All you need to know about: Super Street Fighter IV

Think of Super Street Fighter IV as an 'ultimate' version Super Street Fighter IV. Super Street Fighter IV features the full roster of 25 characters from Street Fighter IV such as Ryu, Ken, Crimson Viper, Abel, El Fuerte, and Rufus, while adding about eight new characters to the world of Street Fighter IV.



The impressive new roster includes classic combatants from previous Street Fighter games like T. Hawk, DeeJay, Guy, Cody and Adon as well as all-new characters such as the mysterious and deadly female fighter, Juri.

Beyond characters, Super Street Fighter IV adds an enhanced Ultra Combo system as well as major enhancements to the online and offline gameplay modes introduced in Street Fighter IV.

• Enhanced online play featuring new modes:
o Team Battles: Up to eight players can participate in 2 vs. 2, 3 vs. 3, or 4 vs. 4 team elimination battles.
o Endless Battle: Up to eight players can participate in an endless elimination online match where the winner stays on and plays against the next player in true arcade fashion. Spectators can also chat with each other as they watch the match.
o Replay Channel: Players can view recorded matches and discuss the match while watching replays of great matches from players around the world.

• More classic Street Fighter characters re-imagined for a new generation of gamers, including favorites DeeJay, T Hawk, Guy, Cody and Adon.

• New challenger: mysterious female Juri is the first character in Street Fighter history to utilize the Tae Kwon Do style.

• Bonus Stages: Return of the classic car and barrel bonus stages made popular in Street Fighter II both available in arcade and challenge modes:
o Car stage: Annihilate the car with regular and special moves before the time runs out.
o Barrel stage: Players are given 20 barrels and must destroy as many as they can within the time limit.

• All playable Street Fighter IV characters will be unlocked out of the box.

• Gameplay has been rebalanced to provide challenges for both newcomers as well as the most seasoned Street Fighter pro.

• Traditional “2D” Street Fighter six-button gameplay.

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Look out Super Street Fighter IV on the PS3 and Xbox 360 in Spring 2010

FIFA 10 Review

The FIFA series has come a long way since it first launched back in 1993 and every year since then EA have been systematically churning out what has become the best selling football game ever. You’ll be glad to hear that this footballing season is no different as FIFA 10 arrives in all its Pro Evo crushing glory.

You’ll also be glad, if a little unsurprised, to hear that it is in fact better than last years! So, instead of putting myself through the slavery of writing a formal review, you can consider this a cheeky comparison.




The Good

Super happy good stuff! What’s improved this year ... ?

-This year’s ‘big feature’ is the all new 360º player control. While I will admit to never having missed this in the previous games it certainly makes a difference having it there. Passing becomes a lot more accurate and dribbling past opponents can now be pulled off with ease.

-The gameplay and fluidity improves yet again and you can now see every drop of the shoulder and every little shove. I know it’s clichéd, but I really can’t see how it could be improved on (this console generation anyway). The graphics also have improved quite considerably but the player’s face modeling is still questionable.

-A little bug bear of mine from FIFA 09 was the difficulty of pulling off a decent through ball or lobbed past. Luckily that has become a lot easier this year and the AI players seem to be a lot more aware of where you want them to run, rather than standing like lemons waiting for the ball to roll into their feet.

-The famous voices of Andy Gray and John Motson make a welcome (or unwelcome in the case of my brother) return bringing with them a larger-than-ever arsenal of phrases many of which are pinched straight from last years game. There’s also now a ton of tournament specific commentary which is neat little touch. Unfortunately though, they are still prone to errors and falling behind the game but definitely less so this year.

-The manager mode has undergone a complete overhaul this year - the main difference being the player growth system. In years gone by the players would grow unrealistically fast and would apparently not be effected by age but these issues have been but right in FIFA 10. You’ll also notice that players pick up experience in a slightly more realistic way. The younger players will benefit greatly from starting a match where as the older, more established players will take far longer to gain experience.

The Bad

Enough of the compliments! What’s not too good about FIFA 10 ...

-It’s still here, and it sticks out like a sore thumb. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the ‘cardboard crowd’! I know, I know .. It doesn’t affect gameplay but it would be nice to have a 3D crowd.

-I can see why the international music remains dominant in FIFA games, but it’s not to everyone’s taste. Luckily, it can be turned down or off altogether.

-The celebration system is identical to that of last years and, yes, your teammates will stand and aimlessly stare as you pull off your Olympic standard gymnastics.

-After promising ‘physical’ gameplay last year and it never really turning up, I’m glad to say it is present in FIFA 10. However, it does get a little frustrating when you’re a small, agile winger and a defender so much as prods you and you’re knocked off balance.

-Gameplay remains far from what happens in the real game.

The Summary

With the help of subtle additions such as improved throw-ins, deflections, blocking and through balls it really is hard to fault this game, and I was forced to knit-pick my way through the entire ‘Bad’ section.

It never ceases to amaze me how year in year out EA manage to improve the FIFA series. I still remember looking at a FIFA 90-something running on a Dreamcast and thinking it could never have graphically improved!

Anyhow, FIFA 10 is definitely a step up and it still remains miles ahead of Konami’s attempts.

..but is it the beautiful game? What do you think?

Fable 2 Review

The game begins in the city of Bowerstone, where a young child known as Sparrow (Also you can be a girl this time round, if you want) and his older sister, Rose, dream about living in Castle Fairfax, the home of Lord Lucien. Their fantasies are cut short when they hear a commotion down at the market. A man who goes by the name of Mystical Murgo is selling “magical” wares, such as a mirror that makes you beautiful (though only in complete darkness) and a magic box that grants you a wish. Rose scoffs at the idea of magic, but an old woman named Theresa tells her otherwise, suggesting it may in fact be magic. Later that night they are awoken by a city guard who escorts them to Castle Fairfax. After meeting Lord Lucien and telling him of the box, he asks them to step in a circle on the floor. A blue light emits from the edge of the circle, and to Lucien’s anger turns red upon his touch. Proclaiming that they are not any of the three, and one of them is the fourth, he shoots Rose, and afterwards shoots you the player out the window… You survive the fall as “Death is not your destiny tonight little Sparrow.”

Unfortunately the initial expansiveness of Bower Lake and its surrounding environs belies the truth that although Albion is now much larger and more open than before but is more linear rather than being an open world, Albion is separated into areas, divided by loading screens. Adding this to the lack of an overall world-map, and these various regions can feel somewhat disconnected; making it difficult to feel like the world is “free roam”. Although the areas usually have a few branching paths, they almost always have one main route, and only one ‘exit’ at each end. Despite this, exploration is still possible in many places, but the decision not to include a handy mini-map was probably a prudent one, as it would have highlighted the world’s limitations. The world itself is a visual and aural delight. Each area looks unique, and feels like Lionhead have put great detail into there artwork and have pulled it off beautifully. Fable 2 also features a ‘breadcrumb trail’ line that leads you to your next objective. This is perfect for noobs who may be worried about getting lost, and veterans who find that it distracts from exploration can simply turn it off. A better map function would have certainly been a much more preferred option in my opinion.

Fable and Fable 2 was not just about the game, it was about your character. Your character is affected by Good and Evil, Purity and Corruption. During the game you make choices which effect life in Albion, whether it be helping out a beggar or defeating a monster. These choices not only effect the world, but it also effects the way people think of you and your appearance. If you’re good you will be handsome and pure, more people will love you and give you gifts.. If you’re bad you grow horns and are pure evil, people will hate you and run away in fear. Also if a player eats pies or drinks beer all the time you will get fat and walk around with a waddle. If you eat fruit and vegetables will make you stay thin and also help you lose weight. If you level up your skills, Strength, Skill and Will it will affect your character. Strength making your character more muscular. Skill making your character taller and Will will make your character have blue glowing veins all over there body.

I love how Lionhead handled the co-op for Fable 2 especially for the true drop-in, drop-out co-op play that is included. I also like how you can play the game start to finish with a friend via local play or Xbox LIVE, this is a great feature and not many games of the RPG genre do this as they believe RPG games like Fable or Fallout should be played Single Player. Also in co-op play, there is no lag, now I know your all properly thinking “Lag? With 2 Players… Haha!”. Look at FIFA and PES, two games which normally only have two players online in one game at once and those games can lag bad, so I respect Lionhead for making this game good for online co-op. The fact that the host must decide the percentage-cut of gold and experience that the henchman is allowed to receive, is a cause for much enjoyable debate and negotiation. It’s just a shame that the co-op camera copes so badly in the frequent enclosed spaces, that you begin longing for single player once again.

The sound on this game is beautiful, I love the music, I love the townspeople voices. Everything with sound in this game is just awesome. When I run through a field with grass you can hear your feet hitting the grass, if it’s a stone path you hear your feet hitting the hard stone floor. The music is lovely because I love the fact you can be walking along a path with a jolly tune in the background to which it can change all of sudden and the good thing is it doesn’t block out any other sounds which can be important, such as Dialogue. The weapon sounds are good also, especially the swords when they clash. Lionhead put a lot of thought into there Sound for Fable 2. The music for Fable is recgonised world wide and is made by Danny Elfman, Russell Shaw.

Peter Molyneux and Lionhead Studios have created a fantastically compelling world in Albion, and a game that gives you a sense of fun in your interactions with the lands and its people. Fable 2 would be a superbly accessible entry-point into action RPG’s for any casual gamer, but more experienced players may feel let down by the concessions to simplicity that have been made.

JD's Score - 86%

Encleverment Experiment Review

I will start by saying that I’m not a huge fan of games that require me to rub two brain cells together and while I prefer the mindless killing fields of the modern battlefield, I’ll try to be as impartial as possible.

If you’ve ever played a Brain Training-esque game on the Nintendo DS you’ll feel right at home with this one. The 16 mini-games which cover mathematics, reactions, memory and pattern recognition certainly offer enough variety the first few times you play them but really, we’ve seen it all before. Don’t let the childish presentation of the game throw you though because behind the cartoons and the teddy bear mascots (60 of them) you unlock with the “Noodles” earned from playing, lies a fairly challenging game. As you play through the tests and game shows, the game records your progress and lets you know which of your ‘four brain quadrants’ works the hardest. There are also four difficulty settings, with the easiest being 10-year-old territory and the hardest being actually pretty hard.

The game also throws in some multiplayer action (both local and online) allowing you to create custom playlists so you and your friends/family can see whose thinking cap is the largest. Don’t expect to find anyone playing on LIVE though.



However, it’s not all fun and mini-games. The professor for example is extremely annoying. As I write this review with the game sitting on the menu, he is spewing out something about invisible tigers every 10 seconds and throughout the whole game he never really keeps quiet. The background music doesn’t offer any escape either and is probably just as annoying as the Professor’s stereotypical English accent.

I’m not massively impressed with the visual presentation either. Predominantly this is a child’s game, and while that’s fine, I don’t think I know any present day children that wishes to be sat in front of what looks like an old educational game that no-one really liked at the time!

That brings me nicely on to my next little niggle. Encleverment Experiment could easily be classed as a party game, with it’s avatar integration (although they just stand at the side watching you play) and ease of local multiplayer play - but, are there really any families or groups of friends out there that wish to sit down for a spot of mental arithmetic?

At the end of the day, the game is simply not enjoyable and I struggle to see why anyone would find it so. Playing seems more of chore than it is fun and although the game fills a gap in the market (on Xbox anyway), it was probably a gap best left empty.

Encleverment Experiment gets a rather dull 5/10 from me.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Review

Modern Warfare 2, quite possibly the most anticipated shooter of all time. Everyone is talking about it and playing it. I have played it, now it’s my turn to talk about it.

Call of Duty 4 Modern Warfare was one of the biggest titles to hit the gaming world so I am sure everyone was expecting Modern Warfare 2 to be bigger and better. Let's see if Infinity Ward delivered.

Modern Warfare 2 is set five years after Call of Duty 4. Even with the joined efforts of the SAS and the US Marines and the death of Zakhaev, the Ultranationalists managed to take Russia and they declared Zakhaev a hero. Now, Makarov the shadow of Zakhaev has started attacking Europe with acts of terrorism.

When you finally jump in, you are in Afghanistan controlling PFC Joseph Allen of the U.S Army Rangers. You help your squad and the rest of the Rangers take back an Afghan city from the militants, an impressed General Shepherd recruits you for a special mission and re-assigns you as a CIA operative. You join Makarov’sorganization undercover for the CIA. Meanwhile, Captain Soap MacTavish and Sgt Gary “Roach” Sanderson are infiltrating an airbase in Kazakhstan, they are there to recover an ACS module. They are eventually found out and must make there escape, and I must say the snowmobile sequence in the mission is amazing.

Your missions take place in such settings as, Afghanistan, Brazil and one which was a big surprise, America.

Just like the old Call of Duty games, you play as different characters throughout the game. In this game you take control of, PFC Joseph Allen, Pvt. James Ramirez,
Sgt. Gary Sanderson and Capt. Soap MacTavish. The HUD system is very similar to Call of Duty 4 and the way your objectives are pretty much the same as well. Infinity Ward have decided to include collecting the enemy intel again, on Call of Duty 4 I never bothered with this and I don’t think I will this time.

Co-op play has been introduced into Infinity Ward’s part of the Call of Duty series, I must say they have pulled it off brilliantly. The game mode is called Special Ops and it is divided into five groups of missions. Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Delta and Echo, each one contains 5 missions except Echo which only has 3. You can up to 3 stars on each Mission with a total of 69 stars altogether. Difficulty levels: regular, hardened and veteran. At the end of each game it shows how long it took you and how many kills you got and some other stats.

Now I have loved multiplayer on all the Call of Duty games and Modern Warfare 2 has joined that list. Everything about it is perfect except one minor thing. There is a little bit too much air support, if they took away 2 of the air supports then it would make it more even and much more fun for players who are new. There are a few new perks and one of my favourites has to be “Bling”, this perk allows two attachments on your gun. This was a most wanted for MW2 and it seems Infinity Ward have delivered. There is now an inclusion of death streaks, so if you die 3-4 times in a row you get a little help to get some kills. The new kill streak awards are very good, such as after 5 kills you get a predator missile or if you get 11 kills you can control an AC130 and rack up a massive amount of kills.

The new weapons are very good; my favourite at the moment is the ACR. I am glad they just didn’t copy all the old weapons over and add a few new ones. Granted, there are some CoD4 weapons in there such as the M16 and the AK47. Now one great thing they have done is “host migration” which when the host leaves instead of just ending the game, it gives the host to the person with the best connection so people can play on and not lose all the points they have gained. When playing online, there are only certain game modes which you can now party chat in. I myself am not that annoyed about it but many others are, Infinity Ward are taking all this feedback and are now planning there next move with what to do with the party chat.

New game modes include Demolition, Capture the Flag and 3^rd Person mode. Firstly Demolition is basically Search and Destroy but you all have bombs when attacking and there are respawns in this mode. Capture the Flag is basically self explanatory and is very welcomed back to the Call of Duty series. Now, 3^rd person mode, this is played over the shoulder like Gears of War. This has been done well by IW but to be fair, if they took it off the playlists tomorrow I wouldn’t care but fair play to them trying out new areas.


The music of the game was provided by the award winning composer Hans Zimmer and I am very impressed with the music, it is one of the those soundtracks that just fits with the game perfectly. The world famous rapper 50 Cent provided some voice work for Special Ops and multiplayer modes. Bill Murray, did the voice for Captain Price just like on Call of Duty 4 and Kevin McKidd took up the role of Soap MacTavish and provided the voice we all wanted to hear in Call of Duty 4.

Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 really has upped the mark on all shooters in the market and it will take a lot to top it. I am enjoying every minute of it and though the campaign was short, I would rather play short story and remember it than play a long one and try to remember what mission I loved the most. I am truly impressed by Infinity Ward and how they have delivered this new Call of Duty in the best series of shooters of all time. I really can’t wait for the next instalment.

JD's Score - 97%

Dragon Age Origins DLC announced

Called "Return to Ostagar", the 400 microsoft point add on:

allows players to exact their revenge and embark on a quest for the mighty arms and armor of the once great King Cailan when they revisit Ostagar, the site of the Grey Wardens’ darkest hour, to reclaim the honor and learn the secrets of Ferelden’s fallen king.

That means pretty much nothing to me, seeing as I haven't played the game yet, but it sounds like an extensive DLC add on for such a new game which can only be good news for fans.

There is no specific release date for the content at the moment, however expect a date to be announced soon, around 'Holiday' 2009.

Resi 5 DLC Screenshots

After Capcom's announcement about forthcoming DLC for their hit Resident Evil 5 game will be featuring at the beginning of next year, new images have emerged of the new "Lost in Nightmares" pack.

No specific date has been announced for the content, which after a vote from fans was given DLC status, but suggestions are a launch at the beginning of 2010.

Also, news hit is of the impending launch of the Resident Evil 5 "Gold Edition". No specific information was available at the time, but expect a more detailed look on the game near launch.

Worms 2 Armageddon Update and DLC announcement

Team 17 have confirmed that the no.1 selling Xbox Live Arcade title, Worms 2 Armageddon, is getting a range of improvements ahead of scheduled DLC to arrive shortly.

The full list (taken from Team17software's Facebook page) of fixes is below, and it's rather extensive:

Fixed issue whereby user would lose all save data if the hard drive was moved to another console
• Fixed hard locking issues when generating landscapes bought in the shop
• Fixed issue where you could get a regular soft lock if a mine attracted to a magnet didn't come to rest
• Back flip input slowed down to stop incorrect jumps harming the player
• Air Strike was incorrectly hitting for 65 this has now been capped to 50 and damage spread has been correctly fixed
• Fixed a Leader board exploit awarding "billion" scores after disconnect exploit stopped
• Strict NAT users were unable to ready up in a lobby, now fixed
• Exploit fixed - Player can no longer use the ninja rope after deploying a weapon
• Fixed bug where first player was not selected randomly in online matches
• Fixed host migration issues in 3/4 player matches
• Forts and Rope Race matches can now be played as Private games
• Fixed an issue whereby fire punching the ceiling would result in the worm falling through the landscape
• Fixed bug which made crates in Forts matches only land on the right hand side
• Fire will now only burn the landscape between turns - this stops players losing their turn due to fire damage beyond their control
• Bunker Buster was hitting slightly to the right of the aiming reticule - this is now fixed
• Super weapon probability in crates reduced - Chance of Donkey removed from forts games
• Fixed an issue where you couldn't move the camera while your opponent had their weapon panel open
• Fixed an issue where sometimes worms were spawned in onto a mine at the start of a match
• Fixed an issue where sometimes the placing of Magnets would be out of sync between client and host
• Fixed occasional non functional magnet and magnets likelihood of flying around the screen erratically after being hit
• Fixed ability to place a girder anywhere on the landscape - the useable distance for the girder has now been reduced
• Dragon ball collision increased to stop it missing enemy worms at close range
• Fixed an issue where bringing up the Guide during online games caused slowdown
• Fixed an issue where strike weapons would appear in cavern landscape crates
• Landscape choice forced on host incorrectly after 10 seconds this now correctly waits for 30 seconds before forcing the decision
• Probability of vertical landscapes in Ranked matches was too high - this has been greatly reduced
• Fixed an issue where some players Avatars remained on screen obstructing play during online games
• Fixed an issue where some weapons/utilities SFX would loop at the start of every turn if the game was restarted during them being played. Most obvious example was the HHG.
• "Likes the Drink" achievement could be gained incorrectly by killing 8 worms in a single blast in the firing range
• Pressing jump while fire punching resulted in a "super" fire punch - this is now fixed
• Sheep now correctly travels down tunnels instead of bouncing on the entrances
• Fixed an issue where team names were not displaying on "Your turn" screen
• Missing particles added to Holy Hand Grenade
• Damage display font will no longer incorrectly scale larger on certain shots
• Tidied up the start of Online matches where Worms would be placed twice at the start of the game
• References to WOW 2 Leader boards (Maggie's Drawers & Valiant Failures) Removed
• AI teams are now using the correct speech banks in the campaign
• Spelling mistake - Incorrect weapon names in collected crates


The update is available now and is free of charge to all owners of the game.

Lastly, in early 2010, a number of Downloadable content packs for the game with more challenges, environments, features and customisation options for your worms teams will be available. More news will be posted when we here more about it.

Guitar Hero World Tour Review

History

Seeing as this game is a little, shall we say, 'shallow' on stories and plotlines, I thought it would be quite cool to look back at all the previous franchises that have led up to the current day rhythm game genre.

For me, it all started back with the 1996 classisc PSone game, PaRappa the Rapper. You had to keep the rhythm and keep Rappa rapping all the way to stardom. Basically, it's the same "hit the right button at the right time gameplay" just like modern day.

These games then magically spawned into dancing games, Konami got the ball rolling with their Dancing Stage range back in the 90's which saw players tapping their feet with the corresponding arrows on the included mat on the floor. These are still common sights in most arcades across the country.

1999, the year that Space Channel 5 launched on the Dreamcast and Ulula was seen defending earth with the trademark "chu" or "shoot" as she killed the aproaching Morolians (weird alien creature things). The game was a hit... apparently.



A year later, and the genre was literally, slightly revolutionised when the Dreamcast played host to the classic Samba de Amigo, a game where you shake your maracas. Yeah, I think they were really running out of ideas then, until 2003.

Yep, the new generation of consoles, all new technology and fresh new ideas. Except, somebody forgot to remind Nintendo of this and subsequently, Donkey Konga (complete with bongo's) was launched. The game arrived with mixed opinions, however to this day, the game is a cult classic.
It was 2 years later (2005) and then the familiar names of today decided to make their appearence, Guitar Hero was launched on the PS2 and was an instant success. Complete with its own guitar controller where you have to strum and get the correct notes by pressing the corresponding colours on screen, the game was so successful the makers of the hit TV show 'South Park' decided to make their own episode (titled 'Guitar Queer-o') to celebrate it.

November 2007 and the modern day band rhythm instrument game was launched in the form of Harmonix' Rock Band. The game allows you and up to 3 friends to take control of the main instruments of any successful band (Drums, Guitar, Mic etc.) and take them to stardom.

And here we are today, 2008 and the launch of the second generation Rockband (see Shade360's review) and this all new Guitar Hero: World Tour.

Gameplay

This review includes all of the Band in the Box instruments and has been tested thoroughly by somebody new to the Guitar Hero series.

Basics, you are challenged to master one instrument from the selection on offer and take your digital counterpart to the glittering heights. You do this by filling up the Rock Meter on the left by being in time and hitting the correct colours at the right time to keep the music going. Star Power helps boost your score by adding multipliers and at the end of the performance, you get a cut of the profits which you can use to buy new stuff to customise the look of your rocker or to fund gigs in the career mode.

Specific instrument reviews are below:



Guitar: (instrument)
The new 2008 World Tour guitar is a handsome piece, with its faux wooden effect surround/faceplate and all new 'Touchpad' (for those hard to master solo's), the guitar has a nice weight to it and easy to use fret buttons, strum and whammy bars with minimal noise being produced from the controller. The guitar fits in the with the modern ways by being wireless (taking 2 x AA batteries) and also includes the Xbox microphone/headset port for Live communication.

Guitar: (game mode)
Featuring a more modern scrolling fret key bar (which is far easier on the eye) and clearer colour selection, the game is easy on the eye and is very welcoming to new users of the franchise.

You have 5 fret buttons (blue, red, yellow, orange and green) and your job is to select the correct button on your guitar controller and strum at the correct time to hit the note. Longer notes require the strum bar to be held and adding in the whammy bar adds extra points to that total score. You also have "star power", which is activated by the new, big buttoned "STAR POWER" to the right of the strum bar, or by tilting the controller to the sky and rocking out.

There are two game options now for guitar users: Guitar and Bass Guitar and you may progress through careers and solo songs as either of them.



Drums: (instrument)
These are 'wow' when you look at them: wireless (using 2x AA batteries) sitting on extendable legs (allowing the kit to be raised and lowered accordingly) the drum kit is a beast of design. With 2 raised symbols, 3 pressure sensitive pads, those drum solo's just feel that little more realistic when you're asked to "hit the pad hard, not as hard as you can, just harder".

Also included is a nicely weighted and designed foot pedal which is excellent at crippling your ankle after a long drumming session. 2 sticks are also included (they are necessary). The pads are of excellent quality with nicely finished rubber pads for noise reduction and a satisfying thud when drumming.

There's a standard looking 360 controller layout featuring guide button, D Pad and A,B,X,Y,Start,Back buttons and on the far side (facing away from the player) the Xbox Headset input. This isn't the ideal place for such connectivity as you have to then have the wire draping over one of the pads or passed underneath the kit.

Drums: (game mode)
You're greeted to a familiar screen layout to the guitar mode but you now have the added complication of pressure 'keys' scrolling down (these mean whack the corresponding pad hard, proper hard) and the foot pedal bar which stretches right across the screen.

For an amateur (that's me), the beginner mode is ridiculously easy, requiring just the kick pedal. Boosting up to easy adds the pads but allows for a slower drumming experience. Medium (my level at the moment) is much more like it, challenging yet entertaining and requiring a lot of concentration to hit those difficult cross kit drum moments. Very entertaining and quite infuriating when you hit a symbol instead of the kick pedal in stressful circumstances.



Microphone: (instrument)
Again, another quality piece of kit, nicely weighted although this instrument is wired. The USB attaches to one of the ports on the front of the console and you use an ordinary 360 controller to navigate the menus.

Microphone: (game mode)
"ooooooh, half way there....ooooOOOH, LIVIN' ON A PRAYER" can indeed begin to burst ear drums and deafen small children especially when singer is fully laden with an assortment of Dorito's and their alcholic beverage of choice.

It's no Lips or Singstar, but it does add an entertainment value for the full in house co-op drunken night in front of the tv band experience. People seem to dislike using the mic online however, strange that...

Multiplayer

Local multiplayer:
This game was designed for multiplayer, no doubting that whatsoever. It's reassuring then, to find out that there are a wide array of options for multiplayer. You and your real life friends can take a band on tour from your living room and play with a selection of instruments that take your fancy.

Not in for the long haul but just fancy a quick song or two? Quicklplay is the way to go, allowing you to stack up a few songs to play at a time and to play as you go. You still earn the 'cut' of the nights earnings based on your performance just as the Career mode.

Xbox LIVE multiplayer:
Taking the battle online with up to 8 players (yes, 8) in a 4 v 4 battle of the bands is the ultimate online band experience. Of course, if there's just two of you that fancy a face off, then no trouble.

There's a pass the control mode where only one user drums/strums at a time or a general face off mode where you both have to keep in time at the same time. Song choice alternates between the players in the party and you don't have to be playing the same instruments.



Graphics

Probably, the least important element of a rhythm game. You're playing it on your 32/42/50" tv and you're focussing on the bottom, centre 5" without the time or need to focus anywhere else.

Comforting to know then that the developers have taken time to create some great venues, well animated and rendered rockstars and a vast amount of creativity for customising your band's look.

The scrolling note bar still gives the dreaded "wall breathing", where after a long a session of Guitar Hero-ing you look away from the screen on any inaminate object and it appears to be making its way eerily towards you.

Aside from that, the bar is smooth, the keys bright and simple, great for players new and familiar with the series.

Sound

You make the sound what it is so if it's "poor" or "off key", you're at fault.

In all seriousness though, the game features a grand selection 86 Master Recording songs, ranging from "La Bamba" to "Eye of the Tiger" so there's bound to be something for all tastes.

Some of the more excentric music isn't appealing to myself, but at least it does add to the longevity of the career mode. Unlocking a song in the career mode allows the player to access it whenever they wish to in the quicklplay modes.

Extra Features

Downloadable content and the ability to create your own music from scratch using the "Music Studio" feature is a great addition which lends it self to a long lifespan. Tracks or "Track Packs" are available from Xbox LIVE and add either a single song or a group of songs to your playlist.

These additions range in price from "Free" to around 440MS points (or £3.74) and can now be viewed, paid for and queued up by following the link.

The music studio allows you to create your own music, played either in real time or slowed down and then beefed up to your liking and then tweeked to perfection. everything from distortion effects to hard hitting drum solo's are offerded and when your entry is finished, you can upload the track to the Guitar Hero servers on LIVE for the masses to play.

Your version of the song becomes the "expert" level of difficulty and the software manipulates the song for the easier levels to master. Really great addition although the ability to add lyrics to your song is missing, probably due to legal reasons.

Final Thoughts

So, has the Guitar Hero brand successfully merged into a full rock experience and into Rock Band's turf? Well, the latter I am unable to comment on, but the former is a definite yes. The drums, you simply have to experience them, satisfying entertaining and infuriating and utterly addictive.

A worthy addition to anybody's game selection and an absolute must for fans of the genre. I am now officially, a Guitar Hero convert, HALLELUJAH!

Tag: #review

Left 4 Dead Review

Plot

After the apocalyptic pandemic turning ordinary citizens into deranged hordes of frenzied infected mindless zombies intent on killing you, you meet up with survivors and are forced to fight your way through to safety. Waves and thousands of undead block your path to safety, you’ll have to trek through city streets and across rooftops to board that flight to safety and to survive the horror lurking within the dark underworld that has been created.

Playing as one of the 4 survivors (Francis – hard fighting biker, Zoey – student, Louis - Junior Systems Analyst & Bill - former Vietnam veteran), you take the fight to waves of attacking with the aim of reaching one of the games periodically placed safe rooms with the ultimate goal of escaping the dead zone in which you are trapped.

Plot is an interesting description as really, this is over clichéd and slap stick first person shooting action which takes great pleasure in putting a smile on your face. There is a weak plotline which literally is as bare bones as I’ve described above although, there are 4 separate scenarios termed (by the makers as Campaigns) which see you fight your way across different environments, but that can’t disguise the fact that this is not one of the game’s strengths.

Gameplay

A back to basics control system mated to House of the Dead inspired blast action means this game has great pick up ‘n’ play ability. What that entails, is basically that the game appeals to casual and hardcore gamers alike, with the focus clearly on fast paced free for all zombie hunting and less on the squad based strategy that has limited audiences with 4 player co-op games that have appeared in the past.

From the acclaimed makers of Half-Life, the crisp sharpness and rapid responses from moving your digital counterpart is pure Valve. The ideology behind the enemy AI is also typically innovative. Utilising the all new “A.I. director” mated with the well used Source engine, this basically means no two experiences are ever the same.

Zombies spawn at different places, weapons move and special infected characters appear at other locations then to previous play throughs. Seemingly safe points (such as up against walls or railings) where no infected emerged last time become magnets to the horde and beasts such as the Boomers and Smokers as they leap from walls to rooftops looking for the perfect vantage point to vomit or suck you up respectively.

The atmosphere created so well in this game definitely deserves credit and a mention here, as you flow from street lit roadways into dark corridors leading through hospitals and the machinery within, blackness faintly lit by a weak tunnel of light from your torch only to catch a glimpse of a cowering creature chanting to herself. Shining your light towards her however, gets an unexpected reaction as your fellow survivors are forced to stop the witch tearing your limbs from the natural placement, safely nestled within the confines of your body. Brilliant, gruesome and a little twisted, but still epically entertaining.

Online

This game is destined to be one of the most played and critically acclaimed online co-operative experiences the 360 and its users will likely participate in this year. The 4 player co-operative multiplayer sees each gamer assigned to one of the four playable survivors as work your way through the game, starting from any chapter throughout the game. This lends itself well to the gameplay as a drop in, drop out function where friends can jump into the action for however long they want and then leave doesn’t interrupt your game or the intense action.

There are other modes however, versus is a particular highlight which sees one side take control of the 4 playable infected characters (Boomer, which vomits bile which turns your screen green and attracts the ‘horde’ of undead; The Smoker, who’s killer move is using his agility and tongue to draw the victim in; The Hunter, who leaps from out of seemingly safe distances only to kick the living crap out of you and finally; The Tank which is this game’s answer to the Hulk. This thing takes mega damage and is a force to be reckoned with) and have to defeat the 4 survivors.

Fast paced action blended to hilarious screaming from your friends over the microphone offers endless fun and truly extends the lifespan and increases the appeal of this game. If you love online shooters for the experience of pwning noobz, perhaps this isn’t your thing, but if your game is to sit back, chill and just have an absolute riot, this is FINALLY the experience you’ve been waiting for.

Graphics

Valve have supplemented highly detailed and lush environments for pleasing on the eye fast frame rates and dark atmospheric scenarios. This doesn’t hamper the game in anyway and you will often overlook the silly graphical mess ups where you can see inside the head of your survivor counterparts.

Guns and animations are well rendered *coughs Half Life 2* and enemies are suitably menacing with bulges and throbbing boils, suitably grotesque to reflect the bile nestling within them. Yeah, probably not one for the giggly teenage school girls, but kids and the young at heart blokes will simply love them. Have to say, the Tank really is just the Hulk though, let’s not be mislead.

Environments are destructible, doors will be broken through and shards of glass are scattered as the infected bust the way through all obstacles to get their mitts on you. Fire effects are decent and lighter sections are suitably atmospheric and deserted with upturned cars and flashing police beacons.

Sound

A deserted cityscape, hospital and ruined roadway aren’t known for hustle and bustle and their variety of sounds so there’s little in the way of background noise. The only sounds to be heard when peering through doorways are the gentle distant breathing of an undead beast lurking on the other side of the toilet door you just opened.

Cue orchestral number and voila, about 50 undead come flooding from all around you, jumping through windows screaming, gun fire and reloading and yelling screeches of a friend being beaten to a bloody pulp next to you.

Voiceovers are well timed, including basic commands where characters inform one another of the locations for such items as ammunition and health packs however, aside from that, they are suitably muted throughout the experience.

Final Thoughts

The sleeper hit from the geniuses behind killer titles which every gamer has admired and drooled over in the past. This game takes the standard mundane single player experience, forces you online, demands you to get your friends together and commands that you play this game until your hands are bloody and swollen.

This is not only one of the finest online experiences to greet the 360, this is one of the finest games the Xbox 360 and its owners can gloat over. A killer-ap that you must simply play and try and I defy you to not fall for its charm....if you can call blasting the heads off attacking vomiting mutants, charming.

Kingdom for Keflings Review

Developer: NinjaBee
Publisher: Xbox LIVE Arcade
Genre: Strategy & Simulation
Game Rating: E (Everyone)
Release Date: 11/19/2008

Right, okay, this is an interesting title. Launched alongside the New Xbox Experience, this medieval settlement needs your help in creating a village to nestle and settle down in. So, it’s a sort of Real Time Strategy, pick a few menus, drag and drop a few things and there you go, review done.

Well, no actually. First of all, this is one of the new generation of Arcade titles that fully integrates your new online persona, your 360 Avatar. You (as a giant) are set the task of playing site foreman, ordering your settlers (the mini little people known as “Keflings”) to do the labouring whilst you get to the job at hand of constructing properties in order to build a Kingdom for which the Keflings can settle.

Okay, first impressions then and things are good. Colours are bright and vibrant, very appealing and friendly with easy to use simple menus and a very intuitive menu system which sticks tasks on the bumper buttons and assigns the left stick to controlling your avatar throughout the game world. Tasks such as getting your Keflings to transport logs are simple 2 touches of the ‘A’ button controls and a wiggle of the left stick, no complicated filing menus or baffling statistics here, this is pure simple fun.

You see, the problem is, after playing it for 10 minutes you get into this routine. After 2 hours of playing it, it’s the exact same routine. In fact, the routine is literally so monotonous (shear sheep, stack wool, transport wool, create books (?), build building, unlock next building. Shear sheep etc.) that you often find yourself playing the game and not really having to concentrate at all.

They have clearly taken inspiration from such simulation titles as SimCity and other RTS strategy games and stripped them down, problem is, they’ve stripped it bare. After playing for around an hour, the Quest option opened up! YAY! Well, problem there was its tasks where “stockpile x amount of wood” and what have you. Basically, it’s the same things over and over without the need to construct the buildings.

On the subject of buildings and creating them, you first of all are given some basic tools to turn trees into logs, rocks into mined ones, and sheep shearers. All these different basic products need to be put together to be used as construction materials. Other tools such as the diamond mining have to be unlocked by clearing surrounding rocks or similar which can then be used to create more extravagant buildings.

Okay, so that’s the real basic stuff but there are some other things you need to get certain buildings to function. For instance, you will need to upgrade a Kefling to Mayor status and when she has a task for you, a little exclamation point appears over his/her head. Once the quest is completed, you will be rewarded with either Love or an upgrade. Upgrades range from ‘Hiking’ (which make you move faster across the map area) all the way to ‘strength’ increases.

There is multiplayer involved as well, your 800 Microsoft Points buy you the ability to share the online experience with up to 3 friends and make the task of creating the Kingdom, even easier? Well, imagination is necessary to make things interesting. You can (as the game suggests) go around making pathways and mazes but you really would have to be a fan of this to put the leg work in.

Okay, I’m being negative here and that’s most probably because I’m not the target audience. This game really would suit a casual gamer, somebody new to everything gaming and someone with a low level of skill. That’s not insulting the game or its maker’s, I’m merely stating that after playing hardcore titles such as Gears 2 and Grand Theft Auto, skill levels have dropped away and brain cells and have died off.

Brain cells dying off, that’s a bit mean isn’t it? Well, actually yes it is as just the simple things in life such as kicking a slacking transporter or even just giving the boot to a miner is funny in a sick sort of way. The ability to paint up buildings (once you’ve built the right building) is also okay I suppose to make your world unique from everybody else. Add to that, the fact that seasons come flying round at extraordinary paces, you’ll be building a building in Summer sun, only to be caught in a snow storm.

All of that is great with the different landscaping and weather effects, even the music changes slightly, but I suffered from a lot of juttering and slowdown throughout the transition which I suppose could be down to my console but even so. What definitely wasn’t caused by my console however was the fact that your giant gets caught on every piece of low lying material and animal making you rather annoyingly have walk around 3 sheep instead of walking through them EVEN THOUGH, there is clearly enough space to fit a building in between said sheep.

You know, I think I’ve got this game totally wrong. It’s a real feel good game, no stresses and no time limits. It has a smiley atmosphere, the music is very pleasing to the ear and the graphics are wonderfully rich in colour and full of character. Buildings all look different and the animations are quite cool. Fact is though, this game will be bought for one reason and one reason alone, the Avatar in game. Your avatar is indeed centrefold throughout the gaming experience, the God if you like. You are the master and crucially, you are the game’s gimmick. A gimmick, unfortunately, that doesn’t sit well with this reviewer.

Good points:

• Very colourful and cartoony characters
• Simple pick up and play control system
• Avatar’s in game: exceedingly well implemented and with good animations
• Great ‘Hangover’ game

Negative points:

• It’s just too monotonous
• Is it really worth 800 Microsoft points?

Final Verdict: Great for the children (and I mean that without being patronising), a welcome break from the normal murdering and shooting games which have been rife as of late. Leaves me feeling cold however after an extensive test, the novelty of the avatar has also worn off. Never the less, it’s still a good game.

7/10

Gears of War 2 - All Fronts DLC

The lost chapter is the main selling point of this new DLC release. Appearing as a separate mode on the main page when loading up the game, the chapter begins with an introduction by none other, than Mr Cliffy B (chief man of Gears). After a short edited cutscene, you find that (and a major story spoiler is to follow if you haven’t played the orginal story, so beware!) this lost chapter fits in after Dom and Marcus find out the truth on Maria’s condition.

After the cutscene, you are given the choice of whether to sneak in to locate and destroy the queen by disguising yourself as the enemy, or by going in all guns blazing. For a first try, and to test out this new game mechanic for Gears 2, I firstly opted for the sneaky stealth way. Whilst not being Splinter Cell or Metal Gear Solid espionage worthy, the mode plays really well, as you slowly advance from cover to coveravoiding the patrolling guards, until you stumble up and have to wipe out a small army after an unpredicted “drop”.

Without spoiling the entire chapter, it’s nice to see a familiar face giving mouth to our stealthy infiltrators when they descend into the pen area. After a brief “chat”, he then joins the force and jumps feet first into the action, seeking revenge against the captors. Facing a new horde of guards ready to come and kill you and with a new companion breaking your stealth cover, the sneaking goes out of the window in favor for all out war, where you take it to all the familiar faces from the Gears 2 arsenal.

After completing the mission, you’re greeted with a short cutscene wihere our new found friend disappears and the story mode kicks back in. You’d be none the wiser of the goings on with the way the missing chapter has been cleverly edited. Makes you wonder just why they left it out to be honest, as it’s a fantastic piece of work with great set pieces.

A second play through on the all guns blazing option was decent, where you miss some of the FMV sequences in favour of gung ho action. Playing this way, you don’t appreciate the chapter and the way it has been designed to include the espionage parts, but if you really enjoy taking it to the Locust hordes, then this will satisfy with swarms of enemies, ranging from the smallest (tickers) right the way to gallactic and monumental heights of the Brumak.

All in all, a cracking addition to the game. As a stand alone DLC, it’s decent but we haven’t even worked our way to the best bit yet. This pack also includes ALL of the downloadable map packs AND new ones too! That’s right, the Snowblind, Combustible and Flashback map packs are all included, totaling 2000ms points worth of content (or £17, $24.99, €23.26).

So, is the content worth purchasing? Well, if you’re a newbie and are enjoying the Gears of War 2 online multiplayer, then definitely, there’s loads of hours and extra maps to keep you occupied. If you’ve purchased the previous map packs, then essentially, the value for money-o-meter is running low, as all you would be getting, is an extra level, not particularly long and one you’re not likely to replay and 2 new maps, which at the time of review, was difficult to find opponents on due to being a pre-release copy. A fantastic bundle which rewards the frugal gamers more than the hardcore Gears fan base.

Fallout 3 Review

The Plot

Vault 101, Washington D.C. (United States), Year: 2277. . .

Set 20 years after the devastation that occurred back in the previous instalment, you take control and create your character (from birth) and begin life settled under the wing of the ‘Overseer’ in Vault 101. 200 years after the bombs dropped over America, this post apocalyptic universe is a desert wasteland, a wasteland that your father has disappeared into and you are hell bent on finding him.

The story unfolds with the player being presented with your character complete with Birthday Suit with the distinct choice from a rather confused doctor. He poses the question “Boy or Girl?”, and from here you establish your character by way of manipulating facial features and assigning a name to your in game counterpart. After flying through the years, including celebrating 2 important birthday’s, this section acts as a training ground before gently dropping you straight into the story.

All the above takes place in Vault 101 (or the ‘Jewel of the Wastes’). For 200 years, this underground haven has been protecting the surviving residents of the Capitol Wasteland through the Global Atom War of 2077. However, one day you are woken to the news that your father has up shipped and left the vault and that everybody is after you.

After your brave decision to leave the sanctuary of the vault, as well as finishing off the leader of the sector, you are graced with the disaster zone that has become Washington DC. You’re father is out there, you’ll have to fight through the infected and raiders to find him, from now on you’re on your own.

Gameplay

Unlike previous instalments, this game is a fully developed and interactive 3 dimensional universe. Playable at anytime through the eyes of the player, or via a third person perspective, this harsh wasteland is yours to discover at your leisure.

Taking all of the best bits from the critically acclaimed ‘Oblivion’ (also made by Bethesda), you are free to explore your surroundings at your leisure or plunge in feet first to the main quest at hand. From experience, if you play the game through just completing the mandatory ‘quests’ (quests are the games’ description of sub stories) you will find that you’re missing out on just how much this game has to offer.

Take your time, discover the secrets and the happenings of the AI characters lurking in the shadows of the deserted cities and districts which where once full of life, and you’ll find your interaction and interest in the game will grow and the often used phrase of “just ten more minutes” will begin to be spoken again.

Basic controls are typical of how modern First Person Shooters are laid out. Movement is controlled via the two analog sticks (same for third person) and the basic face buttons apply context sensitive interaction and jump movements. However, this is after, after all, lending itself from a popular Role Playing game however so far, I have referred to the game as an FPS (First Person Shooter) so, where’s the traditional AP/HP menu’s?

Well, strapped to your arm after your 10th Birthday is the PipBoy Model 3000. This handy device acts as your inventory, storing any: collected items, quest details, maps and points of interest among other things. This lends itself nicely to the game and helps keep with the theme of the game by being a bit temperamental on start up and generally old fashioned in both looks and functions. Coupled to this is the VATS (or Vault-Tec Assisted Targeting System).

When in the sights of an enemy (whether it be Mutant, Fire Ant or even human contracted killers), triggering the VATS menu, using the Right Bumper button, displays the new designed menu system allowing you to target specific body parts of your enemies and assign Attack Points based on the weapon choice and % value of accuracy. This system is best used to find enemies in the wasteland and when discovering as the environments are so massive, you can quite easily be ambushed by these attacking hordes whilst admiring the stunning detail that’s been put into the collapsed buildings and torn up road ways.

On the subject of enemies, the engine used to control the in game characters and specifically the enemies you will be fighting deserves a particular mention. Your A.I. challengers will do everything to surround you and in no time, you’ll be on the back foot and outnumbered. Best keep ‘Hidden’ then and gain the extra HP from killing them silently from the shadows to avoid unnecessary death.

With regards to health, you can use the Stimpacks or by using Radiation affected meats or drinks for sustenance; however, too much of this begins to affect the player as you begin to become overcome with radiation poisoning. Look out for ‘Rad-X’ to clear that and to treat any of the effects of the radiation. You can also use beds found throughout the environments to sleep off any effects of injuries, usually found in the Raider’s barricades.

The way in which you behave is also worth a mention. Like many RPG’s around, character integration and conversations with these characters lead to different storylines and different attitudes towards you and your gaming experience. An early sign of this, is when you receive an offer to ‘activate an undetonated’ atomic bomb, but instead of accepting the offer, you turn him in to the local sheriff leading ultimately to the sheriffs death and a bounty placed on your head. They will get you as well, so be prepared for a fight on your hands.

Any further mentions of scenarios such as these will only lead to spoilers, but along the way you’ll meet stranded children, escaped slaves/prisoners and even a brothel. This game is far too big to describe and to justify in a review, and I mean that...seriously.

Graphics

Bethesda have done a stunning job of creating a post war depiction of what disasters have been occurring whilst captive in Vault 101. The harsh wastelands and shimmering radiated waters surrounding these isles are a fitting reminder of the intensity of damage this city was left with after the mushroom clouds faded away.

Collapsed buildings, deserted train wrecked filled underground's and beached shipwrecks all have distinct atmosphere’s and are covered with mystery as your character begins to explore them, torch light at hand as these zombies aren’t known for their subtleties.

Characters are well rendered with decent animations, though not a particular highlight as they appear to have numb faces with regards to expressions. Enemies are intimidating and appropriately affected by being exposed to years of radiation. Muscles are bulged and faces intense as they unleash their menace with whatever weapons are left to forage over.

Weapons have satisfying animation, especially when using the VATS system as the camera tracks the bullet from initial trigger pulling up until the gory ending resulting in a very messy but satisfying death of your enemy.

Animations are good, movement is smooth although when moving your character and using the 3rd person view, your character’s movement doesn’t appear particularly natural, best leave it in first person view then.

Personal highlight, with regards to graphics and atmosphere, has to go to the Metro tunnel sections however. These are used to link isolated towns and are menacing with their blackness only being lit by a weak torch and temperamental underground lighting. Stray beings and rebel survivors nestle within the maze of tracks and stations and are typically found near the flickering lights of garbage can fires, pacing, defending their territory.

Sound

Tune in your radio by going through your PipBoy 3000, and you are instantly grounded in this captivating land. Music from bygone eras flood the airwaves and provide a unique background to play along with. Characters all have decent voice over’s, including famous man Liam Neeson, and enemies have suitable menacing drones and shrieks.

Guns have a satisfying ‘bang’ and also include ultra cool slow-motion bullet times where cases can be heard dropping to the floor below. When engaging enemies, suitable scores provide a fitting back ground to play against, rising with the intensity of the action culminating into a final shot climax before dying down, leaving you to the deafening silence provided by the uninhabited wasteland, your footsteps the only sound around after the weapons are holstered. Very engaging and atmospheric stuff.

Final Thoughts

I’d like to point out that this review has been created by somebody who doesn’t play or necessarily enjoys any form of Role Playing game. That makes this review ever more significant if the mix of First Person action and Role Playing story engagement has brought an entirely new audience to the genre, this can surely only be a good sign.

Without a doubt, worthy of a purchase. One of the greatest games I’ve played on the Xbox 360 and also one of the largest. People have already reported playing this 80+ hours and they still haven’t completed the bulk of quests and surprises this games has to offer.

Presentation: 9/10

Graphics: 8/10

Sound: 8/10

Gameplay: 10/10

Lasting Appeal: 10/10

FINAL SCORE: 9/10

Tag: #review

Mirrors Edge Review

Yeah, I know this game's been out a while now and I know most of you have sampled its mix of first person free-running and gunning action, but for the purposes of this review... forget that.  

Plot: 

You play as Faith Connors, a Mercury trained Parkour specialist sent the task of transmitting communications between the two battling governments fighting between the mayoral spot that is up for grabs in an unnamed city. 

After receiving a call for help off Faith's sister, Kate, she then falls into a deeply confusing storyline which, simply put, sees the character "Pope"(a police officer) found mysteriously dead over a desk (by Faith), clutching a note simply saying "Icarus" on it.  

You then see the Icarus project unfold in front of your eyes as you are hunted down after being blamed for the murder and pursue the truth whilst trying to help and locate your sister . Quite a predicament then, I think you'll agree.  

Graphics: 

Okay, tedious over cliched storyline out of the way, let's get on to the really interesting stuff. This game is pretty much unique in the way that it's a first person action game, where you are urged to avoid gun fighting conflicts wherever possible. 

The whole layout and general set up of the game and it's camera has been known to induce motion sickness in some sufferers but in my case, it didn't. It's graphical style isn't deemed unique just by summoning up the chunks in some gamers however, oh no. This is one of the only games I've played, to successfully blend real life scenarios and scenery with a Cell shaded graphical style and makes it work. 

The white washed walls with subtle blends of deep, rich and vibrant colours make the game truly awesome to play. You are lost among insanely tall sky scrapers, ventilation shafts and suspended walkways, technically, the game should be insanely difficult to manoveur around, but it's the genius inclusion of colour that subtley guides you to exactly where you need to be, let me explain: You're on a rooftop, surrounded by raised walls, doorways and emergency stair exits. There's the opportunity to zipline off there but you know that you need to be climbing your way to the upper levels. So, a quick tap of the b button, your head spins into the general direction and you notice a red door on a totally white wall.  

Basically, the rules of the game is follow the red, it's so simple in theory but when you're actually playing that is not what your attention is focussed on. It's the subtle subliminal messages blended with the open world freedom and choice to take what route you like that makes this game feel great. A real triumph.  


 


Gameplay: 

If I were to say "wall run, jump, turn, run, jump, coil over obstacle, soft landing" you're probably thinking, "hang on", that's going to be insane button mashing on the face buttons. That's where you're wrong, the above combination is solely focussed on just 3 actions, the triggers and bumper buttons. 

It's the simplistic nature of the games control system and the freshness of the idiology behind it that makes this game work so well. Insane runs, jumps and falls are all achievable by even the most inexperienced gamer, the game flatters you and makes the MLG pro's look awesome as well. It's a rare ability to make such a unique concept seem accesible to so many audiences and that deserves major credit to the designers of the game.  


You are able to shoot guns, they range from massive shotguns, weedy pistols and average machine guns. They all appear to have roughly the same fire power, the sniper rifle is pretty satisfying to use however, if you really want to play the game as it was intended to be played, press Y and dump the weapons, they aren't super awesome to use anyway. Oh yeah, and for the first time in ages, once a gun runs out of ammunition anyway, it's dead.  
 


Sound: 

DICE have made a game that emphasises a fresh new genre in action games, shame then that the same attention has not been granted on the soundtrack. Okay, it's not bad, the way the sound of the wind gently flows past Faith's ears is a nice touch, but most of the action music moments are just so incredibly cheesy. At one point, (in a multi story car park where you had to avoid three guards and try and jump into the suspended offices via the hole in the roof) the music became so bad, it had to be muted.  


Voice overs are decent but no matter how I tried, I just couldn't get the speaker set up to correctly to allow me understand a single word Mercury, the bloke on the radio, was saying. Not the triumph that was seen in the graphical and gameplay departments then.  

Longevity: 

Oh dear, this game suffers the same way that most single player experiences do such as Assassin's Creed and Bioshock. Yes, there are online modes such as time trials but these are not played with two runners on screen. You compare times via leader boards and it's basically a cheat way of implementing online elements.  

The actual storyline takes a decent amount of time to play through, it most certainly isn't the longest game in the world, but it's 9 levels are of decent length and are interesting enough to keep you gripped. I'd say a rough figure of 15hours to complete the game is about right with each of the levels available to play at any time after a play through in speed run and time trial form. 


There are 30 bags to collect through the game as well, 3 in each of the 9 levels and 3 in the prologue.  


Final Thoughts: 


Is the game worth a punt? Yes, the way the game has now plummeted in price on most online retailers it is most certainly recommended, it's a bargain for under £20. Don't expect the finest gaming experience on the 360, but expect a really engrossing, interesting and unique manipulation of the first person action genre and a really cool way to get that free running buzz that we've all secretly craved. A real good quality game.