There is no getting around the similarities between Urban Trial Freestyle and the Trials series. The former, being a brand new game coming after several Trials titles, including two extremely successful XBLA games, is invariably going to attract cries of copycat. Part of that might be due to ignorance over the fact that motorcycle trials are a real thing, albeit something that isn't especially popular in the U.S. Regardless, being based on the same sport or activity means sharing a lot in common. Beyond those basics Freestyle does make some effort at distinguishing itself, although it fails to do so in any way that truly makes it superior.

Just like Trials, Freestyle is a game all about balance. You race trials bikes through 2.5D environments while shifting your weight forward and backward and exercising control with the throttle in an effort to avoid falling off. Not every event is a race to the finish, as in Trials; those do exist, but you'll also spend time on each level completing objectives located at specific points like high jumps, long jumps, speed checks. You're never required to exceed a certain benchmark; you simply do the best you can on each stunt as you make your way to the finish, which has to be reached in less than five minutes. The sooner your make it to the finish the more bonus points you'll receive, but the allure of returning to a checkpoint and retrying a stunt can be hard to resist when each one has an accompanying leaderboard and an in-level indication of its top player. It's easy to blow several minutes trying to top yourself on a stunt, which is a calculated risk as returning to the most recent checkpoint means forsaking the score you've already set. ]]>Tue, 26 Feb 2013 12:36:00 PSTREVIEWhttp://localhost/reviews?cId=3188253Jose Otero

Throughout my time with Crisis 3, I couldn't shake the feeling that I was trapped inside of a Hollywood film. This became especially true during the more predictable moments of the script. At one point in the campaign, my partner and I, a man called Psycho, quietly snuck through the sewers as we attempted to evade C.E.L.L. -- a private military outfit ordered to find and capture us. Pyscho was formerly a Nanosuited military bad boy like me, but he had his outfit surgically removed by force somewhere between the last Crysis game and this one. Relegated to a life as a regular soldier, Psycho tugged at a rusty crank to open a set of sealed double doors until he felt fatigued; a loud creak reverberated through the environment -- a sure sign to anyone in earshot that they weren't alone.

Metal Gear Solid 4 may be one of the most polarizing games of this generation, but supporters and dissenters alike can come together and agree on one point: Director Hideo Kojima really goofed with his choice to depict the outrageous acrobatics of Raiden's new cyborg form exclusively through non-playable cutscenes -- a decision that seems like an intentional tease, given that Guns of the Patriots features a creaky and cranky old man as its protagonist. And Kojima certainly isn't above yanking his audience's chain; remember, 2001's controversial Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty came into being largely as an elaborate and masterful prank engineered to prove its director's point about the control and flow of information. We have only short attention spans to thank for the fact that games journalism as an institution wasn't dissolved shortly after Sons of Liberty's release.

A few weeks ago, a couple of us were talking about the recent trilogy of Ocean's films. We remarked how Ocean's 13 just felt like a complete retreading of everything that 11 had done a few years before. It told a similar story with an identical flow, and rarely dared to venture outside of its predefined comfort zone. This was a far departure from Ocean's 12, a creatively bizarre, self-aware caper that alienated a lot of fans based on just how different it was from its predecessor. But both Jeremy Parish and I agreed that 12 was our favorite and the most memorable of the trilogy because of this very departure. It takes commendable courage to completely turn a successful formula on its head, and that's exactly what Steven Soderbergh did. It's with this in mind that I say that Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time contains far too much Ocean's 13, with none of 12's risk to be found.

As the title suggest, Sly's conceit in this installment is his team's ability to traverse to different time periods on a journey to reunite with various members of the raccoon's thieving lineage. After a ridiculously long lore dump and an initial prologue on the rooftops of Paris, Sly and crew embark on their quantum adventure. You'll bust a cowboy out of jail, learn to manipulate time in an ancient desert kingdom, and reunite a sushi chef with his beloved cutlery. But despite the promising nature of these premises, Thieves in Time never manages to rise above mediocrity, no matter which era you travel to.

About an hour into Aliens: Colonial Marines, it's hard to find a reason to keep playing. At least that's exactly how I felt during my solo campaign run. Xenomorphs -- the creepy, black-suited extraterrestrials from the Hollywood films -- often slipped past my dimwitted allies to attack me directly. In some instances, they visibly brushed shoulders with my teammates, as they pounced towards my avatar and took a swipe at my head. Honestly, it's a strange sight to witness at first. Can the nimble Xenos even see my allies? It's hard to tell, but one thing became clear to me at this point: I'm the only target on the field that matters, and unless I round up four buddies for a coop session, no one is coming to my rescue.

Some things in the game industry are such no-brainers you wonder what took so long when they finally do happen. For example, when Koei took their long-standing Dynasty Warriors franchise, known for letting you blow away armies of dim-witted enemies, and paired it with the macho manga/anime series Fist of the North Star. It makes perfect sense, as it's one of Japan's supremely mindless action series (in a good way). The first First of the North Star: Ken's Rage wasn't too bad for the start of a new sub-series, and First of the North Star: Ken's Rage 2 attempts to tighten up some of the loose ends, but in doing so ends up diluting other parts of the game that were just fine.

If pop culture has taught us anything, it's that space can be a pretty lonely place. Like Ellen Ripley before him, Dead Space's Isaac Clark had to endure two full games of solitary terror in order to arrive at where he is today. To give the guy a break, EA and Visceral Games decided to expand the third installment in the series by allowing a second player to assume the role of John Carver, and officer in the Earth Defense Force with a bit of a troubled past. Together, the two of them journey from the familiarity of decrepit spaceships to the unfamiliar hell of Tau Volantis, a frozen planet that holds the key to saving humanity. With this newfound importance placed on cooperative play, we decided that it would be best for 1UP editors Jose Otero and Marty Sliva to team up and review Dead Space 3 together.

Marty Sliva: Before we delve into Dead Space 3, I feel like we should first state our history with the series. How versed are you with the prior games?

]]>Tue, 05 Feb 2013 16:59:00 PSTREVIEWhttp://localhost/reviews?cId=3188164Bob Mackey

In case you haven't noticed, we at 1UP have been a bit wary about using the term "Japanese RPG" within the past year or so. With experiences like The Last Story, Xenoblade Chronicles, and Dark Souls eroding our preconceived notions about role-playing games from the East, the term "JRPG" is rapidly losing the meaning it once had -- especially now that American creations like Costume Quest, Cthulu Saves the World, and Penny Arcade 3 have adopted certain design tropes once associated with another country. But even as the exciting world of genre classification continues to spin into total anarchy, some developers take no issue with delivering the expected; both Dragon Quest and Pokemon stand as excellent examples of developers continuing to iterate on a limited, time-tested formula, all while offering up enough new ideas to sustain the series. These two series may rely on ideas unchanged for decades, but they do so in a manner that keeps players engaged and addicted.

I really don't need to tell any of you adventure game fans that we're in the midst of a genre renaissance. This past year has seen a wealth of titles that present many different takes on one of gaming's oldest genres. From Telltale's award-winning adaptation of The Walking Dead, to iOS showcases like The Room, to beautiful sleeper hits like Kentucky Route Zero, those looking for narrative-based puzzle solving have no shortage of options. But each of those games I just mentioned come from relatively young voices in our medium, despite their respective levels of quality being more reflective of seasoned creators. It's with that in mind that we enter The Cave, Double Fine's latest straight from the mind of adventure game pioneer Ron Gilbert.

For the Maniac Mansion/Monkey Island creator's latest tale, we're immediately introduced to an omniscient, devious, and hilarious narrator who also just so happens to be the titular cave. As our Sherpa on this downward quest, The Cave himself (itself?) provides many of the game's most memorable moments, and is immediately a strong contender for 2013's best new character. In the spirit of Maniac Mansion, the first decision the player makes stems from choosing a trio of heroes to send into the dark depths of Gilbert's world. These adventurers range across all genres -- a Time Traveler, a Buddhist Monk, and a pair of creepy, Shining-inspired kids are all at your disposal. Each of the seven tortured souls has a specific reason for journeying into the cave, which is conveyed through single-frame paintings that you find scattered throughout the environment. As you descend deeper and deeper, you'll realize that each character may or may not represent one of the seven deadly sins, and parsing out their darkly-comedic backstories is one of the true joys to The Cave.

For better or worse, and to the chagrin of some of the series' more outspoken fans, Capcom stuck by their decision to shake up Devil May Cry and try something new. Understandably, news of this reboot set off major concerns from loyal followers, some of whom have painted a bleak picture for the future of the series. In their eyes, Dante should always have white hair, a cocky demeanor, a touch of Japanese wackiness, and a deep arsenal of weapons and combos to use in his fight against demons. Nothing could ever change it.

As someone who enjoyed the first and third installments of Devil May Cry immensely, I couldn't help but feel conflicted by this change. Our first look at the new "Dante" had a disturbingly beat-up and dark motif, but one the developer has subtlely dialed back over time. Just take a look at Dante now! New developer Ninja Theory has wisely toned down some of the off-putting characteristics their rebooted hero initially displayed, making him a much more approachable leading man. As far as looks go, he still bears similarities to professional Portuguese soccer player Cristano Ronadlo over Hillary Swank and Twilight, but he also retains the same irreverent attitude as ever -- not to mention a collection of fantastic weapons and fighting styles to use against his demon opponents. And, most importantly, he's still cool.