PS3 REVIEW - Home Beta
December 12th 2008 07:44
Console:
Playstation 3
Article:
Review
Score (out of 10):
9.5
Author:
Glen Atwell
Online Multiplayer:
Yes
Category: No Category
If you get the damn thing working - Home is where the heart is!
I'm still not sure how I got the bloody thing working, but when I was finally connected - I fell in love.
The highly anticipated Playstation 3 Home Beta started with a 77MB file download and from there it quickly descended down hill.
After an hour of error messages, connection refused errors and countless system reboots; I gave up on Home Beta and fired up my USA account to venture online with Super Street Fighter II HD Turbo Remix.
It was a satisfying experience - check back to Computer Game later on to read the full review.
Not daring to give up on Home Beta, a call from a mate, who had successfully connected, prompted me to return to the connection screen.
A few more errors, then, at long last, glorious success.
All of a sudden I'm signing my life away by accepting the draconian Terms & Conditions and I'm thrust into my avatar's wardrobe.
Customisations galore await. Chiselled jaw line - check. Monobrow - check. Reflective sunglasses (for perving, unnoticed, on the female home'ies) - check.
Seconds later, I'm standing in my apartment. MY apartment. Not yours, mine. I can move the furniture, sit on it and even change the wallpaper. I like the retro style; cheesy with an ounce of suave.
My virtual phone rings, it's my mate Shaun, calling for a chat and inviting me to attend the bowling alley for a frame or 10.
I accept and begin downloading the bowling alley onto my PS3 hard drive. Once you leave you're apartment you'll enter the Home Square, a festive village where you can chat with other users, watch video screens and enter other environments.
At launch, the bowling alley, the shopping centre and the home theatre are accessible. There's more on the way.
The bowling alley is a 32MB download and users can roll balls, play pool and play arcade games. It works well. One criticism is the extent of the realism though. My mate and I had to wait in line, around five minutes, to find a spare alley!
The shopping centre is classy. Fancy a beach side holiday house? Buy one from the real estate agent for a bargain basement price of $8.45. Forget the first home owners grant, get into Home instead!
There are also stores for purchasing home wares for your apartment and clothes for your person. I splurged on a cactus plant for my lounge table, the in-game micro transaction set me back $1.85.
The home theatre was cool, if not a little cumbersome. I don't mind load times, but at different stages, I was waiting too long for downloads.
The theatrettes are plentiful and each screens a trailer of a 'real-life' Sony movie, or a doco-like mini-show. I like it and the potential fun-factor is endless.
I love Home already, and this is only the Beta, meaning things can only get better from here. Cast your connection problems aside and get in touch with your virtual side.
Home is fun, and I can't wait to log back on to jazz up 'my pad' and invite some biatches around for some summer lovin' - only joking, I'm looking for a serious virtual relationship and my mind is open.
You bring the beers, I'll bring the strippers!
Username: nelgsta
- Glen Atwell
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