Megabits of Gaming

Bioshock Infinite Review

noreply@blogger.com (Andy_Hemphill) — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 11:47:30 PDT

From the very moment I booted Bioshock Infinite in my Xbox, I was hooked – here is a game which delights in spectacle, but backs it up with a solid story, addictive gameplay and powerful message beneath its skin.

The year is 1912, you are Booker DeWitt – a former soldier turned private investigator – who gambled, and got in deep with the sharks. Desperate to clear his slate, Booker is offered a deal – find a girl called Elizabeth and bring her to New York, and all debts are paid. The only problem is that this girl isn't even on Earth – she's in the clouds floating by above it. She's in the floating city of Columbia – a paradise of man-made technologies and religious enlightenment. Or is it?

After a dark, dramatic opening, Booker finds himself being shot into the sky, eventually docking with the floating city, and entering a dark world which will leave you questioning everything – be it religion, faith, technology, the law, morals or race issues.

Ruled over by self-proclaimed prophet Father Comstock, Columbia is a rogue nation which outwardly looks idyllic, but scratch beneath its veneer of steampunk American power and you quickly find just how rotten the soul of humanity is – and what it will take to finish the job.

Anyone familiar with the previous Bioshock titles – or even System Shock before them – will be instantly at home with the world of Bioshock Infinite. The game follows the conventions laid down by its predecessors – combining shooting with various 'vigors' that offer special powers, such as the ability to summon a swarm of crows, throw fire or suspend your enemies in the air.

A powerful melee attack is also available in the form of the 'skyhook' - a mechanical device which allows the people of Columbia to zip around the city's many floating environments via 'skylines', like personal monorails. It also allows Booker to decapitate his enemies with a meaty 'crunch'.

This triumvirate of weapons, vigors and skyhook makes the meat of the game very enjoyable, and offers a considerable challenge on the harder difficulties – it is, however, let down by a slightly awkward radial menu, which can make switching between vigors tricky while a 'fireman' is belching flames over your bare arms.

The game's lengthy campaign takes pains to place the player in a series of stunning, complicated environments, and keeps throwing objectives at you which make sense – but often come from left-field. However, unlike the previous titles Infinite indulges in wide-open spaces and rewards exploration.

Whereas the underwater world of Rapture featured in the previous Bioshock titles would often become a corridor-shooter, Infinite indulges in swooping battles on skylines, duels against hovering zeppelins and complicated puzzles which leave you scratching your head if you move off the beaten path. Add to this the abilities offered by Bookers' erstwhile companion – the mysterious Elizabeth – and the action ramps up a notch.

Once rescued (or was she?) Elizabeth's abilities quickly come to light. She can open 'tears' in reality, and pull things through to aid Booker in the fighting – such as ammo or health, cover, weapons or robot warriors. Exactly how she can do this is a source of deep concern for both Booker and the people of Columbia, but he isn't going to overlook her mysterious powers when they can keep him from being smashed into red paste by a chaingun-toting robotic George Washington…

The world of Columbia is a masterpiece of art design, both graphically and musically. It's clear that 2K have put their all into creating a world for the player to inhabit, and the environments you have to cross, be it a floating city or a gargantuan, military-themed theme park (complete with impossible waterfall and its own beach) never fail to amaze, and looking into the distance to watch the buildings of the city rise and fall on the clouds is simply stunning.

The score and voice acting is also excellent, pulling off both creepy atmosphere and uplifting melody at the same time – all backed up by both recorded and live conversations between Columbia's many NPCs, which offer an insight into just how broken the heart of the city is, beneath the shining exterior of progress.

Exploring the city via the skylines is a delight in itself – especially as Columbia feels alive in a way that Rapture never did – bustling with people – people who always have their own agenda. You're only passing through to clear your debt, but expect to be drawn into a wider plot, a revolution and many other unexpected twists along the way.

My one sticking point, however, is that despite the great art design, Columbia's beauty is often let down by the Xbox 360's ageing hardware. Up close the textures are often poor, and if you look too closely at the distant floating buildings you can see them for the 2D cutouts they really are. It's rather disappointing to come through an opening replete with flowing water, uplifting hymns, candlelight and mist in the air, then spot a poster for a robotic toy that is out of focus and grainy – it's jarring to the eye, and can spoil the immersion somewhere.

However, despite this, Bioshock: Infinite aimed high – and hit its target right in the clouds. In a sweeping, intense, lengthy campaign, the player is brought face-to-face with the darker side of human nature, even as the beauty and modernity of Columbia floats by serenely. There's so much to do and see here that replay value is assured, and you won't be disappointed.

Reviewed on Xbox 360

Check out Andy Hemphill's blog, which you can find after the jump

Riffing On: The Demise Of Lucasarts

noreply@blogger.com (Andy_Hemphill) — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 05:45:12 PDT

In a shocking turn of events, various industry news sources are reporting that Disney – the new owners of the Star Wars brand after beardy-wierdy George Lucas decided to take his money and run – have decided to close down Lucasarts, creators of such great titles as Dark Forces, Grim Fandango and Star Wars: Battlefront.

In some ways, I find such a bold move to be a shocking development in the long history of the developer, but when you consider the games most recently launched by Skywalker Ranch, is it any surprise that Mickey and co have decided to farm the licence out?

With the likes of the awful Kinect Star Wars and dull Force Unleashed 2 tarnishing the venerable developer's reputation, perhaps it was actually time to put the old dog down and let new life flow into what is arguably one of the biggest-selling franchises the world has ever known (except for Harry Potter, naturally…).

If I'm honest with myself, I'm not really surprised by the news – shocked, but not surprised. I had already discussed the falling quality of games at Lucasarts, and offering the licence to other developers could finally be the shot in the arm the Star Wars universe needs.

However, I would be loath to acknowledge the number of staff who will lose their jobs over this move – people who brought great games, from point-and-click adventures to space combat simulators – to millions of computers and consoles across the world. Here's hoping they find a place in the new order – perhaps some will be picked up by developers now freed to bid on the Star Wars franchise now that internal production is to come to an end.

Another downside is that the promising Star Wars 1313 has reportedly been cancelled, for now – but if a new developer could be found, it could turn out to be a great swansong for the fallen giant that was Lucasarts.

So, farewell Lucasarts, thanks for Monkey Island, Grim Fandango, Day of the Tentacle, TIE Fighter, Rogue Squadron, Dark Forces and so many other brilliant titles. I can't help feeling that if you'd actually bloody made Star Wars Battlefront 3 this wouldn't of happened… May the Force be with you.

Check out Andy Hemphill's blog, which you can find after the jump

Tomb Raider Review

noreply@blogger.com (AndyB) — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 17:30:03 PDT

Written by Matt Tudball

Back in my life, and back in my heart. For a long time she has been absent, and her void was filled by a certain cheeky American treasure hunter going by the name of Nathan Drake. But now Lara has burst back in, guns blazing (well, arrows first, guns come later) and has since happily reclaimed her place as one of my favourite gaming characters.

The Tomb Raider reboot is an excellent game, and I’m enjoying it far more than I thought I would. I last dabbled with Lara in Tomb Raider: Underworld, and while that game was OK, it wasn’t a patch on any of the Uncharted series. I didn’t really care for the characters, and not knowing much of the previous games’ backstory (my last lot of tomb raiding came in the shape of Chronicles on the PC), I just couldn’t get as involved with it as I had with Drake.

But with Tomb Raider, I’m hooked. Hooked, attached, involved and engaged. I’m rooting for Lara, I care for her, and I want her to survive and conquer this Lost-like island that’s she’s found herself stranded on in her latest outing. I think what really works for this game is the open world element. You certainly do get the feeling of being stranded out there, and I’m enjoying being able to look around and re-visit areas before moving on to the next section of the story – something you’re not able to do in Uncharted.

But the game also doesn’t leave you totally out there on your own. The story moves along at a good pace, and guides you through the terrain with gentle encouragement. It keeps you wanting to know what exactly is happening on that crazy island – although, not wanting to blow my own trumpet or anything, I think I’ve already figured that out a quarter of the way through the game. There are also some good ‘shock’ elements to the storyline, such as unexpected deaths and the like, in the beautifully rendered cutscenes.

The gameplay also ‘feels’ good. Lara’s animation is a lot more fluid, and feels ‘lighter’ than previous incarnations. She’s fast and agile, and responds well to the controls. She’s got some new moves too (new to me at least), like throwing dirt in an enemy’s eye to temporarily blind them, or using her axe to scale rocky walls.

And then there’s her weapons. Her bow is surprisingly great, and can be used for a variety of functions. The guns also feel more sturdy, and seem to offer a higher degree of control than I’ve experienced in other Tomb Raider games (and kind of reminds me of Uncharted a little). Having the ability to upgrade Lara’s weapons and skills gives the game a more inclusive feel as well – something you don’t get with Uncharted.

The graphics are pretty damn amazing, and while I was initially shocked to see what they’d done to my beloved Lara (giving her a facelift and a breast reduction – this new Lara is only 21, after all, and so they had to de-age her somewhat), this newer, younger Lara has certainly grown on me. The violence and gore is satisfyingly realistic, and the environments are of cinematic quality.

My only gripe about the game (so far) is the voice acting. The new Lara sounds a little bit too un-posh for me, and *gasp*, slightly American? And also, she’s lacking any real drama in her voice. She’s being knocked out by pirates, tied up and dropped onto spikes, falling down cliff faces and being almost devoured by wolves, and all she can muster after these pant-wetting and death-defying stunts is a feeble ‘God, that was close’.
It just doesn’t quite do her justice.

Overall I was massively impressed with this game, and can’t wait to see where it goes. It really is an excellent origin story, and it does an excellent job of understanding what shapes Lara and made her into the kick-ass Tomb Raider she was when we first met her. I can’t wait to get to the end of this adventure, and hope the developers carry it on in such fine style soon. Watch out Drake, you’ve got some competition.

(For the record, there is a multiplayer offering included with the lengthy singleplayer campaign, but it’s not very good anyway.)

*First published on Andy Hemphill's blog, which you can find after the jump

History Legends of War Review

noreply@blogger.com (AndyB) — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 06:22:58 PDT

Turn based strategy games seem to be coming back into vogue right now, thanks largely to the upsurge in iOS releases and 2K Games’ recent sleeper hit XCOM Enemy Unknown. This latest offering for Xbox 360, PS3, PC and PS Vita comes from Slitherine – well known for its portfolio of war games such as HISTORY Great Battles Medieval – and shoves you firmly into the boots of the legendary US General George S. Patton, commander of the Third U.S. Army during World War II.

The single player campaign takes place circa 1944 and tasks you with braving the beaches of Normandy and progressing through Nazi-infested Europe towards Berlin. It’s quite a journey too, with four separate operations and a total of 21 missions that require you to attack, defend or sabotage targets. Don’t be fooled – this is not your typical war game; it’s rather sedate with you and the enemy alternating turns until you either complete your objective or your squad of soldiers is killed.

There’s very little gloss presentation wise and after a couple of static menu screens you’re able to opt for the single player campaign or a pretty limited multiplayer mode. The solo campaign is the core focus and can certainly be challenging on higher difficulty settings, guaranteed to eat up a fair few hours of gameplay – and potentially keep you coming back for more.

A short tutorial outlines the basics of movement, shooting and camera control, as well as a brief overview about recruiting, healing and upgrading your army. Each mission is fairly self-explanatory; your travails across France, Belgium and Germany requiring enemy soldiers to be tracked and killed, while other objectives could consist of sabotage, rescue or reconnaissance missions.

You’ll quickly be rewarded with new units and unlock upgrades to enhance your soldiers’ abilities. There are 36 different types of units on offer including regular infantry, paratroopers, snipers and commandos. You can even get your hands on tanks and aircraft – although limited fuel is available so even their selection requires some thought and tactical nous.

Every unit has a finite number of moves and shots per turn, meaning each turn needs to be carefully considered to prevent you being left a sitting duck with no cover nearby. There are plenty of decisions to factor in, from the importance of remaining outside an enemy’s line of sight to the type of weapon you’re carrying and the distance to your target when firing. If you’re further away, the likelihood of a hit is reduced – and bear in mind, you only get so many shots per turn so finding yourself surrounded by enemy forces and only able to shoot a couple of them will no doubt result in your untimely demise.

Graphically, everything looks decent enough and despite slightly “meh” title screens and mission briefings, war-torn Europe looks suitably detailed. From the cobbled streets and clusters of trees to the old farmhouses and watchtowers, it all looks very pleasant and serviceable with reasonable lighting effects and textures. Saying that, there’s certainly nothing to write home about and you wouldn’t grab the disc to show off your console’s graphical prowess. The same goes for the sound effects, which largely consist of a brief acknowledgment of “Yes, sir” when you make an order.

The game does feel slightly text heavy in places with plenty to read between missions, although this is alleviated during some sections thanks to a narrator reading everything aloud. I can’t help but feel that some movie clips or official History Channel content should have been peppered throughout and accessible from the outset (like it was in HISTORY Great Battles Medieval – although I did moan about this being low quality during that review), but it’s not a major oversight in the grand scheme of things.

While the game’s title suggests it is an accurate reflection of the times and carries the History Channel moniker, it does explain that some details of the war have been adjusted slightly to help the narrative move along. While this doesn’t detract from the feel of the game, these “Hollywood” tweaks may irk history buffs. In fact, realism isn’t really the main selling point of Legends. After a few times witnessing someone under your command still standing after countless direct hits at close range, or having survived an onslaught of tank shells or grenades thanks to the smallest bit of cover, the realism factor quickly fades.

Rewarded with XP - or Prestige Points - after each mission, survivors can be upgraded – their offensive, defensive or tactical abilities enhanced to make them more effective in the war effort. After a few soldiers have their accuracy ramped up, and have accrued more health or a larger ammo clip, you really start to feel like a bit of a badass – and you can’t help but develop a bond with the tiny fellas. On the downside, their eventual demise really does hurt that little bit more.

Just like the old days of Sensible Software’s Cannon Fodder, there’s a real emphasis on your squad and before long you’ll find yourself growing quite fond of soldiers who have been by your side through thick and thin. You select your squaddies before each mission, lead them through the varied terrain, complete the myriad objectives and wince as when they fall to enemy gunfire. As you progress you’ll take pride in the XP and medals they earn, and the abilities that they develop. It makes it all the more painful when they fall in battle and you can’t help but mourn their loss. There may not be a hill dotted with tiny tombstones as there was in Sensible’s day but the overall effect is pretty similar.

Once you’re done with the solo campaign and have tried the various difficulty settings, the offline multiplayer option allows you to pit your wits against a more formidable opponent. The so-called “Hot-Seat System” means two players take on the roles of American and German armies and can do battle on the same console, taking turns as they would in the main game. It’s a nice addition but unlikely to add too much longevity once the main single player portion of the game is complete. It is a shame that online play isn’t included, although I wonder whether there would be many opportunities to regularly find a willing participant waiting in the lobbies.

After some decent play time, I really enjoyed Legends. It successfully combines turn based strategy with RPG elements. It’s slow paced but occasionally frenetic, and the various difficulty levels mean there is a fair bit of replayability. For the achievement hunters out there, attaining maximum Gamerscore is perfectly possible too. While it lacks the polish of XCOM, Legends is an engrossing and fun game that will certainly appeal to gamers who have tired of first person shooters and fancy a slightly more sedate and thoughtful experience.

Reviewed on Xbox 360

Crysis 3 Review

noreply@blogger.com (Andy_Hemphill) — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 13:48:09 PDT

Having been a long-time fan of the Crysis series, my initial reaction to the news that Crysis 3 would be set once more in New York City ran along the lines of 'what…again?' My second comment was 'they gave him a….a bow?'. However, despite the action once again being set in the most invaded city in the world, Crysis 3 is a fitting end (for now) to the series, taking the open-world action of Crysis and the story-driven campaign of Crysis 2 and forging both into an alloy all of its own.

Picking up a number of years after the explosive conclusion of Crysis 2, the game opens with nanosuit-wearing supersoldier Prophet being rescued by a team of freedom fighters. In the time since the apparent defeat of the alien 'Ceph', evil corporate empire CELL has expanded to become the world government in all but name, holding a monopoly on power from its New York headquarters.

As for the city, it's been covered in a gargantuan 'nanodome', and has regressed to an 'I Am Legend'-style urban wilderness, complete with bogs and roaming herds of deer.

Prophet – now an entity made of alien technology, a dead man's body and a disembodied soul – is convinced the Ceph are still a threat, but consents to help the freedom fighters fight the power. Naturally, it all goes to hell. Thankfully, however, you're still the nanosuit-wearing badass you always were.

The action will feel instantly familiar to anyone who's played Crysis before. Prophet's alien suit allows him to turn invisible, run an stupidly fast speeds, jump like a cat, punch through walls and deflect bullets like chaff. How you use these abilities is up to you, but most players will likely find it best to mix and match the nanosuit's powers for the task at hand.

However, the inclusion of Prophet's new toy – a compound bow with a selection of different arrowheads – demonstrates the game's heavy slant towards using the nanosuit for stealth and hit-and-run attacks. Thankfully, that’s the kind of play I like best. The bow can be used while cloaked, allowing the player to take out a room full of bad guys like Rambo, leaving the last remaining enemy to panic about being hunted and fire desperately in every direction.

There are, of course, a selection of other weapons on offer, but you're likely to find yourself coming back to the bow more than most, unless you prefer to hit the armour and rip that heavy machine gun off its mounting. Hacking enemy turrets and drones is another option now available, and one which can come in very useful as a distraction.

While the game's levels are fewer in number this time around, the arenas Prophet must negotiate are far bigger and offer a number of ways to approach your target, be it through stealth or force. This plays to the gamers who experienced the freedom and sandbox nature of the original Crysis – but sadly includes the awkward-to-drive vehicles and occasional poor AI.

Thankfully, this time the enemy won't wade into shallow water and drown trying to find you…
Graphically the game looks amazing as usual. While I was initially irritated at the setting, seeing New York transformed into a wilderness can be a fascinating experience – such as finding an overturned, rusted taxi being used as a bird's nest.

The character animation and AI are a lot better this time around as well – good thing too, as the brilliant voice acting makes the cast so much more three-dimentional than in previous titles. My personal favourite is former series protagonist Michael 'Psycho' Sykes, an ex-nanosuit soldier who was tortured almost to death and 'skinned' of his symbiotic suit. It's intriguing to see how he adjusts to being 'only human' once again. In two words: not well.

The sound effects and score are top-notch, as usual, and maintain the illusion that the excellent graphics create.

As for the multiplayer, which was pretty shoddy in Crysis 2, only minor improvements have been made in the series' final instalment. While the matchmaking is a little faster, the game still suffers from occasional but debilitating lag issues, resulting in players ignoring headshots until five seconds after you pulled the trigger. That said, the new 'hunter' mode – which sets two nanosuited agents against unaugmented human soldiers – is great fun.

Overall, Crysis 3 is an excellent conclusion to a brilliant series. While it doesn't get everything right, there's more than enough to keep both longtime series fans and newcomers alike happy.

Reviewed on Xbox 360

Check out Andy Hemphill's blog after the jump

Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance Review

noreply@blogger.com (Andy_Hemphill) — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 05:30:47 PST

There was a cutscene in Metal Gear Solid 4 where cyborg ninja Raiden turns up and saves his old friend and mentor Solid Snake by kicking so much ass it makes you want to cheer, easily slicing up five 'GEKKO' unmanned walkers without breaking a sweat. Gamers were somewhat surprised to see the wussy, girly hero of Metal Gear Solid 2 reborn as a badass cyborg – and I would guess that most had the same reaction as I did. "I want to do that."

Thankfully, Platinum Games has hit that nail completely on the head. Unlike other titles in the series, Rising (I refuse to call it 'Revengeance'. It's not a word, never was…) is an action-focussed hack-and-slasher which aims to give the player that feeling of being a badass cyborg ninja – and it pulls it off brilliantly.

Picking up four years after the last Metal Gear game, Rising opens with former child soldier and Solid Snake's protégé Raiden helping an African nation get back on its feet, with his private military company Maverick offering security and training. Beforelong both the country and Maverick are attacked by cyborg agents of rival PMC Desperado Enforcement, and Raiden and his team are drawn into a wider plot which ties the story together, but is nothing to write home about.

While there is some deeper exploration of the thematic conventions behind Raiden's dark past, it's mostly overshadowed by the action - and that's just fine, as the action is fantastic.

Platinum, the geniuses behind witch-em-up actioner Bayonetta and slide-em-up shooter Vanquish, have done a fantastic job bringing Rising to life, and the game's addictive action is backed up with sharp controls – which are then sadly let down with a tricksy camera.

Rising's focus on melee combat is its strength, and the control scheme combines fast combos with a precision strike called 'Blade Mode. In this mode the action slows to a crawl, and Raiden can carefully carve up his enemies with swings of his sword, selectively cutting off limbs to earn extra upgrade points or new weapons. Of course, you can also just go nuts and slice your foe into a red paste – cathartic, if slightly disturbing.

Generally, the combat revolves around using combination attacks to break through your target's armour, before using Blade Mode to finish them off. Using Blade Mode is also essential for keeping Raiden alive and fighting. The Zandatsu technique – or 'cut and take' – allows the ninja to slice open his enemies by striking at a specific point, before gruesomely removing their electrolyte-filled spines and taking their power for yourself. It's brutal, but satisfying.

Of course, human-sized enemies aren't the only foe Raiden has to face, and at many points in the game you find yourself taking on everything from tanks to helicopters to full-size Metal Gear, pulling off incredible stunts as you do – and all backed by high-energy rock which draws you into the bloodletting.

The main problem with the relentless pace of the action is its constant need to stop for Metal Gear-style introspection, especially as the storytelling can sometimes be rather clunky, and relies heavily on the player knowing something of the Metal Gear backstory. Equally, certain gameplay elements can stop things dead – such as the need to stand still while using missile launcher subweapons or to throw grenades. Similarly, using captured enemy boss weapons cuts the number of possible sword combos in half, and to deselect these special weapons you have to stand still and flick through Metal Gear-style menus.

But these are minor faults at best – the main issue is the camera, which is stubborn, frankly.
Prone to spinning out of your control, Rising's camera is obstinate, and unhelpful at times. When you're surrounded by enemies it can make it extremely difficult to see where you're being attacked from – and this is a big issue when your parry has to be aimed in that direction.

It also makes some of the optional sneaky bits very difficult, as trying to steer through a dark room and look to your left while the camera is desperate to get behind Raiden can be infuriating.
It's also an issue during some of the boss battles, as despite a handy lock-on for the camera, keeping up with what's going on through a screen full of missiles and gunfire can be a nightmare.

That said, the action itself is nice to look at, and there's very little issue with Rising's graphics. While the urban vistas on offer aren't exactly the lush jungles of MGS4, there's enough eye candy to keep you interested. The score and voice acting is a mixed bag, however, as constant high-energy rock can tire out the action pretty quickly. As for the cast, while most stand up OK, a couple – notably the man playing Boris, a Russian, and Raiden himself – can slip into B-Movie acting, which spoils the serious tone the storyline takes. Still, that's nothing new for Metal Gear games – or indeed any Japanese-created title.

All in all, Rising does not disappoint. Sure, it's not your traditional Metal Gear, but there's plenty of nods to the series (yes, including a cardboard box), and Platinum have done a fantastic job making the player actually feel like a badass cyborg ninja. It's not perfect, but I defy you not to enjoy the combination of breakneck pace and pinpoint sword strikes.

Reviewed on Xbox 360

Ten Games That Need A Reboot (Part Two)

noreply@blogger.com (Andy_Hemphill) — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 05:43:24 PST

There are plenty of games from yesteryear that we'd love to make a comeback. Here's the second part of our wishlist for ten games that could use a next/current gen reboot. If you missed the first part, click here.

5) Flashback/Another World
Games so difficult they made you want to hurl your controller through a window, Flashback and Another World did a fantastic job of creating the tension and danger of strange planets in the far future. The smooth motion of the rotoscoped graphics made these two come to life for a generation of gamers, and I'd love to see a modern adventure game along the same lines. Let's just forget about 'Fade to Black', though.

4) G-Police/Colony Wars
Where did all the good shooters go? Whether on PC or consoles, the Colony Wars/G-Police titles were great looking, fun and intense shooters which deserve a new lease of life. Even played today, the game design that made them so special back in the 90s still shines through - even if the clunky control scheme isn't so hot. RIP, Psygnosis.

3) Space Invaders
Imagine, if you will, a super HD space battler against legions of enemy invaders, but with your squadron of friends beside you, using the buildings of some vast space-bound city to hide from alien attacks. Am I the only one who thinks a HD-remake would be great fun? Three generations of gamers can't be wrong.

2) X-Wing/TIE Fighter
Despite my constant begging that Lucasarts stop cocking about with things like Star Wars Kinect and release TIE Fighter on Steam, they're consistently ignoring me. So, perhaps a heartfelt plea for a remake of the seminal space shooters X-Wing and TIE Fighter might get through to them. Please, Disney/George, don't squander one of the best universes in science fiction by not releasing a new X-Wing vs TIE Fighter. It'll go down a storm.

1) Final Fantasy 7
Best RPG ever? Probably. Remake it. That's an order. Enough said.

Honourable mentions:

Snake
Space Hulk
Rick Dangerous

Ten Games That Need A Reboot (Part One)

noreply@blogger.com (Andy_Hemphill) — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 05:43:59 PST

Remember these? I do, and I think it's high time developers gave these brilliant titles a new lease of life. Necromancy isn't illegal, right…?

10) Psi-Ops: The Mindgate Conspiracy
Midway, a now defunct developer, did a really good job with Psi-Ops – it's just a shame the game was released alongside competitor psychic-fest Second Sight (which wasn't as good).
Nope, what's needed here is a new version of the HAVOK-powered mental shooter, with better graphics, but just as much crazy mind-possessing nonsense.

9) Urban Chaos
Way before Grand Theft Auto 3, Urban Chaos was running around the streets, shooting bad guys, climbing high towers and carjacking innocent pedestrians – and that was playing as a police officer. Dripping with attitude, this little-known title was great fun to play, offering both an open world and a crazy story which goes from gang-wars to the occult and back.

8) Road Rash
If you've played this Megadrive gem, then you know exactly why Road Rash could use a next-gen reboot. There's nothing like roaring up beside your best mate and thwacking him in the face with a metal pole, or a fistful of chains, before speeding off and over the finish line.

7) Streets of Rage
Like Road Rash, if the sound of this song makes the hair stand up on the back of your neck, then you remember the sheer joy a few runs through Streets of Rage could bring on a cold winter evening in the 90s. Sure, the games were short and made little sense, but boy were they fun. Now excuse me while I go teabag this turkey leg to get my heath bar back to full.

6) The 'Strike' series
Fast-paced, addictive and endlessly replayable, Desert, Jungle and Urban strike were great titles. I'd love to get back behind the joystick of a Super Commanche helicopter again – just with proper graphics and a decent campaign length. That said, you can keep the crappy on-foot sections that plagued Urban Strike. No I don't want to go wandering around a Las Vegas casino with nothing but a pistol and a cricket box for protection…

Check out Part Two

Rick's Due A Reboot... Bring Him Back

noreply@blogger.com (AndyB) — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 05:34:57 PST

A friend asked me yesterday which games deserved a chance of a reboot what with the new generation of consoles on the horizon. It got me thinking and, of course, I rifled off a list of favourites that ate into my youth (Road Rash, Populous, Herzog Zwei, Battle Isle and so on). One of them that I thought would really be worthy of an update was Rick Dangerous.

Developed by Core Design and unleashed in 1989, a time typified by big hair, bad dress sense and 8-bit computing, it had everything the discerning gamer could have wished for. There was a suave spy for our protagonist, caverns and treasures, spear-wielding tribesmen, guns, explosives and - in the sequel - aliens and UFOs! While the original received positive scores, it was the futuristic second game, aptly-named Rick Dangerous 2, that won the plaudits.

The guys at Core went on to design Lara Croft and she's still going strong. In fact, in a matter of weeks, we'll see her new self-named game appear on store shelves. And she looks a little different, having had a bit of a face lift and refresh too. So why not Rick? As a cross between Lara and Nathan Drake and more than a nod towards fedora-wearing Indiana Jones from the movies, there would surely be a market for his return. Imagine what could be done with Crysis-style graphics, a jungle environment like Far Cry 3 and awesome audio and voice acting... Come on someone, bring him back!!!

Top Tips For 2013 - Part Two

noreply@blogger.com (Ibwib) — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 12:18:23 PST

Here we are again, picking our most anticipated games of the year, with £20 riding on the highest aggregated Metacritic score come December. Bojeeva won by a country mile in 2012, but the battle to see which of us has the best taste in games continues in 2013...

Check out his five selected games for 2013 here.

Grand Theft Auto V
Pretty much a gimme, this one. Rockstar haven’t put a foot wrong with Grand Theft Auto, ever. Yes, some people complain that the fourth installment was too grim, and had too much emphasis on social aspects, but next time you hear someone moaning about that, ask them if they’d honestly rather not have played it?

With GTA V, it looks like we’ll get a return to the over the top, planes-and-rockets style action of the earlier games, whilst retaining the detailed, realistic world of GTA IV. Only bigger. Much, much bigger. It seems clear that Rockstar are attempting to take everything that’s ever been praised about GTA and serve it all up on one plate, with an interesting new multi-character side dish.

Bioshock Infinite
The interesting thing about these lists is how much they force you to question what you look for in a game. I may spend all year lamenting the lack of originality on display in gaming, and wishing for interesting new worlds to explore, but come list time in January, I suddenly find I’m really just looking forward to familiarity. Take Bioshock Infinite. It’s not set in the undersea city of Rapture that hosted the first two games, and that bothered me. I was genuinely disappointed to be going somewhere new rather than returning to the same old environment. At least, I was until I saw the flying city of Columbia. Now, I’m champing at the bit for some plasmid and projectile action.

Dark Souls II
If there’s a gamble on this list, it’s Dark Souls II. Some reports say we'll have it before 2014, some say in 2014. If the latter are correct (and with no official release date announced, they might well be) then my score will take a hit in this years Top 5 comp. I don’t care.

Dark Souls was so good, I’m damn well going to start being excited about it now, and stay that way till I play it. Dark Souls might just be the best game ever. Not actually my favourite, mind you-there might be two, maybe three games I’ve enjoyed more. But certainly the most compelling, the cleverest, most perfectly pitched balance of challenge and reward I’ve ever encountered. And let me be clear-I don’t play difficult games. I play games for the environments. I play games so that I can sit on my sofa yet immerse myself in alien worlds or historical settings. If a game is too difficult, I won’t get to see those environments. By my standards, Dark Souls should have been the absolute antithesis of what I want from a game, but it wasn’t. It was a beautiful, frustrating, challenging and addictive set of detailed environments, assembled with breathtaking genius. I only wish there was a no-baddies mode so you could explore the entirety of the twisted yet near seamless map without being killed every three and a half seconds. Roll on the sequel.

Deadpool
As a massive nerd, either Deadpool or Injustice: Gods Among Us was going to make the list. Seeing as how I hate all fighting games with the exception of the Fight Night series, my choice was clear.

Poor old Deadpool hasn’t been well treated by movies or games, but his starring role in High Moon’s 3rd person hack-and-shoot extravaganza will hopefully change all that. An unkillable mercenary who combines childlike exuberance, a desperate need to be liked and absolutely no grasp of social boundaries will make a delightful change from all those grunting super-soldiers that usually populate action games. It’s a comedy premise that will stand or fall on the dialogue, and early videos lean too heavily on the obnoxious, but I’m hoping the game itself will pull it off.

The Last Of Us
Long time Megabits readers will know how much I love a bit of post-Apocalyptic action. If exploring new environments is my favourite part of gaming, then exploring familiar worlds turned upside down by catastrophe is just the flipside of that coin. The Last Of Us offers action and exploration in a convincingly destroyed world, and it’s from Naughty Dog, so you know that it will be as watchable as it is playable.

Console Wars: Xbox 720, PS4 or Steam Box and Project Shield?

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 04:23:17 PST

Written by David Bowen

It’s been a long time since we’ve seen consoles outside of Microsoft, Nintendo, and Sony enter the market. Nintendo has been in the fight since the 1980s - initially, competing against Sega. Sony rose and stuck around and later, so did Microsoft. At this year’s CES 2013, Valve brought a lot of attention to themselves when they revealed, the much rumoured, Steam Box and, at the same event, NVidia caught audiences off guard with their portable console, Project Shield. Valve and NVidia are jumping directly into the mix and taking on the major consoles. Thus, are four consoles and three portable devices too much for the market, especially with Next-Gen consoles on the way?

The Steam Box - a PC that connects to the TV that supports Steam…Valve, along with several third-party companies, will develop their own style of Steam Box’s ranging from “Good”, “Better” and “Best” with a difference in performance quality. The interface, unsurprisingly, will be Steam’s Big Picture mode that Valve released earlier this year before CES. It can’t help being compared to the Big Three since it will be a home console for the living room and keep in mind Microsoft and PlayStation are gearing up for their next-gen consoles. Yep, gamers will contemplate buying the Steam Box over a next-gen console.

NVidia’s Project Shield - an android gaming device - was more of a surprise at CES and it received a lot of positivity after hands-on previews. Project Shield can play any android game or app but it stands out from the rest because it has an HDMI port so you can play it on HDTVs and it can stream PC games, as long as the PC has the latest NVidia graphics card. The controller resembles the Xbox style, with a screen attached to the top and is lighter than expected. Also, NVidia is stating that the Tegra 4 chip is the “world’s fastest processor” and thus will be able to play today’s high-end PC games smoothly (we’ll see how Battlefield 4 turns out).

So we have a new home console and a portable console hitting the scene. Most likely Valve will turn to their PC audience for the Steam Box. However, if their fans already have a heavily modified PC, will they shell out the same or more amounts of cash just to play their games on a TV? Project Shield will look towards android gamers - a different audience than Sony’s and Nintendo’s - but its ability to stream PC games might make it more prominent than the usual Android. Instead of playing portable spin-offs, such as Assassin’s Creed or Call of Duty, gamers will be able to choose to play the real deal themselves.

Everyone was already questioning the next-gen consoles. Now with Valve and NVidia coming along, this may shake things up. Even though PC streaming isn’t Project Shield's main feature, it is putting PC gaming into a more prominent role in the industry. Or then again, they might not make a dent and things will remain the same with Microsoft, Nintendo, and PlayStation!

30 Minute Playtest- Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance

noreply@blogger.com (Andy_Hemphill) — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 05:31:11 PST

I admit to some trepidation when I first heard of Metal Gear Rising. Like many long-time MG fans, I found the idea of a hack-and-slash game featuring the Metal Gear name and very little in the way of stealth or sneaking to be somewhat… Odd.

Thankfully, with the release of a playable demo of Rising (I refuse to call it 'Revengeance', what a stupid title), my fears have almost completely dispelled.

Starring the once wussy but now badass cyborg ninja known as Raiden, Rising is another title from Platinum Games, the team behind the excellent but largely unknown Vanquish and the boobtacular Bayonetta. This time, unlike the magical combat of Bayonetta, or the gun-based mayhem of Vanquish, the action is all about the blades.

As a cyborg ninja, Raiden is superhumanly fast and capable of feats of strength denied to us mere mortals. He can move like the wind, climb walls with his claws, collate and extrapolate information like a computer and – delightfully – slice almost anything into tiny little pieces. This central tenet of Rising, the theory of 'Zan-datsu' - or 'cut and take' - is what makes the game so enjoyable.

The gameplay - instantly familiar to Platinum Games fans, or anyone whose ever played Devil May Cry - mostly seems to centre around using a flurry of acrobatic melee attacks, blocks and some sub–weapons, such as RPGs, to weaken your opponent, before closing for the kill.

Once the enemy is weak enough, Raiden can enter 'blade mode', slowing the action around him and giving him time to selectively slice his enemies apart. Slice in the right spot, and the ninja can rip out and absorb the enemy cyborg's vital fluids, so replenishing his own body. Alternatively, you can selectively dismember and then dice almost anything into hundreds of little bits in a melee of chops.

For example, as a challenge, I attempted to turn a palm tree into pulp. While in blade mode I managed to turn it into 342 bits – helpfully recorded by the game's head-up-display. That said, Raiden's superhuman reflexes are far from the match of a feline's – upon attempting to blade mode slice a wandering feral cat in the street, I was pleased to see the feline backflip over the blade – nice one Platinum.

This grace of action, tightness of control and sheer cool factor is a hallmark of Platinum Games' work – and I was quickly hooked on its intense pleasures of combat and precision bladework. The game looks great, plays great, and is familiar in voice acting and tone to any MG fan – and the great Hideo Kojima himself is executive producer. I can't wait to get my robotic hands on it.

My Hardest - And Proudest - Xbox Achievement!

noreply@blogger.com (AndyB) — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 11:49:00 PST

I've finally bloody done it! After months and months of trying, I'm a champion. A FIFA 13 cup winner! I've lost count of how many games I've played, of how many times I've thrown the controller to the floor in disgust, or how many obscenities I've yelled at the screen. But I've done it - and am finally content!

I've loved to hate FIFA these past few months. Waiting patiently every 11 days for that cup window to open and cramming in as much playtime as possible. I'd tried a number of teams - from Crawley Town to Man Utd, Italy to Real Madrid, Anderlect to Sao Paulo - but I failed with each and every one of them. Brazil finally took me to the final - and I'll forever love them for it!

I've collected that infernal Mile High Club achievo in Modern Warfare 3. And I've played The Impossible Game and Super Meat Boy... I know what stress is like! But "Filling Cabinets" has caused me more pain and misery than anything I've EVER played before.Some members of my family claim they've NEVER heard me swear before. Now they think I'm completely potty-mouthed.

Now it's over. I've done it. And I can start to enjoy FIFA again. My heart was beating throughout that final match, trying to hold my slender one-nil lead... until I turned in an exquisite cross with a glancing header... and then threaded an intricate through ball into the path of my pacey striker to tuck away another.

I'll go to bed now... completely satisfied. This is me, Bojeeva - EA Shield champion - signing off. Night!

EVE Online - The Battle of Askai

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Sat, 02 Feb 2013 02:52:55 PST

Written by Dave Bowen

Last weekend was hectic for EVE Online players. The game is known for large scale space battles but the latest, called Battle of Asakai, was one of the biggest to go down in EVE’s history and it all happened over a simple mis-click. This abrupt conflict involved nearly 3,000 players and it cost both sides 470,000,000,000 ISK (the in-game currency which would convert to $17,000). So how did such a knock-out-drag-down fight begin? What were the stakes and what’s the aftermath?

The Cluster F*** Coalition (CFC) and HoneyBadger Coalition (HBC) are the two largest coalitions in EVE. CFC is led by the corporation, GoonSwarm Federation Alliance and HBC is led by Test Alliance.

GoonSwarm has had shaky relations with Test Alliance ever since their enemy, Pandemic Legion, joined Test and helped form the HBC. The two coalitions created the “No Infrastructure Pact” - an agreement that the two sides could attack each other but not their structures since mining and trading resources keep corporations thriving. A war between the two collations nearly began when HBC targeted lesser corporations in CFC and almost broke the pact. Diplomats had to intervene and brought the escalating situation down from Defcon 2.

Last week, GoonSwarm was planning to attack a moon that was held by a small pirate alliance. They caught wind of the threat and informed Pandemic Legion; ambushes were set in case anything happened. A GoonSwarm member, Dabigredboat, was piloting a Titan, the biggest of all ship classes and the most expensive. Boat had one job to do: create a bridge for his fleet to jump to their destination, Asakai VI. However, he mis-cliked and sent his ship alone to the location. There, he met a fleet from Pandemic Legion and Test Alliance and following the “No Infrastructure Pact” they attacked Boat. Boat called in for support and super carriers arrived. However, they were still getting hammered and instead of letting things end there, Boat called for the CFC to bring every ship they had at their disposal. After all that Hell broke loose, reinforcements poured in from both coalitions. All ships of all classes arrived and the battle lasted for hours as both sides fought it out. In addition to the high traffic, another large scale but prearranged battle, was happening at the same time. The game lagged heavily however, the server never crashed.

As mentioned earlier, the total cost of all of the ships destroyed was approximately $17,000. The HBC lost 1 Supercarrier, 6 Dreadnoughts and 11 Carriers. CFC lost 3 Titans, 5 Supercarriers, 44 Dreadnoughts and 29 Carriers. The CFC suffered a substantial defeat.

Now that the dust has settled and everything has calmed down, the diplomatic settings haven’t changed for either side. CFC actually admitted that the fight spiraled out of control and that they are looking into preventing this in the future with stricter rules over the use of capital ships.

Top Tips for 2013 - Our pick of the best games (Part One)

noreply@blogger.com (AndyB) — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 12:14:33 PST

Despite the imminent announcement of the release dates for the next Xbox and PlayStation, there are plenty of games to be getting excited about this year. So in keeping with tradition, we at Megabits have decided to choose a selection of upcoming releases we think will become essential purchases. Here's my selection of five games that are getting me a little hot under the collar and have already been allocated money from my meagre savings jar.

Fellow Megabits writer Ibwib and myself have a little wager each year, picking five games each and seeing who gets the highest review scores via Metacritic. Check his top five games here.

Watch Dogs
Ubisoft's Watch Dogs stole the show at last year's E3, and I wouldn't bet against it being a frontrunner for Game of the Year. Surveillance, computing, hacking, data control... what's not to love? Looks a little like a combination of GTA and Deus Ex, which can't be a bad thing! After Ubisoft's recent success with Far Cry 3 and Assassin's Creed 3, I'm expecting big things with Watch Dogs.

The Last of Us
Sony's survival horror adventure comes from good stock, with Naughty Dog certain to deliver an awesome experience. A desolate landscape and abandoned cities create an awesome atmosphere of fear and intrigue. As a couple of survivors of an apocalyptic event, you've got to trudge through a world full of the infected. A kind of zombie game with a really strong narrative...The teaser videos look fantastic - great graphics with a hint of the kind of strong storyline that wowed us last year with The Walking Dead.

Tomb Raider
I used to love Tomb Raider - and not just coz I was a young lad who enjoyed gawping at the busty models who posed in those tight shorts to publicise each game. And with the recent form of Square Enix, I have no doubt that this will be a title that truly delivers. The trailer suggests loads of gun-toting, cavern exploring goodness - with some lovely looking graphics and audio to boot. Oh, and hopefully, they'll be a nice busty model to pose in tight shorts to publicise the game too!

Remember Me
Capcom's Remember Me definitely makes it onto my list. Another game to feature a strong female protagonist, Nilin will surely give Lara Croft a run for her money as they fight it out this year. Expected around May time, this seems to kind of combine the futuristic Total Recall-type world with the likes of Syndicate and Deus Ex. Lost memories and cool combat make this a must buy in my eyes.

Army of Two: Devil's Cartel
Now I don't expect this to be one of the top scoring games of the year... but past form with this series suggests I won't care anyway. Both the previous games from EA have been right up my street and I've played them to death. Played alone, they boast decent - if slightly ridiculous storylines - and a reasonable challenge, but with a co-op partner, the entire experience is cranked up a couple of notches. Covering one another, rescuing downed teammates and drawing enemy fire makes for some absolutely brilliant moments. It's big, loud and stupid... but that's why I love it. Salem and Rios may have been replaced with some new blood, but I still can't wait until March!

Top Ten Tips for Hitman: Absolution

noreply@blogger.com (Andy_Hemphill) — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 05:30:37 PST

With Hitman: Absolution's new take on the franchise nevertheless having proved a big hit with old assassins and new, here's my top ten tips to be a hit in Hitman, and help you reach that coveted 'Silent Assassin' rank.

10) Possession is nine-tenths…
A good hitman is prepared for every situation – not least when you might need to distract an enemy, or knock them out by hitting them gently with a baseball bat. Always carry a random item in your jacket pocket, be it a brick, bottle or garden gnome – you never know when you might need a garden gnome.

9) Opportunistic
Occasionally, enemy patrols might need to take a short rest break, or go indulge their smoking habit – this is the ideal time to sidle over, ask for a light (obviously not if he/she is relieving him/herself, you'd look a bit bonkers), knock out or kill him/her, and stuff the body into a recycling bin/wicker basket/trash can/sewer. One less opponent is a good thing, always.

8) Take the scenic route
Most of the time, the direct route isn't the best route. Look around your target's area – there's bound to be a sewer or a balcony or a ladder to climb – there's no need to rush in all guns blazing, take the scenic route for better scores – and usually more interesting ways to take down your target.

7) Instinctive
Agent 47 is a trained killer, bred from birth – and he knows what he's doing. Unless you're playing on the ridiculously hard 'professional' setting, you'll want to make use of his instincts – mark your targets, check their paths, consider your approach – and occasionally go nuts and point-shoot eight guys at once. Some consider using instinct to be cheating – I consider it to be badass.

6) Take your time
There's no need to rush, no matter how the game tries to make you hurry into a reactive kill.
Take your time with your approach, study the target's movement patterns, try to sneak into places you aren't allowed and seek out those interesting weapons and opportunities the developers tried to hide from you. You never know what you'll find, like a katana, or some rat poison… or a teddy bear.

5) Listen up
Listen to the conversations taking place around you. A surprising amount of information can be gleaned from loose lips, be it the location of a weapons cache, or an open air vent.

4) Leave no trace
Hide the bodies. Agent 47, conscientious fellow that he is, wouldn't leave litter lying around – he'd bin it, so be sure to hide the bodies of your victims (dead or unconscious). This will help your overall score, as well as keeping the roaming guards off your back that little bit longer.

3) Take a breather
Non-lethal takedowns are quieter than lethal ones. They also leave no blood trace, have a smaller negative impact on your campaign scoring, and help you meet that coveted 'Silent Assassin' rank. After all, a good assassin only kills his target, and his target alone.

2) Cross-dresser
Ignoring the fact that your opponents are idiots who can't recognise the tall, bald, tattooed man in their midst as a threat from the start, 47 is an expert at disguise and infiltration. Grab any and all disguises to infiltrate your target's location – you'll feel badass as you outthink your opponent, and you'll be able to slip away with ease afterwards.

1) Mercis Letifer
Hitman: Absolution is best played through three or four times. The nature of the levels allows for a huge number of ways to approach your targets, so be sure to improvise, take on the challenges set by the developers, or just make it up as you go along. I, for example, tried to kill every target set for me with a household object, such as a toilet plunger – more difficult than you'd think!

Past, Present and Future - Gaming in 2013

noreply@blogger.com (AndyB) — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 00:53:58 PST

So there you have it. Another year over and it’s the same old story in the world of video games. A few decent – though muted – releases at the start of 2012, followed by a seemingly ever-lasting summer lull, and then the madness of the blockbuster release schedule as Christmas approached. Looks like it’s going to be much the same this year too... except the start of the year has some big guns too!

There’s plenty to get excited about on the new release radar in the coming months. Capcom’s Devil May Cry is being universally praised by critics so far, then there’s Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch, Dead Space 3, Aliens: Colonial Marines, Crysis 3, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance. Phew.

But wait, that’s not all. In March, we’re expecting to be wowed by Tomb Raider, Gears of War: Judgment and BioShock Infinite (finally!). Army of Two is my guilty pleasure too – so the third in the series is top of my wishlist too.

As if you didn’t know, 2013 is expected to see the announcement of the next generation of consoles as well – the Xbox 720, PS4 or Durango and Orbis, or whatever they’re being called nowadays. There’s already plenty of speculation about their specs, from memory, processing power, whether they’ll rely on digital downloads, have always-on internet, include motion sensing tech, and how much they will cost at launch. One thing is certain, however, by the time they actually reach the shelves, we’ll all no doubt be sick to death of all the conjecture. Come on Microsoft and Sony – just put us out of our misery already. Tell us some concrete information.

Personally, I love a good console launch – the eve of a new dawn. Last year’s release of the Wii U didn’t really count – it wasn’t uber powerful or particularly innovative. But the next box and new PlayStation have got me really intrigued. No doubt they will both promise “photo realistic” graphics again and conjure up images of me playing FIFA with players that actually look like their real-life counterparts rather than slightly deformed crash test dummies… but will they really be any closer to achieving this? Probably not. But who really cares!?

As the seventh generation draws to a close – after a longer-than-expected lifespan – I’ll admit I’ve never been more addicted to gaming. As a past time, it’s no longer frowned upon and as gamers, we’re no longer a minority. Gaming is big business and celebrated. Long may it continue!

Things to do while holidaying on Rook Island

noreply@blogger.com (Andy_Hemphill) — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 15:46:54 PST

I've been spending a lot of time holidaying in the Rook Islands of late, enjoying Far Cry 3's hospitality, and excellent weapon shops… Here's my top ten activities for getting the most out of your time in paradise.

10) Boogie on down
With explosions lighting up the night's sky, no trip to the Rook Islands would be complete without an awful evening's dancing. Take to the dance floor and strut your stuff like an American tourist in way over his head - the locals will love you for it.

9) Passive-aggressive
There's a fellow in the aptly-named Badtown who is rude and violent towards his female friends. While visiting the charming, rural location, be sure to jump up and down on his head, since you can't use your weapons – or simply drive into him with the nearest vehicle.

8) Hardly sporting
When hunting sharks, why not try Rook's excellent selection of unsporting weapons, such as grenade launchers, RPGs, C4 explosives or mounted heavy machine guns.
Take that, Jaws!

7) Burn baby burn
Turn up the heat with your own personal flamethrower – why not set fire to as much of the island scenery as possible, and watch as the dynamic fire programming continues to set everything ablaze around you, such as trees, bushes, tigers and pirates – then watch the tigers and pirates fight, while on fire…

6) Da da da daaaa… Dadada…
Loudly and tunelessly sing the Indiana Jones theme as you take on Rook Islands' many temples, hidden challenges and mysteries, all while trying not to fall to your death from a great height, or get poisoned by a black mamba.

5) Crocodile, dumb me
Take a dip in one of Rook's many small streams – be sure to pet the crocodiles. In fact, if you happen to be being attacked by other indigenous fauna, such as the lesser-spotted heavy pirate with a machinegun, why not dive into one of these streams in a fit of panic and get eaten by a crocodile instead – a far better option.

4) Come with me, fellas!
Why drive alone? Commandeer a vehicle from one of the friendly Rakyat tribe and drive a truck full of AK-47 toting crazies into the heart of an enemy encampment. Watch with joy as the tribesman die to a man, fighting off screaming pirates, as you quietly complete your objectives.

3) Endangered? My bad
Spotted a pirate outpost with a caged animal inside? Set that creature free (be sure to hum 'Born Free' as you do), and watch as the creature mauls the unsuspecting redshirts, clearing the way for you to take the safehouse as your own. For even more fun, set the animal on fire first.

2) Strike from the sky
A trip to Rook Islands wouldn't be complete without taking advantage of the many hang-gliders oddly left at high points on the area's many hills and mountains. Take a flight and enjoy the view, and remember to top off the experience by stupidly flying over a pirate camp, before letting go and landing atop an enemy like something from the circus. You're sure to be met with happy smiles… and gunfire.

1) Go Rambo
Channel the spirit of legendary soldier Rambo by seeing the sights armed only with a recurve bow and a selection of fire and explosive arrows. Marvel at the sight of exploding or burning pirates, or take it slow and quietly eliminate your foes with pinpoint archery for a fun, thrilling experience.

Welcome to the Rook Islands.
Enjoy your stay!

Top Ten With A Twist: 2012 Results

noreply@blogger.com (Ibwib) — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 05:35:14 PST

Ah, it’s that time of year again, when one of us lines the other’s pockets and, in the process, provides a handy recap of the past year in gaming.

Just in case you weren’t here this time last year, Megabits’ dread lord and master Bojeeva and I have an annual wager in which we pick the ten impending games we’re most excited about for the year, outline what’s got us interested and then, twelve months later, add up the Metacritic scores for our selections to see who has the best taste in games/prognosticating ability. For the winner there’s a nice, crisp £20 note. For the loser, public mockery of his atrocious critical faculties, and for you, the reader, a neat recap of the year's gaming highs and lows combined with a hopefully informative insight into your humble reviewer’s personalities. You can find Bojeeva’s list here and mine here.

Bojeeva/Ibwib: Syndicate
What we expected: All the early hints make this look like the isometric, upgrade-happy tactical adventure we remember has been chucked out ofthe window in favour of an FPS with a tech tree. So, that’s Deus Ex all over again. But have a little faith, this is Peter Molyneux we’re talking about. The man has one of the most consistent hit lists in gaming, and if he’s turning his hand to an FPS, then we’re sure it will be worth playing.
What we got: We were right about it being an FPS with a tech tree, but wrong about it being worth playing. Dull.
Metacritic Score: 74

Bojeeva: Dishonored
What we expected: A stealth-action game with the freedom to choose your own methods of completing missions.
What we got: Exactly what we wanted. Hooray. Sure, it got a little repetitive at times, but it does stealth, player impact and freedom very nicely, which is what we wanted.
Metacritic Score: 88

Ibwib: Bioshock Infinite
What we expected: The coolest art design in gaming, two-fisted shooter gameplay and a deep, immersive story set in a striking environment. What else do you expet from something with the name Bioshock on it?
What we got: Nothing, it slipped down the schedules and headed for next year.
Metacritic Score: 0

Bojeeva: Minecraft Xbox360 Edition
What we expected: A construction game where anything is possible, this should get your creative juices flowing and bring some real open-ending gameplay.
What we got: A trouble-free port of an outstandingly addictive game, a timesucker with not-so-hidden depths.
Metacritic Score: 82

Ibwib: Mass Effect 3
What we expected: “If there is a similarly enormous improvement between Mass Effect 2 and Mass Effect 3 as there was between ME 1 and 2, then Mass Effect 3 should be one of the best games of all time. Bioware have already replaced the convoluted menus with a streamlined interface, the bland planets with worthwhile exploration, and the mediocre boss fights with genuinely absorbing battles. Minor tweaks are all it will take to make the 3rd installment a GOTY contender.”
What we got: This game had been on my list in 2011 as well, and it’s no appearance might have cost me a win, but when it finally arrived, it was worth the wait. ME 3 continued it’s immediate predecessors action-oriented focus, much to the disgust of those who preferred the original’s Trek-a-like stylings. There wasn’t much that you could call new in the gameplay, but the story was huge, detailed, action packed and decisive.
Metacritic Score: 93

Bojeeva/Ibwib: Borderlands 2
What we expected: Borderlands is all about loot. That addiction to crate-smashing and chest-searching that affect every RPG player are brought to the fore here-every time you think you should turn it off, you decide to just have another rummage in the next box, under the next rock, or in the next crate. Pretty much all you find is money or special guns, and pretty much all you'll spend the money on is more special guns. Get together with your mates, tool up with lightning shotguns and acid assault rifles, and go get yourself some money. It's a simple idea that bears plenty of repetition.
What we got: Pretty much what we asked for. More of the same. Much more, with better graphics and greater environmental and mission variety.
Metacritic Score: 89

Bojeeva: Hitman Absolution
What we expected: The usual Hitman combination of difficulty and creative freedom. The joy of Hitman is the ability to figure out how best to accomplish your mission, and then put your plan, be it a carefully constructed "accident" or a display of sniping prowess, into effect.
What we got: A story. A rather contrived one. Which has plot points to reach and narrative beats to hit. In order to do this, it sacrifices some of the sprawling freedom you were expecting in favour of shorter, to-the-point levels. This is just disappointing enough to make Absolution one of the weaker Hitman games, but not enough to actually make it a bad game in itself.
Metacritic Score 79

Ibwib/Bojeeva: Grand Theft Auto V
What we expected: We were hoping for something that combined the thoroughly convincing world of GTA IV with the scale of GTA: San Andreas and the lighter tone of The Ballad of Gay Tony.
What we got: The usual lesson that "Expected 2012" is a guideline rather than a promise. Ok, we knew that already, but the trailer had gameplay, and it looked so polished, we kidded ourselves into thinking it would make it.
Metacritic Score: N/A

Ibwib: Transformers: Fall of Cybertron
What we expected: It should be so easy to make a Transformers game. Giant robots mixing gunplay and fisticuffs with stealth and driving. Distinctive character designs, varied abilities, and a whole load of nostalgic fanboy love. How can you go wrong?
What we got: Well, the easiest way to go wrong is to repeat its predecessors major mistake, which is setting a game full of giant robots in their natural environment, making them all seem normal sized. Disregarding the physical side of the combat didn't help either. Bring them to Earth, make it fun, and don't use standard third person shooters as your model, please.
Metacritic Score: 79

Bojeeva: Max Payne 3
What we expected: A continuation of the classic slo-mo shooter with some added innovations-after all, if Max Payne can popularise slo-mo gunplay, surely Max Payne 3 will try to popularise something new?
What we got: Well, there wasn't really anything new to be seen in the mechanics, but the move to South America was fun, and the gunplay was as enjoyable as ever.
Metacritic Score: 86

Ibwib: Half Life 2 Episode 3
What we expected: Nothing, really. HL2E3 is slowly turning into the Flying Dutchman of gaming, destined never to reach port, and we didn't really believe 2012 would be it's year. Still, Gabe Newell dropped a few hints in verse form that we shouldn't forget all about Gordon and the gang, so we stuck it on the list. More fool us.
What we got: Nothing.
Metacritic Score: N/A

Bojeeva: Inversion
What we expected: A shooter with gravity weapons...it's not like that hasn't proven awesome in the past. Of course, in Inversion the effect of the weapons is all the larger, and the baddies have them as well.
What we got: A bog standard cover based shooter that occasionally uses the gravity conceit to invert the scenery. Nonplussed.
Metacritic Score: 54

Ibwib/Bojeeva: Prototype 2
What we expected: Bojeeva loved the first Prototype in spite of its flaws, I hated it for its flaws but thought the basic idea had potential. We both expected Prototype 2 to take the free-running, shape-shifting super-powered dice-fest to a new level, hopefully by including a more compelling environment and streamlining the interface.
What we got: Another tiresome plot, another unengaging lead character, a fractionally more engaging city, and a truckload of action. In all, an improvement, but this game should have been a world beater, and instead it barely manages to better its middling first installment.
Metacritic Score: 74

Ibwib: I Am Alive
What we expected: A moody, post-apocalyptic wasteland, full of agonising choices, difficult inventory management and ever-present menace.
What we got: All of the above, yet strangely we were disappointed. The broken world was strangely gray and uninteresting, and there was no real sense of freedom or exploration.
Metacritic Score: 75

Bojeeva: Anarchy Reigns
What we expected: Sega and Platinum brought us the speedy gunplay of Vanquish, so naturally we were expecting a similarly lightweight but enjoyable OTT beat-em-up from Anarchy Reigns. Flashing lights, pretty colours and violence, the fast-food of gaming.
What we got: Pretty much what we asked for. Simple and enjoyable, but just a little too lightweight to be a big scorer.
Metacritic Score: 74

Ibwib: Resident Evil 6
What we expected: We were hoping that after the cheap-shotting, tension-free mess that was RE5, the series would either go back to its survival horror roots, or to the perfectly polished action of RE 4. If it had done either of those things, we'd have been overjoyed.
What we got: Oh dear, it's amazing how far the mighty can fall. There was a time when Resident Evil was my favourite series, but RE6 is a dull shooter with cheap QTEs that bears no resemblance to the series we'd previously adored.
Metacritic Score: 67

And the winner is...Bojeeva, with a whopping and very neat score of 700 to my rather less impressive 551. Well done chief.

What a strange year. How many sequels grabbed our attention? How many games ended up on both lists? How many games failed to show up? Most importantly, how many sequels chose to merely polish their predecessor's laurels rather than build on them? If the 2011 Top Ten With a Twist shined a light on what a good year 2011 was for games, then 2012's list merely shows that we've spent twelve months treading water. Having said that, if we'd had Dark Souls: Artorias of the Abyss, Far Cry 3 or even Spec Ops: The Line, we'd have had more interesting things to talk about, which just goes to show-the games you get excited about are not necessarily the games you'll love by years end.

Top Ten: Gaming's Most Useless Weapons (part two)

noreply@blogger.com (Andy_Hemphill) — Thu, 10 Jan 2013 04:01:14 PST

You didn't seriously miss the first part of Gaming's Most Useless Weapons, did you? If you want to see our previous five picks, click here.

5) Eggs (Resident Evil 4/5)
Whose idea was it to use dairy products as weapons to take on the zombie horde? Nevermind that the series protagonists are walking powerhouses capable of kicking zombies to death with their size 13s, or shooting their way through reams of bioweaponised nightmares with little more than a popgun – who thought it would help to have your zombies coated in eggy gloop as they shambled towards you? Sure, the ‘rotten egg’ would kill a target in one hit – but that don’t bother the other five gnawing on my shins...

4) Apple of Eden (Assassin’s Creed)
The Apple of Eden is less a weapon than it is a slightly distracting lightshow. It doesn’t fire anything, all it does is create mirror images, which any astute warrior will see through in .1 of a second. I didn’t need an Epcot Centre lightshow in my pocket when the big sword strapped to my hip will do just as well, thank you.

3) Prod (Worms)
Admittedly, when the prod worked as designed – a humiliation tool for gently nosing enemy worms into piles of TNT or off a cliff – it was brilliant. At all other times, or when you get the prod wrong, it was merely a way of antagonising the worm slightly to your left, leading them to atomise you with a Concrete Donkey...

2) Cane (Jekyll and Hyde)
It... Doesn’t...do... Anything! All it does is swing at the air, not pushing my enemies back, or hurting them, or even tickling them. It does nothing! WHY DO I HAVE THIS IF IT DOES NOTHING?!
Is it some sort of a sick joke? This game – and this weapon – is the reason I stuck with my Megadrive when the Bit-wars were in full swing.

1) Splash/Magikarp (Pokemon)
Bloody useless animal. Maybe it’s getting revenge on me for capturing it and stuffing it into a tiny metal ball, then dragging it out to fight other such caged animals, but Magikarp are bloody useless.
Its ‘splash’ attack does as much damage as you’d expect – sod all. The game even takes the piss when you use that attack, clearly stating ‘It had no effect’. That said, I’m told Magikarp are good with a nice butter sauce.

Top Ten: Gaming's Most Useless Weapons (part one)

noreply@blogger.com (Andy_Hemphill) — Thu, 10 Jan 2013 04:00:24 PST

We’ve had my pick of the best weapons in videogames, now here’s our pick of the most useless ones – the weapons that make you want to turn the game disk into a Frisbee, or as I enjoy – a coaster.

10) Poker chips/cards (Dead Rising 2)
Anybody who’s been to Vegas will know the fun Sin City offers – just as anyone who visited Dead Rising 2’s Vegas knock-off will know that poker chips – even when combined with gaffa tape – are a useless weapon for taking on a horde of bloodthirsty zombies. Aside from hurling several full-houses at the advancing horde, the best thing protagonist Chuck Greene can do with the huge number of chips and cards lying around is play patience while a zombie eats his face.

9) Blaster (Quake 2)
As the first weapon you start out with after crash landing on the planet Stroggos, you’d think that the standard-issue Marine Blaster would have enough power to take on the Strogg until you find something better. You’d be wrong. Ditched as soon as you get the shotgun, the blaster’s weak shots are more useful for lighting up dark corridors than for any sort of killing work.

8) Hammer of Dawn
(Gears of War 3)
The Hammer of Dawn is the most powerful weapon available to the immensely muscled Gears of the Coalition of Allied Governments, connected as the laser-designator is to an orbital weapons battery. It’s a shame, then, that it takes a good five seconds to acquire its targets, during which time you have to stand still. I can’t tell the locust chainsawing my head off to wait while I designate it, now can I.

7) Nuclear weapons
(Total Annihilation/Supreme Commander)

Considering the enormous arsenal available to the commanders of both Supreme Commander and Total Annihilation, it’s a wonder the developers even bothered to include nuclear missiles as an option. Ignoring the fact that you can build immense stompy robots in about five minutes, building a nuclear missile silo can take 45 minutes+, and then when you do build it, you have to build the missiles separately. And then – If you even get to fire one – your enemy has already built a glut of nuke defence launchers. Worthless.

6) Right hand (GoldenEye)
Inaccurate, unpowered, and instantly outclassed by anything that uses a bullet, James Bond’s right hand is a totally pointless addition to the super spy’s endless pocket-carried arsenal. Its only redeeming factor is that ‘Slappers Only’ matches on GoldenEye 007’s split-screen multiplayer were hilarious.

Click for Part Two

Bits and Bytes: The Ultimate Driving Simulator

noreply@blogger.com (AndyB) — Mon, 07 Jan 2013 12:12:38 PST

Forgive the fact that this may be a little on the dangerous side and the car cum Xbox 360 is the ultimate boys toy.

With a controller embedded in the steering wheel, spare pad by the gear stick and the console itself merged into the dashboard, this is perhaps the most innovative mod we at Megabits have ever seen. What's more, it's perfect for those gamers (you know who you are!) who opt to turn the controller from side to side when steering ingame! Wonder where you stick the monitor though?!

Distracting? Hell yeah! Cool. Absolutely! Want one? Yes please!

(Source: Pocket-Lint)

Animals Get a "Ruff" Deal in Gaming

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Thu, 03 Jan 2013 05:08:12 PST

Megabits' enlightened gaming guru and resident grinch, Cursor, considers whether animals get a bit of a rough deal in video games and why there seems to be so little criticism for their treatment...

I'm no animal lover. There, I confess. It's out there. I can't stand the little critters. Dirty, noisy creatures that require constant attention and feeding (no, pet lovers, they're not like children at all - at least they can be trained to wash the car or do the dishes... and they eventually leave home!). Cats are a little more bearable than dogs perhaps but pets and animals really grind my gears. Nevertheless, despite my mean streak, I can't help but think animals get a bit of a hard time in the world of video gaming.

There's loads of criticism in gaming about the overuse of guns, grenades and grisly death sequences among human characters - but an often overlooked area is the amount of nastiness bestowed on Mother Nature's furry creatures.

Take the recent mega-game Far Cry 3 as an example. I know it's all about survival of the fittest but you're positively encouraged to track, hunt and subsequently skin animals that are doing nothing but wandering around their own environment. What did the innocent-looking Tapir ever do to you? Why hack that cute little pig to death when it was just minding its own business? And what about those poor old rabid dogs (oh, wait. That's fair enough, I guess).

Like everything else in this greedy world, it's all about money - sometimes enjoyment - but largely money. Hunting and skinning creatures proves a very effective mechanic for earning extra cash to upgrade your inventory. There are plenty of other games that have done the same, so I'm not picking on Jason and his kidnapped chums. I'm just saying.

Rockstar's epic Red Dead Redemption was equally keen to get you to track and murder ickle creatures. Collect enough of their pelts, or find the really rare creatures (again, morally wrong) and you'd even boost your achievement scores. So why don't all those animal cruelty organisations harp on about this? If pretending to shoot someone in the head with an AK47 in Call of Duty is enough to stir the emotions of the politicians, then why not all this animal murder?

I know it's not really the same thing - I'm just putting this out there to gauge opinion... I personally think it a bit rich to place too much on the evil of gaming, who or whatever the virtual victims. Are there really people out there idiotic enough to carry out some deranged act of violence because they've seen it on the small screen? Movies do the same thing but there's hardly the same furore every time a video nasty is wheeled out, is there? I digress.

Modern Warfare 3 encourages you to dispatch bitey dogs. Sleeping Dogs has its cock fighting - merging animal cruelty with gambling. Tsk. And what of Peter Molyneux and his Fable series? Fable II even awards an achievement for kicking a chicken, for goodness sake. However, it is only worth a "poultry" 5G (he he).

Rant over.

Yours,

Far Cry 3 Review

noreply@blogger.com (Andy_Hemphill) — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 11:57:28 PST

The Far Cry series has both a fine pedigree and a couple of skeletons in the closet. While the original Far Cry was hailed as beacon of open-world gaming, Far Cry 2 was a bit of a flop – a wonderful, wide world to explore, sadly let down by a poor story and bad design. So, with Far Cry 3 returning to the tropical island setting of the original game, has the series returned to the greatness for which it was so renowned? Very much so.

Taking place on the idyllic tropical paradise of Rook Island, Far Cry 3 opens with a chronicle of good times – American tourist Jason Brody, his brothers and friends make the most of their holiday, taking in the sights, jet-skiing, drinking, dancing and tearing it up – until a fateful decision to skydive over Rook leads to their capture at the hands of pirate gang. It all goes downhill from there.

Captured by sadistic, insane pirate leader Vaas – a man so scary that even in game form you kind of want to get away from him – Jason is forced to step out of his hum-drum life and learn the ways of a warrior. Siding with the indigenous Rakyat tribe, which are fighting to free the island from the grip of the pirates, Jason – who initially reacts to the act of taking a life with utter terror – slowly becomes a consummate killer, learning the skills he needs to rescue is friends and family.

It is this journey that forms the central part of Far Cry 3 – and makes you question whether Jason himself is starting to lose his mind. After a quick tutorial level, FC3 dumps you in the depths of Rook Island's many forested regions with a machete and a pistol. With the help of the Rakyat, Jason must gradually free the island, completing side missions and advancing the story to learn new skills, be it the ability to multi-machete opponents, shoot straighter or run faster.

To do this you disable radio towers, in a similar vein to Assassin's Creed's synchronisation points, which reveals the considerable map, opening up areas for exploration, side missions and revealing the many collectable WW2-era letters, relics and loot dotting the island.

You can also take out pirate-held outposts, reducing their manpower in the immediate area and allowing you to fast-travel around the island – and unlike Far Cry 2, the cleared outposts don't come with endlessly respawning bad guys.

Thankfully there is plenty to do outside of the main campaign, and I would advise spreading the main missions about as you play, as it's all to easy to top off the storyline too quickly. Eventually Jason can become a tattooed, highly-skilled warrior – and it's a good thing too, as Rook is a very dangerous place. Apart from the pirates, the island is also home to any number of animal species, ranging from bears to tigers to giant birds, sharks and crocodiles – and they can make any simple mission into a crazed nightmare.

For example, after completing a mission which saw me quietly clearing a pirate base with my recurve bow – and feeling like Rambo – I accidentally triggered an alarm and decided to escape before the pirate's reinforcements arrived in a helicopter. Stealing a Jeep, I set off – before getting hit by a grenade, blown into a nearby river and landing on top of a crocodile, which promptly bit my arm off.

It's this insanity that makes Far Cry 3 so much fun – how you approach each mission is up to you, and the world around you adapts to what you do. Do you go in all-guns-blazing, or open the cages holding the white tiger in the middle of the pirate outpost and let the angry animal do the work for you?

Granted, the open-world nature of the game lends itself to bugs, and in my time I witnessed a field ablaze with blue fire, dancing corpses, a tiger drowning itself and an oil barrel flying like a bird – but that just adds to the fun and freedom the title does so well.

Outside of the singleplayer campaign, the game also offers a solid – if uninspiring – multiplayer, with all the usual modes. It's nothing special, and feels like it was tacked on at the last minute. There is also a co-operative campaign for up to four players, but this takes the form of a linear shooter, and doesn't really take advantage of the open-world setting. This is irritating, as the singleplayer could really do with a co-op mode – and from time to time seems to have been designed for one that was just never implemented. Nevertheless, the co-op is solid, fun stuff, despite its silly storyline and odd 'let's stop and race these jet-skis for no reason' moments.

Graphically Far Cry 3 looks lovely – after you've installed it to your Xbox's hard-drive. Running the game from the disk alone can result in extreme texture issues, considerable pop-in and other graphical oddities – some of which can take place even after you've installed it, however.

The score and voice acting is also top-notch, although the slightly electronic music can be a little out of place at times, as you stalk through the forest with a flamethrower, looking for a brown bear to toast, skin and turn into a loot rucksack.

Far Cry 3 is a brilliant game, and a resounding return to form for the series. The game's plot has enough strength to last the 15-25 hours of gameplay on offer, and though the co-op and multiplayer sections are weaker than they should be, there's more than enough replay value in a game as diverse as this.

Reviewed on Xbox 360

F1 Race Stars Review

noreply@blogger.com (AndyB) — Tue, 25 Dec 2012 16:30:01 PST

I must admit I was pretty excited about the launch of F1 Race Stars, a cartoony take on the very serious world of Formula 1. And who doesn’t love karting games? The speed, the madcap thrills and spills, audacious jumps and intense rivalry? What’s not to like, right? But coming hot on the heels of the much-anticipated LittleBigPlanet Karting, the competition was fierce.

It’s testament to the quality of Nintendo’s Mario Kart series over these past decades that there have been few games that have come close to wresting the proverbial crown from the moustachioed one. Sadly, F1 Race Stars is yet another title that starts well but fails to steer its way to the top of the leaderboard; it’s certainly not the pits but really needed to step up a gear to make it a must buy!

You see, while it’s fun and colourful, entertaining and competitive, it tends to run out of steam after a few hours’ play. There just aren’t enough tracks, the characters aren’t very varied and the power ups/weapons fail to excite. It’s a real shame – but shouldn’t distract from the fact that this is still good fun and perfect for some high-speed hijinks with a few friends. You can either play solo or ramp up the excitement levels by pitting your wits against others in four player split-screen and up to 12 players online. There are also plenty of different game modes that will keep you interested for a while with your standard Career, Race and Elimination options among them.

As with other karting games, the handling has an arcadey feel to it and the whole experience doesn’t take itself too seriously. The big headed caricatures of your favourite real-life racers such as Jenson Button, Fernando Alonso, Sebastian Vettel or Kimi Raikkonen are instantly recognizable and visually appealing, especially as they sit in tiny representations of the Formula 1 cars emblazoned with all that obligatory livery and sponsorship. It’s just a shame that some of the huge names from the past aren’t included… there’s no Mansell or Senna on the roster, for example.

Brace yourselves though… there’s a twist. This is a kart racer without drifting!!! Sacrilege I hear you cry! Instead of gliding effortlessly round corners and taking bends at speed, you’ll instead have to use the brake to decelerate enough to stop you careering into nearby hoarding. It admittedly feels a little alien at first but you quickly get the idea. Otherwise the controls are simple to grasp.

To keep with the whole F1 theme, Codemasters has also employed the use of KERS (Kinetic Energy Recovery System), which allows you to charge up your car by running over starry bits of track and then boosting past your competitors. The small battery icon that hovers at the rear of your car informs you how much charge you’ve attained – you need to fill all three bars before zooming off. Hint: brake a little when you drive through these sections and you can fill the entire bar in one go!

There are plenty of others ways of getting ahead of the pack too. The Drag Reduction System (DRS) – one of the power ups littering the circuit – gives you a sudden speed boost, while a firm favourite is the Bottle Rocket that transforms you into a projectile that shoots down the track at breakneck speed. Then there’s the Teleport, which also helps you gain a few places. And there are also plenty to slow your progress: rain clouds, a sudden downpour that drenches the track, safety cars, shockwaves, balloons that trap you and others that splash ticker tape all over your screen and limit your visibility.

One nice touch is that your car gets increasingly battered and your speed slows to a crawl as a result. But it certainly doesn’t mean your race is over… a swift steer into one of the pit lanes and you’re quickly patched up and ready to resume the race.

Aesthetically, everything looks great and is nicely animated – the bobble-headed characters shifting from side to side as you steer and occasionally giving a thumbs up or gesticulating wildly pre-race. The cars look the part and the tracks are nicely designed, roughly imitating real-life. Monaco, for example, has the famous curves, seafront and tunnel before transporting you to altogether wackier environments. Other circuits feature crumbling Italian ruins, imposing German castles, quaint Belgian towns and so on, and are punctuated by loop-the-loops and jumps. Some tracks even include huge obstacles such as giant sumo wrestlers and hungry sharks. There may only be 11 circuits (if you haven’t pre-ordered) but you do get to play mirrored versions of them too so it doesn’t feel too limited.

The lengthy – and slightly repetitive - Career mode sees you travel the world to rack up the points and podium appearances but it can be pretty tricky and frustrating, particularly with the over aggressive AI constantly targeting you with their power ups. A healthy lead can quickly be lost and valuable points lost in the championship race.

Nevertheless, F1 Race Stars is great in short bursts but probably won’t sustain your interest long term. As with all karting games, it’s more fun with friends – but it’s a fun package that will particularly appeal to fans of the sport.

Reviewed on PS3

This review was first published on Gamingbolt.com. Check out more news, reviews and articles after the jump.