Playstation Party

When God added the 10th commandment to the stone tablets he gave to Moses I think there was a good chance it was because of nights like the Playstation Party. For two guys with no money, one recently married and then made redundant and the other with a 5 month old baby and a stay at home Mum, this was heaven.

In fact, for any two guys the idea of a combination of Nineteen42 (42 Below's flagship bar in Britomart), more Sony big screens than you can shake a stick at, with Playstation games everywhere and a bar stocked with a line of ice cold Heinekens free for consumption would be something to covet.

As you do when you get to a party, you do a loop and see what is happening and see who you know. This gave us a great opportunity to see what games were on offer and what consoles. It also gave us the opportunity to pass by the bar and pick up one of the frosty Heinekens. Because our interest was in sport and driving games we headed to the PSP's where they had Gran Turismo, which we had both played a lot previously, and Motorstorm Arctic Edge, which would have been addictive on a bigger screen but there was only so long that the undersized PSP could hold our attention.

The big drawcards for the night were Uncharted 2: Among Thieves and God of War III. Initially when we saw God of War we were both unimpressed because we are big fans of fantasy but when we actually got the controller we found the game too addictive to be able to put it down again. The graphics are amazing and the game play is intuitive and easy to understand. You find yourself totally immersed immediately. As a word of caution; like its two predecessors this game is brutally violent so it is not suitable for everyone.

Uncharted 2 caught our attention because the graphics are great and it seemed like a story we would like but the game play took far too long to get comfortable with. In the setting it wasn't the greatest game because it gets pretty humiliating continually dying in the first 90 seconds with 10 people looking over your shoulder. However, with a bit more time at home I would love to give the game a second chance.

Ratchet and Clank: A Crack In Time was also on display, both in the bar and, thanks to a projector pointing out the window, across the street for all to see. It was a playable game but aimed at a younger audience.

A suitable distraction for those not on the consoles was Kolab who were there for some live entertainment. I have been familiar with the name Kolab for a while but it was my first chance to check them out live. If you haven't seen them I have one recommendation for you - see them. Their combination of jazz, roots and hip hop is outstanding and would make a really good addition to the soundtrack for the upcoming summer. Atypically for hip hop they are also really good live.

Overall the night was a great time, the games were good and the experience made me wonder if I had made the right choice buying an Xbox 360. With Sony lowering prices for the PS3 for the Christmas season it might just be the time to buy.

Nineteen42 with the projector on the building across the street.



Kolab tearing it up live.



Some of the gaming action.



The circle of PSPs. This one featuring Motorstorm Arctic Edge.



Photos and words, Jeremy White October 2009