Gamerly Musings

Where failed pitches go to shine.

Category: E3

E3 2013: A PS4 controller that is finally worth holding

I have been quite vocal over the years about my hatred for Sony’s dualshock controllers. The analog stick placement is wrong, the triggers feel wrong, just everything about their controllers from the original PlayStation up to the PS3 has been a miserable experience that a begrudgingly endure for the occasional exclusive game.

Heck, I don’t even finish most PS3 games these days, games I genuinely love, because I hate that controller. I got halfway through Akrham Asylum on PS3, then bought a second copy on 360 to finish it because I just couldn’t stand using the PS3 controller anymore.

So people were understandably taken aback when I said that I loved the PS4 controller that I got to try at E3 this year. It looks fundamentally the same, so has that much really changed?

The short answer is yes, that much really has changed. I was skeptical too just by looking at it, and actually cringed when I looked at the hands-on stations for Thief and noticed a PS4 controller sitting there. The cringe was noticeable enough that one of the developers asked me if something was wrong. I told him no, a lie at the time but once I picked up the controller it turned out to be true. The PS4 controller is very right.

Read the rest of this entry »

E3 2012 Journal

Microsoft Showcase:

  • Dust: An Elysian Tail*
  • Deadlight
  • Mark of the Ninja*
  • Resident Evil 6
  • Wreckateer

Day 1 show floor:

  • Nintendo Land (all 5 mini-games)
  • Pikmin 3*
  • Zombi U (multiplayer)
  • Project P-100*
  • Tank! Tank! Tank!
  • Game & Wario
  • Castlevania: Lords of Shadow – Mirror of Fate
  • Orgrhythm
  • Rayman Legends*
  • Epic Mickey 2 (PS3 controller)
  • Dishonored*
  • Doom 3: BFG Edition
  • The Cave (hands off)*
  • Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing Transformed

Day 2 show floor:

  • The Testament of Sherlock Holmes
  • Of Orcs and Men
  • Darksiders 2*
  • Metro: Last Light (hands off)*
  • Trine 2 Wii U
  • Luigi’s Mansion*
  • Star Wars 1313 (hands off)*
  • Rabbids Land*
  • Theatrhythm Final Fantasy
  • Jet Set Radio (Vita)
  • Scribblenauts Unlimited (Wii U)*

Day 3 show floor:

  • Aliens: Colonial Marines*
  • XCOM: Enemy Unknown (hands off)
  • Batman: Arkham City: Armored Edition
  • Just Dance 4
  • Sound Shapes*
  • New Little King’s Story
  • Papo y Yo*
  • Tomb Raider (hands off)
  • Rekoil*
  • PlayStation All-Stars
  • Quantum Conundrum
  • Ascend: New Gods
  • ZombiU (single-player)*

*My favorite games of the show