Game Reviews

TwitterAttack

2011-07-18T21:01:00.001+03:00

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Black Mirror III: Final Fear Review

2011-05-19T13:41:00.002+03:00

In 2003 we watched in horrified fascination as the noble Gordon family of Black Mirror castle struggled to hold an ancient evil at bay. Years later, we again saw the primeval scourge work its evil on the Gordons, this time on a new generation. This spring, we once again enter the twilit halls of Black Mirror castle as the Gordon family's last remaining scion fights for his life in a cataclysmic clash between good and evil. This chapter, Black Mirror III: Final Fear, proves itself to be the best chapter yet, thanks to some cleverly designed point-and-click gameplay and a spell-binding tale of murder, betrayal and possession.

Black Mirror III takes place in the 1990's in the small English village of Willow Creek. Directly following the climactic events of Black Mirror II, young American college student Darren Michaels escapes a dark conspiracy only to find himself accused of arson and murder. Undaunted, and after finding himself unexpectedly connected to Willow Creek's infamous Gordon family, he makes it his business to discover the source of the Gordon family curse. The main thrust of the game is in helping Darren (who's found his true name to be Adrian Gordon) come to grips with his newfound nobility as well as to resist the dark spirit that's invaded his soul. Mordred, an evil Gordon ancestor, has somehow possessed him and the resulting spiritual duality turns the ordinarily normal young man into a modern day Jekyll and Hyde.

The strain of Adrian's multiple personality disorder affects him badly; the once handsome college student shambles around haunted and haggard, with deeply hollowed cheeks, popping prescription drugs he hopes will prevent his unpredictably violent fugue states. Unfortunately for him and regardless of the medication, as time goes on the visions grow worse as Mordred threatens to overcome him. To make matters worse, he's forced to endure the bias and hostility of Willow Creek's small-minded inhabitants. Staid and proper on the surface, Willow Creek holds more secrets than a Hollywood plastic surgeon; the pub owner is a drunken, abusive thief, the café owner is cheating on her spouse, the hotel manager is a conniving conman, and the psychologist is a compulsive chain smoker. Even the cops are corrupt and led by a bitter police chief who'd rather be anywhere but Willow Creek. Despite their own shortcomings, these residents are not particularly sympathetic to the young Yankee's plight and none too keen on strangers suspected of murder.

This conflict between the American-college-student-turned-English-Lord and the provincials of Willow Creek makes for a mystery that's fresh but familiar. Skillfully blending past and present, the story's bursting with ghosts, hidden treasures, conspiracies, secret chambers and arcane rituals as you follow the trail that leads to the heart of Black Mirror castle. Difficult situations present themselves along the way, most of which can be solved by good old common sense; occasionally you're asked to solve a traditional puzzle of the combination lock or "Indiana Jones booby-trap" variety and these require a bit more brain power. Some of the latter might prove too challenging for less experienced adventure gamers, but many of them can be skipped so that gamers unable to find the solutions can continue to progress.

In addition to the engaging plotline and interesting puzzle design, the game features a solid script, professional (if occasionally cartoony) voice acting and some beautifully complex environment art. Adrian's a likable young hero with a (slightly overdone) Boston accent. A child of the '90s, he's full of slackerish, Gen-X cynicism and prone to making amusingly sardonic comments about everything he sees. The villagers too can be highly entertaining as they go about their paranoid little lives. And though Adrian never ventures beyond the environs of Willow Creek, we're treated to a considerable range of interesting locations, especially once the mystery surrounding the castle begins to heat up.

Black Mirror III can be a mesmerizing game. A few things however, dilute the fun. While the graphics in general are crisply detailed, the cutscenes are blurrily low-res and the contrast between the two is a jarring distraction. Scrolling through inventory items is a pain thanks to a scroll button that repeatedly vanishes. Finally, the game's ending is extremely anti-climactic. After hours and hours of build up toward what promises to be an explosive conclusion, the whole creepy, convoluted, demon-powered thing just…ends.

Closing Comments

Black Mirror III: Final Fear is for the most part, a good adventure game that serves as a fitting end to an absorbing trilogy. It's beautiful, well-written and cleverly-designed and if its only flaws were a flaky scroll button and blurry cutscenes, it would warrant an unmitigated thumbs up. Unfortunately, after working toward a spectacular ending, it disappoints mightily with a resolution that fails to satisfy or even, really, to make sense. Nevertheless, aside from letting us down in the last five minutes, it's a highly entertaining title that's definitely worth taking the time to play.

2011-05-01T19:19:00.001+03:00

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2011-05-01T19:12:00.000+03:00

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Portal 2

2011-04-21T00:10:00.002+03:00

I may be the dumbest genius ever. At least, that’s how I feel after playing Portal 2’s fantastic single-player campaign. Many puzzles in the last third of the eight to 10 hours (perhaps less, depending on how clever you are) of its brain-bending puzzle “test chambers” had me convinced at one point or another that they were completely unsolvable, and that some bug or sadist game designer placed the exit just out of reach. I’d let out exasperated sighs as every attempt met with a dead end. I’d grimace in disapproval as I plummeted to my death for the tenth time. I’d consider surrender.
Then, through either sudden revelation, divine inspiration, or total accident, it would come to me: use the orange Propulsion Gel to reach the energy bridge, then catapult across the chasm and shift my blue portal to the inclined surface (in mid-air, mind you) to launch me up to the ledge, grab the refraction cube and redirect the laser beam to wipe out the turrets and activate the switch! It’s so simple, I can’t believe I didn’t see it until now. One half of Portal 2’s brilliance is making me kick myself for not thinking of the impossible; the other is making me feel immensely satisfied with myself when I finally do, again and again.
Note: while we’ve made every effort to avoid spoilers in this review, you cannot review a game without discussing what it does well and what it doesn’t. Be aware that reading any review is going to take some of the surprise out of it.

Test Subject: Dan-01

That achievement is made possible by the wondrous Portal Gun, the game’s sole piece of equipment. Unchanged from the first game (except for some subtle but slick texture work and portals that can be seen through walls, Left 4 Dead-style) the easy-to-use gun reliably casts one orange portal and one blue portal against certain walls, allowing you to magically, instantaneously pass from one to the other, regardless of distance, obstacles, or line of sight, while preserving momentum. It’s the ultimate non-weapon weapon, a sort of physics-based Judo-bazooka that redirects the strengths of energy and objects in motion toward its user’s goals—including the user herself. Wielding it makes me feel more powerful—and smarter—than nearly any other gun in gaming.

Lasers always travel in a straight line. Unless there’s a portal involved.

The third half of Portal 2’s brilliance is its story. (Yes, third half. If Valve can disregard the laws of physics in its game, I can disregard the laws of math in my review.) Its chambers are cohabitated by hilariously well-written and acted characters that exude personality, despite none of them being technically people. All three major roles rattle off absurd dark humor and petty insults at every turn. Evil robot GLaDOS is in top politely murderous form right from the moment she appears on screen (spoiler alert: she’s still alive!), but Portal’s show-stealing monotone antagonist is challenged for the spotlight by Wheatley, the bumbling, chattering robot who helps you escape.
Fantastically voiced by British actor Stephen Merchant (basically playing the same mind-bogglingly stupid character from the Ricky Gervais comedy Extras), Wheatley’s a doofus AI who makes you turn around while he hacks doors (he can’t do it while you’re watching). Also in the mix is actor JK Simmons, who lends his fittingly cantankerous voice to the founder of Aperture, Cave Johnson, whose comically sociopathic approach to science is second only to GLaDOS’.
Sure, I saw the plot twists coming, but still looked forward to witnessing exactly how the characters would react. Through death, resurrection, revenge, and reversal of fortune, their charm makes what would otherwise be an empty and lifeless world feel boisterous and alive—and more than makes up for the player character being a faceless mute.
It does all this and more while recycling very few of Portal’s greatest comedy hits—there’s nary a nod to dishonest cake, and the beloved Weighted Companion Cube makes only a cameo appearance. And the finale? Not challenging in the least, but a spectacular and extremely clever finish to the story, with extra points for those who’ve paid close attention to Mr. Johnson.
New dimensions
Without changing the nature of the established and celebrated gameplay, Portal 2’s gentle learning curve begins by reintroducing us to its basic concepts, then keeps on introducing new inventions to use with portals until around three quarters of the way through, and chambers become complex jungles of hazardous obstacles. Lasers emitting from walls combine with moveable Refractor Cubes to create the closest thing Portal 2 has to an offensive weapon—an aimable laser—but more often your job is to focus the beam on trigger switches through portals. Infinitely useful Excursion Funnels (levitation beams) and Light Bridges are more than just here-to-there movers—they can be applied to block or push away turrets, halt a catapulting jump before it throws you into oblivion, or help you climb a sheer wall.
I’m a little less wowed by the three flavors of viscous gel, which flow with a hypnotic globular effect from spouts and coat the environment in bouncy, speedy, or portal-receptive ooze. Unlike most of Portal 2’s other devices, these have only a couple of uses at most, and can be difficult to control. It’s a hassle when you’re trying to paint an orange runway up to a blue bouncing patch that launches you through a portal cast on a white patch, only to have an errant blob of blue splash over everything. That’s not to say that it’s not great when your work of physics-defying impressionistic art comes together, of course.

Excursion Tunnels: one of several ways to fly.

Behind the science
Locations are amazingly varied, as they must be to support this extended-length puzzle-athon without becoming monotonous. Aperture Science has fallen into disrepair in the indeterminate length of time between the greatly exaggerated “death” of its caretaker overlord and now, and many of its once-spotless test chambers are now rusted, grimy, and overgrown with vegetation. Maps shatter in front of our eyes as Aperture collapses on itself, while GLaDOS’ hundreds of robot arms gradually repair and rearrange the chambers piece by piece. All of this scripted activity animates what would otherwise be still and samey-looking rooms due to Portal’s lack of foes other than stationary turrets.
The Aperture facility is far more vast than we could’ve imagined, and the quest to escape leads through its industrial bowels, a cavernous underground sewer-like area, and a long-forgotten retro 1960s version of Aperture, among others. Some areas are so dramatically different that even the basic button triggers and doors have unique looks to them, and everything is impressively modeled and textured, right down to the Easter-egg graffiti hidden throughout. Fine-brush touches extend to the sound, too, such as the wind wooshing in your ears during long drops, or tingly electric chimes that introduce themselves to the background music when you’re speeding on Propulsion Gel. Between puzzles, Portal 2 is full of thrilling showcase moments, such as a mad-dash escape from an angry intelligence that controls the very walls, followed by a surprising take on the boss battle that, without a shot fired, made me feel dangerously out-classed next to my adversary.

What potato? I don’t see a potato.

Size matters
Right around that time is when the test chambers become increasingly elaborate and intimidatingly huge—to a fault in some cases. These jumbo puzzles are so immense that, even using the handy camera zoom function, spotting the exit can take a few minutes of exploration. Setting out to solve a puzzle when you don’t know what objective you’re working toward is the wrong kind of challenge, and some will find it frustrating. Later levels have multiple contiguous puzzles that can seem like they might never end, and made me miss the pace of the early game where I’d get a refreshing break between challenges.
I always solved them, though. Even though a couple stumped me in a very serious way for up to a half hour, I couldn’t give up until I made it to the other side. If you like a challenge, it’s impossible to put this game aside until you’ve burned through all of it.
Portal 2’s story doesn’t end with the single-player campaign, however. Read on as my co-op buddy Evan takes you through the entirely separate and equally innovative and interesting multiplayer campaign.

Test Subject: Evan-02

Two heads > one
I played the first Portal cooperatively. I always had a backseat driver—a roommate or a girlfriend—hovering over my chair, feeding what-ifs on where to sling my colored ovals. In Portal 2, Valve has officially supported that functionality, allowing you to share the burden of crunching your spatial options with another human brain. With the right sidekick, Portal 2 co-op is some of the most social gaming you’ll have. The occasional headaches that you’d get when you’re stuck alone are alleviated by communication and dimensional horseplay.
You and your partner play as P-body and Atlas, a Pixar-esque Laurel and Hardy droid duo running the testing gauntlet at GLaDOS’s whims in a separate, sillier story. They’re not big talkers, only managing a few expressive squeaks and squeals of triumph and defeat, but their animations are lively and a joy to watch, and they’ve got some amusing celebratory co-op emotes.
Five different testing zones are accessible through a massive hub room, for a total of more than 40 chambers (many of which are multi-part puzzles). Next to the single-player tests these puzzles are doubly complex, but co-op wastes no time babying you with tutorials—it ratchets up the difficulty immediately. Just the second one had us scratching our heads for several minutes trying to wrap our brains around the idea of linking our two sets of portals to achieve even-more-impossible feats that couldn’t be navigated alone.

Can your crumby old Weighted Companion Cube do this?

A handful of puzzles are wonderfully distinct from what you do in single-player: in one, I guided Dan through a contained rat maze of spiked walls that resembled GLaDOS’ grisly version of a Pachinko machine, carefully hopping on and off a pressure pad to reverse the direction of an Excursion Funnel to float him forward, juggling him back and forth to avoid death by giant stompy pile-driver while he cast new portals to change the path of the beam. Several times, Dan created a ceiling-and-floor loop that I’d fall through infinitely, until he re-cast one portal to launch me toward an objective at terminal velocity. Other rooms prompt careful timing: after many minutes pondering one, it finally dawned on Dan that we had to fling ourselves from opposite-facing portals and collide our bots in mid-air in order to safely land on a platform below. Gameplay-driven robot chest-bumps: Portal 2 has them.
On three
For the timing puzzles, there’s an awesomely simple, non-verbal tool for syncing with your partner: holding the F key initiates a three-second countdown timer visible to both players. Two other tools tremendously supplement your (totally necessary) voice communication: marking, which lets you tag any spot or gizmo in the environment with a temporary pointer that’s highlighted on your teammate’s screen, and a seamless picture-in-picture toggle that shows you exactly what your buddy sees in the corner of your screen. Both are effortless to use and completely unimposing to the UI and gameplay, and between the two of them there’s no confusion which acid pool he wants you to help him leap over.
I love the way that trust manifests as a gameplay mechanic, and the instant, painless respawning leaves room for antics: every few stages, I’d grief Dan a little bit by keeping him trapped in a levitation beam, moving a portal to remove the Light Bridge from under his feet, or overwriting his portal with mine at the last moment to steal a launch we’d set up.
These intangibles arise from the complex fun of moving and solving with another person, the most gratifying of which is having a gaming context where you can demonstrate your spark of awareness, creativity, or problem-solving knack. There’s a wonderful reflex when this is about to happen—your eyes widen, a corner of your mouth rises. You’re the only one in the class that knows the answer, and you are about to enlighten your teammate. It almost always starts with, “I have an idea.”

The simplest of co-op collaborations: passing a ball.

Eureka!
There’s also a fair amount of making fools of yourselves. In one of our prouder moments as a team, Dan and I spent 10 minutes trying to outsmart an Excursion Funnel/Faith Plate combo. We were so busy activating switches and scouting the room for new options that it was some time before I realized that we’d forgotten the most basic part of Portal science: you can walk through the portals, not just send things through them.
From beginning to end, the co-op puzzles are excellent but brief. Dan and I zipped through all 40 in around four hours, which means you’ll be able to finish both the single-player and co-op modes in a long weekend—partly because you won’t want to stop playing. It’s a minor shame that Valve didn’t use co-op as an opportunity for a handful of optional, brutal obstacle courses like Portal’s challenge chambers—some of those take a weekend to work out.
Glad we came
It makes us both a little sad that, having played through once, we can never look at these puzzles—in either single-player or co-op—with those same bewildered eyes again (barring, as Aperture would call it, “a very minor case of serious brain damage”). The included developer commentary, and of course an encore performance from the cast, would be the only things that might make us start playing again after Jonathan Coulton’s new song, “Glad You’re Gone” (which is good, but “Still Alive” is a really tough act to follow) rolls with the credits.
For that reason, our strongest words of caution are to choose your co-op partner carefully. You only really get one shot at these puzzles—don’t waste them with someone who’s already been through, as that would spoil the many surprises and the victory of discovering them for yourself.
We’ll definitely remember all of Portal 2 fondly, though, and as one of the best-written and finely polished gaming experiences in recent memory.

Dead Island preview

2011-04-11T10:09:00.000+03:00

There are a lot of things you expect to find down a dirt track in Poland. Bears, a vodka factory, an actual zombie. But not the home of the most exciting undead happening since Danny Boyle made them run in 28 Days Later. Techland, best known for cowboy series Call of Juarez, have taken the best bits of zombie killing and mashed them all together into one open world adventure. Oh, and you’ll want to pack the factor 50, because it all takes place on the sunny island of Banoi in Papua New Guinea.

The Ram goes on the rampage.

You’ve seen the trailer, the little girl, the biting, the falling out of a really high window in backwards slow motion. This is all about being a bemused holidaymaker suddenly caught in the middle of the zombie apocalypse and scrambling to survive. One minute it’s Bermuda shorts and cocktails with umbrellas in, the next it’s bashing in the head of a walking corpse with a plank. You get to play as one of four characters, each with their own special skill set and weaknesses, such as speed or strength or ability with sharp things. I mainly got to see Sam B in action, an ex-hip hop star with a gnarly top hat and a passion for melee weapons. The other characters include Mohican-sporting Logan, an air hostess with quick moves and a glamazon bodyguard. Each is somehow immune to the infection, although, obviously, not immune to being eaten alive. Whichever you choose, there’s an RPG-lite system for levelling up that should enable you to tailor your character to your own violent needs.
Four main characters? Obviously that means four player, drop in, drop out co-op for Left 4 Dead-style japes among the bloody surfboards. Not that this was always the plan; the game was originally conceived years ago, before co-op was fashionable, leaving the team to integrate the idea at a later stage.
“It’s a deadly combination,” says Techland’s Blazej Krakowiak “because first we’ve done an open game, which in itself is a huge challenge to balance and predict, and then you’re screwed because you have four live players trying to mess things up.”

The fashion police slayed anyone in Bermuda shorts.

It’s certainly tricky. Compared to something like Left 4 Dead’s enclosed warehouses and fenced-in farms, the island of Banoi is massive, replete with story missions and side quests but Borderlands has shown this can work. I saw some very early missions, including going to search for a lifeguard and protecting someone from a zombie attack, but later objectives will help you discover what’s happened on the island, and open up new areas. Outside the hotel resort you start in, there’s jungle and even a town to explore, where you’ll have to face not just zombie enemies, but human ones too, such as looters or a gang who’ve taken up residence in the police station. Techland say they’re concentrating on the moments just after the outbreak, so people are still expecting the military to come and fix everything, there’s still some semblance of law and order and, importantly, money still has value. Expect the chance to buy new weapons or equipment as you explore.
Given that this is a holiday island rather than a war zone, finding weaponry is going to be a problem. It’s not as if there are racks of AK47s lined up next to the souvenir postcards and delightful shell collectibles. You might find the odd gun lying around, but even then, ammo is equally scarce, so you’ll need to get a little Blue Peter on what’s available to maximise the smash and smoosh. Planks, boats oars, baseball bats and machetes are all useful in their own right, but they degrade, and to really do damage you’ll want to take them to a workbench and add your own special features. It’s not just about duct-taping a chainsaw to a surfboard, but more like the World of Warcraft enchanting system, as with applying an electrical charge to hammers or blades.
I saw the shock machete in action – it can remove limbs and provides an entertaining light show. Krakowiak adds: “Some of them are more basic, like nails; others are more complex like the shock weapon, and there’s everything in-between. So it’s not about Dead Rising, putting some wacky things together and trying dozens of combinations. It’s about making the weapons more effective.”
The team certainly seems sensitive to comparisons with Capcom’s comedy zombie caper. “It’s like comparing Dead Rising to Left 4 Dead. It doesn’t make much sense and we are a different game altogether,” Krakowiak argues. “Dead Island is more about the characters you play and the story, and how it unfolds. Dead Rising, for me, is a toy box.”

Think tattoos make you tough? Think again.

There certainly seems to be a more serious mood to the whole thing and not just because of all the gore. “We’re trying to do something mature – it’s not about funny Dead Rising stuff. It’s not like there’s a crazy doctor with crazy experiments,” adds Adrian Ciszewski, a producer so committed he broke his leg showing an actor how to do a proper zombie fall during motion capture.
One of the major differences is the innovation that’s gone into the enemy design. Your basic cannon fodder zombie is a pretty standard walking corpse. The only difference is that they’re zombies dressed in bikinis and speedos, which just looks… wrong. They level up as you do and appear in small groups rather than unmanageable hordes. Sometimes they’ll even come in handy, like when you’re facing human opponents and you need a big fleshy distraction to allow you to slip past.
These basic zombies look disturbing, but they’re nothing compared to some of the trickier, and massively ickier, shufflers you’ll face later on. There’s The Ram, wrapped in a straightjacket with a Hannibal Lecter style mask. He’s an unstoppable tank who’ll charge you like a furious rhino, and the only way to take him down is to hit the weak point on his back. There’s the Drowner, a zombie who’s spent too long in the pool, and is swollen with water, with skin stretched so tight you can see his organs beneath.
Clean freaks will want to stay away from The Suicider, riddled with pulsating, infected boils, begging you to help him. Get too close and it’ll get real messy real quick, because he’ll explode in a shower of pus. The most nightmarish of the lot is The Butcher, who sports redneck dungarees, a deformed face and exposed forearm bones he uses to stab and slice at his prey. To be fair, you’d probably be in a murderous rage too; those arm stumps must make enjoying a tube of Pringles really tricky.

It's so pretty. Let's move to Dead Island for good.

Talking to the team, it’s no surprise that the zombie designs are so spot on. They list everything from Romero to Walking Dead to 28 Days Later as massive influences and have strong ideas about why zombie slaying is such an enduring joy to your average gamer.
“Zombies on one hand are relateable. They’re partially human, not like aliens or killer plants,” says Krakowiak. “I won’t get into how they represent the mundane lives of office workers or something. That’s a topic for a conversation after a huge amount of alcohol. In general they are human enemies, but on the other hand you can kill them without any remorse whatsoever.” Sadly, Techland did have to turn down a fan suggestion about a giant killer octopus that players could use to trap and eat zombies. Something for the DLC perhaps?
Until we’ve seen the real mechanics of the game – the four player co-op especially – it’s hard to know if Dead Island can live up to the promise. What I do know is that what I’ve seen is exciting and packed with grisly promise, which isn’t bad for a game originally revealed in 2007, and forgotten about since. Whatever else it’s going to need to succeed, there’s zombie-loving passion aplenty. “We’re not trying to recreate a certain kind of movie genre like voodoo zombies” says Krakowiak. “We are following our own way, but of course remembering the zombie legacy that’s out there and that we love.”

LEGO Star Wars III: The Clone Wars

2011-04-02T18:01:00.000+03:00

Lego Star Wars III: The Clone Wars encapsulates the far-reaching breadth of war. Space assaults pit plucky fighter crafts against monstrous battle cruisers; on land, a battalion of rocket-wielding clones take on a six-legged tank; and the entire affair is tied together with a sweeping story that includes dozens of characters from across the universe. This game is absolutely bursting with content, and the variety and scope of battles separates it from its much more restrictive forebearers. But all is not well in this far-away galaxy. Obtuse puzzles and directionless objectives force you to frequently stop your lightsaber-swinging fun to figure out what the heck you have to do next, and an assortment of control quirks have you fighting the game as often as you're fighting the empire. These problems pervade every inch of this epic adventure, overshadowing improvements in other areas. The Clone Wars contains the lighthearted fun the series is known for, but frustration bubbles just below the surface in this uneven sequel.
6306654Evil cannons, the bane of Jedi.None
The theatrical releases of Star Wars have been tapped dry at this point, so The Clone Wars draws its inspiration from television's well. The animated series hasn't ingrained itself into the popular culture quite like the beloved movies, however, which means there's a chance you may not be familiar with the plight of Commander Cody and Wag Too. It's easy enough to understand the gist of this mostly silent story, but a lot of the more esoteric references will be lost on casual fans of the franchise. Although this tale may go over your head at times, your eyes will be captivated nonetheless by the impressive visuals. In a marked step up from previous games in the series, Lego Star Wars III has a unique style all its own that meshes realistic environments with Lego characters and ships. Foliage-dense planets teeming with miniature droids are a sight to behold, and a variety beautiful vistas ensure there's always another piece to this delectable puzzle. The nod toward realism does remove some of the Lego personality that defined the other games in the series, but it's ultimately a worthy trade-off for the eye-catching landscapes throughout this adventure.
There are 18 distinct missions across 13 planets in The Clone Wars, and it can take more than 20 hours to reach the ending credits. Roughly half of the game should be familiar to series veterans. You stroll through tanker ships, desert towns, and all manner of alien environs solving puzzles and cutting down foes with your crew of merry do-gooders. Each character class has its own set of powers--for instance, Jedi can move items with the Force, droids can open locked doors, and clones can grapple up ledges--and you need to switch between them on the fly to solve puzzles and take down enemies. Whacking the environment to get studs is as addictive as ever, and there's a good mix between puzzle solving and combat to ensure you don't get bored. It's a fun, though somewhat predictable, jaunt, but a number of small problems continually interfere with your enjoyment.

One Jedi and a speeder versus an army of robots. Hardly seems fair.

The most pressing issue is a lack of clear objectives. The Clone Wars does a poor job of pointing you in the right direction, and lousy visual feedback further hampers your chance for success. For instance, a door may flash red when you shoot it with your blaster, which means the door is destructible, but you have to guess how to blow it up. You may need to keep shooting it with your current character or switch to someone else with a different power, and there's a chance no one in your party can destroy it. Basic explanations of how your actions are affecting the environment are absent in The Clone Wars, and this leads to lost hours while you dumbly explore every option and hope you happen upon a solution. Fundamental problems don't stop there. Using the Force to move objects will give you new appreciation for Luke's struggles on Dagobah. Telepathically maneuvering items is incredibly sloppy, yet the game demands that you be ultraprecise at times. Switching between characters requires you to be standing very close together, which is a serious inconvenience when your party is split up. Respawning enemies are a tiresome annoyance that makes it difficult to focus on the puzzles blocking your path. And targeting is a complete mess. You're just as likely to select an ally as you are the intended object in the background, and this ineptitude turns even breezy diversions into painstaking affairs.
The Clone Wars doesn't confine itself to the narrow corridors of previous games in the series. There are large-scale battles as well, and these offer a vastly different experience. In a nod toward real-time strategy games, during some missions, you need to build up your base to overthrow the invading forces. A dozen or so small camps dot the landscape, and you control each area by clearing out your enemies. Once you've taken over, you build cannons, barracks, shields, and other tactical tools in an attempt to make your army strong enough to declare victory. It's a neat concept that doesn't quite capitalize on its promise. First of all, the levels are so large that it takes forever to jet from one place to another. There are vehicles to speed up the locomotion, but this doesn't help matters. You spend more time schlepping from one place to another than planning assaults, and this leads to tiring monotony. Second, arbitrary camera restrictions limit your power. You need cannons to destroy some of your enemy's structures. Once these big weapons are erected, you hop inside and point where you want to fire. But oftentimes the camera inexplicably snaps back after you've locked on, and the constant pull and tug with your view makes it unnecessarily difficult to launch an offensive volley.

Even bounty hunters like ice cream.

The final part of the Clone Wars experience is the space battles. These are some of the most exhilarating sequences in the game. Lasers flood the screen, enemy ships scream in from all sides, and explosions dot the black sky with red flames. The uplifting score and bombastic sound effects add to the chaos, creating a volatile atmosphere that captures the galactic rush from the movies. But just like every other aspect of this disappointing game, the potential is limited by a number of festering problems. The controls are the biggest culprit here. Movement is jerky and unintuitive, so you're frequently turning in the wrong direction or performing a barrel roll when you just wanted to cruise around like the Jedi stud that you are. And though the vast expanse of space is spread out all around you, you're restricted to moving on a 2D plane (you can't fly higher or lower). It feels stifling to move in such a limited space, and the hokey method of exploring other sections diminishes the immersion. You have to latch on to what looks like a satellite tow service to shoot to another plane, and having to artificially travel to higher parts of space makes you feel like a Jedi baby who still has his training saber.
Cooperative play elevates every part of this adventure to a higher level. The pacing and control issues aren't nearly as damaging with a friend by your side, and two brains can figure out the obtuse puzzles more quickly than one. If you're feeling feisty, you can challenge your friend in head-to-head matches in the RTS mode, and that provides mild entertainment for a little while. Unfortunately, there's no online option, so another good idea is tempered by subpar execution. And that is the theme that carries through every aspect of The Clone Wars. This game is a noteworthy leap in a number of key areas, especially visuals and gameplay diversity, but these positive steps are hindered by archaic design choices and a lack of fine-tuning. The Clone Wars proves that you need more than ambition to shine.

Rift Review

2011-03-22T22:27:00.000+02:00

A lot of the details of the game can be found in the pre-review we did when we first started, so this is more of a narrative as to how the game plays out - to which I say it plays out very good. One of the key aspects of an MMO, we feel, is pacing. RIFT’s pace is exceptional throughout the first 15 levels or so. The starting areas are well craft and unique, expertly introducing you to the basic elements of the game as well as establishing the world and why you’re in it. What’s especially good here is that each of the two factions - the Guardians and the Defiant, have different justifications for the players presence in the world. The Defiants send you back in time in order to try and stop the cataclysm that’s about to consume them, and the Guardian players are resurrected heroes from an earlier battle against Regulos, who want also want to try and save the world from a future they’ve seen.

You don't have to go seal a Rift, but there are consequences for leaving them...

As you come out of these starting areas and into the main world, you’re quickly ushered from one area to the next, never lingering too long in one place. Couple of quests, some exploring, moving on, rinse and repeat. What few gameplay elements you haven’t had a chance to experience yet, you’re quickly introduce too, and before you know it you’ve carved your way from one side of the map to the other, you’re level 15, and you’re finally approaching the steps of your faction’s central hub. Things get a bit unstable for a level or too as you’re hit with several new types of quests, some which require you to go back on yourself, but there is a very natural A to B flow that’s rather nice to follow.

The soul-system adds a refreshing degree of diversity and customization to combat, although combat itself is nothing special and can even a little try at still. Still, the ability to instantly re-spec and change the entire dynamic of your character at little cost really saves the day here. The only criticism we can level against it could be more guidance as to the individual souls themselves, and how they're used, but MMO veterans shouldn't have any problem trying out different combinations.

It might not be Aion's level of pretty, but it's still good

It’s really the Rifts themselves that does this game justice however. We touched on these in the preview, but it’s not until you get into the world of Telara and experience them for yourselves to realise how well they complement the core MMO gameplay. You could be plodding along on your way to your next quest location, when suddenly the sky rips open and zombies are trying to eat your face. You band together with whoever’s about and you defeat this incursion, getting ample rewards for your effort. But these are more than just a casual thing - with potential Rifts opening up anywhere within a given zone, you could literally just spend a session ‘Rift-hunting’. Sure, the reward in terms of XP is little better than grinding, but since there’s a purpose, it’s not really noticeable.

Things can escalate as well, from Rift’s, there are mob invasions which can set up footholds - even by taking over a quest hub which you’ll need to take back. Full scale invasions, with multiple rifts and dozens of mob groups happen several times a day, which take REAL coordination in order to hold back. Trion’s casual approach to grouping as well comes in to play quite nicely here. Whilst there’s the standard guild mechanic, and of course you can just party up with friends - if you’re billy no-mates like me, but need help sealing a rift, the ‘public grouping’ system allows you to causal band together, share the rewards, and then simply drop out again and be on your way. Think of it like a one-night stand, just with even less talking.

As we’ve mentioned before, there’s a whole host of different things that you can get to grips with here, but we’re not just talking about Quests, RIFTS, or even standard things like PvP and crafting. Collectibles form a surprisingly significant part of the game, and actually provide an incentive to explore all the nooks and crannies that, in other MMO’s are really just there for show. There are countless artefact ‘sets’ that you can find items from lying about Telara, and as you complete sets, you can turn them in for rewards and special currency that allows you to but special items. There is also a separate space for lore books, for those interested in that, and you can find collectable books scattered around Telara.

This happy chappy is the first Dungeon Boss you'll come across

It’s not all perfect though, sadly. There is a slight sense that Trion have tried to do too many things at once. Quests, especially when you get to the 20+ areas, become a bit too generic for our liking, and the excellent pacing which kept us enthralled for the first 15 - 20 levels or so seems to slack a bit. Ancillary areas like crafting and PvP also seem to lack the experimental feel that the rest of the game has, and even the dungeons can seem a bit uninspired sometimes. And for all its pushing, the generic fantasy setting - even with its steampunk twists and elemental turns - may not inspire those who are getting a little tired of high-fantasy.

In all honesty though, this is a surprisingly strong launch for a new fantasy MMO. Guild Wars 2 And The Old Republic better hurry along if they want to deliver that innovation they keep promising us, because it seems RIFT already has the jump on them. There's so much here to get to grips with, and it can only get better as Trion already have plans for what they'll do post release. Whether you’re an MMO veteran looking for your next fix, or if you're a newbie looking to expand tour horizons and jump into the genre for the first time, RIFT is an excellent place to start. Just remember - we're not in Azeroth anymore.

Top Game Moment: Banding together to resist invasion in the zone events are immensely satisfying.

Bloodline Champions

2011-03-11T13:23:00.004+02:00

The elevated viewpoint and number of heroes to choose from means that Bloodline Champions initially looks like another take on the Defense of the Ancients style of real-time strategy game. The fact that it’s free-to-play only adds to this impression. In reality, however, this is a straightforward action game of fast-paced arena battles between teams of three to five players. You take charge of one of 20 champions and must crush your enemies in quick and bloody rounds with teamwork and lightning reflexes.
Each champion has seven unchanging skills. There’s no character loadout to alter, and no levels or experience points to spend, but within these confines the champions are enormously varied. Most share similar ability types, such as a fast move skill on the spacebar, but while the Vanguard has a jump attack, the Gunner will use her huge rocket launcher to blast herself away from enemies. Control abilities can freeze foes or drain their life, while projectiles can heal or harm, all depending on the character selected.

Azeroth's architects have clearly kept busy.

Rounds are over in under two minutes, and pass in a screen-wide kaleidoscope of quick-fire abilities, area-of-effect spells and giant laser beams. Movement uses the WASD keys, abilities are tied to keyboard shortcuts and, crucially, every shot must be carefully aimed. Bloodline’s scraps require good reflexes and some deft mousework to keep up. Be prepared to spend a lot of time dead.
Learn or burn
Instead of a traditional mana bar, skills are restricted by cooldown timers. Many abilities take a second or so to cast, an irritation that constantly interrupts the fluidity of the combat. It’s impossible to keep track of the cooldown remaining on each ability. Instinct and guesswork are required to know when your skills are ready to use again, and that comes through experience.

Drum up some courage and you'll survive the learning curve.

Bloodline Champions is really about finding your favourite fighter, though. With no levelling or loot to keep me interested, it was only an urge to master the intricacies of the team-healing Astronomer that kept me playing. Each character is just different enough to require time to learn, and the singleplayer bots aren’t sly enough to present a challenge for long. This means it’s necessary to go online and get kicked around a lot while you learn the ropes. It’s a competitive community and the learning curve is steep.
It doesn’t help that only four characters are unlocked to begin with, and these four change every once in a while, making it hard to settle on a favourite. Many people will give up in frustration long before the 17,000 in-game points needed to unlock a character have been earned, and the £4.30 required to buy one using Funcom points is a little steep. Still, the initial download is small, and the action’s slick and well balanced enough to make Bloodline Champions worth a punt.

Games PC : Fallout New Vegas

2011-03-09T10:11:00.002+02:00

As promised, I bring you the PC Game Review of Fallout 3: New Vegas

Developer: Obsidian Entertainment

For the most part, I've always disliked Open RPG's. Their openness comes in hand with freedom, and this freedom translates to a lack of 'purpose' which ultimately leads to the question: Why am I playing this game? . This is the most difficult challenge for any ORPG DEVs.. creating a game which has both the freedom of choice but also elaborate an illusion of purpose and meaning to all your (meaningless) actions.

..Fallout: New Vegas achieves this goal wonderfully.

The Game .. takes place in the Mojave Desert, years after its destruction (together with presumably all of America) due to a nuclear war.
All that remains now is a shadow of the past (More specifically, the 1950's). Ruined buildings, poisoned food, and mutated animals are a common sight.

Howdy, Pardner!

You are the courier. You were tasked by your superiors to deliver a package. Simple enough, right? Well.. no. A gang lead by a mysterious guy in a suit intercept you, steal your package.. and shoot you in the head.
Fortunately for you, a cowboy robot digs you out of your shallow grave and sends you to the doctor. What's next, an alien abduction? :P

Anyway.. you're fully patched up now, and your purpose is simple. Payback.

Of course that, along the way, many questions will arise. Like why did they want with that package, what was the package's content, and many others. This questions will lead you into a myriad of sidequests which will ensure hours of fun.

If you ever played Fallout 3, then you'll very quickly catch up with the controls and the environment in general, given that it's pretty much identical in F:NV.
Some have critized Obsidian for not innovating at all. Me? I commend them for keeping a system that works.

Beating guys with a golf club? ..Check

Really, the only changes made those that were truly necessary. Melee weapons were lacking in Fallout 3. In New Vegas? Lots of them. Fallout 3 too easy? .. New Vegas has a Hardcore mode where you'll have to drink, eat, and sleep regularly to survive. This is simply awesome for those that are acquainted with the franchise and want a serious challenge.

The replayability factor is more present that ever.. with 3 different approaches that you can take, each with dozens of unique quests. Join the NCR and defend the desert from the menace of the Legion. Join the Legion and drive the NCR away. Or perhaps you'd be more interested in aligning with the mysterious Mr. House...

The irony.. it burns..

Graphically it looks almost identical to Fallout 3. A game released quite a few years ago. While I have no issues with the graphics themselves, I feel Obsidian could have improved on the subject a little. Perhaps something akin to what Valve did with the episodic series of Half Life 2.

Soundwise, no complaints here. The voice acting is frankly excellent, and combined with all the elements discussed above, you'll be drowned into the game in no time.
Many new weapons were added to the game, and each has its own unique sound effects.

It's really hard for me to think of something bad about this game. You could nitpick and point at minor issues.. but really, how should we judge a game? . My opinion is this: If the game is addicting, and the experience is good, it's worth playing. And F: NV is one of those games.

Rating: 10/10

Xbox 360 games - Dragon Age 2 Gameplay Demo

2011-03-07T10:24:00.000+02:00

Today I'd like to show you guys gameplay footage of the Dragon Age 2 Demo for the Xbox 360.

We can clearly see a shift from turn-based combat to action-based.. more akin to games like God of War. It's a neutral change for me, given that I like God of War and turn-based combat games :P

Enjoy! And stay tuned.. Tomorrow, we'll have the review of Fallout 3: New Vegas.

Silent Hill 2 - Director's Cut

2011-03-04T13:09:00.000+02:00

Computer game ain't what they were in the past, right? :)

Today I bring forth yet another jewel of the Survival Horror genre.

Silent Hill 2: Director's Cut - Developer: Konami

It's been almost 10 years of its release. Yet few games of the genre have managed to capture the eearieness found here.

....Mary? Is that you?

You are James Sunderland, a twenty-something fella who drives to Silent Hill with a single purpose in mind: Finding his dead wife Mary. She's been in that state for 10 years, which is why he finds receiving a letter from her rather strange.

This sets the tone for a series of rather disturbing events which unfold in a marvelous way.. hooking you up for hours.
Without giving out too much of the plot, which would honestly be a crime, you can expect to find all those things that make Silent Hill great. Sounds and an ambience that will make you shriek every time you hear a noise; Enemies both beautiful and disgusting to look at, and a fog so thick you'll never see them coming.

Your flashlight will become your new best friend

Something that in my opinion is needed to be emphazised, is just how much you can explore given the hardware limitations. While you will most definitely find 'decoy' doors and the infamous 'broken lock' ones, there's just a whole lot to see and explore. You can sidetrack quite a bit and add a good hour or two of gameplay just by paying attention to all the detail given to the city and going around town looking for ammo lying on the ground.

Cutscenes are to be highlighted too, due to the considerable amount of them available, and the surprisingly good voice acting in general.

The 4 different endings available, and the 'sidestory' event, which tells a story from the perspective of a different character, allows for great replay value and extended gameplay.

One of the only things I found lacking is the camera. It somehow finds a way to lag in certain key moments, or to have you see in the exact opposite direction where you're going; something that will lead to quite a bit of frustration.

Nonetheless, despite these minor issues stated, SH2:DC is a very solid game. One that ought to be experienced by all those who enjoy Survival Horror.

...Scratch that, if you like games, you'll love this.

Rating 9/10

Need for Speed Shift 2

2011-03-04T13:05:00.000+02:00

Need for Speed Shift 2: Unleashed 2011 PC Game

Simulation, immersion, high-powered competition. The seductive beast EA motor.
With stentorian declarations by Electronic Arts almost every other day also, the pressure begins to be huge shift. The promise of a detailed simulation and realistic than Gran Turismo and is “the game more realistic speed of history” is on the table.
Only a few months ago for the first time tasted Need for Speed Shift 2: Unleashed , the new video game which Slightly Mad Studios is facing the difficult challenge of matching the quality of the great Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit , but this time from a more realistic. Today we come back to the title, and to back the statements of its leaders continued to criticize the competence of the video game controller.
However, is there reason to believe that this unleashed to compete with Gran Turismo 5 or Forza Motorsport 3 as claimed by its creators? From the moment our reviews will keep for analysis, but for now the trials with the title should be positive and optimistic about offering an alternative in the simulation genre giants from Polyphony Digital and Turn 10.
Hands on the Wheel
The early stages of the launch of Need for Speed Shift 2: Unleashed have been marked almost since its announcement by the constant statements of its leaders. From the comment that this will “speed the game more realistic view of history”, to the harsh criticism leveled against Forza or Gran Turismo: “We will not add thousands of cars irrelevant. These games to me are almost as encyclopedias. You thousand cars, a thousand tracks, whatever, and basically the game is to earn money to get a car, and keep winning to buy another. It’s like a routine, it’s like collecting stamps. That is not where the fun ” .
However, the Electronic Arts video game also revolves around the experience as these, although from a totally different point of view: More specifically the experience points , an incentive which will have almost constantly receiving this bonus for each share virtually that took place. In this sense, the game seems to follow a line of rewards very clear, as is typical of the kind of unlockables that Hot Pursuit truffle experience.
How to spend these points? Mainly in the acquisition and improvement of different vehicles that are our garage. In this sense, the game will go much deeper than its predecessor, allowing not only have more complex parts and components to customize our racers, but also keep our own alternative configurations of vehicles based on groups of tune, and test and refine their performance by testing on the track.
And the truth is that Need for Speed Shift and was once a great game, though its leaders intended to go further with this release looking for a more authentic simulation. So much so, your confidence, that this idea has been the constant comparisons with the great franchises of the competition.
With the aim of bringing greater realism and packaging to the experience, Unleashed will feature stars of driving real figures that act by way of our heads in the game. Vaughn Gittin Briton is one of the main confirmed, although there will be people’s own Electronic Arts present as Patrick Soderlund, precisely one of the executives of the company that insisted on the superiority of Shift 2 on Gran Turismo 5: “Les undoubtedly win, I’m sure, “he said makes few dates.
With such measures as to include actual figures in the game is to stimulate the competitive zeal of the player. These characters present themselves in videos, we will have your skills and strengths at the wheel and compete against us, with the extra incentive that if they beat in the race we will take your vehicle that will automatically join our garage.
The camera in first person is, an aesthetic, one of the great innovations of the program within the playable side. This element already described in detail in our First Contact is a powerful way to visualize the races, since the prospect of the town literally. It is a formidable addition to the set of immersion offered by this Unleashed, not only for being full of great details like the realistic movements of the head of our driver to reach the corners, for example, but also for the victory level depth in conducting this display brings so subjective.
Need for Speed Shift 2: Unleashed will be released on March 24 this year on PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Then will check if all the promises of Electronic Arts and Slightly Mad Studios were justified.

Gray Matter

2011-03-03T15:36:00.002+02:00

The main reason everyone’s been looking forward to Gray Matter is that its creator, Jane Jensen, was the designer behind the Gabriel Knight series – two of the most beloved non-comic graphic adventures ever, and also Gabriel Knight 3. Let’s get this out of the way right now. Gray Matter is not Gabriel Knight 4. In any way. Frankly, if you didn’t know Jensen and co were behind it when you started playing, you’d be tipped off more by the music than anything else.
Luckily, it’s a game that more than stands alone. It’s easily the best serious adventure in ages. It looks gorgeous, the music is terrific, and the story – while very slow – is interesting. And it’s formed around a smart and engaging theme. It pits spirituality vs rationalism, as represented by Dr Stiles, a cranky neurobiologist desperate to contact his dead wife, and Sam, a street magician who scams her way into becoming his assistant, convinced the weirdness surrounding him is down to a fellow performer playing cruel pranks.

Gray Matter's puzzles are pretty but pointless.

Double act
Both are excellent characters, and your control switches from one to the other each chapter. The catch is that the nature of the story doesn’t leave either of them with much to do. Most of Stiles’ chapters are spent ‘remembering’ things, while to keep the mystery going, Sam’s investigation bits tend to be just looking at weird, clueless scenes and saying “Yep, that’s weird. Must be a really good magician.”
When you get to the actual puzzles, far too many are simply about clicking everything until something triggers, while the bulk of the rest involve heading to the local magic shop, buying something, then distracting someone with a cheap trick. To pad this out, Sam spends as much time on solving long-winded but embarrassingly easy puzzle boxes, while the final chapter ends up so stuck for inspiration that it practically dumps her into Wonderland just to put some space between revelations. Even at its most cryptic and involved, Gray Matter seriously struggles to be a game, not simply a story.

Gray Matter's padding is pretty, but pointless.

What saves all this is that the writing itself is excellent. Sam and Stiles don’t spend much time together, but their interactions are always great fun. The story hits some terrific emotional beats, especially when it comes to both characters’ isolation: Stiles’ loneliness after his wife’s death having turned in on itself, and Sam’s difficulty dealing with people without being a (wellmeaning) con-artist make them both far more interesting than the average game protagonists. They deserve another outing.
Gray Matter definitely isn’t a sit-up-and-take-notice game like the Gabriel Knights were on release, and as an adventure, it’s only mediocre. It’s still an absorbing game, however, if not the one you may have wanted.

The Warhammer Machine

2011-03-02T20:40:00.000+02:00

Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II: Retribution promises to be a lot more than your typical standalone expansion or quasi-sequel. It offers brand-new campaigns for not only the Space Marines, but five other races as well, including (drum roll) the Tyranids, who up until this point have been the game's antagonists.

Unfortunately, the campaign isn't playable in the beta release, so our preview time with the game has been skirmish-only. Which is a shame, because there's much less that's new and exciting about this aspect of the game.

Dawn of War II multiplayer has divided fans for a long time; it's based less on the original Dawn of War than on a different Relic title, the World War II RTS Company of Heroes. Whereas Dawn of War threw fans into huge battles between large groups, the sequel forces gamers to micromanage a few units; to win, you have to do things like set up cover as units move, and then dart behind enemy lines to secure power, requisition, and victory nodes. Base-building, a core feature of the original's mutliplayer, is gone. In other words, the new game had more to do with unit-level tactics, and less to do with army-level strategy. There is a ton of nuance and complexity to the new style of play, and many fans loved the faster pace, but many others found it fiddly and boring, and some even went back to the original game.

In addition to the typical expansion updates (more maps, for example), Retribution does provide some improvements for those who want to play with different styles. Most interestingly, the Imperial Guard is new as a playable race, and it's a lot of fun to watch how situations unfold with them. They can build walls in the field for cover, and some of their units are quite menacing -- the first time I sent a Sentinel after some enemy troops, I was delighted by the fearsome barrage of lasers it unleashed when it got close. (Then it got too close, and got killed; it turns out those units work best for ranged combat.)

At the end of the day, though, I noticed the same problems that people complain about regarding Dawn of War II multiplayer in general. (Full disclosure: Aside from reviewing the frustrating Xbox 360 adaptation of Warhammer: Battle March, which is from a completely different developer, I'm a newcomer to the series. I got my butt kicked repeatedly in the beta. Apologies to anyone who's been unfortunate enough to be paired with me on a team.) In the skirmishes, you fight to control "victory points" while maintaining your resources and creating new units. That should be fun, but the tactics that win the day -- perusing the map for weaknesses in your enemy's defense, sending in units to attack key points, and having them run away if they get shot at -- can feel cheap and frustrating.

However, I should note that for many fans, the best multiplayer mode is Last Stand, which is similar to Gears of War's Horde mode. Last Stand will be part of Retribution, but it's not part of the beta. Also, the developers managed to hit the perfect balance when it comes to map design, giving us landscapes that are expansive enough to make battles feel epic but small enough that you never feel lost or overwhelmed. The terrain is perfectly suited for the gameplay, offering up plenty of natural cover and fairly distributed resource points. We also had a great experience with the matchmaking system: once the beta opened up and everyone who'd preordered the game was able to play, it never took more than a minute or so to get a game started. There should be a good community of potential opponents; there were about 1,500 people logged in on our last visit.

Visually, the game is nice but far from jaw-dropping. The maps are nicely rendered, with a good-looking blend of natural landscapes and man-made structures. The animations are fluid and believable, which makes the bloody, visceral battles a real treat to watch. The sound effects are simply terrific; the guns and lasers truly pop out whenever a battle starts. Unfortunately, Relic has continued the Warhammer series' tradition of having units make stupid comments whenever they're selected, such as "your units are at your command!" That can really pull you out of the moment.

Also, at this stage in the beta, there are a few wrinkles to be ironed out; we experienced several crashes, one of them in the middle of a game, and as the hardcore RTS crowd learns to exploit the current setup, some rebalancing will no doubt be needed. Fortunately, the powers that be decided to drop Games for Windows Live, which posed problems for previous games, in favor of Steamworks. We have no doubt that THQ will be prompt in fixing any game-killing bugs.

If you're not already a fan of Dawn of War II, Retribution probably won't do much to change your mind. However, for the hardcore Warhammer lovers who've been looking forward to this since before Christmas, Retribution will provide a perfect blend of updated features and classic gameplay.

Dungeons

2011-03-02T09:52:00.002+02:00

Dungeons' mind-numbing, repetitive gameplay never reaches the greatness of Dungeon Keeper, its classic inspiration.

It's often said that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. In the case of Dungeons, its imitation of Dungeon Keeper doesn't so much flatter as it does take the game out on a date and buy it breakfast in the morning. Nearly everything, from the character you play as to the world map that expands as you spread your reign of evil, is lifted from the Bullfrog classic. There are some new ideas, but more often than not, these make the game worse. These include lifeless hack-and-slash combat, an unrewarding leveling system, and tedious resource gathering. An injection of humor and some good voice acting take some of the pain away, but it's not enough to save Dungeons from being a dated trip down memory lane.
6297539None Deimos isn't one to turn down a spot of grave robbery.
Most of the humor comes at the beginning of the game, where a silly plot introduces you to a dungeon master known as Deimos. He's having relationship troubles with his demonic girlfriend Calypso, and sadly, not even a bunch of flowers and a back rub is enough to win her back. Instead, she decides to steal Deimos' throne and cast him into exile at the top of the dungeon. It's your job to guide him back to power by rebuilding his empire and exacting revenge on his ex-girlfriend. The basic gameplay is ripped wholesale from Dungeon Keeper. You have to build a thriving dungeon in real time, filling it with monsters, such as mutant frogs, flying snakes, and rabid rats; traps, such as floor spikes, swinging stones, and arrows; and decorative items, like skulls and statues. Your main objective is to lure enemies called heroes into your dungeon. They run around your dungeon calling out for "more experience!" and threatening to destroy your dungeon heart, which can end the game. Rather than ask you to immediately kill them, Dungeons puts a new spin on things by asking you to look after them before you indulge your sadistic side.
Heroes carry a certain amount of soul energy with them, which increases as they find interesting things to look at, fight with, or learn from as they explore your dungeon. You need soul energy to build decorative items and other structures called gimmicks, which in turn increases your prestige level, unlocking new missions that allow you to progress. To keep that soul energy flowing, you need to cater to each hero's need. If heroes crave gold, build a treasure chest; if they crave knowledge, build a library; or if they're masochists, create more monsters. Catering to the needs of mere mortals becomes incredibly tedious because the heroes never seem to be satisfied, often complaining about a lack of amenities such as libraries or armories, even if you've built several. When you've had enough, you can choose to kill the ungrateful adventurers and steal their gold or send them to a prison or torture chamber to extract more soul energy.

The charred remains of your conquests can be seen on the map.

Unfortunately, killing heroes isn't as simple as sending your monsters after them, because you don't have direct control over any monsters you've built. They just sit in their pentagram homes until an enemy happens to walk past. They often ignore passing heroes, and are barely strong enough to defeat them on their own. To deal significant damage to heroes, you must increase your monsters' experience levels by using soul energy. This requires a large amount of energy--more than you can gather from just a few heroes. This is fine in levels in which monsters are used more as bait than as dungeon defenders, but can be frustrating in levels in which you must fend off large groups of enemies. By the time you've gathered enough soul energy to level up your monsters, hero levels have increased several times, making it incredibly difficult to keep up with them.

What Went Wrong: Blood Stone

2011-03-01T19:09:00.003+02:00

James Bond: the nail in Bizarre’s coffin?

Given the current economic climate, it’s no surprise that the movie industry took a bit of a hit. It’s also no surprise that studios had to cut back. MGM, partial copyright holders of the James Bond franchise, had a deficit in the billions, meaning that a new entry in the 50-year old franchise just wasn’t on the cards, despite the success of the series’ reboot with Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace. So, rather than a new film continuing Bond’s quest to take down the Quantum organisation, fans were instead treated to a stand-alone story in the form of a third-person shooter from Bizarre Creations, the team behind Project Gotham Racing. Blood Stone had a lot of responsibility: not only did it have to stand up to its contemporaries, such as Gears of War, Splinter Cell: Conviction and Uncharted, it also had to tell a story worthy of the great tradition of Bond movies, and promised some awesome Bond-style car chases. Despite the talent of Bizarre Studios (clearly evident in the PGR games), Blood Stone just didn’t make a splash with critics or audiences. What went wrong?
There are a number of elements that make up a Bond movie. The story must incorporate a mystery involving dangerous science or political manoeuvring, there must be a girl who ties into the story somehow, there must be a car, normally an Aston Martin, to be involved in a car chase, the story must be global for the maximum amount of locations, and at the heart of it all there must be a villain turning the cogs. This is true of both classic Bond and the new, “grittier” Bond. Blood Stone features each of these stereotypes effortlessly. There’s an unrelated pre-credits sequence involving a gunfight on a yacht, followed by a boat chase, and by a car chase. It’s a promising start. Once the story kicks in, though, we realise that this story was, unfortunately, half baked. There are a couple of twists and turns, some nice locations, and a thankless performance from Joss Stone as the utterly uninteresting and vacuous Nicole. Daniel Craig only just fares better, imbuing his avatar with a sense of character through sheer force of charm. The villain, though, is completely forgettable. In short, the story and characters are Bond through and through, and yet that’s one of the games biggest weaknesses: it just isn’t at all surprising.

If you played Splinter Cell: Conviction last year, chances are that, at least once, you thought to yourself: “This is just like James Bond!” Apparently the folks at Bizarre did the same thing, because the gameplay in Blood Stone is strikingly similar to Splinter Cell in places. A third-person shooter where you need to stay in cover to not die, the game also uses one-button melee takedowns. These takedowns earn you focus aims, which slows down time and takes out your target in one hit. Pretty much exactly the same as in Splinter Cell. I suppose this isn’t a bad thing: it’s an interesting mechanic and is entirely appropriate.
The problem is, the game rarely makes you feel like a superspy. Obviously the game has to respect the new “realistic” aesthetic of the franchise, which is difficult considering how many henchmen you take down, and some of the situations you find yourself in, but is ultimately fairly successful in this endeavour. No, the problem is that the game holds your hand for the entire duration. Your cell phone guides you to each objective, literally marking out every step. Gunfights are easy and don’t require much thought to defeat the dopey AI. It’s a real shame, not helped by the fact that most of the games cool moments are in cutscenes, so there’s no real sense of accomplishment. You’re just there, pressing some buttons. Every aspect of the game is linear. There’s no opportunity at any point to deviate from a set path, to use your own brain to deal with a situation.

This might be more acceptable if the shooting aspects were top notch. Unfortunately, shooting just doesn’t feel very responsive. In an incredibly saturated genre, a games shooting mechanics have to be sleek and intuitive: there’s a good reason Call of Duty is pretty much the biggest game in the world. The shooting mechanics here can’t save the campaign, and consequently doom the multiplayer. There’s a reasonable selection of gametypes and maps, with unlockable skins etc. It’s just not enough to keep players coming back beyond a few games. The multiplayer shooter market is chock full of games trying to tap into Call of Duty’s monopoly, and Blood Stone is just one more that can’t do it.
There are a number of driving levels in Blood Stone. They break up the shooting aspects well, but aren’t particularly memorable themselves. The cars handle well, very similarly to PGR (not-surprisingly), meaning these sections are more arcade than simulation. There are huge amounts of destruction over vast areas here: visually sumptuous, but utterly ridiculous. A more realistic interpretation, indeed.

It’s staggering to think that GoldenEye 007 for the N64 still hasn’t been topped. One would be forgiven for thinking that all the advances in graphics and gameplay complexity would lead to a better game, but they’d be wrong. Blood Stone has good, not great graphics. Everything’s a little bland but far from ugly. It has an uninspiring story and mediocre gunplay. Everything is just a little too simple. At least it’s better than the Quantum of Solace game.
For the sake of speculation, it’d be interesting to see if Bizarre are tasked with making a sequel. Blood Stone has real potential, but could have done with more time, as is always the way with franchised games. A sequel isn’t likely, however, since the 23rd Bond movie has been officially greenlit.

DiRT 3: A masterclass in driving thrills?

2011-03-01T15:07:00.002+02:00

If there was one downside to 2009's Dirt 2 it was the dilution of the rallying on which the series was first founded. Too many side-events - slow truck racing and foam block-smashing trials - tainted the broth.

Codemasters wants to make amends, and they've revealed they're doing so with 60%. Sixty percent pure rallying, that is.

Well over half of Dirt 3 is set aside for old-school-style rallying action. On the wane last year, it's back with a vengeance this, and thanks to the inclusion of rain and snow it's rallying that will outclass anything seen in the already stellar series to date.

It's also worth mentioning that Dirt 3 is a much bigger game than its predecessor so, when you whip out the calculator and plug in the figures, 60% of Dirt 3 equates to well over three times the rallying content of the last racer. Them's the kind of numbers we like...

While Dirt 3 has pinched F1 2010's weather effects, claims that the precipitation models are the same aren't quite true. In F1 it was conceivable to start a race in the dry, see the heavens open on the third lap and then paddle past chequered flag after a full-blown monsoon.

Dirt 3's tracks don't really lend themselves to that type of evolving cloudburst, so each event has a fixed and unwavering weather setting attached to it.

Cleverly, however, believable meteorological patterns can be fudged in the multi-race campaign events. It's possible to race the first track of a country - say, Finland - on a cloudy morning, tackle the second in a downpour at around noon and experience a dusk race to close the series in lighter drizzle once the bigger clouds have passed.

These day-long events are exciting stuff, even if the weather evolution is a bit of a cheat, but the most exciting effect of all is the promise of the crunchy deformable snow and ice in Norway. The heavier it gets, the more you'll struggle and if you venture off the track your tyre grooves will become packed with powder.

To help nudge the game back closer to its roots somewhat, some of the other 'kookier' modes have all been toned down if not dropped altogether.

Gatecrasher is one such mode to have suffered the chop, while the branching route Raid races have now been transplanted onto standard rally tracks.

Bulky buggies and vans have all been shrunk to avoid the Big Mother Trucker feel, so you'll no longer be trailblazing with something more suited to lugging heavy goods across Europe.

NO LIMITS
If it all sounds a little calmer than usual, it's really not. Dirt 3 is still in-your-face exhilarating with car-on-car scrapes, violent twangs and mudsplosive jumps, bumps and skids packed into every minute. And if that's not insane enough for your tastes it also comes complete with a debutant mode unlike anything seen before: the gymkhana discipline.

Gymkhana is Dirt 3's one super-crazy inclusion and balances out all the zaniness lost from the axed elements, plus adds buckets more. It's essentially what happens when you construct the world's best skatepark for a trick-enabled car, complete with ramps for jumps and obstacles for other stunts.

There are a few gymkhana zones but the DC Compound - set in and around the decommissioned Battersea Power Station - is your main hub. It's Lara Croft's Croft Manor designed for a Ford Fiesta, one that grows bigger the further your press into Dirt 3.

It's filled with secret spots and hidden packages, and it's possible to invite other racers into your playground to mess around with and to play games like Capture the Flag.

It sounds like an odd inclusion - especially seeing as there's not a horse in sight - but after devoting well over an hour to the mode we can safely say that gymkhana is the best new feature in a Codemasters racer since Flashback.

Tearing around the gymkhana compounds and checking off the tricks in as fast a time as possible proves to be frighteningly addictive. More so than the Finnish rally that made up the other half of our hands-on demo, even.

TRICK AND TREAT
Every gymkhana course comes with a list of stunts to be completed in any order you choose. These come in three categories: Showpiece, Drifts and Donuts.

For the opening DC Compound course there are six tricks in total. First up are the Showpiece tricks. 'Airborne' is awarded to drivers who leap between two ramps while Blockbuster' is given to those who smash through all of the six foam blocks in the compound.

As these blocks are lined up into two perpendicular rows of three it's possible, with immense skill, to smash all of them with a ridiculously well-judged hairpin turn in between some scaffolding that sees you hit each row with the side of your car.

'Trailer Trash' and 'Pipe Dream' make up the Drift challenges. 'Trailer Trash' involves skidding underneath a couple of trailers; 'Pipe Dream' demands you slide the whole way through two tunnels made from curving half-pipes.

Finally, Donuting means throwing your car sideways into a controlled donut and driving multiple rings around the same object. For 'Pole Dancer' that object's a lamppost. For 'Can You Dig It', it's a digger.

Like any new mode, it's tough at first. Really tough. And we don't mean working out the order in which to perform the tricks to string them into one stopwatch-busting blitz of glory, we mean just performing one of the stunts.

Complete control is necessary to stand a chance. Mastery of feathering the throttle and the ability to balance the steering is a must. It becomes second nature with time, but we can foresee a situation where some people aren't willing to put in the hours to become one with their car first.

If you so much as even tap an object your stunt is invalidated and you need to begin all over again. Thankfully, Codies have a solution for those without spare time to practice. While the joy of gymkhana will ultimately come from learning the hard way and honing your skills until perfect, instant gratification can be earned by switching on assists.

With these aids activated the game will help you into a stunt and auto-correct slip-ups, so in the case of a Donut you'll get to pick how fast and how wide you want to spin, but the actual tricky job of keeping the donut going is taken out of your hands.

Whether you've used the helpers or you've put in the graft, successful completion of the gymkhana courses is going to result in some outrageously impressive footage. And for the first time YouTube integration will allow you to show the world what you've been getting up to by uploading a run onto the web.

It's destined to be a great boon for a title that - with its new wealth of rallying content - is in pole position to take 2011's racing crown.

Bulletstorm: Pure first-person shooting fun?

2011-03-01T14:39:00.003+02:00

Call of Duty: Black Ops, Halo Reach, Medal of Honour. 2010 had its share of great shooters, but even the itchiest of trigger fingers may be suffering combat fatigue in 2011.

Now, we like a shooter as much as the next sociopath, but somewhere there's a ton of decomposing horse meat with the boot prints of a million developers stippling its flanks.

But devs Epic and People Can Fly have whipped the proverbial dead nag into new and vibrant life: Bullet Storm is the result. And when we say whipped, we mean whipped.

One of the game's biggest draws is the inclusion of a nasty electro lash. A press of the right bumper will reach out, grab a targeted mutant and yank him full force into your waiting size 12. Hello, gore. Hello, points.

And if that doesn't make a headshot seem like small beer, you've got less soul than a vampire dog.

TOOLED UP
But the fun doesn't stop there kids, oh no. Even shooter standards such as the assault rifle, shotgun and grenade launcher have been retooled for maximum mayhem.

Witness for example the Bone Duster. Ostensibly it behaves like two shotguns fired in ecstatic union. Overcharge it, however, and it'll reduce the opposition to smouldering fragments of bone.

Overcook the grenade launcher and things get weirder still. It'll unleash a bouncing bomb that can be kicked around like a football made of pain. As both these terrifying toys suggest, this game is all about scoring points by causing pain. And the most points will be awarded to the most imaginative rather than the best shot.

As such the game's intimidating environments become playgrounds of painful possibility. Giant dinosaur skulls, fizzing circuits and electrical storms can all be exploited for points aplenty. String together an outrageous ill move with an environmental kill and those points hit unimagined heights.

THRILLER KILLER
But whereas it's easy to imagine how such combo-centric play will feed into score attacks and multiplayer bouts, it's less clear how it'll work in the game's story mode.

Set on the wilderness of a hostile planet our hard-drinking hero will have plenty of opportunity to lavish pain on its native population but will he have the patience? We know that scoring imaginative kills will allow you to upgrade more quickly, but is there more to it? Perhaps the enormous monstrosities glimpsed in these screens offer a hint.

Could it be that their mortal coils can only be unwound by imaginative attacks? We can only guess, but the invention displayed so far suggests surprises to come...