Heavy Rain - Game Review for PS3

I have to say I would have lost a lot of bets on Heavy Rain. We were first teased with this project right when the PS3 was released and this is one of those titles I thought would just never see the light of day. To make things even more grim, the high concept nature of "The Casting" (the original E3 06 teaser for Heavy Rain) seemed to set a bar that they could never reach.

Well here we are four years later and I can scarcely believe that I have just spent the past twenty or so hours with one of the most fascinating interactive experiences I've ever, well, experienced; and I say "interactive experience" quite intentionally. It is almost difficult to call Heavy Rain a "game" in the traditional suspense. Very much in keeping with the Quantic Dream style, and clearly the spiritual successor of all of the great advernture games of earlier eras, Heavy Rain is almost revolutionary in its execution.

First off, the story telling, graphic design, music composition and sound design are phenomenal. It can be said without exaggeration that the plot here, a somewhat morose but intelligent affair involving a cat and mouse chase for a monstrous and ellusive serial killer, easily rises to the level of "decent movie" or "really good" episode of Law and Order. The voice acting, unfortunately, leaves a bit more to be desired, but as video games go, is still quite good. Some characters in particular really stand out and, at the very least, the voice acting never harms the experience.

Gameplay will be polarizing. The entire game is a quick time events system. For those not familiar, think along the lines of Shenmue, Resident Evil 5 or, going way back, Dragons Lair. At key moments, the game expects you to take an action, time limited, in order to advance the plot in real-time. Miss the moment, and you suffer the consequences. Heavy Rain has taken the QTE approach and brough it to a new level, both in terms of gameplay scenarios, and actual execution. "Events" aren't limited to just the major things like a shoot out or a car chase. Something as simple as reading a file is an event as well. Think - opening a file cabinet drawer, reaching inside, taking out a file, you get the idea. It might sound somewhat tedious, but once you get used to it, it's surprisingly intuitive and rarely gratuitous outside of the first few minutes (which are more of a tutorial). In addition, all aspects of the six-axis controller are in play here including movement (tilts, shakes, etc) and pressure on the analogue stick (some movements require a soft, gradual, touch).

Personally, I rate this game very high - 95% for me - feel it executes on everything it set out to do and, in many ways, could even be called revolutionary within its genre. Truly amazing for a product I would have sworn would be vaporware just 4 years ago! It's almost enough to give me hope for Alan Wake!

Asus G73JH-X1 Review

Specifications

• Operating System: Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
• Display: 17.3-inch HD LED-backlit Widescreen (1920x1080)
• Intel Platform: Intel Core i7 720QM(1.6GHz) - HM55 Chipset
• Graphics: ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5870 - 1GB GDDR5
• Wireless: WLAN 802.11b/g/n (@ 2.4GHz)
• LAN: 10/100/1000 Mbps Ethernet
• Memory: 8GB DDR3 DRAM, 4GB x 2
• Storage: 500GB 7,200RPM Hard Drive, DVD Super multi
• Camera: 2 Megapixel
• Speakers: SRS Premium Stereo Speakers by Altec Lansing, Hi-Definition Audio CODEC
• Microphone: Digital Array Microphones
• Card Reader: 1 x 4-in-1 card reader: MMC, MS, MS-Pro, SD
• Input/Output: 1 x Mic-in, 1 x audio-out (S/PDIF), 1 x VGA, 4 x USB 2.0 ports, 1 x RJ45 LAN, 1 x HDMI
• Keyboard: standard white backlit (3 level adjustable) keyboard with MS Windows function keys and touch pad
• Battery Pack: 8-cell Lithium Ion High Density Battery - Up to 2 hours
• Dimensions: 16.60 (L) x 12.80 (W) x 0.80 - 2.30 (H)–inches
• Approximate Weight: 8.5 lbs (with 8-cell battery)
• Color: Black

Price: $1599 at Newegg - availability remains limited as of 3/2010

The G73JH is the latest in the Asus "Republic of Gamers" series; a line that has evolved quickly to emerge as a viable budget alternative to the likes of Alienware, Falcon, and the boutique gaming notebooks.  With the exception of possibly MSI, no manufacturer is creating true desktop replacement gaming notebooks at the feature set and price points Asus is achieving.  This is the second RoG notebook I have owned (the first being a G50VT-X1 which is still in service and doing well) and I have found the build quality and reliability to be very good and the warranty policy top notch (2 years from Asus).  Some of the (much larger) competition should take notice at the things Asus has been getting really right (ahem - HP and Toshiba)

The first thing that strikes you about the G73JH is its design.  Asus hasn't been content with producing cumbersome, square edged, boxes and the G73 is their most radical departure so far.  The matte black surfaces and flame sculpted wedge design invoke the Stealth Fighter and blue lighting is used to add some flair, but subtley enough that it isn't obnoxious.  In addition, the keyboard is backlit with soft white lighting (brightness levels hotkey adjustable).  Overall the design may be polarizing, and surely some will hate it, but 5 stars to Asus for thinking outside the box and attempting something different.  Personally, I love it, and it's nice to see a PC manufacturer besides Sony attempting to compete with Apple and materials and build quality and industrial design.

Components wise, the G73 is a fire-breathing beast.  Short of a custom built Clevo based unit, or the absolute top configs from Alienware or the boutique builders (all of which would be 2x the cost), you'll be hard pressed to find a laptop that can out perform it.  The Core i7 720 runs at a base clock of 1.6Ghz and, using Intels new software controlled "turbo mode" overclocking, scales up to 2.53Ghz.  The ATI 5870 GPU is derivative of the desktop 5770 (a very fast part) clocked slower at 700/1000 utilizing a 128bit GDDR5 bus and capable of DirectX 11 (which primarily means it supports tessalation).  In my testing I found 3DMark06 scores to be just shy of 13,000 and Vantage scores to be just shy of 9000.  All in all a very very fast gaming machine which, while noticably slower than my custom built SLI monster gaming desktop, proved capable of handling pretty much any modern game at native res (1920x1080) and medium-high to max detail levels.

All of this power comes at the expense of portability, of course.  This is a big machine - eight and a half pounds and a slightly oversized 17" laptop footprint.  Battery life is a scant 2.5 hrs doing light work (web surfing, etc) with WiFi, 50% brightness and power management set to "Power Saver", and well less than an hour on the "Power4Gear Entertainment" setting (which overclocks CPU and GPU) and gaming at maximum brightness.  Not a surprise, however.  This isn't just a desktop replacement, but is really a high-end desktop replacement and, as such, is likely to spend most of its time plugged in and sitting on a desk.

Asus put a fair bit of effort into the thermal design characteristics of the G73 and it shows.  The notebook remains very cool even under heavy load with Everest showing CPU temps of roughly 60C and GPU temps of 70C (3 hours of running Resident Evil 5 benchmarks at 1920x1080).  This was with an ambient room temperature of 75F.  The surfaces remain cool to the touch.

Ergonomically, the "budget" pricing starts to show somewhat.  The keyboard is soft and requires a fair bit of adjustment.  I've also found that quite often you "miss" a key.  It requires more pressure than one is used to, and more than you would naturally deliver given the feel, in order to register a keypress.  It isn't horrible, but when I return to the Vaio Z670N I use for work the difference is staggering.  To be fair, the Vaio is a much more expensive notebook and Sony is known for their fantastic keyboard.  Definitely something to be aware of, however.  Unfortunately, the G73 is primarily available online only (when you can even find it in stock) so it will be hard to "try before you buy".  Similarly, the touchpad (a multi-touch Synaptics affair) features a single rubberized button which I found lacking in tactile feedback.  For gaming, an external mouse is certainly recommended.

The star of the show, outside of the CPU and GPU, is the full HD display.  LED backlit and 1920x1080, the unit I received had great uniform brightness and no dead or stuck pixels.  Comparing again to the superlative Vaio screen it is a step down in terms of intensity, color saturation and viewing angles, but considering the price point, the screen is fantastic.  The X1 unit I bought is the standard DVD/single hard drive model, but the A2 unit features a blu-ray drive which will provide a great hi-def viewing experience. I tested some 1080P content off of the hard drive and it looked fantastic.

The standard selection of ports are present (HDMI, USB, RJ45 for GigE, card reader, VGA, 1/8" phono).  Notably absent is USB 3.0.  The 4 USB ports are all USB2.0.  Also absent is an Express Card port. These are almost certainly concessions to cost and, personally, I feel the trade-off is worth it.

In conclusion, the G73JH is a fantastic performer and a great value.  If you know what you're getting into before you buy it in terms of where corners were cut, and you are looking for a gaming laptop that can replace even high-end desktops from just a couple of years ago while still offering semi-portability, you will not be disappointed.

Benchmarks:
3DMark06 - 12768
3DMark Vantage - 8600
Mass Effect - 1920x1080, all details max, 60fps average
Everquest 2 - 1920x1080, all details max (FULLY maxed GPU shadows), 30fps average, 13fps average in Qeynos Harbor and Paineel
Darkfall - 1920x1080, all details max, shadows kept medium, 30fps average

I will add more benchmark results and in game experiences as I get to them.

Asus UL30VT-A1 Review

Specifications

• Operating System: Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
• Display: 13.3-inch HD LED-backlit Widescreen (1366 x 768)
• Intel Platform: Intel Core2 Duo processor SU7300 (1.3GHz)
• Graphics: Switchable: Intel GMA 4500MHD and ASUS DGE powered by NVidia GeForce G210M with 512MB VRAM
• Wireless: WLAN 802.11b/g/n (@ 2.4GHz)
• LAN: 10/100/1000 Mbps Ethernet
• Memory: 4GB DDR3 DRAM, 2GB x 2 (upgradable to 8GB)
• Storage: 500GB 5,400RPM Hard Drive
• Camera: 0.3 Megapixel
• Speakers: SRS Premium Stereo Speakers by Altec Lansing, Hi-Definition Audio CODEC
• Microphone: Digital Array Microphones
• Card Reader: 1 x 4-in-1 card reader: MMC, MS, MS-Pro, SD
• Input/Output: 1 x Mic-in, 1 x audio-out (S/PDIF), 1 x VGA, 3 x USB 2.0 ports, 1 x RJ45 LAN, 1 x HDMI
• Keyboard: 13.70-inch keyboard with MS Windows function keys
• Battery Pack: 8-cell Lithium Ion High Density Battery - Up to 12 hours1
• Dimensions: 12.68 (L) x 9.17 (W) x 0.59 ~ 0.97 (H) –inches
• Approximate Weight: 3.7 lbs (with 8-cell battery)
• Color: Silver

Nvidia G210M benchmarks can be found here at Notebookcheck.

I’ve had the Asus UL30VT-A1 for about 3 months now. I use my notebook for school, web development, podcast authoring, music and movies and occasional gaming. I wanted a lightweight notebook (under 4 lbs) with at least a 13.3” screen under $1000 ($800 was my sweet spot). I was entertaining the MSI X340 and the Acer Timeline 3810T-8737. I was very close to buying the Acer but I saw the UL30VT-X1 / A1 coming out soon with discrete graphics. At the time the Acer was only $50 cheaper than the UL30Vt-A1 and the Acer didn’t even have a graphics card! So I had to wait and see.

Sure enough, a month later the A1 became available and purchased through Gentech computers. I am glad to say I am very happy with my purchase. Running Windows 7, it is very snappy and quick. With integrated graphics on and wireless going, I average 6 – 8 hours of use on 70% brightness level. I can also play games like Bioshock, Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2, Dragon Age Origins and World of Warcraft at medium to high settings. Note that any setting excludes special effects. This notebook just won’t be able to handle that.

On the application side, I run SQL Server 2008, Visual Studio 2008 and audio editting with ease. The UL30VT-A1 has a built in 33% turbo boost in their "Power4Gear Hybrid" panel (make sure the "turbo" button is red) that bumps your CPUs to duo 1.7GHz. You will have to download a tool like CPU-Z to see the 1.7GHz (computer properties won't show it). The batteries don't really take a big hit so I just keep it on.

It is also stylish, lightweight and thin so that it easily fits in my North Face Cornice backpack. I don’t even notice the weight although that has a lot to do with the effective weight distribution of most North Face backpacks.

In conclusion, I highly recommend this notebook to any frequent traveler looking for flexibility at an affordable price without having go below the 13” screen mark.