Beat Sketcher - The Game Journal Review

Title: Beat Sketcher

Developed By: Japan Studio

Published By: Sony Computer Entertainment

When I took my first step into the current console generation and purchased a Playstation 3 a few years ago, I thought I knew what to expect. I knew I'd be playing First Person Shooters, Role-Playing, Action/Adventure, Puzzle and Sports games. I knew I'd watch Blu-Ray movies and, every once in a while, surf the net. One thing I never would have expected was that I'd be using my PS3 for the purpose of creative expression.

Little Big Planet started the "Play, Create, Share" mantra for Sony, with level creators using the game's Create mode to build and share levels with people around the world. Modnation Racers simplified the creation process, making it easier for players who were intimidated by the depth of Little Big Planet's creation tools to create and share a level with the world. Beat Sketcher, though not advertised as a "Play, Create, Share" game feels like another offshoot of the movement but in a completely different way than the aforementioned titles. 

Beat Sketcher is an experience made possible by the Playstation Move controller. Using the motion controller as a paint brush and video playback from the Playsation Eye as a canvas, the game allows you the ability to "paint" on your screen. This is the type of game that would be a waste of time if played with a regular controller, but with the Move, it's a unique experience. 

Yes, I called it a game. Beat Sketcher features two modes that offer the structured "game" experience for those who want it. Challenge Mode sees you trying to replicate lines of a drawing to while keeping the beat. Match Mode is the multiplayer mode featuring three game types letting you pass the Move controller to compete with up to three friends. The basic gameplay of Beat Sketcher is best compared to those of other music/rhythm games like Rock Band or Rhythm Heaven in the sense that you're trying to perform the correct action on beat with the music. It works quite well, and with friends it can be a lot of fun goofing around, that you see yourself on the TV while playing adds quite a bit to the fun. 

While it's nice that there are game modes in Beat Sketcher, where the game really shines is in Create Mode. Create Mode gives you the canvas and you do the rest. It is, essentially, a free-drawing program that allows you to export your drawings to the PS3's hard drive or record up to 10 minutes of video that you can upload to Youtube. Pretty much the only restrictions are you imagination and your artistic skill. I cannot overstate how great it is to be able to simply draw on your screen.

Beat Sketcher is a solid game, but as an application -- and a proof of concept for the Playstation Move -- it's one of the best Move-only titles available on PSN. You will get out of the game exactly what you put into it, and creative types will, no doubt, have more fun than those who want to stay within the boundaries that most games hold you to. It's those who can detach themselves from what games are supposed to be that will truly enjoy Beat Sketcher for what it is: A creative tool. I'm not going to call Beat Sketcher a "killer app" for Playstation Move, but it is a showcase for the viability of the technology and what it brings to the table that the other motion control platforms do not. 

Auditorium HD- The Game Journal Review

Title: Auditorium HD

Developed By: Cipher Prime

Published By: Zoo Games

Auditorium is a game with a simple premise. In the game, streams of light shoot forth. You need to guide the streams towards boxes suing directional discs. Things will get a bit more complicated as you progress. Some boxes will only accept streams of light of a specific color, for example, adding complexity to the game as you guide the stream through specific points in order to alter it before it gets to the box. As you move on more disc types are added that alter the streams in more ways than simply changing their direction. Okay, written out that actually does sound complicated. Thankfully, Auditorium HD is an intuitive experience. 

While the game supports the standard controller just fine, I found using the Playstation Move to control the game is a far more pleasant experience. With the Move controller, grabbing on to and moving the discs in the precise spot where you'd like them is a breeze. It's all very user friendly, which is great, because with puzzle games, interface is the last thing you want to worry about. 

There is quite a bit of content. There are two different tracklists. Auditorium Classic is made up of the levels available in the PC version of the game. Auditorium Modern are all brand new tracks designed specifically for the console release of the game. Each tracklst offers over 70 tracks, providing a good amount of gameplay. The game also supports 3D, though I was unable to test this myself, as I do not have a 3D television. 

Playing Auditorium HD, I found myself focused on little else than the experience itself. While moving discs and guiding light may not seem like the most compelling thing to do in a video game in explanation, in-game, I was constantly engaged. A lot of this has to do with the game's atmosphere. Sure, at first blush the game's presentation seems spartan, but once you have light streaming in various directions and colors on the screen, boxes emitting a tune, harmonizing with each other as the fill with light, it's hard not to be impressed and taken in by the experience. 

Audio is a big part of the presentation. This is one of those games where you feel that you are not only playing the game, but also contributing to the soundtrack in a small way. And the music is wonderful. Your sense of accomplishment for finishing a track is enhanced by the accompaniment of the fleshed out song you've been building towards as you progress.

Auditorium is a wonderful take on the puzzle game. The controls, especially with the Playsation Move controller, in concert with the visuals and soundtrack make it a unique and interesting title. The puzzles themselves are excellent, ramping up from the fairly simplistic in the beginning to significantly more complicated tracks as you progress, the increased challenge smoothed by the intuitiveness of the gameplay. It's a game I definitely recommend. 

Blue Toad Murder Files - The Game Journal Review

Title: Blue Toad Murder Files

Developed By: Relentless Software

Published By: Relentless Software

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