Amazon.com Customer Reviews
Great magazine - Review written on March 14, 2008
Rating: 5 out of 5
1 customer found this review helpful.
As a PS3 owner, this magazine is awesome. Spot-on reviews, numerous first peeks at upcoming games, and good writing to top it all off. The reviews and previews are very in depth with pictures of things you actually want to see from the game. This magazine covers all aspects of Playstation gaming, from PS2, PSP, PS3, and Playstation Network. It really helps you see every game you can buy for your system.
Another perk is that the writers include things other than just games. You can also read interesting reviews of upcoming blu-ray movies and various gadgets.
All in all, a perfect magazine for the Playstation gamer. At $1.50 an issue, you can't pass this up.
Good for previewing far off games, bad for reviews. - Review written on September 22, 2007
Rating: 4 out of 5
1 customer found this review helpful.
I personally like this magazine. It's nice to get information specific to systems I own (playstations)- and a lot of it at that- every month. They have some pretty solid news about the games i'm looking forward to getting most, and so far have covered MGS 4 great (been something about it every issue i've gotten yet). The only thing I dislike about it are the reviews it gives every month. They're usually not in line with my feelings, or any of the people i talk to about the reviews online (forums, etc). They gave warhawk a 6.5/10, while every other reputable games site has given it scores of at least 8.0/10 and up (sept EGM apparently)(I personally love that game). The opposite goes for heavenly sword, which received a 9.7/10 if my memory serves me right, while other sites averaged it in the 7/10 area.
However, they have provided good coverage for the games on the playstation systems, which is what i bought it for anyway. I'm a big fan of their article on UT3, and pretty much all of their previews have been stellar. They cover a wide range of games, not just the most popular ones everyone and their mother have heard about.
So, it's a pretty good buy for the price, but not if you're looking for reviews- but since most people turn to IGN, 1up, or gamespot for reviews anyway, and use magazines for more in depth stories about games that those sites haven't even began to cover, this shouldn't be a problem.
I don't even own a PS3 yet, but PSM is an outstanding magazine - Review written on June 19, 2007
Rating: 4 out of 5
I used to subscribe to EGM, but the format and attitude of that magazine has really changed throughout the years. While Xbox and Wii aren't really covered at all, you'll find news about the hundreds of games available on PSP, PS2 and PS3. The writing in PSM is concise and full of information, but it maintains a good sense of humour thoughout.
PSM gets me excited about the mindblowing PS3 titles to come: Metal Gear Solid 4, Final Fantasy XIII, Grand Theft Auto 4 and more. I will, without a doubt, continue reading this magazine once I purchase a PS3. It has, by far, the best Playstation coverage out of any magazine out there (and that includes the Offical Playstation Magazine.)
Still great and worth the green! - Review written on May 21, 2007
Rating: 4 out of 5
4 customers found this review helpful.
I just recently re-subscribed to this magazine. With the downfall of OPM (Official Playstation Magazine, the best single platform gaming magazine, ever, in my opinion Opsm : Official Playstation 2 Magazine) I was forced to come back to this one. I know that has a negative tone, but I try to subscribe to no more than 4 or 5 gaming magazines (9 at one time was my record) and this just wasn't one of them.
First things first: this magazine still is very low priced and worth the money. At $1.00 per issue, for a subscription, it can't be beat,.. well not quite. I got a subscription off of EBay for about $10.50 for two years worth (final price, no additional shipping charges) and that would be the best deal I've ever seen.
I also noticed the toning down of the sexy covers, and raunchy jokes, etc. I have to say I do miss this. I'm in my 40's, married, and loyal to my wife, and I need that "fan service" in my life to take the edge off, if you know what I mean, so I for one, miss the "swimsuit edition." I always looked forward to that issue. But, such is life.
The reviews are very concise, and straightforward. I notice the reviews are quite short now, probably to save paper. I also notice the mega previews, of such games as Devil May Cry 4, just recently. I appreciate this, but look forward to games I have an interest in. I do read it cover to cover, for my gaming knowledge.
I also see a gradual "favoritism" towards PS3 titles, which would seem obvious, except for the fact that Sony has done noticeably lower sales this generation, as opposed to its PS1 and PS2 days. I would think PSM would be noting this, and in such, still highlighting PS2 titles. Believe me, I understand looking towards the future, and not being stuck in the past, but Sony themselves has prided themselves on continuing to support past gen systems, and producing super titles (God of War II, and Guitar Hero II come to mind.). With such a large userbase, you think they would feature great write ups on the current PS2 hits being pumped out every week.
Writing is superior to other multiplatform magazines, and I continue to get a great deal from the editors opinions. Thankfully, they haven't gotten more childish, as the average Playstaiton gamer continues to age.
Two big thumbs up, MC White says check it out!
You still get what you pay for... - Review written on July 30, 2005
Rating: 3 out of 5
11 customers found this review helpful, 5 did not.
Having been a subscriber to this mag since Fall of '97 (around issue #2 or #3, I believe), I can say the new look the magazine offers is the best since then. With a more adult feel, much of the corny humor has been toned down, and the magazine actually looks more professional than ever. Gone, for instance, is the ridiculous swimsuit issue, which had often badly drawn video game "women" in stupid situations. Starting with issue 111 (June 2006), the magazine has offered better and longer spreads on upcoming games, and a more in-depth review for its Game of the Month. I really wish, though, that the PlayStation games and the PSP games were better spread out, perhaps seperated, and not mixed with each other. The overall feel of the Magazine, though, has grown up and really doesn't need to be a guilty pleasure anymore. However, with all the good the magazine has to offer, some of what has made the magazine not so good has remained. Fanboyism can still rear its ugly head, and their pro PlayStation lovin' can lead to some not so investigative reporting. While they can be abrasive to the PSP, at times, many other instances reveal some bias for Sony, like when they repeated Sony's garbage about why the PS3 controller won't have rumble feedback: because it would interfere with the motion sensor technology. So, why does Wii's controller work? No mention about Immersion vs Sony. None. It's kinda sad and hilarious that a teen gamer on a message board can connect the dots more than supposed game "journalists." And what about the comment from Kazou "Kaz" Hirai (Prez of SCEA)? He stated: "I wish they [Microsoft] would come up with some strategies of thier own, but they seem to be going down the path of everything we do." Yeah, because Sony is so original (I won't even go into "Entitlements"). In the issue before, PSM acknowledged Sony's copying (they used "mugged") of Nintendo's Wii controller, but here no follow up? Curveball questions and reporting if ever there was. Almost as bad as EGM.And while the Game of the Month review can be larger (the staff's Final Fantasy XII review [October 2006, issue 115] was 14 pages long!), the result is passed to the other reviews; a page can be crammed with up to four reviews a page. I should say four paragraphs per pages, as that's what the reviews end up being.When they talk and report about games, PSM really tends to do thier best work, such as their interviews with Hideo Kojima and the spreads regarding Metal Gear. I guess that's why I can recomend the mag at its current price. 12 bucks is nothing (the price is partly why I stuck with the mag for this long). Check it out for yourself, but just remember that PSM is Playstation "family" only--brand specific. Keep that in mind when reading the "independent" praising of Sony by its fans.