuit races so the gameplay would stay fresh and not fall victim of being a one trick pony. There is an option to exclusively race in circuit tracks complete with “Kart” racer style items and weapons, it is executed nicely but these types of racers have been done better. The “puzzle” tracks really stand out above the rest of the game’s modes.
As you beat courses and gain more points, you unlock a variety of cars, rims, decals, and paint jobs. It gives a reason to go back and score perfects on the levels that might be difficult so you can master them. Also adding to the replayability is the online modes. You can race 3 other people over the internet to see who is the best “GripShifter” in all of cyber-space. There is also an online ranking system for each level that lets you know how you stack up with other people in the world on a specific track. With how easy those rankings are to access, this will quickly become an addiction to anyone who is connected to the internet and plays GripShift. You will constantly try and beat your old times to break the top 100, 20, and 10 to give your life meaning.
One thing mysteriously missing from GripShift is the minigames that the PSP version had. Gone is the whimsical Penguin Bowling that was a fun diversion from collecting every star on the track. It is a minor complaint, but I really wanted to see penguin bowling pins in 720p.
Closing
GripShift is the first must-own PlayStation Store title for the PS3. If you missed out on the PSP version there is absolutely no reason to miss out on the PS3 version. Sure, each title has their trade-offs but for the $9.99 they are asking for the game, it is hard to say no. Not only is GripShift the best deal 2007 has to offer, it is zany fun, in the best meaning of the term. Everything works and it offers a fresh gaming experience for PS3 owners who have played through their collections already. 2007 is going to have a tough time trying to dethrone GripShift DLX as a winner. For the price you won’t regret this purchase. As for stacking up with other PlayStation Store games? GripShift destroys the competition like a A-bomb on a field of tulips. Here is to hoping that the PlayStation Network pumps out more fantastic titles like GripShift.
Controls
The controls of GripShift have a nice overhaul to make the game easier to play without a large learning curve. GripShift now stays true to its name by letting your cars “grip” to the roads and not skid out of control into the bottomless pits each level floats above. The basic controls are straight forward; you hold down one of the R buttons to go, L buttons to e-brake, and X to turbo boost. There is no option to enable SIXAXIS steering which would have been a nice touch. However, you can adjust the pitch of your car while soaring through the air when you enable the SIXAXIS function in the main menu.
Sound
For starters, there is a more robust soundtrack for the game. Much like the PSP version, the tunes are hit or miss and are of the electronica variety. It’s worth noting that there are more hits than there are misses. The game sound effects don’t fare well. Each car doesn’t sound like a super rocket but more like wind-up toys. Even with the added power of the PS3, it doesn’t seem like the sound department got upgraded too much.
Visuals
GripShift DLX got a huge face life with some spiffy looking 720p High-Def graphics. While that might sound impressive, most of the levels are themed with the standard, jungle, desert, and snow tile sets so there isn’t much variety of setting. The tracks you race on are magically suspended in the air and consist of hairpin turns, loops, and other obstacles that hinder you from reaching the finish line in a record setting time. When you first boot up GripShift, you will see the art direction is sparse and minimalist. This will bring praise for some while leaving others looking for a more fleshed out game still, gameplay is what GripShift is all about.
Gameplay
The first session of GripShift you will play is challenge. There are three “challenges” in each level. One, you have to get to the finish line under a time constraint. Two, you have to collect all the stars on the track, than get to the finish line. Three, you have to find a GS token hidden in the level. Of course, these challenges ramp up as you progress further into the game so the difficulty is not an issue. Sidhe wisely sprinkled in some circuit races so the gameplay would stay fresh and not fall victim of being a one trick pony. There is an option to exclusively race in circuit tracks complete with “Kart” racer style items and weapons, it is executed nicely but these types of racers have been done better. The “puzzle” tracks really stand out above the rest of the game’s modes.
As you beat courses and gain more points, you unlock a variety of cars, rims, decals, and paint jobs. It gives a reason to go back and score perfects on the levels that might be difficult so you can master them. Also adding to the replayability is the online modes. You can race 3 other people over the internet to see who is the best “GripShifter” in all of cyber-space. There is also an online ranking system for each level that lets you know how you stack up with other people in the world on a specific track. With how easy those rankings are to access, this will quickly become an addiction to anyone who is connected to the internet and plays GripShift. You will constantly try and beat your old times to break the top 100, 20, and 10 to give your life meaning.
One thing mysteriously missing from GripShift is the minigames that the PSP version had. Gone is the whimsical Penguin Bowling that was a fun diversion from collecting every star on the track. It is a minor complaint, but I really wanted to see penguin bowling pins in 720p.
Closing
GripShift is the first must-own PlayStation Store title for the PS3. If you missed out on the PSP version there is absolutely no reason to miss out on the PS3 version. Sure, each title has their trade-offs but for the $9.99 they are asking for the game, it is hard to say no. Not only is GripShift the best deal 2007 has to offer, it is zany fun, in the best meaning of the term. Everything works and it offers a fresh gaming experience for PS3 owners who have played through their collections already. 2007 is going to have a tough time trying to dethrone GripShift DLX as a winner. For the price you won’t regret this purchase. As for stacking up with other PlayStation Store games? GripShift destroys the competition like a A-bomb on a field of tulips. Here is to hoping that the PlayStation Network pumps out more fantastic titles like GripShift.
November 20, 2009
