Curious Reviews

UFC Undisputed 3

2012-03-01T10:45:00.000Z

PS3, also 360.
Off the back of the showy and exuberant Soul Calibur V, UFC Undisputed 3 arrives to bring the ancient art of man hurting man back to reality. More Vegas-hosted boxing match than Shaolin monks on a mountain top, mixed martial arts cage fighting is big business these days, and Undisputed 3 reflects this in every way.

Focussed more on evolution than revolution, Undisputed 3 is a game of breadth, overflowing with features and content; from the deep custom character mode, to online clubs and highlight reels, it’s certainly packed with value for money.

For those new to Undisputed, there’s a dizzying array of controls to learn, as this fighting game mixes up punching and kicking with complex wrestling manouvers that see adept players making subtle changes to ground holds to lock the opponent down.

Thankfully Undisputed 3 is also the most accessible of the series, introducing amateur controls for simpler transitioning, while the straight-up fighting is one that’s simple enough to grasp, with mastery coming through careful spacing and sways for counter attacks.

While a touch po-faced and showbizzy for my own tastes, Undisputed 3 is an excellent, technical fighter that fans of mixed martial arts will surely love.
8

Eufloria

2012-02-24T14:38:00.000Z

iPad, £2.99
With the launch of the Playstation Vita this week, the portable gaming landscape has seen a considerable shift in focus, back towards a heftier console experience. While the iPad may not be a dedicated gaming machine, it’s certainly no slouch when games play to its strengths; Eufloria being the latest that demands a large touch screen to truly flourish.

Pitched as an ambient real-time strategy game, Eufloria is a relaxing trip through 2 dimensional space where you’re tasked by the Mother Tree with the colonisation of asteroids through her obedient seedlings.

In essence, it’s a game of exploration and expansion; tapping asteroids, dragging waypoints, planting trees; the local cluster of floating rocks slowly flowering with life as 100s of tiny seedlings swing low in their orbit to a soothing electronic soundtrack.

There’s plenty of depth to be found too, as a story unfolds about diseased seedlings and warring vegetation; your gentle colonisation quickly becoming one of dominance, helped and hindered by the likes of missile spewing defences and variable seedling powers.

Importantly, controls are intuitive and immediate, your taps and swipes feeling like a natural and perfect interface for this delightful game of space gardening.
8

Gotham City Impostors

2012-02-17T15:22:00.000Z

360, also PS3 & PC
It has been said that if Bruce Wayne’s alter ego didn’t exist, neither would the super villains he battles. Like a dark mirror to his good, they almost exist as an inevitability. In Gotham City Impostors, a game about warring gangs taking up the visage of either Batman or the Joker, it’s pretty apt.

With that neat idea nicely segueing into the format of team-based multiplayer, Gotham City Impostors is a comedic shooter that borrows heavily from the peerless Team Fortress 2, with a variety of objective-based games, class-based characters and customisation.

What you get is a raucous and gaudy shooter, Jokerz and Bats roller-skating, gliding and grapple-hooking their way round the tight, vertical, well-designed maps.

Unlockable DIY gadgets, weapons and outfits allow you to craft your own Bats or Jokerz gang member too, further enhancing the madcap fun of it all.

Unfortunately, Impostors feels unfinished – its matchmaking a shambles, its gameplay fun but unrefined, its map selection meagre and its unlock system such a grind that freemium style monetisation seems more important than solid net code.

This might meet the Joker’s standards, but Batman expects better.
6

Pullblox

2012-02-17T15:17:00.002Z

Nintendo 3DS
Those of you lucky enough to receive Nintendo’s plucky little handheld this Christmas may be unaware of some treats hidden amongst the 3DS’ clunky eStore. If you’re looking for a break from Mario’s adventures, Pullblox can offer you some sweet distraction.

As pure a puzzle game as one can find, Pullblox, surprisingly, is a game of block pulling; a compulsive one-more-go gem that mixes up platforming with the simple premise of manipulating a stack of blocks to reach the top and rescue a child.

These blocks can be pulled out to be up to 3 levels deep, or pushed back again, allowing you to experiment with their positions as you try to work your way to the top; the layout and shapes proving that the simplest of concepts can provide the trickiest of challenges.

Presented with Nintendo’s suger-sweet polish, Pullblox is a charmer, seducing with its budget price, cute design and 3D visuals that bring to life the puzzles with a depth that’s beyond mere gimmickry.

And when you’ve made it through the 250 puzzles, a world beyond awaits – the create mode allowing you to craft your own puzzles, sharing creations with the world through QR codes, increasing the life of the game ad infinitum.
9

Soul Calibur V

2012-02-01T15:47:00.001Z

Xbox 360, also PS3
It’s a tough sell for another fighter to crack the bond that I have with Street Fighter, yet the Soul series has always managed, its slick weapons-based combat and 3-dimensional movement entrancing since the days of the PS1.

Returning with a fresh focus on revising its core mechanics, SCV keeps itself relevant with big changes and greater complexity, mostly delivered through its new Critical Gauge system.

Set 17 years after SCIV, the roster of characters has changed somewhat, swapping out fan favourites for younger fighters with similar fighting styles, and introducing unique new characters such as the orb wielding Viola, and Ezio from Assassins Creed.

Single player content is a touch lacking, the hammy story mode proving far less expansive than adventure modes of old. Thankfully character creation helps give some compulsive custom weight to proceedings.

SCV’s focus is on multiplayer though, bouts between friends the greatest testament to its prowess, while strong netcode and innovative online tournaments bolster its competitive nature.

No matter the package, Soul Calibur has always won on strength of gameplay, and here it is stronger than ever – the clangs of sword against shield bound by fast, fluid combat that, as always, makes it a delight to fight.
8

Hero Academy

2012-01-25T14:58:00.000Z

iOS
What do you get if you take a simplified, multiplayer-only, fantasy version of Advance Wars and stick it on an iPhone? In the case of Hero Academy, something ridiculously compulsive.

Looking a little like Battle Chess, two armies slug it out over a grid of tiles, seeking to either destroy the enemy’s crystals or just destroy the enemy.

Populated by an assortment of units with varying abilities, Hero Academy is a tight, balanced game of strategy where each player has 5 actions to make before the turn is up, choosing to either move, attack, or use items, ending in a ping to your opponent’s phone for some asynchronous action.

Distributing items and units at random, you never know quite what’s next – a weapon upgrade or magical scroll could change plans at any minute – the battle a taut game of unit placement and chance attacks.

For a freebie, it’s a gem too, unfortunately shackled by some ill-thought freemium wares – charging money to change your avatar is a joke – but purchasing the Dark Elves team is well worth it, beyond eradicating ads, bolstering the game with some superbly balanced and unique additions. Your turn.
8

All Zombies Must Die!

2012-01-25T14:46:00.000Z

PS3, also 360
Ah, zombies. Nasty zombies. Always after your brains. What once made us run scared now merely dredges up a weary sigh of familiarity as death shuffles towards us. Boom! Headshot. Next please.

While zombie shooters may be as generic as they come, at least All Zombies Must Die!handles them with a comedic wink, opting for a cartoonish B-movie approach that served the SNES classic Zombies Ate My Neighbours so well.

Here, we have a vibrant tongue-in-cheek shooter, theremin soaked in kooky spooky with wave after wave of the shambling class hassling the slacker protagonist and chums.

Areas are closed in by robotic gates, requiring conditions to be met before they lead on to pastures new, while the heroes blast and mash their way through undead streets.

There’s some light RPG-ness to the action, with craftable weapons and stat boosting, but overall it’s a straight-up shooter with little deviation from the norm, delivering knock-about action best enjoyed with friends.

This is the crunch though, as alone, it’s a tiresome, repetitive game that doesn’t balance well with less players. If its core proved tight and nuanced enough it wouldn’t matter so much, instead, it just doesn’t cut it when compared to it’s un-undead peers.
6

Dungeon Defenders

2012-01-13T15:18:00.000Z

PS3, also 360 & PC.
If there’s a genre that has hit saturation point, the oft-loved Tower Defense is a contender, particularly in light of the bazillion variants clogging up many an App store. Dungeon Defenders is the latest iteration, filling the January void with a worthy multiplayer twist on the genre that shows there’s still room for more.

While watching over a castle in their parents’ absence, four kids unwittingly attract legions of an evil army, seeking to destroy crystals that keep their leader imprisoned. Alone, they must defend their castle from the ever marching intruders.

As is traditional, towers and barricades can be placed in the way of evil, slowing, sapping, exploding or blocking the army’s progress along the branching pathways towards the crystal.

Instead of the usual detached god-view, Dungeon Defenders drops you right into the action, taking control of one of the plucky children, running about the battlements in 3rd person view, either engaging the enemy with class-specific combat or repairing and upgrading the fortifications.

Add in 3 friends, either online or splitscreen, and you have a wholly enjoyable and engaging game that successfully melds action and strategy together with a sprinkle of RPG style upgrades and enough loot to keep you hooked for some time.
8

PixelJunk SideScroller

2012-01-05T13:35:00.001Z

PS3
Born from the ashes of an age when games were played in dark smokey arcades, PixelJunk SideScroller is a shooter crafted as an homage to the past, mixing high fidelity graphics and a superb techno soundtrack with retro vector visuals and that rarest of things these days – difficulty.

Fresh from the success of the excellent PixelJunk Shooter series, SideScroller switches out contemplative exploring for an old school, left to right scrolling shoot-em-up, popularised by titles such as Gradius and R-Type.

This ups the pace considerably, delivering a tense, fast moving game which pits your diminutive space craft (and a friend’s) against waves of neon enemy.

Like that Megadrive classic Hellfire, there are a selection of weapons to use, switchable at the press of a button. With each weapon having differing effects on enemy and environment, Shooters’ puzzle influences are felt here, adding modern depths to its vintage frame.

Revelling in its historical mimicry, it’s a tough cookie too, harking back to an age where games frequented the ‘Continue?’ screen. Coupled with its cathode ray emulation, SideScroller is an enjoyable trip down an imaginary memory lane, fizzing with the kind of pure, creative action that’s often missing from today’s barely interactive set-piece heavy 'games'.
8

Looking ahead to 2012

2011-12-20T11:55:00.002Z

Instead of the usual reviews, the last games column of the year in the Nottingham Evening Post is a round up of the five games we're looking forward to most next year. Here's what we selected.

Mine:

Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch (PS3)
This beautifully animated RPG has been produced with Studio Ghibli, the company behind great anime such as Spirited Away, and it looks it. Nuff said.

Mass Effect 3 (360)
The second in the series was a triumphant fusion of RPG gaming and 3rd person action. Now we get to see where our decisions finally take us.

Halo 4 (360)
Now in the hands of a new studio, Halo 4 could be seen as a cynical sequel yet the talent on-board means this will be an intriguing one to watch. The Chief’s back too.

Street Fighter X Tekken (360/PS3)
Two heavyweight fighters go head to head, Tekken’s characters pulled into Capcom’s 2D fighter for a confident looking tag-team match with some surprises up its sleeves.

Diablo III (Mac/PC)
Blizzard’s long wished for co-op action RPG may finally arrive in 2012, bringing randomly generated dungeons and deep, click-heavy gameplay.

Paul's:

The Last Guardian (PS3)
After tearfully revisiting Ico and Shadow of the Colossus in glossy HD last year, this promises to be just as artful and emotional.

Bioshock Infinite (PS3/360/PC)
Civil war in the clouds, with underlying themes of racial purity, clandestine resistance, eugenics and theocracy. Don’t worry, you’ll get to shoot a load of stuff, too.

Rhythm Thief and the Emperor’s Treasure (3DS)
Dance, puzzle and steal in gay Paree. Sounds right up my Eiffel Tower.

PlayStation Vita (Sony)
Sony go touchy-feely and with WipEout and Uncharted as launch titles, my fingers are getting very itchy.

Game Gadget (Blaze)
Purports to be the ‘iPod for videogames’, allowing easy (and legal) access to gaming’s past glories. If it lets me play the Commodore 64’s Sheep in Space on the move, I’m sold.

Best of 2011

2011-12-20T11:53:00.004Z

Instead of the usual review, the last games column in the Nottingham Evening Post before Christmas is a round up of our five favourite games of the year. I share a column with Paul Drury (also a writer for Retro Gamer, and occasionally Edge magazine), so for a more rounded selection, i've included his choices below too.

Mine:

Skyrim (360/PS3/PC)
I’ll be traversing the snowy wastes of Skyrim for some time, its nordic lands engrossing with a combination of sandbox gameplay and stunning vistas. Epic in every way.

Minecraft (Mac/PC)
Like Skyrim built from Lego, this indie darling is limited only by your imagination, full of co-operative adventure and grand architectural dreams.

Batman: Arkham City (360/PS3/PC)
Arkham Asylum was stunning, this is just spectacular, replacing the original’s claustrophobic halls with a sandbox city of psychos for Batman to prowl.

Portal 2 (360/PS3/PC)
Devilishly designed, hilariously scripted, expertly paced – this perfect slice of first-person puzzling is gaming at its tightest and finest.

Deus Ex: Human Revolution
Despite those bosses, this prequel does justice to the original’s cybernetically enhanced action while delivering an engaging plot rife with moral choices.

Paul's:

Dead Space 2 (360/PS3/PC)
Terrifyingly good, though mainly just terrifying. I wake up in a sweat thinking that indestructible ubermorph is still after me…

Ghost Trick (DS)
The only game that lets you rewind time, possess a doughnut, distract a doggie and foil an assassination. What’s not to like?

Uncharted 3 (PS3)
A ripping yarn that revitalises the ‘interactive movie’ idea in glorious fashion. Nice poetry, too.

Little Big Planet 2 (PS3)
A brilliant game, an even better toy and a love letter to videogaming history. I got all teary on the mutant camel levels.

Mario Kart 7 (3DS)
Tonight we’re going karting like it’s 1992! The old Mario magic with some lovely new tricks in fancy 3D.

Super Mario 3D Land

2011-12-20T11:38:00.002Z

Nintendo 3DS
After a stilted start for Nintendo’s 3DS, the year ends with a double whammy of Mario goodness that has transformed it into a must-have console packing some real delights. I'm hooked on the sublime Mario Kart 7, while Mario’s all new platform outing delivers its own uniquely fresh magic.

Miyamoto and co have worked some real magic here, melding the retro 2D worlds of yesteryear with the spatial depth of recent games like Mario Galaxy. The result is a wondrous fusion of old and new, a fresh look and feel that’s at once nostalgic and wholly unique for the Mushroom Kingdom.

Brimming with imagination and pure, unadulterated platforming pleasure, Mario’s latest is a joy to play and joy to watch – its 3D visuals adding sparkle, alongside some charming optical illusions.

Much like Mario of old, levels are brief affairs, book marked by that iconic flagpole, and spread out in portable-friendly chunks that allow for quick-fix Tanooki action. This is the real hook too, its bite-size nature ensuring every idea-led level feels fresh, while its pick up and play gameplay has finally shifted my smart phone as the default handheld gaming device – a real victory for Nintendo.
9

Battlefield 3

2011-12-07T17:46:00.001Z

Xbox 360, also PS3 & PC
Battlefield has long been a series to carve its own niche, allowing large groups of gamers to battle for control of sprawling war zones, on foot or in a multitude of vehicles – a far cry from the arena-based death matches of the typical shooter.

Returning to its roots after a couple of Bad Company spin-offs, BF3 brings the Frost Bite engine’s incredible destructible environments to urban spaces, trading countryside for cities and factory complexes.

Team play is as ever a core component, with players forming 4-man squads within each side of 12 for tactical play, spawning on leaders who can share skill boosts, and choosing from a variety of customisable classes to complement their comrades.

Battles are gloriously chaotic affairs, as jets zoom overhead, sniper fire ricochets off APCs and walls crumble to shell fire, all delivered through pristine audio work and rich, sun dappled visuals. Coordinated attacks are key for progress, encouraging team work with exp and more frequent victories.

Chasing Call of Duty’s market, there’s a single player campaign too, but instead of playing to Battlefield’s strengths, it mimics CoD’s linear target practice, delivering a lacklustre narrative too.

Sticking to what it’s known for though – epic, team-based online warfare – Battlefield 3 remains absolutely peerless.
8

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

2011-12-07T17:09:00.001Z

360, also PS3 & PC
There are times when I pick up a joypad and sit on a roller coaster, enjoying the sights but never fully engaged, and there are times like this when I write a story, crafted out of incomprehensibly splitting pathways and emergent action. This is Skyrim, an impossibly huge game where you carve your own path.

Sequel to the much loved but flawed Oblivion, Skyrim is a natural evolution for the series, improving every aspect of it while moving the action to a stunningly realised northern climate that draws upon Norse stylings.

You are dragon borne, someone who can channel the powers of dragons, handily discovered at the re-emergence of those fearsome flying monsters.

Set upon a path of dragon genocide in a land verging on civil war, it’s up to you what you actually do – embark upon a grand quest to save the world? Wander, ronin-like, solving the problems of small towns? Become a master alchemist?

Skyrim is a sprawling marvel, Obsidian’s engine creaking at the seams but just holding it all together enough to convincingly render the spectacle of blizzard ravaged peaks, frost bitten valleys and epic dragon battles.

Be good, be bad, use sword, use bow – It’s up to you, Dovahkiin.
9

Minecraft

2011-12-07T17:08:00.003Z

Mac/PC
With millions already playing before its official release, Minecraft is something of a phenomenon – a game that has spawned as many memes as it has grandiose towers. Available in an open alpha and beta for about a year, it has seen a steady drip feed of enhancements as the public has literally seen the game constructed around them.

It’s essentially a game of construction too – an open sandbox full of digital Lego for you to create anything your imagination can summon out of pixel-art cubes.

Dropped into the middle of a sprawling, stunning, procedurally generated world, your task is simple – survive. With no in-built guidance on how to do this, Minecraft is a game of experimentation and exploration, of mining and crafting. And when night falls, nightmares roam – the construction of a safe house your primary concern.

Chop wood, craft planks, craft sticks, craft pick, craft smelt, craft iron, craft rail, craft empire. This is how it unfolds; from meagre beginnings scrabbling in the dirt before nightfall, to the construction of grand castles, deep mines, Nether excursions and incontinent bears full of gold.

When played with friends it becomes something else – a community of co-operation, of grouped settlements and epic adventures.
10

Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3

2011-12-07T17:08:00.001Z

Xbox 360, also PS3
Capcom’s increasingly ridiculous super-turbo-hyper-naming tradition is a long existing meme, and with an oh-so-cynical 9 months since its release, the utterly mental Marvel vs Capcom 3 arrives once again to continue this trend.

Receiving an update after such a short space of time may be a contentious issue for some yet Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3 is a worthy revision of the over-the-top clash between comic book and video game legends.

With 12 new fighters, Ultimate is freshened by the likes of Rocket Racoon, Strider Hiryu, Dr Strange and Phoenix Wright, all throwing down a variety of unique play styles, boosting the roster to a dizzying 48 characters for you to combine into tag teams of 3.

Core gameplay remains largely unchanged, with balancing tweaks to individual characters most notable but only really affecting high level players.

Netcode changes have been made too, increasing the stability of online matches but the most important addition is the long clamoured for Spectator Mode, which allows a lobby of friends to watch each other fight as they await their turn.

Criminally overlooked first time round, Spectator Mode should go a long way towards cementing a great online community, which for a game of Ultimate’s overwhelming depth, is certainly worth fighting for.
8

Halo Combat Evolve Anniversary

2011-12-07T17:06:00.001Z

Xbox 360
Over ten years ago, the FPS was a niche genre on the console market. When Microsoft’s black monolith arrived though, everything changed – Halo: Combat Evolved not only secured the Xbox’s future, it changed the gaming landscape forever, proving the console as wholly capable of FPS delights.

Ten years on, Bungie’s iconic game returns re-crafted, its structure intact but with a new visual fidelity and flourish for detail. Rose tints could never look this good, yet with the press of the ‘Back’ button, we can step back 10 years too as the game switches to its original graphics, showing how lovingly it has been enhanced.

Those unfamiliar with Master Chief’s original adventure have a treat in store – level design remains iconic (although occasionally infamous), with its wide channelled battlefields and and legendary AI still delivering a hugely fun sandbox for improvised play and the holy trinity of guns/grenade/melee – something many modern warfare shooters fail to even come close to.

Classic multiplayer maps have been retooled too, which alongside the Skywalker orchestra’s new soundtrack and newly online co-op, the budget price of Halo: Anniversary makes it a no-brainer. Much like the shotgun in the face of the flood.
9

Batman: Arkham City

2011-12-07T17:04:00.001Z

PS3, also 360 & PC
Arkham Asylum was the first game that really made you feel like you were Batman. Its sequel takes that notion and runs with it, empowering through the use of predatory tactics and gadgets galore.

Leaving the claustrophobia of the Asylum behind, Arkham City’s plot sees Gotham’s old town turned into a sprawling prison, full of warring gangs and a menagerie of infamous and obscure super villains. A hunting ground for Batman essentially.

Embroiled in a great, DC comics scripted plot, Batman prowls the open-world city on a darkly hued adventure, using gadgets, detective skills and some very strong fists.

Combat once again follows the rhythmic nature of Asylum, requiring careful timing over the genre’s usual mashery fair. When it clicks, it does so with calculated ferocity, turning you into an unstoppable dark knight.

That connection runs throughout as Arkham City sees you using every facette of Batman’s skill-set, through twists and turns and dark city nights in one glorious adventure as you become the bat.
9

The newspaper ran a Batman competition, this is the riddle I devised for it. 3 people guessed right. That's right, 3 confirmed readers of my column!

Win Win Win
To win a copy of Batman: Arkham City and an exclusive soundtrack, answer this riddle – Cocksure and red breasted, this boy’ll soon prowl the wing’s night. Who is he?

Rocketbirds: Hardboiled Chicken

2011-10-27T09:54:00.000+01:00

PS3
My girlfriend has a thing about penguins – thinks they’re evil and plotting to take over the world. If Cartoon Network’s Adventure Time or Rocketbirds: Hardboiled Chicken are anything to go by, she could be right.

Hatched from an incarnation on the PC, Rocketbirds: Hardboiled Chicken is a stylish port to console that makes the jump neatly with extra features such as 2 player co-op thrown in.

Centred around a cartoon plot of one clucking soldier’s war against an evil dictator and his penguin army, Hardboiled Chicken is a side scrolling platform shooter, rendered in stunning 2D visuals that would make a Saturday morning cartoon jealous.

Oddly reminiscent of Rolling Thunder, that forgotten arcade gem from the 80s, Hardboiled’s action is simple, comedic fun that ultimately feels a touch flat, offering little in the way of nuanced gameplay beyond its one-note gunplay and basic puzzles.

Thankfully it’s spliced up with a variety of beautifully visualised locations and rocket-based sections that see it transformed into a twitchy air-borne shooter as the sturdy chicken takes on blimps and rocket firing helli-penguins.

With its mixture of detailed, hand-painted backdrops and solid cartoon character stylings, Hardboiled Chicken is as eye catching as they come. Unfortunately, that beauty is only feather deep.
7

Forza Motorsport 4

2011-10-27T09:50:00.001+01:00

Xbox 360
Fast cars and shiny graphics are always an easy sell, allowing us mere mortals to get behind the wheel of a vehicle worth more than a house. While some games are happy in this shallow end, the Forza series has always pushed for depth alongside its slick visuals.

Forza 4 is no different in this respect, delivering once again a dizzying amount of cars, tracks and customisation options alongside the breadth of its online services such as Car clubs, an auction house and multiplayer races.

What it adds, it does so through revision and refinement – overhauling its graphics engine, improving the realism of its physics and redesigning the campaign mode into a far more varied and enjoyable whole.

I may be lacking in automotive knowledge but I can fling a TVR round a track with some confidence, even more so in Forza – cleverly designed difficulty levels applying assists for the inexperienced, while others can take their manually tuned and upgraded cars to the limit, free of auto-meddling.

Considering the wealth of options at your fingertips, Forza could be overwhelming. Instead, its clarity of design eases you in, allowing you to focus on the one thing that really matters – driving. At speed.
9

Dark Souls

2011-10-13T15:23:00.000+01:00

PS3, also 360.
If ever there was an accurate picture of Tartarus, that looping hell in Hades, Dark Souls is it – a land of harsh, nightmarish undead, of which you are one yourself, where you inch forward on a vague quest, battling through attrition against poorly stacked odds.

And when you near the summit with your boulder, it will roll back down for you to push up again – death is frequent, resetting the land each time, your existence repeated in a loop as you try and try again to make it to the next camp fire, the next glorious vista, the next crushing monster.

But with such grim futures comes enjoyment – its carefully crafted combat trading blows between zwei-handers, magic wielders and archers is nuanced and brutal – each minion able to rob you of life.

Progression is its reward too – each corner turned, each battle survived – a feat to be proud of. And when you hit a wall, the satisfaction of its toppling is rarely greater in a game than here.

Like Demon’s Souls before it, Dark Souls is unforgiving, but those brave heroes that dare explore it will be greatly rewarded for their mettle, with many a tale to tell around the camp fire.
9

Mercury HG

2011-10-13T15:19:00.000+01:00

PSN, also XBLA. £3.99
The original Mercury was Archer Maclean’s globular puzzler for the PSP, an early title that shone for its originality on Sony’s handheld platform. Further iterations saw its aesthetics change but the core gameplay remained the same, as it does once more in the superbly priced Mercury HG.

HG may be some canny riff on Mercury’s entry into the HD generation but if you don’t know your periodic tables, you will do soon – that map of universal elements is the backbone to the game’s level structure. Educational and entertaining, whoulda thought it?

Looking pretty sleek in its new incarnation, HG has moved beyond its previous cell-shaded graphics, streamlining its tone and UI in favour of a minimalist music visualiser that reacts to the beat.

Gameplay has changed little though, essentially requiring you to maneuver a glob of mercury by tilting a hazardous maze. The emphasis this time is on speed runs and dominating the ever present global leaderboards.

Puzzle elements still exist but while fairly simple, Mercury has never been about taxing the brain. Instead, it taunts your thumbs, requiring some finely honed analogue mastery to traverse the slippery, twitchy world you can’t help but throw around.
8

Deus Ex: Human Revolution

2011-09-26T13:49:00.007+01:00

Xbox 360, also PS3 & PC.
Sci-Fi is often used to tackle current day issues through the metaphor of imagined technologies and cultures. It’s also a vehicle for discussion about our very real futures, such as the rights of AI or, in the case of Deus Ex: Human Revolution, how society will react to the augmented man.

Based on the award winning PC title released 10 years ago, Human Revolution is a prequel that translates all that made the original great into another hugely engaging cyberpunk adventure.

Melding the RPG, FPS and stealth genres into one satisfying, cerebral whole, Human Revolution is a game that can be played in many ways, allowing the player to build a set of body augmentations to his play style, while multiple pathways encourage exploration and the option to sneak, shoot or hack your way through each situation.

Its Bladerunner-esque world is rendered with a renaissance-era flair, mixing ruffles with robots through a society in turmoil over the class gap between the augmented and the pure.

Human Revolution delivers pitch-perfect cyberpunk thrills that empower you through future technology while threading a player influenced yarn of conspiracies, terrorism and human rights.

To be augmented, or not to be, that is the question.
9

Gears of War 3

2011-09-26T13:49:00.006+01:00

Xbox 360
As an early flagship title for the 360, Gears of War was a bombastic game that delivered on the promise of next generation graphics while bringing cover-based shooting to the masses with a visceral flair.

3 games in and much is the same, such is the mantra of if it aint broke. Instead, 3 games in we get a highly refined experience, perfecting the Gears formula through its much-copied gameplay, delivering a campaign with unrelenting pacing and intelligently crafted micro-battles of cover/flank/shoot, despite its obvious low brow appeal.

Its story may not be the most memorable but its spectacle certainly is, stunningly rendered with an intense flair for technology, visuals and dry humour.

Alongside the 4-player campaign resides a much requested improvement to online gameplay, offering up party lobbies, competitive multiplayer and the famous Horde mode, now coupled with the equally entertaining Beast mode.

While Gears may not win any oscars for subtlety, it instead delivers a polished blast through an epic campaign and well designed multiplayer, driving the player through a variety of gorgeously rendered locales with constant one liners and rivers of blood.

But when a game features a gun with a chainsaw bayonet, you can’t really expect anything else.
9

Dead Island

2011-09-26T13:49:00.002+01:00

Xbox 360, also PS3 & PC
Imagine you’re holidaying on a sun-soaked tropical island when the zombie apocalypse begins – bummer right? That’s the premise of the latest game to feature those ever popular shuffling monsters, contrasting them with sun-dappled pleasure resorts, blue skies and reddened water.

Thrust into public perception by a stunning, emotionally resonant CGI trailer, Dead Island promised much. What it delivers is something wholly different in tone, concentrating on over-the-top visceral action as opposed to the sombre survival horror initially suggested.

This in itself is no bad thing – combining the co-op RPG-lite action ofBorderlands with Dead Rising 2’s weapon customisation, Dead Island is an excessive blast of gutsy zombie slaying, with emphasis on hack n’ slash melee weapons and a sprawling island of survivors needing help.

While satisfyingly brutal, Dead Island’s combat needs some refining, simplistic in its delivery and rough in its implementation.

This applies to the game as a whole too, as Dead Island feels unfinished, such are its bugs, rough edges and stilted narrative.

Despite its lack of polish though, there’s plenty of fun to be had slashing and burning your way through the expansive paradise lost, it just falls short of its clever promises and its huge ambition.
7

Quarrel

2011-09-26T13:49:00.000+01:00

iOS
While holidaying in occasionally sunny Cornwall, many an opportunity for board game related fun arose as hopes of beach slouching was dashed amidst epic rain. With a meagre selection to choose from I was lucky enough to receive a new one through the magic of the internet, by way of Denki’s latest downloadable gem known as Quarrel.

Conceived as a hybrid title that marries the conquering strategy of Riskwith the brain taxing, letter crunching of Scrabble, Quarrel is a highly polished and enjoyable game of word battling, delivered with oodles of character and stealthily educational fun.

The aim of the game is to take over all the territories on a map, defeating opponent armies on each by creating the highest scoring words from a fiendish anagram.

The amount of soldiers you have on each territory correlates to how many letters you can have in your word, with obvious advantages gained through more sizable troop numbers. Risk-like, troops can be ferried between territories too, to fortify and defend with superior strategy.

No great strategy can withstand the power of the wordsmith though, and while initially disappointed by Quarrel’s lack of multiplayer, holidaying with an English teacher would probably have had me crying.
9

Kard Combat

2011-09-26T13:48:00.001+01:00

iOS, also Android
After being introduced to the card battling genre through the polished iOS game Ascension, my attention was pointed towards Kard Combat, a new game co-created by Richard Garfield, the man behind the behemoth that is Magic the Gathering.

Pitched as a spiritual successor to the PC title Spectromancer, Kard Combat is a game based around the simple premise of two wizards battling each other, with cards played representing various magical attacks.

Split into a variety of elemental groups, each card has differing abilities, castable when certain mana requirements are met.

With a vast number of different cards to play with, there's a large degree of strategy at work, with their placement on the board also adding to the complexity on offer.

Gameplay is fast and fluid, once it's nuances are worked out, with the plentiful single player mode (requiring an in-app purchase) backed up by some free asynchronous online play.

Despite the obvious work that has gone into its systems, it's let down by some ugly design, seemingly inspired by the dubiously fashioned Mortal Kombat series, suffering further from poor upscaling in the iPad version.

If you can look past this though, it's certainly a good place to get your card battling fix.
7

Groove Coaster

2011-09-26T13:48:00.000+01:00

iOS
Rhythm games are ten a penny on Apple’s iOS devices; the touch screen interface proving a perfect candidate for the tap-tap-tap action required when synchronising fingers to beats. Just when you might be tiring of the genre, the geniuses behind the excellent Space Invaders Infinity Gene have delivered their own stylised take in Groove Coaster.

Sharing the same retro-vector aesthetics of Infinity Gene, Groove Coaster delivers a compulsive game/visualiser hybrid that sounds as great as it looks, just so long as you have the timing to match.
Loaded with an eclectic mix of music genres such as electro tinged J-Pop and drum n’ bass, it’s a perky affair, requiring you tap, swipe or hold a finger on the screen when your avatar glides over various nodes on an ever dizzying line.

The difficulty curve is nicely judged, easing new players in with simple tracks, while the lure of high score multipliers and free-form finger tapping serve to satisfy those looking for a greater challenge.

It’s apparent simplicity belies the satisfaction inherent in Groove Coaster, synchronised taps and swipes somehow coaxing the glands that release euphoria upon the brain; neon fireworks lighting up your eyes as synesthesia takes over.
8

From Dust

2011-08-12T12:22:00.004+01:00

 Xbox Live Arcade
There are some idiotic sensationalists out there that are blaming the recent riots on the likes of Grand Theft Auto. Perhaps the more heavenly delights of From Dust might improve their preconceptions of video games, unless the brutal violence of nature is enough to set them off too.

From the maker of the rotoscoped classic Another World, From Dust is a sublime, pitch-perfect god game that puts nature at centre stage as you use your transcendental powers to usher lost tribes back to their homelands.

Essentially a game of landscaping, terrain has to be sculpted towards this goal – your powers allowing the manipulation of materials such as earth, water and lava – transforming the land at your will to assist the vulnerable humans.

That its maker is a trained geologist comes as no surprise as exuberant physics model the chemistry between elements with startling realism.

The real surprise is nature itself though – from your lofty (and occasionally awkward) viewpoint, the fragility of man is no more apparent than when mighty tsunamis roll in and you scramble to throw up defences for your people in an accidental allegory for these recent times.
9

Bastion

2011-08-12T12:22:00.001+01:00

Xbox Live Arcade
Now we’re apparently in the midst of summer, the release schedule has all but dried up like a garden lawn denied a hose. Thankfully we have the Summer of Live, which delivers a series of downloadable games to entertain us when the sun has set or curtains are drawn.

First in line is the marvellous Bastion, a brawling throwback to yesteryear that incites memories of SNES classics like Secret of Mana. To keep such company is praise indeed, and while it may not share the size of that RPG legend, it more than makes up for it in character.

Mixing satisfying knockabout action with some light RPG overtones, Bastion is an enjoyable romp through a strange land of floating islands and magical creatures, which sees you employing a variety of customisable combat options for experimental fun.

Rendered with a beautiful painterly style, Bastion is a sight to behold, with the land literally forming around the lone hero as he searches for answers.

Framing this adventure is a narrator, a unique voice-over that describes your every action – from drinking a potion to giant monster slaying heroics – his whisky tones tell your tale, turning Bastion into something far more compelling and unique than expected.
8

Ascension: Chronicle of the Godslayer

2011-07-21T09:38:00.002+01:00

iPhone etc, £2.99
I’m normally one to wear my geek credentials proudly, yet some could argue I can’t even be labelled as such, lacking in Citadel Miniatures or card games involving an epic deck of fantasy characters (unless Games Workshop Top Trumps counts).

Last week I at least inched closer to that status with the download of Ascension: Chronicle of the Godslayer, aMagic: The Gathering style card game ported to the world of touch screens.

With some polished presentation and an art style that thankfully delivers something outside the staple orcs n’ elves traditions, Ascension initially appears complex to the uninitiated like me.

Gameplay is quick to grasp and easy to understand thankfully, delivering an intuitive and intriguing game of strategy that sees you battling for the most honour against AI or human opponents.

Rather than directly fighting an opponent, you battle the pack of cards, seeking to win the most fights or recruit the most heroes, while interfering in the chances of other players.

The selection of cards and their abilities is varied, allowing for different strategies and different games each time, and while the AI is strong enough, the inclusion of online multiplayer has made Ascension essential to anyone proud enough.
8

F3AR (18)

2011-07-21T09:37:00.000+01:00

Xbox 360, also PS3 & PC.
The FEAR series is a unique beast, despite its open borrowing of various horror tropes, its mixture of satisfying slo-mo combat and Ring-style paranormal scares serving up some interesting twists on the FPS genre.

F3AR continues this trend, picking up from the story of the first game, with you back in the role as super mullet soldier Point Man, aided by his ghostly brother.

What follows is a clichéd book of horrors, full of cheap tricks and derivative scares. Look beyond this though and you’ll find a robust shooter with excellent AI and some surprising innovations.

Playing alone, F3AR is an enjoyable shooter. Bring a friend into the equation and they get to play as the phantom brother with a contrasting palette of paranormal powers, transforming the game into something far more unique.

This co-op mode is but one part of the series’ deeper multiplayer focus too, with an excellent achievement-style points system that encourages competitive co-op play, and multiplayer modes that step outside of the norm (such as the aptly titled Fu**king Run).

The scares and story may be tired and uninspired but if you’re looking for a shooter with a fresh new twist on co-op and multiplayer, F3AR certainly delivers.
7

Async Corp

2011-07-06T14:30:00.000+01:00

iPhone etc, 59p.
I started a new job today. It’s a mundane line of work; manual labour where i’m sorting between two groups of units, matching them by colour and shipping them in groups of 4 or more.

It’s a repetitive, simple job but one i’m happy doing thanks to the cheerful music, the strangely satisfying hook of pattern matching and seeing those smiling packets ship to the world.

There are variations in my work too.

Sometimes I can concentrate on synchronising my packet creation across both groups simultaneously, taking my time to ship as many units as I can in one delivery. Sometimes I need to work fast, keeping up with a speedy assembly line. Sometimes I need to deliver large quantities of packets at pace.

This may be simple work but with an understanding of its slight complexity and subtle nuances I can achieve promotions to higher Access Levels, payment through points and rewarded with new colour schemes.

As a place to work it has been likened to Tetris Incorporated’s fabled tetromino factories and even Pop Cap Co’s Bejeweled mines. I’ve had placements with both, and while their work may have more traction, neither are as cheery as Async Corp.
7

Shadow Cities

2011-06-30T15:56:00.000+01:00

iPhone etc.
Born from an obscure genre that used to require expensive GPS units, Shadow Cities brings location-based multiplayer gaming to the masses.

Using your phone’s GPS tech, it places you in the role of a mage, using your real world location to place you on the map.

From here you can stake your claim on energy rifts, capture spirits with touch screen gesture spells, create beacons to allow fellow mages to teleport to your location and, of course, attack rival mages.

Behind this lies a simple system of accruing experience points to increase your powers, while combat itself is merely a simplistic flexing of your strength.

As a lone player it’s a basic, if intriguing, experience. Engage with the community through the built-in chat function though and you open up a nationwide coverage of teleport points and organised attacks against rival mages.

Unfortunately, it’s based on a free-to-play/microtransaction model which essentially skews the balance of its multiplayer in favour of the richer.

Despite this, it’s an engaging concept – its real world connection offering a tangible experience that encourages physical exploration of your streets, and one that we’ll see far more of in years to come.

I am Shadow Lord of Brincliffe, fear me.
7

Child of Eden

2011-06-30T15:55:00.000+01:00

Xbox 360
In the beginning, the world was dull. Then there was Rez – a synesthetic dreamscape, cooked up from the crystallised post-club sweat of Tetsuya Mizuguchi, creator of Space Channel 5 and Lumines.

Years have passed since that Dreamcast champion, our lives unsynchronised, until now – Child of Eden is its spiritual successor, taking the gameplay template that merged music and visuals into one whole and fusing it with the modern tropes of motion control and online leaderboards.

Built upon the niche that is the on-rails shooter, CoE flies you through an exotic, pulsating universe where the future of the internet is writ large in a virtual space through a menagerie of bio-digital creatures.

With cues from Rez, CoE is an exuberant shooter that stays true to its origins, spicing things up with an extra weapon for colour coded work and a score attack mechanic that requires the timing of a DJ to reap its rewards.

Timing is core to the experience too, as the world and your tracer fire throbs and filters to a tight metronome beat, sucking you in through its superb audio design and eye watering visuals as you attempt to free a singing AI from a dark viral fate.
9

Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition

2011-06-30T15:54:00.001+01:00

Xbox 360, also PS3.
Hot on the heels of Street Fighter’s 3DS iteration comes an update for its console brethren, forged from the code that, until now, could only be found in select arcades across the world.

Released as either a downloadable update, or a full disc release, SSFIV:AE (mother of all acronyms) is a slim update compared to the huge upgrade that Super writ a year ago.

Introducing Yun and Yang (the formidable twins from Street Fighter III), Evil Ryu and Oni (a demonic Akuma), it certainly brings a fresh chaos to the game as players struggle to learn and counter these new contenders.

The balance changes that AE brings could have a far more reaching effect than these new fighters though, with most old characters receiving significant tweaks, for better and for worse – Gouken and Makoto have benefited greatly, whereas the likes of Guile and Rose have taken a huge hit.

The changes are divisive within the pro scene, forcing players to relearn or ditch characters, but for many these changes are slight, paling against the fun of new characters, the show stealing glory of Oni’s spectacular Ultra II and a revised online lobby and spectator mode.
8

Frozen Synapse

2011-06-30T15:53:00.000+01:00

Mac/PC, £15 (with a free copy for a friend).
It’s rare that I’ll indulge in PC gaming, preferring the comforts of a joypad and sofa after a day working with a mouse. When a game like Frozen Synapse comes along though, it’s hard to resist.

FS is a simultaneous turn-based strategy game that sees you manoeuvring a small squad of cyber soldiers through a Tron-like world, carefully planning their placement in anticipation of what the opponent chooses to do.

The crux is: each player commits their actions at the same time, making each turn an unpredictable gamble. Imagine if Chess required simultaneous moves from its players – it’s a disruptive model but wholly engaging in its strategic chaos.

The turn-based nature means it’s perfect for protracted games, with emails alerting you of your go, allowing for a casual, play when you want approach.

Movement of your squad can prove fiddly at times but the degree of control it gives you allows for precise positioning of your troops as you attempt to outwit your opponent.

For those of a solitary nature, FS comes with a huge and varied singleplayer too. Its intuitive social networking features should bring you into the multiplayer fray eventually though, and that is where the real fun can be had.
9

Section 8: Prejudice

2011-06-30T15:52:00.000+01:00

Xbox 360, also PS3 & PC.
While the original Section 8 may have slipped the radar of many, it had some interesting gameplay elements. Returning as a download-only sequel, Prejudice seeks to deliver a big budget experience for a paltry 1200 space bucks (roughly £10).

Drawing from the aesthetics of the Halo series, it’s a game of space marines, jet packs and big robots, that comes with a single player campaign and a variety of multiplayer modes.

The single player campaign is weakly scripted and poorly paced, serving more as a tutorial for multiplayer.

Armed with this knowledge though, you can dive straight into the multiplayer which is a deep and addictive game that blends the sci-fi of Halo with the sprawling strategy of Battlefield – a worthy combo.

Free falling into your first few games can be a confusing experience however, as objectives, dynamic missions and a busy HUD bombard you along with actual mortar fire. Once grasped though, it all enables you to measure the battlefield and work towards shared goals with your team mates.

With some satisfying combat, a great spawning system, Tower Defense style tactics, consistent developer support and some heavy customisation tools, Prejudice delivers a deep and unique multiplayer experience at a great price.
8

Dead or Alive Dimensions

2011-05-25T12:52:00.001+01:00

Nintendo 3DS
Currently courting a little controversy in select parts of Europe, Dead or Alive is a series that has long sold itself as a robust fighter with immature obsessions, delivering some unique beat-em-up action to fight against the likes of Virtua Fighter and Tekken.

Bouncing body parts aside, Dead or Alive is a 3D fighter (now in actual 3D) that sees a variety of ninjas battling throughout its signature multi-tiered environments, utilising an initially simple combination of kick, punch, counter and throw.

It quickly becomes complex through its combos, requiring long strings of button presses for impressive moves. In contrast to Street Fighter IV’s d-pad heavy specials though, DoA’s system is an easier fit for the 3DS’ button layout, while the bottom screen handily lists its exuberant move-sets.

Thankfully DoA’s story mode also works as a tutorial, introducing you to its unique twists on the genre. It’s also utter drivel, thrown together out of nonsensical cut scenes and dubious camera work, which after the revelation of Mortal Kombat’s effort, is beyond embarrassing.

But we’re here for the fighting, and here at least it delivers, offering a satisfying and speedy alternative to the 3DS’ other fighter, even if it does need to grow up.
8

Brink

2011-05-18T13:18:00.000+01:00

Xbox 360, also PS3 and PC.
I really want to like Brink. It has a lot going for it – a developer with a strong history in class-based multiplayer shooters, a fresh art style and an admirable mission to infuse a single player narrative into a multiplayer space.

It succeeds on many fronts too. The character design and setting is distinct and vibrant, the solid gunplay and slick UI evidence of an experienced team and the parkour style mechanics should be included in all future shooters.

As a team shooter it ebbs and flows with style, rewarding players for team work and guiding them with clarity between objectives, delivering a fun and progressive experience.

But for all it’s blue skies and bravado it falls short on many fronts too.

The single player is merely a schism of multiplayer (or vice versa), populated by bots that are either lethal assassins or useless team mates, while the uniquely persistent player-created characters come with some frustrating multiplayer limitations.

The greatest crime of all though is its net code. Despite day one patching, the game struggles online, juddering and stuttering with frustrating frequency, rendering it almost entirely redundant until it’s cleared up.

If it gets fixed though, it’ll be very likeable.
7

Portal 2

2011-05-18T13:17:00.002+01:00

Xbox 360, also PS3 & PC
Born from the bitesize phenomenon that was found nestling in between Team Fortress 2 and the Half Life episodes on Valve’s Orange Box, Portal 2 should need little introduction, such was its predecessors critical and memetic reception.

The original was a perfect slice of mind bending physics-based puzzling, lacing a few hours worth of head scratching acrobatics with a darkly comic narrative provided by a psychotic AI.

Portal 2 takes this formula and expands it into a bigger game in all respects, and in doing so delivers a fully fledged experience that delights in every aspect.

Following on from Portal, you play Chen, the unfortunate test subject who finds herself woken from a drugged sleep by Wheatley, a robotic eye ball, brilliantly voiced by Stephen Merchant.

What follows is a narrative full of twists and turns and belly laughs as you use your portal gun to work your way through the crumbling, labyrinthine Aperture Science laboratories.

While the puzzles are satisfyingly excellent, the real stars of the show are GlayDOS, Wheatley and Cave Johnson, voices that hilariously frame the ever-silent Chen’s journey.

A joy, start to end, the inclusion of a separate 2-player mode with robots that would make Pixar jealous, is icing on the cake.
10

Mortal Kombat (18)

2011-05-18T13:16:00.002+01:00

Xbox 360, also PS3
Over the years, the Mortal Kombat series has proved increasingly laughable, for all the wrong reasons. Deviating from the kore so much as to include kart racers and puzzle games alongside its kombat, it lacked direction and, importantly, a robust enough fighting system to stand up to tournament play.

Time for a reboot then.

The latest in a long line of badly dressed ninjas, Mortal Kombat takes us back to the series’ roots, reverting to 2D fighting (in a 3D engine, ala Street Fighter IV) through a time travelling plot that gives us the perfect excuse to revisit digitised teenage memories.

Taking inspiration from other fighters, MK has been rebuilt while staying true to its kore. Load it up and you’ll feel like you’ve stepped back in time with familiar moves and characters, yet under the hood there appears to be a surprisingly decent system.

Tournament worthiness matters little to the average gamer though. Instead, they can satiate themselves on the excessive amounts of gore, the huge wealth of challenges, the imaginative (if laggy) approach to online multiplayer, and the innovative story mode that blends cut scenes and action into one seamless, interactive, hilariously bad movie that makes every other fighter look lazy.
8

Pokémon Black/White

2011-05-18T13:14:00.000+01:00

Nintendo DS
The ever marching Pokémon franchise has been around for 15 years, born in a green/grey Game Boy wash, all sharing a familiar format. Lauded as a minor reinvention of the series, Black/White deviates little from what has gone before, yet it is still no sleeping Snorlax.

Like every Pokémon adventure before it, this game tells the tale of a fledgling trainer on the road, attempting to fill the encyclopaedic Pokédex, sparring with other trainers and eventually becoming embroiled in a far bigger plot. So far, so Pokémon.

However, for those with Pokéfatigue, the journey is a touch fresher as the strange new land you wander is full of new Pokémon – you won’t see a Pikachu until you’ve finished the game.

The visual style has changed slightly too, rendering a land more grounded in reality, with impressive 3D cities and full of Pokémon drawn with a maturer style. There's still plenty of cuteness to behold though.

Other changes such as the always-on connectivity of C-Gear and merging of PokéCentres and Marts all show a game eager to better itself, and in this case it has done so with great success, delivering a highly evolved version of its original 8-bit self.
8

Pilotwings Resort

2011-05-18T13:13:00.000+01:00

Nintendo 3DS
Harking back to the SNES era, Pilotwings is a long familiar name that hasn’t seen the light of day in years.

Heralded for its iconic brand of relaxed flight-based gameplay, the series sees you gently guiding a variety of flying machines through increasingly challenging courses.

Pilotwings Resort continues the series in much the same vein, albeit taking cues from Wii Sports Resort for its Mii based inspiration, roping your cartoon likeness into the action around Wuhu island.

Action is mainly split between a glider, a light aircraft and a rocket belt (otherwise known as a jetpack), with brief appearances from quirkier craft, all with their own nuances.

Challenges range from the simple goal of flying through hoops to guiding UFOs to a mothership. Such variety is welcome but unfortunately short on appearance, with the majority of missions feeling repetitive and iterative in their design.

Mission mode won’t last you long either as it’s a short run to completion, unless you're happy retreading challenges for a perfect score.

Thankfully it’s a joy to play, showing off the 3DS’ responsive new analogue controls alongside lovely 3D skies, and until you either run out of patience or things to do, it’s a nice showcase for your new toy.
7

Super Street Fighter IV 3D

2011-04-13T11:55:00.000+01:00

Nintendo 3DS
True to form, here we are with another yearly update of the fighting franchise. This time it’s perfectly excusable though as 2010’s pitch perfect fighter has been ported to the diminutive but oh-so-shiny 3DS.

Squeezing in everything from the home console version, the 3DS’ iteration is an impressive port, replete with all 35 characters, online play, challenges and a new addictive StreetPass mode.

Gameplay is spot on, with all the moves, combos and pro-style focus attack trickery intact, while the smooth, vibrant graphics capture the feel of its bigger brother perfectly.

With 3D enabled it looks stunning too (at the cost of frame rate), with depth to the backgrounds and the palpable sense that little people really are in your console.

Without an arcade stick to master Ryu and co with, moves can be tricky enough. On a small handheld, trickier still. And while the 3DS’ build is solid enough, multiple button combos can prove a stretch too far.

This is usual fare for a handheld so here Capcom counter it by assigning moves to the touch screen – a concession that needed to be made, as divisive as it may be.

As a launch title, it shows off the 3DS’ features with aplomb. As a handheld fighter, it’s peerless.
8

Battleheart

2011-04-13T11:53:00.000+01:00

iPhone etc
As well as being drawn into Dragon Age II’s elvish politics, Battleheart is another game vying for my attention of late, hoping to fill spare minutes with some oddly parallel action.

Essentially, they’re both party-based RPGs, yet at polar ends of the spectrum – while Bioware’s sequel is an epic, narrative feast, Battleheart is a more immediate interpretation of the genre.

With little story to tie the missions together, Battleheart’s focus is on action. Allowing you to control up to 4 characters on screen, it delivers a cute, simplified slant on the traditionally deep genre.

Simple taps and drags of the finger are all that are required to command your team of adventurers, moving them around the arena, attacking and supporting who you choose.

This simplicity allows for some pretty active management of the battlefield, requiring you to constantly shuffle them in and out of danger, utilising an MMO style division of roles such as Tank and Healer.

It’s an immediate and fun game, with an accessible and easily modified RPG heart that despite occasionally suffering from the lack of screen space (iPad excluded obviously), is a charmer with just enough depth to keep you coming back.
7

Top Spin 4

2011-04-13T11:50:00.000+01:00

Xbox 360, also PS3
It’s refreshing to see a sports game that isn’t rolled out in yearly updates. Instead, with Top Spin 4, we get a game that has taken its time, and in doing so has achieved an enviable quality throughout.

There are no great leaps in innovation here though – tennis is tennis is tennis. It’s a minimalist sport where the simplicity of rules focuses all on the actions of two (or four) lonesome players, taking turns to hit a ball over a net.

Such purity means the subtlest of changes can have big consequences, and while an impressive revision of its animation system and the bonus of 3D (at the cost of frame rate) make for more immediate show pieces, it’s the core gameplay that matters.

Top Spin’s tennis feels less reactionary than you’d expect, with strong shots requiring a button press long before release. Once this disconnect is grasped, a more tactical, forward-thinking game begins to emerge, framed by the on-screen feedback that marks your timing and power.

It’s the addition of this feedback that truly changes things too, allowing the player to grasp the fundamentals of its mystical system, placing shots with ever increasing accuracy through the mantra of ‘accessible but deep’.
8

MotoGP 10/11

2011-04-13T11:46:00.002+01:00

Xbox 360, also PS3
In as sharp a contrast to Motorstorm Apocalypse’s rough and tumble bike action as you could get, MotoGP 10/11 is a racing game for those preferring two wheels to four, and a huge dose of realism.

Essentially Forza Motorsport with bikes, MotoGP is a purists dream, pushing simulation, statistics and the racing line over casual laughs. Super Hang On this aint.

Accurately modelling racing physics and bike control, it strives to deliver a definitive experience for fans of the sport. The career mode takes things further too, giving you a calender of events, staff to hire and sponsors to chase, introducing an edge of management rarely seen in the racing genre.

While bike tuning may be limited in comparison to the likes of Forza, the real focus is on the track, in which MotoGP delivers a compelling experience.

Here, the world of motorbike racing is recreated in fine detail, with an emphasis on speed and subtlety delivering a singular vision where the racing line is all that matters.

It’s this dedication to the forms and functions of the motorbike that make MotoGP a divisive racer – the realistic handling model is unforgiving, but then so is the real thing.
8

Fight Night Champion (16)

2011-03-21T09:56:00.007Z

PS3, also Xbox 360
Fight Night Champion is EA’s subtle reinvention of its highly regarded boxing series. While it may appear the same at first glance (two men punch each other until one falls down), the changes and additions are significant.

As with most EA Sports games, Fight Night Champion is a feature packed, highly polished game. With superb animation, physics based gameplay and realistic body damage it’s a sight to behold, perfectly recreating the brutality of the sport.

But this is business as usual for Fight Night.

Reworking the controls, EA have replaced the admirable but flawed circular movements of the right stick by reducing jabs and uppercuts to less tiring directional flicks – a small change with an immediate effect.

Champion also allows users to create an online gym for tournaments and sparring matches between friends, and challenges from other gyms. It’s a great addition, polarising Fight Night into an unexpectedly social experience.

The usual character creation stuff is in here too, but Fight Night’s most laudable focus is on the new Champion Mode. Introducing a compelling narrative to a typically dry genre, its varied tale of a boxer’s journey from promising upstart to wronged convict and vengeful hero is surprising and involving.
9

Popcap Hits 1 & 2

2011-03-21T09:53:00.005Z

Xbox 360
As masters of the so called casual gaming genre, PopCap have produced a fine selection of pick-up-and-play titles over the years. They may not be that prolific but what they do make is always reliably polished, wholly addictive and largely pervasive.

Xbox Live Arcade has proven an obvious location for these bitesize delights and PopCap have seen fit to release their titles in 2 disc based compilations for those stubborn gamers ignoring the ethernet socket in the back of their console.

Contained within lies a fine selection of puzzle and action games, with Hits 1 collecting Bejewelled 2, Astro Pop, Feeding frenzy and Peggle together, while Hits 2 opts for Plants vs Zombies, Zuma, Feeding Frenzy 2 and Heavy Weapons.

Both compilations offer something for everyone, with particular highlights being Bejewelled 2 for classic match 3 puzzle goodness, Peggle for its just-one-more-go Pachinko styled gameplay and Plants vs Zombies for its uniquely accessible take on the tower defense genre.

I’d prefer to stick the best on one disc and chuck the rest, but then I have Xbox Live to pick and choose as I please, so it’s a moot point I guess.
8

DC Universe Online

2011-03-02T17:23:00.001Z

PS3, also PC
Few that have read super hero comics wouldn’t admit to wishing they too had special powers. From Batman’s technology to Super Man’s power, there’s much to aspire to.
This is DC Universe Online’s hook – create a super hero or villain and fight alongside DC’s iconic cast in a series of multiplayer adventures. In this it works a treat.
Choosing from a selection of weapons, powers and movement types, DCUO allows for a unique spread of abilities that develop over missions, notably replacing the usual MMO grind for powers.
The open worlds of Gotham and Metropolis are there for your exploration too, host to a vast, if repetitive, number of missions to enjoy alone or with other players.
Unfortunately, it struggles to find a balance between platforms – while the real-time combat works well on a joypad, it may not quite click with a mouse. Likewise, the in-game chat system is woefully designed for the PS3, but familiar territory for a PC gamer.
Other problems abound too – laggy menus and bugs all contribute to a less than polished experience, yet at its core lies something intangibly fun that, given time, could flourish into something greater. Whether you’re happy to continue paying the subscription until then is another matter.
7

Killzone 3

2011-02-21T11:45:00.000Z

PS3
The return of Killzone is well timed – the Move controller and 3D TVs are out in the wild, delivering a technological mindfuzz to the senses in that costly trio. For most though, it’ll be played with a joypad on a 2D screen, yet it’s still an experience that can dazzle.
Following KZ2, the sequel sees you behind enemy lines, initially attempting to escape Helghan, before once more trying to foil some nefarious plans.
With slightly speedier movement, KZ2’s heft is diminished yet KZ3 still retains the unique physicallity that, alongside its art direction, is its real stamp of individuality.
There are other changes afoot too – a greater variety of settings gets us out of the plodding trenches, introducing jet pack battles over snowy oil rigs, fly-by-shootings of giant gun platforms and speedy mech battles.
Some are ill advised though – while one level revels in its alien setting, dripping with exotically aggressive flora, it introduces a laughable stealth mechanic. There are other frustrations too – an excess of dull turret sections and difficulty spikes to grind your teeth at.
Despite these though, it’s a show stopping shooter with deep multiplayer, delivering a spectacular looking game that ushers you along its linear paths with a constant stream of mortar fire to the senses.
8

Marvel vs Capcom 3

2011-02-18T08:16:00.001Z

Xbox 360, also PS3.
Like Street Fighter’s reboot two years ago, Marvel vs Capcom 3 is the long awaited return of a cherished beat-em-up that pits characters from Marvel comics against an exotic selection from Capcom’s video games.
Street Fighter is a meeting of measured exchanges and mind games. MvC3 is the opposite of this – an explosion of eye-boggling action that confuses as much as it entertains, rewarding the casual button basher as much as the seasoned 100 hit combo pro.
This dichotomy runs throughout, providing normal or simple controls and screen filling supers that can be accessed with a single quarter circle ease.
The 3 character tag-team battles are far from dumbed down though – behind the exuberant action lies a complex system, with lengthy aerial combos that can tag in each character to continue pummelling the opponent into a screen filling super attack.
Once you’ve mastered the training mode, the usual offline and online modes are fine enough, yet there’s a glaring lack of a spectator mode for party-based online play.
Other than that, MvC3 is a triumphant, eye watering, finger cramping return for a much loved series that delivers high-paced action, wrapped up in sublime comic book style visuals.
8

Little Big Planet 2

2011-02-11T11:41:00.000Z

PS3
Little Big Planet was an inspired, revolutionary game that placed as much emphasis on player generated content as it did on its own, delivering a knock about, cut n’ paste platformer, held together by the voice of Stephen Fry.
It wasn’t without its flaws though, needing some fine tuning and variety, while the act of creating was often a war of attrition against quirky laws of physics and confusing DIY logic.
If the original was proof-of-concept, then LBP 2 is the real thing – the story missions are a joy to behold, telling the story of Sack Boy’s battle against the Negativatron, while Create mode has become powerful enough for you to create entire games within it, swapping out rudimentary mechanics for expansive logic boards.
The depth of creation is almost overwhelming, allowing different genres such as shoot-em-ups to be created, while music creation, film making and new items such as the Creatinator deliver a far more complete package.
The unfortunate brevity of Story mode means the emphasis on Create mode is even greater, serving more to showcase the new tools at your disposal. But then the emphasis has always been about player creation and what the inhabitants of this little blue planet can dream up.
9

Battlefield Bad Company 2: Vietnam

2011-02-11T11:36:00.002Z

Xbox 360, also PS3, PC.
Battlefield Bad Company 2 is a game that, despite lower sales, is on an equal footing with Call of Duty: Black Ops. So says metacritic anyway. CoD’s bombastic singleplayer might have the edge but when it comes to online multiplayer, BFBC2 is definitely king.
Eschewing the twitch-fest shooting gallery of CoD for something more strategic, BFBC2’s multiplayer is a riot of objective team-based battles that relish in fully destructible environments, vehicular combat and class-based gameplay over sprawling maps.
BFBC2: Vietnam is its downloadable multiplayer expansion that wraps up the familiar action with an authentic trip back in time to the Vietnam war, replete with 5 maps, a host of vehicles, weapons and iconic 60’s music.
It’s a muddy, amoral clash between the US and Vietcong armies, giving BFBC2 veterans some relief from modern combat, with each expansive map working with Conquest and Rush modes – Hastings being a particular highlight.
Such a singular vision comes at a cost though, as the Vietnam setting mostly locks down aesthetics to a repetitive mix of jungle, rivers and wooden huts. But you knew this right? That’s why you’re flying a Huey to the sounds of Flight of the Valkyries, reliving that apocalyptic dream.
8

Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit

2011-01-27T12:17:00.001Z

Xbox 360, also PS3
Until now, Need for Speed had too many punctures and a bad spray job. Handing the stagnant franchise to Criterion, the Burnout boys, EA have transformed its arcade schism into something entirely glorious.
Harking back to the series’ roots in the 90s, they’ve resurrected the Hot Pursuit mode and developed it into an innovative arcade racer, as if someone took the 80’s classic Chase HQ and ripped it into the future.
It’s essentially a game of cops and robbers, allowing you to either race or chase, progressing through a free-form career of hot pursuits, populated by sports cars to die for, with handling that falls somewhere between weighty simulation and arcade joy.
Chases take place over a sprawling map of interlinking freeways and dirt tracks, allowing you to get creative with your route, while a small but perfectly formed arsenal of weapons such as spike strips spice things up further.
So far, so polished, yet with it’s irrepressible arcade sheen comes something altogether greater – the Autolog, a social networking feature that creates challenges out of your friend’s high scores and delivers a constant stream of competition that means its excellent online multiplayer isn’t the only way to race your mates.
9

Infinity Blade

2011-01-19T12:48:00.000Z

iPhone etc.
Infinity Blade begins where it ends – with death. You will die, repeatedly, yet with your death comes a vengeful bloodline – a succession of offspring, all falling on the blade of the indomitable God King until the DNA of your family is strong enough to defeat him.
Originally planned as a Kinnect game for the Xbox 360, it’s the first game on Apple’s portable tech to utilise the Unreal Engine, bringing unparalleled graphics to mobile gaming.
Essentially a point n’ click style journey through a beautifully rendered castle, the perspective shifts whenever any foe is encountered, transforming it into a sublime game of swordplay, accurately translating your touchscreen swipes and presses as swings of a weapon, dodging, blocking and parrying.
Reliant on careful observation of the opponent, this is no game of hyperactive sword slashing, but one of considered rebuttals, where timed dodges and parries allow you to make them kiss your axe.
The game’s hook may be reliant on repetition but each play through as your iterative son brings harder foes and new weapons to master, relishing in its exquisite combat system until one day the God King may kneel before you.
8

Vanquish

2011-01-18T13:44:00.000Z

Xbox 360, also PS3
Easily missed amongst the pre-Christmas release schedule, Vanquish is a 3rd person shooter that could be mistaken for a Japanese styled Gears of War clone. That it’s made by Platinum Games, the studio behind the excellent and insane Bayonetta should tell you otherwise.
Sure, it’s a cover-based shooter, but the barriers that normally offer blind-firing heroes comfort are reserved for vaulting over for slo-mo head shots or rocketing past like a firework on roller skates.
The difference is speed.
Equipped with some armour that’d make a Spartan jealous, you’re granted with the ability to rocket slide along the floor at high speed or boost your metabolism, essentially slowing down time.
With an energy gauge, judicious use of these abilities is required, but find the right rhythm and you’ll be tearing through the robot army with little worry, dancing between explosions and boosting round giant mechs to hit their weak point for massive damage.
The plot may be throwaway but that’s missing the point – Vanquish is a speed-run shooter, built on a system for pumping adrenaline, delivering an exhilarating game that staples a grin to your face as it slo-mo dives into your heart.
8

World of Warcraft: Cataclysm

2011-01-05T13:22:00.000Z

Mac/PC
With over 12 million subscribers, World of Warcraft needs little introduction. Cataclysm is the third expansion, introducing two new playable races, new areas to explore and expansive revisions to the game itself.
The story goes that an ancient evil dragon has returned to the world of Azeroth and laid waste to all in its path. This is the Cataclysm, and this is the perfect excuse for rebuilding the world.
Azeroth has been extensively remodelled for all players, expansion or not. Cities have been enhanced or destroyed, lands have flooded or flourished. If you were tired of exploring this world, many new things await.
Those with the expansion get to play as the long awaited Goblin or Worgen races, adding more variety to the Horde and Alliance.
They make great additions, with the Goblins in particular providing an amusing start to the Cataclysm. They also showcase the rebuilt levelling system, with a smoother transition between quests and ‘phasing’ that changes the environment around you as you progress.
There are countless tweaks throughout too, with rebuilt skill trees, a raised level cap, new dungeons and 3,500 new quests, all aimed at making the game more accessible, enjoyable and fresh, at which it succeeds magnificently.
8

Looking ahead: The games of 2011

2011-01-03T10:38:00.003Z

As always, the last games column of the year in the Nottingham Evening Post is dedicated to what delights 2011 promises. My co-reviewer chose Okamiden, L.A. Noire, Nintendo 3DS, Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath and Child of Eden as the games (and hardware) getting him most excited. Out of a surprisingly big list (it's going to be a good year for gamers), I chose these –

Deus Ex: Human Revolution – Xbox 360, PS3 and PC
The revered series gets a prequel with a renaissance look to its cyberpunk dreams, delivering a posthuman FPS with RPG depths.

Portal 2 – Xbox 360, PS3 and PC
The mind bending Portal gets a sequel with 2 player co-op involving pixar-esque robots – expect copious humour and physics based FPS puzzles aplenty.

Little Big Planet 2 – PS3
The first was a wake up call of innovation for the PS3, the second promises the power to create entire games within its adorable patchwork world.

Marvel vs Capcom 3 – Xbox 360 and PS3
After the runaway success of the Street Fighter reboot we’re finally being blessed by this comic book update that pits the vibrantly rendered likes of Spiderman and Wolverine against Ryu and co in some peerless beat-em-up action.

Last Guardian – PS3
A spiritual sequel to Ico and Shadow of the Colossus with Ghibli influences and the cutest giant flying cat creature? You know this could end in real tears.

A few more that missed the cut –

Ni No Kuni (Second Land) – PS3
A Japanese RPG made in collaboration with Studio Ghibli that looks like an animated film? If Spirited Away and its ilk are anything to go by, this will be pretty special.

Diablo III – PC
This long awaited multiplayer action RPG looks set to revolutionise with its randomly generated quests and addictive loot based gameplay.

Mass Effect 3 – Xbox 360
Mass Effect 2 was a stunning space opera shooter, Mass Effect 3 looks to be far grander, with Earth itself at stake.

It was tough not to include these too – Batman: Arkham City, Crysis 2, Gears of War 3, Mario Kart 3DS, Bullet Storm.

Looking back: 2010 in review

2011-01-03T10:25:00.002Z

As is customary for the end of the year, the second to last week of 2010's game column in the Nottingham Evening Post is dedicated to to the games we thought made the year.

As rules dictate, we chose from the selection of games we had reviewed, so some are omitted by default (hello Minecraft). Paul Drury chose Echoshift, Dragon Quest IX, Dance Central, Playstation Move and Heavy Rain as his top five of the year, I responded with –

Bayonetta – Xbox 360 and PS3
A naked witch with gun stilettos and demonic hair that wraps her body like a cat suit? That’s one of the more sane things in this stunning action game that shook the button mashing genre up with its free form combat.

Demon’s Souls – PS3
Unflinchingly brutal, revolutionary and maddeningly fantastic, Demon’s Souls reminded the world that games don’t need so much hand holding.

Halo: Reach – Xbox 360
Bungie said goodbye to Halo with the prequel that starts it all. Stunning co-op gameplay, sublime multiplayer and the infinite possibilities of Forge World proved a great swan song.

Starcraft 2 – PC
This long awaited sequel played it relatively safe but delivered an unmistakably brilliant strategy game with narrative depth, while the mulitplayer is set to become an eSport superstar.

Mass Effect 2 – Xbox 360
The epic space opera made good in this sequel, stripping back the bugs and some of the stat-bore to allow the refined gunplay, adaptive narrative and the best ‘acting’ of the year to shine through. Where else could you find a hyperactive alien singing Gilbert & Sullivan? In the game of the year no less.

Fifa 11 & NHL 11

2011-01-02T16:32:00.000Z

PS3, also 360
You’ll have to excuse the brevity of these 2 reviews and their lateness – too many games arrived this autumn to cover them at release but these two deserve some words before Christmas is upon us.
Fifa 11 needs no introduction – the long running series is back once again with updated teams, improved AI and enhanced physical interactions between players.
While not bringing the same cosmic shift in features as its predecessor, it still manages to wow with its breadth and polish, including the new Personality Plus feature which adds more individuality to players, alongside Pro Passing for added ball kicking depth.
Essentially it’s as great as its predecessor, if not better, while still keeping Pro Evo on the bench.
NHL 11 is in comparatively niche territory, delivering the fine art of puck (and face) hitting in a superbly polished game of ice hockey.
We’re in similar ground to Fifa here – a game full of features, an exhaustive career mode and gameplay that perfectly replicates the flow of bodies on ice and the brutality of armoured players smashing each other to bits.
To an outsider there’s some unfamiliar jargon in play, but once the controls are grasped and the rules understood, it makes for compelling and hugely enjoyable stuff.
8 & 8

DJ Hero 2

2010-12-08T15:07:00.001Z

PS3, also Xbox 360 & Wii
With Rock Band 3 taking no prisoners, Activision’s DJ Hero series is their last hope in a flagging genre. Thankfully, it makes good with its two turntables and a microphone.
Building on the slow burning success of DJ Hero, this sequel irons out any grievances found in the fledgling series, transforming it into a rhythm game spectacular that applies more emphasis on multiplayer action and quick fingered gaming than accurate DJ simulation.
There’s certainly a lot more fun to be had, with freestyle sections in tracks now allowing you to improvise your own scratch and cross fader styles alongside the usual button taps and scripted edits.
Adding another deck to the equation brings DJ battles through an easy to use drop-in party mode, while guitar support has been dropped for the more obvious addition of a microphone.
Solo play has been transformed too, with the Empire mode creating a far more compelling experience than before.
The star of the show is the music though – with a wider palette on display, DJ Hero 2 edges out its previous hip hop obsession, with inspired mixes of artists as diverse as Major Lazer, Lady Gaga and Metallica hopefully enticing more to take it for a spin. Rewind!
8

Rock Band 3

2010-11-30T13:09:00.000Z

PS3, also Xbox 360
As people scrape for a living in the post apocalyptic hinterland of the future, they’ll marvel at the mountains of plastic instruments and wonder why there are so many.
It’s a question we’re asking in the present too, to the point that the once proud music genre is now faultering under its own imitation weight.
Aware of this saturation, Harmonix are taking things up a notch and blurring the lines between gameplay and musicianship by introducing real instruments to the fray (yes, that’s a stringed MIDI guitar folks) and adding a Pro mode which requires and teaches real skills.
For those of us who just want to play for fun, the traditional methods involving pretend instruments still remain, with the new keyboard being as simple or complex as you choose.
Packed with 83 songs, and over 1000 available online, Rock Band 3 also comes with a great character creator, allowing you to mold your own virtual band, tieing in neatly with the career mode and drop-in multiplayer gameplay.
In all, it’s a superbly polished package that allows for all skills levels to play together and, importantly, turns a genre derided by close minded musicians from inspirational fun into something far more potent.
10

Dead Rising 2

2010-11-24T11:03:00.017Z

Xbox 360, also PS3
Yes, it’s another zombie game. Thankfully, this isn’t any old zombie basher but sequel to the Dawn of the Dead styled comedy horror that lit up the 360 in its early days.
Dead Rising 2 sees the story set years later in Fortune City, a mirror of Las Vegas’ bright lights and casino dreams, and host to the new zombie slaying game show – Terror is Reality.
After being framed for a terrorist attack that lets loose the horde, Chuck Green has to clear has his name before the military turn up. He also has to keep his infected daughter supplied with Zombrex to keep her from turning, introducing a needed emotional hook to the series.
Made by a different studio, DR2 succeeds in recreating the slapstick horror of the original, fine tuning controls and introducing fun new mechanics while keeping you on your toes in a constant race against the clock.
Helping you achieve these goals are of course the myriad items dotted around to use as weapons – from skateboards to coat hangers, everything’s fair game. DR2 goes one step further though, allowing you to combine items into deadlier zombie mashers. Baseball bat? Nails? Sorted.
8

Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light

2010-11-22T17:13:00.001Z

Nintendo DS
Based on a decidedly old school template of Japanese RPGs, The 4 Heroes of Light is a sprawling adventure with turn based combat that sees 4 friends battling to save a princess (of course).
Focussing more on adventure than plot, the game sees you travelling beautifully rendered lands, battling monsters and dressing up.
Items of clothing aren’t just for show though – they’re what give you abilities, allowing you to tailor make each character’s powers by what they’re wearing and carrying. While not as in-depth as Dragon Quest IX’s, it’s still a charmingly visible implementation that masks the numbers that lie underneath.
In fact, this approach can be seen throughout, stripping back many of the modern features of RPGs to simpler times while attempting to remain accessible to all.
This is a fairly hit and miss approach though, delivering a game that harkens back to a past where death was familiar and mission sign posting unclear, wrapped up in modern pastoral visuals and streamlined systems.
Essentially, it’s a looker with its heart in the right place but the balance between the past and present may prove too difficult for those romanced by the lovely kid friendly art direction.
7

Front Mission Evolved

2010-11-22T17:12:00.001Z

Xbox 360, also PS3
Mech combat has always been a favourite past time of mine, one that’s unfortunately rarely fulfilled. When a game comes along to fill that niche it’s rarer still that it does it well.
To some, Front Mission Evolved may be the latest game about giant mechs (or Wanzers as they’re known here), to others it’s the surprising sequel to a hallowed turn-based RPG.
So then, it’s a 3rd person shooter, built upon a history of slow paced strategy games. The shift may not be obvious yet the Wanzers at the heart of the series are ideal for such treatment, if at the expense of brains for brawn.
It’s a fairly bold move, especially for a studio not famed for its action games, and in some ways it pulls it off.
Controls are solid and responsive enough while avoiding the trap of laboured mech movement – in fact, its on the fly switching between fast and slow speeds is reminiscent of Vanquish, allowing for some unexpectedly twitchy gameplay.
Vanquish is an unfortunate comparison though, as its sublime mechanics outshine Front Mission Evolved, showing it up to be somewhat uninspired – a by the numbers shooter with some great mech customisation that’ll only satisfy series stalwarts and mech diehards.
6

Medal of Honor

2010-11-22T17:10:00.000Z

Xbox 360, also PS3
Once upon a time ago, Medal of Honor ruled the roost of military shooters. Then Call of Duty came along. Since then CoD has exited the 2nd World War, with EA doing the same for its reboot.
Priding themselves on military authenticity, EA have eschewed CoD’s bombastic, fictionalised approach, instead focussing on a war far more prescient – one that is currently ongoing in Afghanistan.
Sensitivity issues aside, Medal of Honor is a tightly scripted, tense campaign through the war against the Taliban, taking the fight to several locations through the eyes of different US soldiers.
It’s a terse game, filled with authentic jargon and the tools of war, delivering an experience bereft of political or emotional message – while the action is well scripted, the dialogue and plot is left wanting, concerning itself with the what, not the why.
Multiplayer is predictably solid, handled by the team behind the Battlefield series, providing plenty more hours of play, yet that too feels a little reserved, swapping the epic maps of Bad Company 2 for smaller, less freeform affairs.
In light of CoD’s latest release this week, it’s a tough game to sell, yet those looking for a less twitchy experience can find something here, despite its slight missteps.
7

Noby Noby Boy

2009-05-20T11:14:00.001+01:00

PS3/PSN, £3.19
Playfully perplexing
After Teika Takahashi's demo of the work-in-progress Noby Noby Boy at Gamecity in 2007, 2 things were clear – no one really knew what to expect of the final game, and neither did its creator. Over a year on, it's finally out and it's still in a world of its own.
Making his name through the lovable and quirky roll-em-up series, Katamari Damacy, Keita's design is instantly recognisable, mixing simplistic shapes with cute characterisation. Noby Noby Boy continues this tradition, perhaps simplifying things even further.
The game itself is simpler too, if you can call it a game. Actually, it's probably more complex... no, wait... er. Noby Noby Boy is truly an enigma. There is no game in the traditional sense. Just Noby Noby Boy and a square of land, populated by a random selection of architecture, trees and inhabitants. What you do with all that is up to you. There are no real goals (beyond PS3 trophy hunting). You just play, for fun.
To play, you control the stretchy protagonist with both analogue sticks, one for the head, one for the rear. Each can move independently of each other and if they move in opposite directions, Noby Noby Boy stretches and stretches and stretches into a multi-coloured mess of elastic.
He can eat things, and poop them out if he wishes. He can bounce and fly with careful control and the local inhabitants can hitch rides on his back. Beyond this there at first seems little else but the game is full of secrets waiting to be discovered.
It's also definitely a game of its time – there's Youtube support for direct uploading of recorded play sessions. There's also, at its core, a kind of massively multiplayer online co-operative element.
You see, there's this Girl too. She's much bigger than Noby Noby Boy and is trying to reach out to the stars. Every stretch Noby Noby Boy makes gets added to her length, and that's every stretch by every player round the world. She's reached the moon, unlocking new places to visit. Next stop Mars!
8/10

Killzone 2

2009-05-20T11:12:00.001+01:00

Platform: PS3
In the danger zone
As hypetrains go, Killzone 2's has been one of the biggest – rolling at full pace ever since that first misleading target-render shown at E3 years ago. Achieving the graphical fidelity of that footage was optimistic yet Guerilla has come close to matching it, giving the PS3 something to be proud of.
Fans of grey/brown graphics will be right at home as the PS3 spends every inch of its fibre rendering rust, metal and pooling blood with high definition gusto. Dust floats in the filtered sunlight and smoke flows and ebbs over bombed out steel skeletons while mushroom clouds bloom in the distance. It's this attention to detail that sets Killzone 2 apart from its peers, yet at the same time the picture it paints is one we've seen many times before.
Movement and animation also define Killzone 2, with the spectacle of reeling Helghast reactions to your bullets as impressive as the blood stains they leave behind. Characters move with an impressive weight behind them too, as evidenced by the initially clunky controls as the task of balancing the Dualshock's deadzone with a heavily armoured marine's momentum settles down.
Falling somewhere between Gears of War and Call of Duty 4, Killzone 2's standard FPS fare is mixed in with a workable cover mechanic, while gunplay is brutal, with top class AI that actively flanks and out-maneuvres you.
The story however is forgettable and humourless, the characters risable and the dialogue cliched. The lack of imagination is also evident in the generic weaponry, not helped by the one gun limit, and levels quickly become a repetitive cycle of hide/shoot/run.
Any quibles evaporate online though. Without a story to bother with and an unlocking class/perks system that marries CoD4 with Team Fortress 2, it quickly becomes clear that Killzone 2 works best in multiplayer.
The cover mechanic has been removed – upping the tempo of matches, and each game can uniquely be split over a number of objectives, constantly switching between variants, keeping things fresh throughoughout. With excellent clan support, a deep class system and 32 player games, Killzone 2 makes up for its unimaginative single player in spades, no doubt keeping the locomotive going for some time to come.
8/10

Peggle Dual Shot

2009-05-20T11:10:00.001+01:00

Nintendo DS
Casual dress
Many claims about the addictive qualities of video games have been made in the past, with numerous studies proving and debunking such accusations of pixel junkies on a regular basis.
It’s funny then, that despite core gamers’ almost religious devotion to the medium, the most casual of games is also known as one of the most addictive.
Say hello to Peggle, the game that administers doses, one bouncing metal ball at a time.
A massive hit on the PC, and lately everything from Xbox Live to the iPhone and your new iToaster in between, Peggle: Dual Shot translates the strangely satisfying world of balls and pegs to the DS’ touchscreen with minimal fuss.
Falling somewhere between Pachinko (a kind of vertical Japanese pinball machine) and Arkanoid (bat and ball versus wall), Peggle requires you to clear the screen of orange pegs by firing a ball from the top and hoping your chosen trajectory bounces it off as many pegs as possible.
At the bottom of the screen, a kind of flat bucket moves left to right, returning your ball if it happens to catch it.
Beyond that simple conceit, you have a limited amount of balls and varying colours of pegs that act as power-ups and score-boosts.
The rest is mainly down to luck, and a mastery at predicting trajectories. From there in, everything else is a blur of metal balls, unicorns and neon stars, with a variety of gameplay modes such as Quickplay and Career bolstered by multiplayer options.
To catch Peggle’s bug takes a certain kind of person – where others can be pulled in by its ‘just one more go’ hook, I only find myself doing the same with Street Fighter IV’s new Championship mode.
Still, there is something remarkably satisfying about deleting a massive chain of pegs in one go... whether that can lead to addiction is still up for discussion.
8/10

Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars (18)

2009-05-20T11:09:00.001+01:00

Nintendo DS
Verdict: Robbing on the run
If there’s one series people love to vilify it’s Grand Theft Auto. Granted that the game’s central conceit lies within behaving badly, naysayers’ focus often overlooks the artistic merits of the game. To see it born afresh on the Nintendo DS must be a shock, and a victory for mature gamers everywhere.
Rockstar have taken a risk and created a game for grown-ups on a console typified as ‘for kids’, simultaneously delivering a story of Triads and tribulation, packed full of innovative gameplay and wit, while pushing the DS’ humble hardware to new heights.
Set in the same Liberty City (minus one island) as GTA IV, the series is reborn through a new isometric viewpoint, reminiscent of the PS1 original, and seen through the eyes of Huang Lee, a playboy Triad hunting his father’s murderer.
Incredibly, the entire city is as explorable as ever, with the usual variety of missions and car jacking fun of its bigger brothers.
This time it’s all supplemented by snappy microgames, that introduce non-intrusive touchscreen elements to a variety of activities, and make car jacking just that little more tense when you’re on the run from the cops.
The amount of detail in GTA:CW is impressive too, with radio stations left relatively intact and witty comic book style stills necessarily replacing cut-scenes.
Rockstar have also made fantastic use of the dual/touch screen setup, allowing for instant GPS navigation through quick stylus taps, linking mission co-ordinates and dealers to the minimap with ease.
To survive in the city, money needs to be made, and can be made quickly through the buying and selling of illicit substances.
Playing off against a city of dealers, and introducing a new side quest to the series that fits beautifully into the DS’ quick-fix ethos, Rockstar have introduced a killer feature. Whether it fits into the DS’ image is another thing entirely.
9/10

Blue Dragon Plus

2009-05-20T11:08:00.001+01:00

Nintendo DS
Entry level strategy
The original Blue Dragon on the Xbox 360 was as traditional as RPGs get. Turn based, random battles were the meat of the game, accompanied by an epic story and most notably – gorgeous art direction from Dragon Ball Z creator Akira Toriyama.
While the gameplay may not have wowed people, its production was spot on. Blue Dragon Plus takes the series out of its comfort zone, translating the turn based action into a touch screen controlled, real time strategy.
Of course this is no Warcraft style RTS, but the new blend of genres pioneered by the likes of Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings, where the player guides characters on screen with simple taps of the stylus, combined with automatic attacks and directed special abilities.
Picking up one year after the events of the 360 game, civilisation is once again threatened by old enemies and new mysteries, taking place in the strange cube worlds at the planet’s core.
The story of phantom shadows and machines with souls picks up quickly, settling into a nice pace that’ll keep fans of the series happy, while speedily crafting a new tale for the inclusion of new players.
The FMV cut scenes are particularly lovely too, making good use of both screens simultaneously while linking back to the style of the 360 original.
The core game however, while being fairly solidly built, has its flaws that rest more in the style of this RTS than in this particular execution.
Eschewing the ponderous, more strategic gameplay of the likes of Final Fantasy Tactics, Blue Dragon Plus can at times become an overwhelming game, despite its simplicity and initial accessibility. Controlling 16 characters at once, in real time, can require a little too much of the player, effectively negating strategy for hasty tactics.
This is at least balanced by the generous amount of healing items your team is given, but at the cost of concise action and real strategy, where time should have been employed.
7/10

Resident Evil 5 (18)

2009-05-20T11:07:00.001+01:00

Xbox 360, also PS3.
Lets slay together
Everybody (apart from the odd girlfriend) loves to shoot zombies, and they’re experiencing quite the renaissance at the moment, heralded by Left 4 Dead’s ground breaking co-op action. Freed from the boundaries of moral recompense, they provide nothing more than icky target fodder and a blank canvas unto which writers can ascribe any reflections of society they choose.
Resident Evil 5 has no zombies in it though. Like its stylistic precursor, it chooses to launch sentient infected upon you, clever enough to ride motorbikes, fire crossbows and carry an amusingly plentiful supply of ammo and gold in true videogaming fashion.
Of course, beset by monsters and blood crazed humans that are gestating mind controlling parasites, the only option is to shoot first and kick them when they’re down. Choosing to stick to the formula of Resident Evil 4, the emphasis is on action, sharp shooting and crowd management.
RE5 sticks so closely to the formula of 4 though that you could be forgiven to thinking you’re playing the same game. Sure, the location has moved to Africa and it’s all shiny with its HD gore and Saharan dust clouds but the AI and character animations are identical.
Controls too haven’t moved on, much to the despise of many a gamer screaming in frustration at the downloadable demo. RE4 reinvented the series and was remarkably fresh at the time. Now, in the age of Gears of War and Uncharted, the controls feel clunky and dated.
Once you’re over the shock of the old though, the game settles into a good rhythm, providing plenty of entertaining hours avoiding madmen with chainsaws and dogs with heads that split open to reveal tentacles with teeth.
To talk of Left 4 Dead is more apt than just the zombie-ish brotherhood too, as RE5 reveals its series innovation – co-op play. Plug in an extra controller or go online and a friend can take control of Shiva, an ever present AI partner to the lead character, transforming RE5 from a shiny rehash into something glorious where team work becomes the new raison d’être of a series that was only ever multiplayer when friends solved puzzles together.
7/10

The King of Fighters Collection: The Orochi Saga

2009-05-20T11:06:00.001+01:00

Wii, also PS2 and PSP
Five’s a crowd
The King of Fighters series was birthed on SNK’s legendary Neo Geo MVS hardware, born of its older sibling fighters Fatal Fury and Art of Fighting. As a highly proficient fighter it’s been in long running competition with Street Fighter, borrowing from and tweaking its rival’s moveset, and differentiating itself by adding tag team battles, removing medium strength buttons and adding more complexity to its special moves.
Spanning over a decade of updates, The King of Fighters has gone on to be an extremely popular fighter, perhaps, ironically, peaking in the Capcom vs SNK series. Most would argue that KoF ‘98 has that mantle, which serves to dominate this collection, punctuating the evolution of the fighter from curious runt to top player.
Those not familiar with the series will probably find more joy and accessibility within the new Street Fighter IV (or the Hi-Def KoF XII out this year), the rest of us with dim memories of smokey arcades and quickly disappearing silvers will know what to expect – classic tag-team 2D brawling with a unique art style, complex moves and ridiculously hard bosses.
The Orochi Saga is a collection that charts the back story of the early KoF games, ending in KoF ‘97, with ‘98 included as a bonus, non story-based slugfest.
‘94 introduced the world to KoF’s tag team battling, ‘95 introduced more characters and allowed for editable teams while ‘96 and ‘97 moved further away from Street Fighter with advanced play options and rolling dodges.
Admittedly, once you’ve tried each iteration for nostalgia’s sake, there’s no going back from KoF ‘98, which brings the series to a refined, balanced and feature rich high point, including all previous (and canonically dead) characters, and a whole ton of smackdown fun.
The code does a capable job of emulating the arcade classics, with smooth gameplay and responsive inputs added to with a challenge mode and various controller options. Ultimately, this needs to be played with an arcade stick but the Classic Controller will suit all but the most hard-core gamer fine, or perhaps the Mario Kart Wheel if you’re so inclined.
7/10

SNK Classics Vol.1

2009-05-20T11:05:00.001+01:00

Wii, also PS2 and PSP
Rose tinted gaming
There was a time in the days of old, when SNK were kings, touting an outrageously expensive console that equaled the power of arcade machines, and indeed sat inside many of them. These days, affordable super powered home consoles have driven the arcade scene into the ground, leaving those communal centres full of dire gambling machines and ghosts of a glorious past, dancing out their last days on a DDR machine.
SNK franchises of old, live on though, with King of Fighters and Metal Slug still going strong. For those of you too young, or with faded memories, here’s SNK Classics Vol.1 to jog your synapses, compressing a generous selection of about 16 games on one reasonably priced disk.
The selection on offer is an odd bunch of mixed quality, ranging from the mighty Metal Slug to the rather forgettable Sengoku. The genres on offer mainly populate one on one fighters and scrolling street brawlers (as was popular in the early 90’s), with a light mixture of sports, shooters and platformers, thrown in for good measure.
King of Fighters ’94 is a classic, and the first game in the series to pool characters from Art of Fighting and Fatal Fury. Those two are included too, as is the decidedly average World Heroes and the mighty introduction to Samurai Showdown – a weapons based beat-em-up that has aged especially well.
Other memorable titles include the platform shooter Magician Lord, the Godzilla style wrestling game King of Monsters, and the side-scrolling shooter Last Resort.
Aside from those well-known games there’s also a smattering of quirky gems like the comedic Top Hunter and entertaining Shock Troopers.
Arcade Classics Vol.1 is by no means a definitive SNK collection and many of these have popped up on the Wii’s virtual console or been released as part of series compilations. For anyone looking for a slice of fun, affordable, 2-player nostalgia, and not too bothered about playing every iteration of beat-em-up X, you really can’t go wrong.
7/10

Metal Slug 7

2009-02-26T09:40:00.001Z

Nintendo DS
Shoot first, question originality later
Metal Slug is a series that needs little introduction, and if it does, then the words 'chaotic', 'comedic', 'over-the-top' and 'shooter', certainly suffice. It's a bastion from the past, when games were constructed out of squares and 2D gaming was king. It's also an immensely playable series, taking twitch gaming to its greatest heights of hilarity and filling screens with enormous, mechanical beasts.
Now we're in the future, Metal Slug sits in the palm of your hands and still remains a delight, despite its ageing appearance and recycled gameplay.
Choosing from a selection of six series stalwarts of differing abilities like Marco and Tarma, Metal Slug 7 pulls no surprises, with the score mulitplayer and weapon switching from Metal Slug 6 still in too. The inclusion of a level select at the start is a welcome addition though, allowing for some nice, bite sized sessions that are all important on a portable machine.
The diminutive screen however is a thorn in its side, considering the hectic action and one hit deaths that were tough on a big telly. The lack of two player action will be a real disappointment to fans too but on the bright side, there's less bullets flying around (and probably less slow-down).
The richly detailed backgrounds and sprites remain in force, with SNK Playmore's distinctive style of expressive and amusing animation still working a treat. It's just a shame that, apart from the bosses and occasional new enemy, everything appears to have been recycled from previous games.
Little has changed in the world of Metal Slug – the same old sprites are used, the same old action ensues but despite this lack of imagination or innovation, it's still a blast to play.
Considering the current renaissance that 2D gaming is going through with the likes of Street Fighter IV demonstrating how an old series can be given a new breath of life, I have high hopes for the future of Metal Slug because it is, and always will be, entertaining. Just how many times you're willing to replay what is essentially the same game is a different matter entirely.
7/10

Street Fighter IV

2009-02-26T09:36:00.001Z

Xbox 360, also PS3
Perfect!
There are few games as potent and influential as Street Fighter II; few games with such a history; few games with such a following; few games as mimicked; and few games with such defining gameplay that it's irrevocably ingrained on a generation of gamers' psyche, only to be unlocked by the familiar cry of HADOKEN!
Few series' are as iconic, as recognisable, as readily slipped back into as Street Fighter, yet for eight long years we've seen little of it. Third Strike may still dominate tournament play and the Vs series' have kept certain characters fresh in our minds yet few would have thought Street Fighter IV was even a possibility a couple of years ago, and few could have predicted how glorious and triumphant its return would be.
Sticking to its 2D roots, SFIV is a classic fighter, reborn with exaggerated 3D visuals, replacing the pixelated sprites with a distinctive art style that at once pays homage to the past while revitalising the fighter with stunning, comedic animation, and thick stylistic brush strokes of ink.
Gameplay is the same as it has ever been, with familiar moves and combos made easier by under-the-hood changes to input times, while additions such as the Revenge Meter (for a high powered comeback attack) and Focus Attack (for tactical parrying and combo launching) at once seek to level the playing field for beginners, while creating a new layer of depth for old masters.
Alongside the the quirky new challengers and the standard Arcade mode that sees each character's run bookended by some impenetrable animated sequences, the console version comes rammed with unlockable characters, hardcore challenges and an in-depth trial mode to teach the basic bread and butter techniques to those new to the series, or just plain rusty.
As well as solid online play there's the unique feature that allows online strangers to challenge you during a single player session (like being in an arcade!), while minute details such as the ability to change individual character voices to their pre-dubbed, Japanese original, show how much thought has gone into the whole package.
These additions, alongside the obvious love that has gone into crafting it, have ensured that Street Fighter IV feels at once completely fresh, yet altogether familiar. Easy to pick up, difficult to master, the return of Ryu and co heralds a new age for the 2D brawler. Welcome back old friend.
10/10

Toribash

2009-02-26T09:35:00.001Z

Mac, also PC
An art of fighting
In light of Street Fighter IV's imminent arrival and the expected regeneration of the Beat-em-up genre, i've been playing a free online fighting game that is so radically different that it really demands its own sub-genre. Say hello to the award winning Toribash, pioneer of the 'kinda turn based, sorta realtime strategy beat-em-up' genre,.
If you think the average fighting game is a tad too inclusive with its frame counting combos and complex super moves, then prepare to be perplexed to find that even raising a fist is a minor ordeal.
Set in a minimalist virtual space, Toribash places you and one other online player into a white expanse, asking you to defeat each other, either by accumulating points through hits or by causing the other player to make contact with the floor first.
To make these hits the player has to manipulate the circular joints on their avatar's body, assigning the likes of knees, wrists and shoulders to either extend, relax, constrict or hold.
Both players take their moves simultaneously, with a paused window of time allowing for the manipulation of limbs, while a repeating ghost highlights what your selection will do.
The basics are simple enough but the actual translation of joint control into a martial art is far more complex – those skilled at the game are able to render limbs and execute ninja flips, effectively creating their own style of martial arts, whereas a beginner may struggle to merely kick.
It sounds complicated (and it is), but it's also particularly satisfying to finally pull off a successful attack, and the constantly pausing gameplay means its as ponderous and relaxing as a game of chess.
Split between martial arts such as Akido and Judo, a selection of servers allow for beginners and experienced players to find their equals, with accumulating wins contributing towards new belts.
Toribash is a wonderfully simple, yet devilishly complex game that while sparse on appearances and awkward in its mastery, can prove to be quite an addictive way to while away those lunch breaks at work. Download it for free from www.toribash.com.
7/10

World of Goo

2009-02-09T09:42:00.001Z

Downloadable for Mac, also PC and Wii
Sublime slime
Amongst all the big budget AAA titles to fall upon us at Christmas, there was one that shone like a beacon, calling out to all who appreciate something a little different. Costing a fraction of the Hollywood budgets of modern games and made by only two people (2D Boy), it's fitting that it was also one of the most creative on show.
Garnering all sorts of awards, World of Goo began life in the Experimental Gameplay Project as Tower of Goo, with the proof of concept giving life to the wondrous child i've been playing lately.
To call it a physics based puzzle/construction game would do it a great disservice as such a dry description leaves out so much of what makes this game a joy to play. Filled to the brim with great character, design, music and a general over indulgence in imagination and wit, World of Goo is a puzzle game that's as delicious to play as the balls of Goo themselves.
Building constructions out of Goo is the name of the game, with the general goal of reaching a pipe for the Goo to be sucked up by. Such similarities between levels end there though as each is magnificently different in approach and task, using the laws of physics to delightful extremes.
From constructing a floating platform in the stomach of a creature to using friction and weight to build up through its throat, The World of Goo takes great pleasure in creating environments and puzzles that are primed with innovative puzzling and surreal comedy.
Each ball of Goo that runs along your impromptu construction can be picked up and placed, creating a new strand for your tower or bridge (or whatever you may be building). Different Goo comes with different abilities such as increased friction or weight, each allowing for the wildly varying demands of each level.
With such genius on display and a bizarre, self-referential plot about the Goo discovering they're in a video game, you owe it to yourself (and 2D Boy) to buy this now.
9/10

Wipeout HD

2009-02-04T11:28:00.001Z

Platform: PS3
Razor sharp racing
With the coincidental demise of The Designers Republic last week, WipEout HD has been burning my retinas lately with its polarised and purified vision of futuristic anti-grav racing.
Essentially a compilation of the previous two games on the PSP, WipEout HD picks the best tracks and re-renders then into a sublime and beautiful looking next-gen racer, available to download over the PSN network. Running at 60fps at 1080p, it's a HD TV owners dream, and at a price around £10 it's a must for any PS3 owner with even the vaguest interest in racing.
Those unfamiliar with the series can expect a series of futuristic race tracks, looping and bending their way to ridiculous extremes as your AG craft speeds through at insane speeds, dodging mines and firing missiles at other racers.
Races are split over standard modes such as time trial and tournament, unlocking new ships and colours along the way, but the real gem is Zone mode.
Replacing the rich cityscape and track textures for classic, virtual reality style vectors, Zone mode is a visual explosion of sharp lines and laser edges where the aim is to survive for as long as possible. Speed accelerates gradually through each 10 second zone and shifting colours and textures blend until the world becomes a hyperkinetic, kaleidoscopic, digital dream.
The tDR style design is still evident too, as the iconic racing team logos such as Feisar and AG Systems bring back hazy memories of late 90's post-club sessions round the PS1 as the ground breaking 3D graphics fused with the sounds of real bands like Orbital and Prodigy.
WipEout HD's music is still spot-on, with driving electro and drum n' bass from the likes of Noisia and Stanton Warriors coaxing you along through the gleaming cityscapes, while the ability to rip tunes to the hard drive and create your own custom soundtrack is a welcome feature for those with more guitar based tastes.
WipEout HD might not be the fully fledged update people have been waiting for, but with the polish and perfection on show, along with the never ending draw of online racing and Zone mode, it's hardly a bitter pill to swallow.
9/10

Loco Roco 2

2009-02-04T11:25:00.001Z

PSP
What a beautiful world
For a portable console aimed towards an older market and touting a bazillion multimedia functions, Loco Roco was a surprising but entirely welcome hit in 2006 that introduced lashings of originality, character and cuteness to a rather generic catalogue. I bought a PSP for it and the sequel has shaken some dust. Filled with the same pastel hued characters and landscapes, Loco Roco 2 builds upon the first game by adding far more variety to proceedings, without ever losing site of the original vision. There's more to collect, more to explore and more to do as you tilt and flick the surreal landscapes, bouncing and rolling the lovable, eternally singing Loco Rocos. If ever there was a cure for depression, this is it, as the grin stapled to my face is testament to why it should be prescribed on the NHS. Pure, digitised joy.
9/10

Animal Crossing: Lets go to the City

2009-02-04T11:23:00.001Z

Nintendo Wii
Playing it safe
In these times of economic crisis it's good to get away from it all. Traditionally, cinema takings increase as economies plummet and the game industry is optimistic about its fortunes in these troublesome days. Escaping to the saccharine world of Animal Crossing may be a relaxing way to spend time, just be prepared to take on another mortgage.
There's an overwhelming sense of deja-vu booting up Lets go to the city for the first time – despite its shiny new graphics, trips to the city and Wii-Speak voice chat, it's essentially the same game that consumed your life before. From the initial errands for Tom Nook, to picking fruit to pay your mortgage, and the endless, obsessive, furniture collecting and fossil digging past-times – it has all been done before.
For those new to the series though, it's the definitive version of a cherished game that makes great use of the Wii's features and delivers an irresistibly cute world that can become as much of your daily routine as brushing your teeth. From drawing constellations and designing t-shirts, to having online Wii-Speak conversations with your friends as you indulge in bug catching competitions, Lets go to the city may not offer much new but it still has that undeniable spark that can suck you right in. Just be thankful Tom Nook's loans are interest free.
7/10

Guitar Hero: World Tour

2009-02-04T11:15:00.001Z

PS3, also Xbox 360 and Nintendo Wii
Rocking all over
Having recently become the first game in history to surpass $1 billion in sales, Guitar Hero III has done all right considering it was Neversoft's first faltering stab at the genre. Recently challenged by the originators of the series through Rock Band, they've responded in kind by adding drums and a mic to the mix. So, surely it should be Band Heroes now?
Things are essentially the same as ever, but with new music, a virtual recording studio and vastly more entertaining multiplayer. The new instruments are top notch too, with a bigger guitar allowing for a touch sensitive strip on the neck for fast finger work and the drums are particularly sturdy and responsive, with 3 large pads and 2 raised ones rounded off with a kick pedal.
The mic works in the same way as games like Singstar and everything manages to cram into one screen reasonably, with the score/star power meter unfortunately squished into a corner during 4 player sessions.
The translation of songs to gameplay has been handled better this time round too, with music from the likes of Modest Mouse, Beastie Boys, Interpol and Nirvana logically synced to the inputs required on the instruments. They're all master tracks too and the inclusion of Jimi Hendrix is a master stroke complemented by a music selection that generally seems better this time round.
And if none of those tracks are to your taste there's downloadable content for the online, with the dual CD/Guitar Hero launch of Metallica's latest album proving how potent a force this rhythm game business has become.
The presentation may not be to everyone's taste and the in-depth avatar/instrument editors mildly pointless, but the Recording Studio could prove to be its unique killer app.
With some basic sequencing software and nicely modelled instrument and amp sounds, it allows you to create your own music and upload to GHTunes to share with the world. Controls can be a bit fiddly but perseverance and a never ending stream of downloadable home-made music could keep the amp on fire long after purchase. Or at least allow me to give birth to Electro Hero.
8/10

Gears of War 2

2009-02-04T11:06:00.001Z

Xbox 360
Gore-geous
Welcome to 2009 people, please bear with us while we play catch up on the insane onslaught of Christmas titles – while January is traditionally a barren period for game releases I for one still have plenty to review. First up is the gorgeously violent Gears of War 2, which may just help beat the new year blues with an abundance of scarlet soaked chainsaw bayonets.
The first game defined the 360 so Gears 2 has a lot to live up to, and while it takes the approach of ‘if it aint broke, don’t fix it’, it delivers far more on every level.
With the Light Mass Bomb not doing nearly as much damage as hoped, the war with the Locust is still underway and the Gears have to mount a last offensive to prevent their capital city from being mysteriously sunken into the ground.
Incredibly, the visuals are even better this time round, with the ‘destroyed beauty’ reaping the benefits of a wider colour palette (it’s not all greys and browns this time), massive set pieces and a variety of environments that take in underground caves, ruined cities, mountain vistas and moist worm guts.
The same robust cover based gameplay is back, and plays just like you remember, with a few tweaks, new weapons and the ability to use fallen enemies as ‘meat shields’ (a particularly great way to rub someone’s nose in it during multiplayer games).
Alongside a campaign that’s far more cinematic, varied and involving than the previous game, Epic have spruced up the multiplayer, introducing (initially shaky) matchmaking to proceedings and plenty of new game types and maps (including a few old fan favourites).
There’s also Horde mode, which at first sounds like a slapped on feature, proves to be one of the most compelling multiplayer games around. Allowing up to five friends to team up, Horde mode sticks you into any of the multiplayer maps and tasks you with surviving wave after wave of Locust for as long as you can. Like Left 4 Dead, it’s an exercise in team work and communication, combined with the never ending, score chasing, arcade thrill of Space Invaders. Genius.
9/10

Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix

2008-12-22T14:47:00.001Z

Xbox 360, also PS3
Fighting perfection
Ah, there's nothing quite like the opening chords of the trashy lo-bit guitar signalling Street Fighter II's attract mode to get the memory glands flowing. A youth spent in the refuges of the local arcade, pumping coins into Ryu's roundhouses or trading blows on the SNES version with a group of school friends are memories forever ingrained, easily unlocked by the shrill cry of Chun Li or the looped roar of Blanka. With Street Fighter IV arriving in February there's plenty more future memories to be made and to ease old fighters and new challengers into the game, Capcom have released a remake with one of the silliest titles around.
Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix is a lovingly crafted slice of history that allows you to go back in time with the rose tints intact. Reworking the excellent Super Street Fighter II Turbo, Capcom have employed Udon comics to completely redraw the game, transforming the pixelated sprites into Hi-Res comic book graphics.
Gameplay has been tweaked slightly, making some moves easier to pull off, and characters have been further balanced, to the point that Akuma is now tournament legal. Music too has been revamped, with the OC ReMix website handling the job with enough skill and sensitivity for it to feel fresh yet essentially the same.
While the graphics, music and movesets have been polished, HD Remix still uses the same amount of frames for animation, meaning that although the action is authentic, it doesn't move quite as smoothly as its HD visuals would initially suggest.
Still, with robust online play a massive draw, alongside fans demand for authenticity and accurate frame counts, it's as perfect as it could possibly be without physically wrenching you through the spacetime continuum back to 1994.
Some may balk at the slightly higher than normal price tag (1200 ms points instead of the usual 800) but when the definitive version of a legendary game comes with lag-free online play and gorgeous hand-drawn graphics for about a tenner, you really can't complain.
It's also the perfect way to relive old memories and dust off those quarter circles in preparation for February's modern onslaught.
9/10

Top 5 games of 2009?

2008-12-22T14:33:00.001Z

Street Fighter IV (Xbox 360, PS3, PC)
The true kings of fighting are back, with a canonical sequel to Super Street Fighter II and some stunning new 3D animation that mixes thick brush strokes with cartoon violence to great effect.

Halo 3: ODST (Xbox 360)
Halo returns without Master Chief in this highly anticipated expansion pack, introducing a new hero, stealthier gunplay, new multiplayer maps and a fresh perspective on the fall of New Mombasa told through flashbacks.

Res Evil 5 (Xbox 360, PS3)
Resident Evil debuts on modern consoles to stunning graphical effect, taking the action to Africa and introducing online co-op gameplay to the series, and rather awesomely – zombies on motorbikes.

Alan Wake (Xbox 360)
The team behind Max Payne have endured some troubled development but Alan Wake’s nightmarish story of insomnia looks to be on track for an impressively moody debut in this intriguing psychological thriller about a horror novelist who’s latest book is becoming reality.

Heavy Rain: The Origami Killer (PS3)
Quantic Dream hopefully deliver on the promises of ‘The Casting’ tech demo, and create a unique, emotionally engaging film noir thriller where death finally has some weight and your actions write the story.

Top 5 games of 2008

2008-12-22T14:32:00.001Z

Little Big Planet
Sony’s innovative title may not be setting the charts on fire but those lucky enough to have it know that its rich mixture of multiplayer platforming and DIY level creation deserves to be in every PS3 in the land.

Fable II
Bugs and over-hype aside, Fable II finally delivers on the promises of the first game, presenting an immensely enjoyable adventure packed full of personality, moral dilemmas and public displays of farting.

Grand Theft Auto IV

A maturer perspective, darkly comic narrative and rich characterisation showed that there’s more to this sandbox series than hot coffee and car jacking.

Left 4 Dead
Surviving the zombie apocalypse has never been so much fun as co-op gameplay achieves new heady heights in this unparalleled shooter.

Braid
Using a mixture of metaphorical time-bending puzzles and emotionally charged narrative, Braid’s beauty and genius level design sees it closer to art than artful.

Little Big Planet

2008-12-16T16:18:00.001Z

PS3
A ball of fun
There's a scene in Michel Gondry's 'Science of Sleep' where Gael García Bernal breaks into a neighbours flat, takes a hand crafted stuffed horse, dissects it and fills it with a variety of cogs, rods and dreams. When he returns it, the stuffed horse becomes alive, galloping with a stop-motion shuffle to his friend's delight. It's also the perfect analogy for Little Big Planet.
LBP is Sony's innovative platformer/game creator that aims to turn a world of dreamers into creators, hopefully launching a platform for new gaming experiences for years to come.
Using virtual combinations of cardboard, glue, elastic, springs and a multitude of other materials and devices, Media Molecule have hand-crafted a platformer in the ilk of traditional 2D Mario Bros games. The world however is a living, breathing mixture of fabrics, stitching and clunking mechanics, held together by tactile smoke and mirrors where string replaces strings of code and everything is held together by a forgiving physics engine and a smidgen of luck.
Introducing Sony's new mascot, Sackboy, LBP's charm is easily translated through his likeable, knitted face. With a customisable likeness and the opportunity for up to 4 friends to play together locally or online, LBP is an instant joy to play, packed full of imagination and wit.
That imagination however, has crafted a finite number of levels, yet LBP has the power to last for much longer, its true hook being the Create Mode.
Giving you (and your friends) the same tools the developers used to create the game, LBP opens up a world of creative possibilities, where you can make pretty much anything you can think of.
This is no ordinary, techy level editor though. It's more akin to painting, where your brush can leave solid stone instead of paint and your sticky hands leave a hodge-podge trail of kooky creatures, impossible machines and home-made puzzles.
Such depth comes at a price though as it's DIY logic takes some grasping to begin with, and the scale can be overwhelming. The dulcet tones of Stephen Fry guiding you through it is always enough to make you carry on, upload to the internet and share your imagination with the world, one dream at a time.
10/10

Left 4 Dead

2008-12-16T16:17:00.001Z

Xbox 360, also PC
Ready your boomstick
Zombies are great – they let you shoot-to-kill with no moral recompense, are comedic yet horrific, and always offer up plenty of potential for social commentary (aren't we the real zombies?). Left 4 Dead dispenses with the socio/political semantics, and delivers four playable movies of old school, zombie slaying horror.
Sticking you and up to 3 friends in a series of zombie based blockbusters, Left 4 Dead is a co-op dream come true, where team work and improvised tactics are the only way to stay alive through each intentionally cliched environment.
Gameplay is relatively simple – survive wave after unpredictable wave of zombies as you battle towards each level's grand-finale to be rescued. There are a limited amount of weapons to choose from, a limited amount of health packs and an unlimited amount of screaming terror.
Depth is created through strategy such as weapon choices and player placements when the hordes descend. A constant eye on other players is also required to ensure they survive so you can too. Doing it alone is not an option. Thankfully, Valve's stellar credentials in audio/visual communication mean it's always clear where your friends are and if they've floored by a mob or super zombie.
Mixed in with the shambling, sprinting infected are these super zombies, a selection of 5 freaks with enhanced abilities running ruin to your carefully laid plans.
Tanks are huge lumbering beasts able to bat you down in an instant, Boomers spew zombie attracting vomit at you, Hunters are leaping nightmares, Smokers are snaring wierdies with a tongue from hell and then there's the sobbing Witch. Don't startle the witch.
With 4 expansive levels, it still sounds like a minimal package considering its online focus, yet Left 4 Dead provides hour after hour of addictive, startling fun, thanks to the excellent AI Director who changes the way each level plays, ensuring a different experience every time.
Versus mode (where you can be the super zombies) and the upcoming downloadable content (first up – the mall from the Dawn of the Dead remake) give Left 4 Dead further life, ensuring the panicked, selfless, tense, chaotic, shared horror continues apace with mucus soaked glee.
9/10

Fallout 3 (18)

2008-12-16T16:14:00.001Z

360, also PS3 and PC
Mad Max meets the Jetsons
So, i'm walking through the wastes of DC, heart of the capital wasteland. A vast nothingness surrounds me, just dust and rubble, empty shells of buildings offering little shelter to wastelanders. Empty bottles of Nuca-Cola litter the floor amid long-burnt-out husks of flying cadillacs, posters for kid's cereals flapping in the strong nuclear breeze, buoyed by the sound of happy-go-lucky 1940's popular music.
Like Oblivion before it, Fallout 3 attempts to create a vast, believable world, using small scale details to populate the
free-roaming adventure. What Oblivion achieved was technically great, but ultimately fell short. Fallout 3 ups the technical ante, while narrowing its focus into a more determined adventure, to mostly great
affect.
Comparisons to Oblivion are obvious and expected, as are the claims that it's 'Oblivion with guns'. That claim is correct, but it is also much more. The amount of detail thrown into the wilderness is stunning, swapping the green rolling hills and castles for dense rubble and towns built from scrap metal. Obviously its not a pretty sight, but it is a sight to behold.
All this wasn't meant for your eyes though. As a Vault dweller, you were born in the safety of a nuclear bunker, instilled with the traditional values of a retro-futuristic yesteryear. Your dad's unexpected departure leading you out into the blinding sunlight for the first time, your doorway to a new, harsh world of freedom.
Looking and playing like a first person shooter, Fallout 3 is an RPG at heart, replete with skill upgrades, chat trees and inventory management. RPG-like, pausing combat is an option too, allowing you to target at your leisure, rewarded with slo-mo cinematics and lots of blood. In times of paniced gun fights it's an indispensable and strategic tool, but it's always enjoyable to do the work yourself when you can.
As a 'post apocalyptic simulator', Fallout 3 does a startling job, but is ultimately a divisive game. Some could find the prospect of walking through a decimated grey/brown landscape for hours on end rather boring... some might argue those moments of quietness add to the tension. Whether or not Billie Holiday's 'Crazy He Calls Me' defeats that tension is a moot point.
8/10

Ninja Town

2008-11-18T16:47:00.001Z

Nintendo DS
Honor, stealth & cookies above all else...
I've used this column before to highlight the hard time ninjas get – It's tough work being a super assassin and the pay isn't good. This time however, the Ninjas are getting hassled on their home turf, and most likely at the weekend too. There's no rest for the wicked ninjutsu skills it would seem, and it just isn't fair.
Brought to you by the people behind Shawnimals (purveyors of fine plushies and toys), Ninja Town is in its most basic sense, a re-creation of the classic Tower Defence game.
Originally seen as a Warcraft III mod, and recently, addictively, as a kajillion flash games like Desktop Tower Defense and also Pixel Junk: Monsters on the PS3, the idea is to destroy wave after wave of oppressive enemies wandering through your base/town/table, by building towers that can shoot, or in this case, houses that generate ninjas. Stopping the enemy from reaching the exit point is goal to the game. How it is done, is where your own strategies come into play.
Translating the Tower Defense genre to a cute, pastel coloured world of ninjas obsessed by cookies works a charm, infusing the gameplay with far more character than is usual for the abstract strategy genre.
Differing towers are replaced by differing ninjas – some are strong, some can shoot, some can freeze, all have different cookie costs. Managing these costs, and the network of upgradable houses throughout the town is key to surviving, especially when the enemies become more capable of fighting back.
The DS' touchscreen works a treat for games of this ilk, ensuring quick and intuitive controls, and there are unique DS style powers like being able to blow into the microphone to knock enemies back, in the guise of an overseeing Master Ninja.
Admittedly, the game starts off at quite a sedentary pace, probably aimed at easing in those new to the genre, but its worth sticking with as the gameplay gets more rewarding (unfortunately not through real cookies) and those ninjas could really do with some help for a change.
7.5/10

Fable II

2008-11-18T16:42:00.001Z

Xbox 360
Legendary
From surviving a nuclear wasteland in Fallout 3 to sacrificing yourself for love in Shadow of the Colossus, there are many facets of escapism and expression within video games. Committing bigamy, farting until you accidentally follow-through, and becoming a renowned Lute player are just a few you can add to that repertoire, by way of the sublimely cheeky Fable II.
At its heart, Fable II is an RPG – an adventure game full of dungeons, magic and derogatory Scottish gargoyles, yet beneath the trolls and swords exterior lies a complex, accessible game that reacts to your every action, be it good, bad or somewhere in between.
The original Fable did a similar thing but it was a world of black and white – concise and clear actions of good or evil. It was also a failure in many ways, an overly ambitious title that still remained entertaining despite its flaws.
Fable II is by no means a perfect game but this time round it delivers on all those original broken promises, crafting a living, breathing world that is visibly sculpted by your actions. It is also a world of greys, where sometimes there isn't a right or wrong choice, where sacrifices have to be made for the greater good at personal cost.
From your humble beginnings as an orphaned street urchin to famous monster slayer, your adventures earn you reputation throughout the land. People become to admire or fear you, and as you interact with them, you can charm them or scare them, entertain them or disgust them.
You can also woo them, marry them, have children, become a property magnate, a champion, a villain, a thief and a beggar. The world is your oyster and it and your character's ever changing appearance are distinct representations of your own behaviour.
Throughout the game, one thing is a constant, and one thing is an undisputed success – your best friend, a dog. With you from childhood, your companion not only mimics your actions through appearance and behaviour, he also guides you and fights for you, providing a constant emotional link that ultimately ties you to Fable II's powerful conclusion.
9/10

GameCity Three

2008-10-31T11:50:00.001Z

Oct 30th - Nov 1st
Three day pass £50, single day pass £20, some stuff free.
Like the third colossus slamming its massive stone mace into the ground, GameCity arrives back in Nottingham with a bang. Cannilly tied in with international dress-up-like-a-monster night, you could liken it to more of an 'it's alive!', with the content crammed into the three days ranging from the corporate to the musical to the bizarre, making a patchwork Frankenstein's monster of a festival. Of course, this is its draw, and part of its experiment – to discover what a video game festival can be.
Requiring an all day pass for most of the events, GameCity errs on the side of insular but while the 'game geeks' have plenty to be happy with there are also freebies going on around the city to attract the unsuspecting gamer and joe public. So what exactly is going on?
Thursday sees Sony's Eye Toy team showing their new work with the under used PS3 Eye, David Braben (the man behind the seminal Elite and the lovely Lost Winds) spills some magic beans on game design and Splash Damage tell us how they made the transition from mod makers to creators of the sci-fi Battlefield-a-like Quake Wars.
There's also the world premier of Amanita Design's new game Machinarium, a beautifully hand drawn gem continuing in the same fashion of their Samorost. David Jaffe (God of War) is also on hand via live webcast or you could just head down to Market Square all afternoon for a Sports Day that includes a world record attempt, big screen gaming and most likely Wii Sports with lots of embarrassing flailing.
Once the evening draws in, One Life Left bring their excellent and vaguely video games related radio show to Nottingham. Unfortunately they aren't attempting to break the world record for longest radio show as originally planned, although considering they can barely hold it together for an hour, perhaps that's a blessing in disguise.
Halloween hits Friday and GameCity respond in kind. As the undead march upon Market Square, Martin Hollis and David Doak talk about their platform defining Golden Eye, Harmonix recount how they revolutionised the music industry through Guitar Hero and Rock Band, (hopefully through a mix of karaoke and powerpoint), and Stephen Cakebread goes all neon wireframe on us, charting the evolution of twitch shooter Geometry Wars.
Back on the ghost train, a magician demonstrates how video games charm us, cyberpsychologists discuss the portrayal of evil in videogames (growing horns and kicking your dog), while Oddworld's Lorne Lanning hot desks some questions and Traveller's Tales (Lego games) return fresh from Gotham City.
With Market Square's eaterys best advised to serve all manner of brain based hors d' oeuvre, a world record attempt (i detect a theme) is also going down, involving 1000 zombies and some Micheal Jackson inspired dancing. Make-up artists will also be on hand if you're sans costume or uninfected, while dancers can help you if you've lost your groove, or aren't trapped in the 1980's.
The zombie-geddon leads up to an evening of music supplied by the ghoullishly good Jonathan Coulton (he behind the 'Still Alive' Portal song) and Harmonix. There's also the amusing prospect of a Resident Evil speed-run-tag-team-marathon and a 'rather special live gaming event', whatever that may be – a Left 4 Dead preview would be quite fitting methinks.
Easing you into your Saturday hangover and new found hunger for cerebral snacking, Brian Baglow takes you back into the top-down past of GTA while Media Molecule deliver their BAFTA keynote on making the charmingly genius Little Big Planet. Considering its reviews and the DIY nature of the game, expect the most entertainment a keynote should legally be allowed to give.
There's also the launch of the 'Save The Videogame' campaign (part of the new National Video Game archive), and if that sounds like too much cataloguing, Tom Armitage will be sharing curry with anyone interested in how things will look when gamers rule the world, followed up an evening of fun in the shape of the Guardian Gamesblog's Pub Quiz and some Commodore 64 style music provided by Press Play On Tape and Powerplay.
Throughout Saturday, Market Square is host to record breaking of a virtual type via Guiness Book of Records: The Videogame (in further news: a snake eats its tail and a grandfather finds his paradox). Virtual records will be broken and prizes will be given. If score chasing isn't your thing then you can head over to Waterstone's gallery where industry insiders are fielding questions on how to start a career in gaming, and how you can make the next blockbusting genre definer, or shovelware pap.
If nothing throughout those three days tickles your mouse finger then there's always the indiecade at Malt Cross, an arcade full of home-made treats, running throughout the festival. Last year saw it demoing the Xbox Live Arcade smash hit Braid, who knows what indie treats may lie in store next week.

Viva Pinata: Trouble in Paradise

2008-10-10T12:23:00.001+01:00

Xbox 360.
The sweet life.
Gardens – respite of the city dweller, haunt of the horticulturist and playpen of Monty Mole. If you're lucky enough to live somewhere with a spot of green (as opposed to a slab of rusty concrete and some mutant pigeons), then i'm sure you'll appreciate the work that goes into tending to such an urban paradise. Me, i've got some hassle free decking and not a lawn mower in sight. As much as I love to relax in a garden (a pox upon thee for ever saying chillax), I hate gardening. Perhaps i'm work shy (150+ hours of grinding in Final Fantasy VII would say not), more likely it just doesn't tick my box. Which is odd then, as Viva Pinata: Trouble in Paradise does just that.
Essentially a day-glo, Pokemon-a-like garden simulator that sees you cultivating plants, raising Pinata and shipping them off to parties round the world, Viva Pinata replaces animals with multicoloured papier mache-alikes, blood with candy and Charlie Dimmock with some very strange people. Or at least, stranger.
The first in the series was quite a leap for the 360. Stereotypically home to hyper violent 'shooter-them-up murder simulators', its arrival was a splash of contrast aimed at sucking in new gamers to Microsoft's fold. And it did all right. But there were things missing that the new candy addicts demanded, such as online play. And here they are, wrapped up in a sequel that's more redux yet seven shades closer to perfection.
Fine tuning the experience, Trouble in Paradise takes the core ideas (gardening, collecting Pinata) and runs with them, streamlining the interface and introducing co-op and online play, plenty more Pinata and a whole host of features to customise your garden with like themed object packs.
It also feels more directed – with challenges to complete and goals to meet, you'll never get lost in the freeform gardening and with an extra person thrown into the mix, the experience has proven to be even richer than before.
Admittedly, despite all the new bells and whistles, there's not a whole lot of progression on show. But to fans of the original, all the changes are welcome and worth losing yourself to the addictive, simple yet deep gameplay again, proving that there's more to the 360 than guns and foul mouthed teens. Unlike your own garden perhaps...
8/10

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed

2008-10-10T12:17:00.001+01:00

Xbox 360, and everything else, ever.
The Force, tethered.
Aiming to blow your mind with the power of the Force™, The Force Unleashed is the latest chapter in the merchandising juggernaut/contemporary mythology know as Star Wars. Bridging the gap between the sucky prequels and the original beauts, it tells the tale of Darth Vader's secret apprentice and his initial mission to rid the universe of the remaining Jedi.
Pitched as an 'awesome' take on the Force, the emphasis is on over-the-top powers that sees the young Sith make all the Jedi in the films look a tad lame while at the same time ramping everything else in the Star Wars universe up to 11.
Playing like a cross between Ninja Gaiden and Psi-Ops, The Force Unleashed is all about getting creative with your Light Sabre and your telekinetic and electric super powers. Combining stunning graphics and audio with some incredible physics and animation systems, it's a spectacle to behold, particularly when you're chucking panicking Stormtroopers around with your Force Grip.
When it works, it works really well, nailing that '30 seconds of fun' gameplay hook that made Halo so great. When it doesn't, it's a painful and tedious experience hampered by the Force Grip's awful auto-targetting, an unwieldy camera and dispiriting 'balancing' features such as Force resistant shielding that ultimately render you only slightly unleashed.
Boss fights too are a lesson in frustration, highlighting how weak the Light Sabre combat is by forcing you to defeat them cinematically through sequences that require the player to mimic on-screen button prompts instead of skilled sword play. The opportunity to destroy a Star Destroyer with your mind should have been one of gaming's greatest moments. Instead it's enough to turn you to the Dark Side thanks to some shocking design.
Considering the convoluted plots of Phantom Menace etc, it's particularly refreshing to admit that while the gameplay can be lacking, The Force Unleashed is at least a good yarn that for once lives up to its heritage. Supported by some excellent voice acting and well rounded characters, it's classic stuff with twists and turns at every step and probably the main reason you'll fight on through to its revelatory end.
7/10

n+

2008-10-10T12:10:00.001+01:00

Nintendo DS

Ninjas on the move.
Ninjas, they've picked a tough career in life. Not content with merely traversing unsurpassable terrain utilising inhuman feats of acrobatic derring-do, when they finally get to fight it's often lonesome ninja with sword vs giant robotic pirate with missiles for feet and a clockwork heart of doom. If I was a ninja, i'd quit.
n+ features one such super assassin, tasked with surviving a series of over 200 rooms where death lies waiting like a snickering kid. Each room has an exit and a switch to open it, getting to them alive is your goal. In your way lies a multitude of robots, mines and death defying leaps. And you don't have a sword.
Fusing old school 2D platforming with modern rag doll physics and momentum based gameplay, n+ is a wonderfully minimalist game that orders you to master the art of jumping and seat-of-the-pants acrobatics, or pay with your comedic explosive death.
Using momentum, n+ allows your ninja to pull off spectacular jumps with careful timing. With wall jumping, improvised platforming and a touch of panicked luck, n+ at your best is a graceful ballet between homing rockets, death lasers and a twisting ninja. At your worst it's an exercise in frustration, that thanks to polished programming, is always your fault.
Littering each room is a series of gold dots that increase your time limit (disguised as an ever decreasing health bar). It's not imperative to collect them all before finding the exit but the collect-em-up nature of score chasing can often turn the simplest level into the most difficult – a choose your own difficulty level if you will.
Darling of the indie scene, n+ initially debuted on the PC then successfully ported to Xbox Live Arcade. The DS version retains the series' polish, with the simplistic yet addictive bite sized levels working perfectly with portable gaming's start/stop nature. Packing in more content than either of its brothers, its expanded multiplayer modes and the ability to share self-made maps over the internet are without doubt its one inch punching coup.
8/10

Too Human

2008-09-05T17:20:00.001+01:00

Xbox 360
To err is human
10 years since conception, and apparently 4 years in the making, Too Human’s release feels like it has been a long time coming. Its development has been a fairly public one too, with troubled previews and internet squabbles thankfully all behind us. Now that it’s here, does it live up to its promise of epic tales and multiplayer rpg combat?
Essentially, Too Human is a traditional dungeon brawler – a game of frenetic real time action with an rpg backbone. Clearing room after room of enemies while tweaking stats, unlocking abilities and pimping equipment is the main time sink of the game, with online multiplayer available to spice things up.
Too Human’s twists on this however are in controls and theme. Taking cues from twin stick shooters like Geometry Wars, the left stick handles movement while the right stick handles directional melee attacks (with the addition of triggers for guns). All you do is point the right stick in the direction of a robotic beastie and Baldur, the cybernetically enhanced god, does the rest.
Moves are context sensitive, depending on the distance of enemies or whether you hold or tap the stick, and although it initially feels wrong due to an instinctive urge to use the stick for camera control, once grasped, it’s a particularly satisfying and strategic system that provides a surprisingly welcome respite to button bashing.
Steeped in Norse mythology, Too Human is essentially a sci-fi rewrite of that rich but underused folklore that features the well known gods Thor, Odin and Loki. Reinterpreting gods as cybernetically enhanced humans, and monsters (goblins, trolls etc) as malevolent robots, Too Human’s greatest success is a thematic one, with plenty more to offer in games to come.
Despite these successes however, it’s let down by a lack of polish. Extra time could have ironed out the bugs, sorted the graceless camera, fixed the twitchy targeting, and removed the pointless cyberspace sections that make opening a door that little bit more tedious.
Add to that the lack of drop-in multiplayer and you have a game that strives for much but doesn’t quite deliver, and in doing so, isn’t quite as legendary as its source material.
7/10

Braid

2008-08-27T14:50:00.001+01:00

Xbox 360 Live Arcade
Timeless
Time can be a funny thing. Invisible, intangible, it flows like a river with many currents, pulling us along towards our ultimate game of chess. I used to think it didn’t exist until Einstein’s theory of relativity set me right and showed it also travels at different speeds (head up a mountain with an atomic clock if you don’t believe it). Jonathan Blow, creator of Braid, understand’s this all too well, too.
Like a melancholic Mario Bros, Braid is a platform game with one big twist and dozens of subtle turns.
Added to the usual running/jumping/bouncing on foes action is the ability to rewind time. With a simple button push you can erase your mistakes and try again. Of course that’s pretty handy when you miss-time a jump but what this really allows for is a distinctly genius game of puzzling in search of pieces of jigsaw and a lost princess.
Each world employs different twists on time – there are objects impervious to your rewinding powers, there’s a ring that if dropped can slow time within its spherical influence and there’s a land where even walking left and right changes the direction of time. And with these variations come differing puzzles of mind-melting magnitudes, continually challenging your concept of the 4th dimension, often dumbfoundingly (that’s impossible!), always satisfyingly (so that’s how you do it!).
The art direction is superb too, repainting the simple landscapes of Mario et al with impressionist brushstrokes, underpinned by the melancholia of a beautiful soundtrack, all continually playing and rewinding at the touch of a button as you continue to piece together the story that holds it all together.
At first the story is a secondary concern (platformers aren’t noted for their narrative merits), but as you progress, a sadness dawns as the tale is revealed. Through completed jigsaws and pages of text, we find that Braid’s time manipulation is merely a metaphor for the protagonist’s journey to unmake mistakes, rewrite memories and somehow get the girl back.
10/10

Geometry Wars 2

2008-08-26T14:37:00.001+01:00

Xbox 360 Live Arcade, 800MS Points
Dangerous maths
With the recent revelation of a Jeff Bridges enabled Tron 2 film in the works, it's coincidental timing that Geometry Wars 2 makes its debut on the 360. Featuring a similarly stark black background/acid neon vector combination as Tron's unique style, Geometry Wars 2 is the true sequel to one of the 360's biggest Arcade hits.
Asking for en extra 200 MS Points for the pleasure, Geometry Wars 2 is as a sequel should be – bigger, better and face meltingly badder. Using ideas created in Galaxies and Waves, Geo Wars 2 introduces new hooks to the HD generation, creating an even more chaotic, seat-of-the-pants, oh-gawd-my-eyes-are-burning, twitch-gaming ride.
The initial twist resides within Geoms, tiny green blobs that get left behind by the dead. Collect these blobs and your score multiplies. Simple, yet that means instead of running from danger, you now have the impetus to head straight for it, diving into the eye of the storm in search of greater high scores or foolhardy death.
As well as the standard Evolved and Waves modes, variety exists in new modes like Pacifism, Deadline and Sequence, each with their own tasty neon hook, each with their own addictive pace and style. Pacifism disables your weapons, leaving you to trigger explosions and stay safe. Sequence is a series of levels with set patterns, each as devilishly punishing as the last. Deadline gives you a set time limit, infinite lives and minutes of hell to make your score.
Multiplayer is welcome here too, with up to four players supported for competitive or co-op games. Unfortunately online play is missing but with the speed and accuracy required by the game, a millisecond of lag would be enough to ruin it.
To keep you playing beyond the initial thrill of the eye watering fix, Geo Wars 2 uses online high scores, clearly designed to show how you compare to your friends. That one more go is usually fuelled by a competitive urge to beat them, and of course yourself, until your eyes can take no more of the beautiful, bright neon delights, and you get on your light bike back to reality.
9/10