Platform: PS3

Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time

Post author By Andy Corrigan
Post date April 15, 2013

I think I’m right in saying that Sucker Punch’s Sly Cooper series was one of the PS2’s most popular games. I say ‘think’, because I never got around to playing them myself, yet I’ve been told many times and at great length about their apparent quality. It’ll have been a long time coming for fans, then, but seven years later, Sly finally returns under new developer Sanzaru Games.

Sadly, though, there are times in this business where you’ll come into the latest entry of a beloved series and fail to see what everyone else does. You know as soon as you start writing the review that you’re likely going to upset people, and unfortunately, this is one of those times…

Tags Adventure, bentley, Classic, cross-play, murray, Platformer, platforming, PS3, sly cooper, Stealth, thieves in time, Vita

Crysis 3

Post author By Neil Hickton
Post date April 10, 2013

What exactly is the crisis in Crysis? If you remove the ‘aliens have aggressively invaded our planet from inside and outside’ element from it, the Crysis story still has a lot more left to tell. Given there have been four single-player campaign games including the latest installment of Crysis 3, this makes for a rich lore for a first-person shooter. To confuse matters yet further, the back story has been expanded by a novel based on the story elements from Crysis 2, and there is even a comic book series that tells the story between Crysis and Crysis 2.

The available history provides all the main characters that you have some interaction with (and many that you don’t) the opportunity to have ‘deep’ back stories of their own. What all this wealth of back story means, is that I can’t really do the story any favours here, without perhaps spoiling it for you just a little. If you’ve not played it, I recommend you go and play Crysis 2 first and just skip the first section of the review. If you’re not really bothered about all that and just need a new futuristic first-person shooter to play, read on.

Tags Battlefield 3, Call of Duty, Crysis, Crysis 2, Crysis 3, Crysis Warhead, far cry 3, Half-Life 2, Wipeout

The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct

Post author By Richard Margetts
Post date April 8, 2013

If I reflect back on the past few years of my life, many of my memorable accounts will be that of watching TV shows and films or playing games that are of a fantasy or horror genre. Being that I follow religiously The Walking Dead TV Show, I have always tried to stick to my guns and obey the ‘must buy anything related to the TV show’ scenario to a tee, even though on occasion I have been let down staggeringly. Yes, I’m a sucker for punishment; I know.

When Telltale Games decided to launch their take on The Walking Dead comics back in 2012, I was at first skeptical of purchasing their title, being that I hadn’t read any of the comics and having been told that it doesn’t join at the hip with the TV show. After reading the great reviews that the game logged, though, I snapped it up in an instant. Finding myself gripped to a characteristic journey and reminiscing past point-and-click games like the highly acclaimed Broken Sword series, I had to replenish my excitement and carry on watching The Walking Dead on TV until another Walking Dead game would cross my path.

Then without a massive array of previews and with little known about it, The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct suddenly made an appearance.

Tags Activision, Daryl Dixon, FPS, Infested, Merle Dixon, Survival Horror, Terminal Reality, The Walking Dead, The Walking Dead Survival Instinct, Walkers, Zombies

BioShock Infinite

Post author By Trent Pyro
Post date April 2, 2013

BioShock was a game I wasn’t the slightest bit interested in when it came out. I’m not sure if I even had a 360 at the time. Even if I had, its curious mix of scary adventure and visceral, plasmid-assisted shooting would’ve likely been somewhere near the bottom of my ‘To Buy’ list, nestled under Gears of War and Fable.

However, after getting it from LoveFilm almost three years after it was released, I couldn’t believe what I’d missed out on. The richness of the world, the sheer quality of the storytelling; all without sacrificing one inch of satisfying gameplay. I was hooked.

The second game was disappointingly not developed by Irrational Games and it showed, being an admirable follow-up but failing to bring the same undeniable quality. As soon as I heard Irrational was developing BioShock Infinite I remained intently glued to the internet and our database thread, desperately hankering for another crumb from Ken Levine’s table.

Well, the wait is finally over and my God, was it worth it. I wrote a piece a few weeks ago about how this game was going to save the genre it sometimes awkwardly sat in. While I was maybe a little overzealous with that statement, I can safely say it’s gone quite a way towards fulfilling it…

Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance

Post author By Ray Willmott
Post date April 2, 2013

Platinum have carved quite a name for themselves in the last few years. Exploding on the scene with Bayonetta, the stiletto-shooting witch, the company have since gone on to work on some cult classics, such as Vanquish, Anarchy Reigns, and now Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance.

It’s been over five years since the last major instalment in the Metal Gear franchise, and only the second to feature Raiden in a lead role. Did Platinum Games help Konami to learn from the mistakes of Sons of Liberty? Can we ever come to accept Raiden?

Tags Metal Gear Rising, Raiden, revengeance

Aliens: Colonial Marines

Post author By Andy Corrigan
Post date March 13, 2013

You’d think that a license as iconic as Aliens would have resulted in some phenomenal games over the years, but really, what’s come since the 16 bit era has been nothing but a string of disappointments. Most recently, Rebellion made a decent fist of Aliens vs. Predator but fell short, providing an underwhelming game that only hinted at its true potential. Meanwhile, Obsidian’s hugely promising Aliens RPG was canned by SEGA in favour of putting all their Xenomorph eggs in Gearbox’s generally successful basket. To be fair, for a while there it was looking promising too…

With this review delayed, though, you’ll likely already know what happened. Alien: Colonial Marines bombed critically as co-developers Gearbox and Timegate attempted to shift the blame to each other, while SEGA still seem to stand oblivious as to what the hell went wrong.

If you’re looking at us for a review that deviates from the mainstream’s perception of the game, then you’re going to be disappointed: Aliens: Colonial Marines is undeniably scary, but for all the wrong reasons.

Tags Alien, Aliens, Aliens vs Predator, Aliens: Colonial Marines, FPS, Gearbox, Hicks, Hudson, LV-426, Marines, Ripley, Sega, Sulaco, Timegate, Vasquez

Dead Space 3

Post author By Ray Willmott
Post date March 8, 2013

My worst fears have come true. They didn’t manifest in the face of rampaging necromorphs with crowbars. Nor did they emerge in the emptiness of an outer-space wasteland.

It’s the horrible reality that the face of Dead Space has changed irreparably, and much of the ambience and atmosphere initially embedded in the franchise seems to have been permanently lost.

Tags co-op, Dead Space, EA, Horror, necromorphs, Shooter, space, trilogy, Visceral

Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch

Post author By Andy Corrigan
Post date March 7, 2013

While I adore almost everything that Studio Ghibli have put out over the years, I’ve never had the pleasure of experiencing a Level 5 JRPG before, only managing to recently play and review their latest Professor Layton effort on 3DS. However, the idea of Ghibli collaborating with any game studio is one that I can firmly get behind.

In doing just that, Level 5 have absolutely managed to live up to the expectations cast over them by Ghibli’s impressive heritage. They’ve delivered a masterpiece.

Tags Drippy, Level 5, Mr Drippy, Ni No Kuni, Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch, Oliver, Proper Tidy, Tidy

Family Guy: Back to the Multiverse

Post author By Matt Parker
Post date February 6, 2013

Here we are. A Family Guy game. Excited? In theory, you should be, right?

A long-running series that has a ton of characters and episodes to draw from. A team of writers who have their own brand of comedy that are on board and in charge of the game’s script. A simple art style to emulate. What could possibly go wrong?

Tags Activision, Family Guy, Multiverse, review, Terrible

The Cave

Post author By Kirk Mckeand
Post date February 4, 2013

Ron Gilbert, of Monkey Island fame, has been harbouring an idea for decades. Initially it was this concept: A cave that pulls people into the recesses of their mind, where the dark thoughts reside.

The idea stayed with him while other projects took precedent for almost twenty years, until the recent collaboration with Tim Schafer’s Double Fine Productions finally took the concept and made it a reality.

Tags Adventure, Cave, Double Fine, Point & Click, Ron Gilbert, Sega, The Cave, Tim Schafer

Knytt Underground

Post author By Andy Corrigan
Post date January 26, 2013

I’ll be honest: I’d never heard of Nifflas’ Games’ Knytt series before, so when approaching Knytt Underground on Vita, I did so completely oblivious to what was ahead. All I could fathom was that it was a platformer focused on exploration.

What I discovered was a compelling oddity, and frankly, one of the most relaxing games I played last year…

Tags Knytt, Knytt Stories, Knytt Underground, Medtroidvania, PS Vita, Vita

Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed

Post author By Andy Corrigan
Post date January 25, 2013

I think that everyone coming into Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed for the first time will cynically expect the same thing; a painfully cheap and undercooked Mario Kart clone. I mean, that’s what I was expecting, certainly, and it was the exact reason I’ve kept well away from Sonic-themed racers right up until this point.

Only… I had it wrong. Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed is actually brilliant, and in many ways surpasses its own inspiration.

Tags Afterburner, Alex Kidd, Golden Axe, jet set radio, Mario Kart, racing, Shinobi, Sonic & All Stars Racing Transformed, Sonic & All-Stars Racing, Sonic the Hedgehog

Virtua Fighter 2

Post author By Andy Corrigan
Post date January 25, 2013

So I decided to complete the trifecta and review the third and final of SEGA’s fighting games released just before Xmas. With Sonic The Fighters and Fighting Vipers already done, all that was left was Virtua Fighter 2.

Being more of a Tekken fan at the time of the series’ heyday, I never had the pleasure of sampling the delights of Virtua Fighter until a very brief go at Virtua Fighter 4 just a few years ago.

Truth be told, I didn’t get on with it all too well. How would I cope with going further back into the series’ history?

Tags Akira, Fighting games, Pai Chan, VF, Virtua Fighter, Virtua Fighter 2

DmC: Devil May Cry

Post author By Ray Willmott
Post date January 14, 2013

It starts. The 2012 lull is done and dusted. The holidays are over and the 2013 gaming season has begun. Now the first of the heavy hitters is off the blocks and wants your money.

DmC (better known to some as Devil May Cry) has been plagued with controversy since the day it was announced. With a new developer comes a new look and style for the illustrious franchise. For Ninja Theory, it’s been a bumpy ride ever since.

Now we’re here with a verdict. Have Capcom made a grave mistake outsourcing this iconic series?

Tags capcom, Dante, Devil May Cry, DMC, Kat, Ninja Theory, Sparda, Vergil

Resident Evil 6

Post author By Matt Parker
Post date January 13, 2013

Resident Evil has been a series in transition for sometime now. Resident Evil 4 saw the game go into a more action-orientated direction, Resident Evil 5 introduced a co-op angle to the series and now we have Resident Evil 6. Just what does it have to offer to the long-standing franchise?

Consisting of four campaigns, Resident Evil 6 covers the story of the ‘C Virus’, a virus which mutates people into zombies or sometimes monsters. Oh, and you’ve got to stop it. Sound familiar?

Tags capcom, Resident Evil 6, Reviews

Fighting Vipers

Post author By Andy Corrigan
Post date January 10, 2013

Having already reviewed one of SEGA’s digitally re-released fighting trio just before Xmas (Sonic The Fighters), it’s fair to say that I haven’t been expecting all too much from Fighting Vipers. It’s a game I never played in its heyday, but I distinctly remember reading about it in CVG back in ’96 and desperately wishing I had a SEGA Saturn to try it out.

Sadly, that scenario never came to fruition, but had I dodged an expensive bullet? Let’s find out!

Tags Candy, Fighting games, Fighting Vipers, Grace, Honey, Raxel, Sega, Sonic the Fighters, Tekken, Virtua Fighter 2

Painkiller: Hell & Damnation

Post author By Trent Pyro
Post date December 27, 2012

Being mainly a console gamer for most of my life, the apprently epic title that was Painkiller completely passed me over. I was also about 14 when it came out and so much too young to get hold of it in the shops. After a bit of research I found that not only was a it a smash hit (despite borrowing heavily from Doom and Quake), it also had a massive run of expansions, mods and different versions keeping it going over the years.

Originally crafted by People Can Fly, whose latest FPS foray Bulletstorm was an interesting and hilarious take on the genre, developer The Farm 51 has decided to remake the vanilla game and repackage it for a new generation. With its gameplay rooted firmly in the wave-battle style of the FPS pensioners, can it really satisfy today’s plot-hungry audiences?

Tags co-op, Daniel Gardener, demons, devil, FPS, Hell, Hell and Damnation, Multiplayer, Nordic Games, Painkiller, People Can Fly, Satan, Shooter, The Farm 51

Playstation All-Stars Battle Royale

Post author By Andy Corrigan
Post date December 24, 2012

Smash Bros. Smash Bros. Smash Bros. That’s the last you’ll hear of that franchise for the rest of the review. Playstation All-Stars Battle Royale’s inspiration is clear, and I have to say that I’ve been suspicious of it as a concept since its announcement. It felt like nothing more than a cynical cash grab, Sony saying ‘us too!’ and failing to see exactly what made all these respective franchises so great in the first place. I didn’t think it could work with a roster this diverse.

That said, I never claimed it couldn’t be a good game in spite of my apprehension. The time has come. Has it managed to sway my mind?

Tags All-Stars, Battle Royale, Big Daddy, Fighting games, Kratos, Nathan Drake, Playstation All-Stars Battle Royale, PS Vita, PS3, Sackboy, Vita

Guardians of Middle Earth

Post author By AJ Thompson
Post date December 20, 2012

With the Hobbit movie bringing J.R.R. Tolkien’s work back into the limelight, it’s no surprise that video-game companies are jumping on the bandwagon. What is surprising is the way that this particular company chose to do it. Guardians of Middle Earth is a console Multiplayer online battle arena which manages to create a similar experience on a very different platform.

If you like MOBA or Lord of the Rings, or both, you’ll probably enjoy this downloadable title.

Tags Gandalf, guardians of middle-earth, Lord of the Rings, PS3, The Hobbit, Xbox 360

Need for Speed: Most Wanted

Post author By Phil Ubee
Post date December 18, 2012

The Need for Speed series is possibly one of, if not the longest running series of driving games on home consoles, having debuted way back in 1994 on the 3DO system (hands up who remembers that one). It is also the most successful, having sold well over 100 million copies worldwide, and unlike many successful franchises it has been passed through a variety of different developers in its time, perhaps one of the reasons for the franchise’s ongoing success. That made the announcement earlier this year that EA was handing the reigns over to Criterion Games in its entirety a touch surprising.

Considering I have never really been much of a fan of driving games it has been something of a shock to find myself covering two in as many months. Fortunately NFS: MW couldn’t be more different to F1 2012, firmly breaking my long-held belief that all driving gcames are the same. The question remains, though: is it any good?

Tags arcade race, autolog recommends, Criterion, EA, Most wanted, need for speed, NFS, NFS:MW, PS3, XBOX360

Hitman: Absolution

Post author By Andy Corrigan
Post date December 14, 2012

Hitman: Blood Money was my first real taster of IO Interactive’s assassination simulator series, and I instantly became a fan. I already loved stealth games as a general rule, but Hitman’s open playground and limitless possibilities really struck a chord with me, to the point where I retroactively went back and played the previous titles.

It’s been a long wait, then, for Hitman to return to our screens once more. Will my love still be… absolute?

Absolute. Heh heh, I’m a genius…

Tags 47, Agent 47, assassin, Hitman, hitman absolution, IO Interactive, Square Enix

DOOM 3 BFG Edition

Post author By Neil Hickton
Post date December 10, 2012

You’ve played DOOM, I know you have. No self-respecting gamer could possibly hold their own, in a conversation about any other first person shooters, without having played at least the first level. Reasons are obvious I’m sure. How would you know how far shooters have come? It’s amazing to even imagine that you couldn’t even look up or down, jump even. Oh how we laugh about it and lightly slap our thighs in amusement.

So you’ve played it? Yes? …No? Really? Am I really that old now that there are gamers out there that haven’t played DOOM? Alright, I get it; it is really old-school. How about DOOM 2? Sure you did. No!? You’re messing with me, aren’t you?

So what you’re telling me is that you’ve been playing all of these triple-A shooters, your Call of Duties, your Battlefields, your Halos and your My Little Pony Battle Stars. I understand. I may have made that last one up, but they’re good aren’t they, perhaps great even. Yet don’t you feel the hankering, the awe of wonder and the lust for adventure into the unknown distant past, into a story set in corporate-owned future hell? Yes, yes, yes?

DOOM 3 BFG Edition: we’ve mused (albeit unoriginally) on the podcast a few times now that it’s the Roald Dahl-inspired and much-needed Big Friendly Giant version of DOOM 3. The version that you never thought you needed. Complete with snozzcumbers and terribly damaging whizzpoppers! Luckily it’s not that at all; it’s something much better.

Out of the box you get the original DOOM, DOOM 2, a remastered DOOM 3 and some extra content, some old and some new. Let the gates of hell re-open (again), before I have to go shopping for some more milk…

Tags 3d, Classic, Doom 3 BFG, first person shooter, FPS, old-school, Remake, Retro, shoot em up

Sonic the Fighters

Post author By Andy Corrigan
Post date December 6, 2012

Having never owned a SEGA console at any time in my youth, I’d missed out on a lot of titles in one of my favourite genres: fighting games. I’d failed to experience the tight, technical combat of Virtua Fighter until the current generation, but I’d also missed out on other popular titles, such as Fighting Vipers and Sonic The Fighters.

Luckily, you can trust Xbox Live Arcade and PSN to provide the ability to put such situations right, and recently SEGA ported three of their most beloved fighting classics to home consoles. Having just forked out for a slick new fight stick, I was all too happy to volunteer my services and put these games to the test.

First up was Sonic The Fighters. With no prior experience, the game appeared to be Virtua Fighter with Sonic characters; unfortunately, it’s less than that…

Tags Achievements, Beat em up, Dr Robotnik, Emerald Zone, Fighting Game, Sonic the Fighters, Sonic the Hedgehog

Assassin’s Creed III

Post author By Trent Pyro
Post date December 5, 2012

From the moment it first touched down on Xbox 360, the Assassin’s Creed series has been at the forefront of cutting-edge action stealth gameplay. From Altair’s journeys through Crusade-era Syria, to the tale of Renaissance-man Ezio Auditore stretching across three epic titles, the series has also allowed us to experience history like never before. After the resounding success of Ezio’s plotline, Ubisoft are looking to bring main protagonist Desmond’s story to a close also with Assassin’s Creed III.

Have they managed to bring this most epic of series to a satisfying close? Has the departure of fan-favourite Ezio spelled doom for the franchise? Worry not Assassin’s fans; Ubisoft know exactly what they’re doing, and we never should have doubted them.

Tags action, America, Assassin's Creed 3, Assassins Creed, Brotherhood, Combat, Connor, Ezio, free roam, Revolution, Stealth, Ubisoft, Ubisoft Montreal

Far Cry 3

Post author By Ray Willmott
Post date December 1, 2012

2012 has been an extremely competitive year for games. My GOTY has changed about five times, and we’re not even in December. If nothing else, that’s a testament to the quality of titles developers have been churning out from all spectrums, from the mobile sector through to the AAA leagues.

However, I’m confident that on December 31st, when all is said and done and the smoke is cleared, Far Cry 3 will be the game that stands tall above the rest.

Far Cry 3 is the best Far Cry game to date. It’s one of the best games Ubisoft have ever done and, as far as I can tell, it’s the finest example of gaming quality I’ve seen in 2012.

Here’s why…

Tags far cry, far cry 3, Jason, Multiplayer, Ubisoft, Vaas

007 Legends

Post author By Phil Ubee
Post date November 30, 2012

I have been a staff writer for This Is My Joystick for almost four years now, and during that time I have been fortunate enough to receive review copies of some superb games. Some of these have been traditional big hitters that have saved me a purchase, such as FIFA or PES, while others have been games that I would otherwise never have played and that in many cases have been a pleasant surprise.

I consider myself incredibly lucky not to have received anything for review that is truly awful, that is until now. 007 Legends is, without question, the worst game I have reviewed to date. In fact, it is very high up on the list of worst games ever. Here’s why.

Tags 007, 007 legends, Activision, Bond, Eurocom, Goldfinger, Moonraker, PS3, skyfall, XBOX360

Medal of Honor: Warfighter

Post author By Andy Corrigan
Post date November 26, 2012

In 2010, EA followed Call of Duty’s lead and finally brought their previously WW2-only franchise, Medal of Honor, into the Modern Warfare era with developer Danger Close at the helm. Unfortunately, Medal of Honor simply failed to live up to the lofty goals set out for it. Not even a DICE-developed multiplayer could mask its mediocrity in the eyes of the critics.

Still, undeterred, EA have given Danger Close another bite of the cherry with Medal of Honor: Warfighter, which hit store shelves a month ago.

A worthy challenger for Call of Duty, finally? Not by a long shot…

Tags Danger Close, EA, Electronic Arts, Medal of Honor, Medal of Honor: Warfighter, Modern Warfare, MoH, MoH: Warfighter, Warfighter, ww2, WWII

Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two

Post author By Ray Willmott
Post date November 18, 2012

Two heads are better than one, or so they say. A few years ago, Warren Spector spearheaded a Wii exclusive project that aimed to bring the world’s most iconic cartoon character back to his classic platform roots.

He succeeded. Mostly. Yet, glaring issues with control and camera hampered player’s overall enjoyment. That, and the game lacked support for multiple players.

Now his team are back with a sequel that aims to right the wrongs of its predecessor and in the same breath, share the wealth with every other format out there.

While he’s been successful on many counts, unfortunately, Spector and Junction Point Studios have managed to create a whole new set of problems.

Tags Epic Mickey, mickey mouse, Oswald, Power of Two, The Mad Doctor, The Wasteland, Walt Disney, Warren Spector

Double Dragon Neon

Post author By Trent Pyro
Post date November 12, 2012

Double Dragon is a name synonymous with crowded arcades, feverish high-score runs and many moments of cabinet-destroying frustration. It’s been kicking our arses since 1987 and after numerous sequels, a brief snooze and a snazzy HD remake in 2007, it’s back once again to unleash its fury upon the human race.

Despite being nought but a wiggly sperm when the original game was released I’ve managed to play it on a number of home consoles (thanks to a couple of retro-obsessed mates) and in its original cabinet form (thanks to a retro shop in town), as well as having bought it on XBLA. After sampling the classic in its various forms I’ve come to a few conclusions; it’s funny, stylish and relentlessly fucking hard. Double Dragon Neon seems to be an attempt to bring the style and graphics kicking and screaming into the 21st century, but how much has the game really changed?

Tags 80's, Beat em up, Billy, Double Dragon, Double Dragon Neon, HD, Jimmy, mixtape, Music, Remake

Naughty Bear: Panic in Paradise

Post author By Phil Ubee
Post date November 7, 2012

Teddy Bears are the absolute symbol of childhood innocence. Soft, cuddly, harmless creatures stuffed with fluff and designed to be cuddled to sleep every night by a loving child, right? While that may be the case ninety-nine times in a hundred, there is always an exception to the rule and that exception goes by the name of Naughty Bear.

Naughty is the polar opposite of what you expect from a Teddy Bear, with a penchant for breaking everything he sees, scaring his kin and killing everything in sight with the aid of everything he can find. In fact, Naughty takes so much pride in torture and violence that he could be confused for the lead in the latest Tarantino movie or worse. The Killer question is how much fun can you have with a cuddly toy?

Read on to find out.

Tags 505 Games, action adventure, Naughty Bear, Panic in Paradise, PS3, Xbox 360

R.A.W. (Realms of Ancient War)

Post author By AJ Thompson
Post date October 28, 2012

Suffice it to say, there have been a lot of fantasy video games over the years. More and more keep coming, and as gamers we can only hope each one stands out in its own way. Hopefully each one has something unique to offer.

Sadly, RAW doesn’t have anything new to offer. In fact, it doesn’t have anything good to offer at all. While it’s not a terribly flawed game, it never goes beyond the level of mediocre.

Tags focus home interactive, raw, realms of ancient war, WizarBox

F1 2012

Post author By Phil Ubee
Post date October 25, 2012

I have to be honest and say I am not a huge fan of driving games. However, not many sports fans don’t have at least a passing interest in the Formula 1 and you all know I’m a big sports nut. So an F1 video-game automatically becomes a kind of “between a rock and a hard place” affair. Does F1 2012 reach out to my sporting desires, or is it just another racing sim in shiny F1 clothing? Read on to find out.

Tags Codemasters, drivers, F1, FiA, formula 1, PS3, Xbox 360

FIFA 13

Post author By Phil Ubee
Post date October 17, 2012

Love it or hate it, football is almost always in the news. From players tweeting inappropriately, or the age-old debates about diving and goal line technology; to what constitutes world-class, and the latest YouTube clip of another Messi wonder-goal; you just can’t get away from it.

The battle for supremacy on console football is almost as passionately fought these days. Having seen what Konami produced with PES 2013 I was given the task of seeing how EA Sports FIFA 13 measures up. Read on to find out.

Tags EA Sports, EA Sports Football Club, Fifa, FIFA 13, Football, PC, Pes, PS3, Reviews, Soccer, Ultimate Team FUT, Xbox 360

XCOM: Enemy Unknown

Post author By Ray Willmott
Post date October 9, 2012

Strategy games have rarely been a great fit on home consoles. Sure, we had Halo Wars and that was a bit of fun, but realistically, it wasn’t a patch on the Total War series or anything else of a similar ilk.

Undeterred however, Firaxis are not only rebooting legendary PC franchise, XCOM, but they’re determined to make it an engaging fit for 2012 audiences.

How did they get on?

Tags 1994, Enemy Unknown, Firaxis, PC, PS3, Sid Meier, Tactical Warfare, Xbox 360, Xcom

Dishonored

Post author By Ray Willmott
Post date October 8, 2012

The shadows remain a comfortable place for many gamers. They offer an alternative path both tense and undisturbed. Yet, while this method of exploration is prevalent in most games, it has perhaps never been so integral and significant as it is in Dishonored. Yet at the same time, so completely irrelevant.

Dishonored is one of the first games to allow the player total freedom to play how they want, when they want.

This is both its greatest strength and biggest weakness.

Tags Arkane Studios, Assassins Creed, Bethesda, Dishonored, flame, shadow, Splinter Cell, Stealth, Steampunk, thief, Victorian

Mark of the Ninja

Post author By Trent Pyro
Post date October 5, 2012

I’ve always had an uneasy relationship with stealth. Sneaking about in shadows for ages, cutting one throat per hour has never seemed like much fun and I’ve never been very good at it. I’m the guy who stays hidden just long enough to take a position of advantage before unleashing merry hell with whatever weapon the game deems to give me. While I recognise the Hitman and Splinter Cell series’ as respected behemoths, I’ve never really got on with them.

It’s odd, then, that my favourite XBLA game of the year so far is a stealth title. Not a game that involves stealth; a proper sneak-em-up where one false move can spell instant death and where killing while hidden is about the only way you can do it. Klei Entertainment, the visionary creators of Shank, have not only managed to craft one of the best stealth games ever made but craft it so well that even life-long avoiders like myself cannot stop playing it. Let me explain…

Tags 1200MSP, 2D, cartoon, Klei Entertainment, Mark of the Ninja, Microsoft Game Studios, Ninja, Platformer, Shank, Side-Scroller, Stealth, sword, XBLA

PES 2013

Post author By Phil Ubee
Post date September 23, 2012

There are certain things that are synonymous with Autumn; blackberries, leaves falling from the trees, the heating going on for the first time since Easter, and the release of big video-game sporting franchises. This year, Konami have given us PES 2013 a little earlier than usual, perhaps to get a head start on their big rival in that all-important battle for supremacy.

I, like many journalists, was fortunate enough to receive the review copy of the game in advance of release with a view to giving you, our beloved reader, the low down before the game hit the high street on Friday 21^st September. However, Konami decided that they were not going to enable the servers to allow online play until that date so, unlike many of our larger more professional peers, we made the decision to delay posting our review until this part of the game could be fully tested. This enables us to give you all the facts.

So to coin a phrase, does PES 2013 “hit the ground running?” Read on to find out.

Tags Football, Konami, Master League, PC, Pes, PS3, Soccer, Winning Eleven, Xbox 360

Rock Band Blitz

Post author By Trent Pyro
Post date September 19, 2012

Since it shook the rhythm action genre in late 2007, Rock Band has become the epitome of the genre. Far from remaining the new breed nipping at the heels of the already-aged Guitar Hero series, it quickly matured into about the most fun you could have with a plastic guitar. Its song store is absolutely overflowing with thousands of tunes of all genres, opening up the game to all tastes and preferences. Despite Activision’s cruel axing of the entire series in 2011, developer Harmonix carried on regardless, continuing to support past games and develop new ones.

One look at the online statistics and song downloads for Rock Band 3 tells us we don’t need another full release quite yet. Good job Harmonix recognise that and have instead blessed us with Rock Band Blitz. Billed as a more arcade-oriented, score-juggling version of the style we know and love, Blitz takes its cue from one of the companies old releases, Amplitude. A fresh idea back then, it was never really emulated and remains a gem of the PS2 era. Can Harmonix rekindle the love many people had for that game and keep its trademark Rock Band joy?

Tags 360, amplitude, arcade, blitz, Guitar Hero, Harmonix, Music, PS3, PSN, rhythm, rock band, Xbox Live

Borderlands 2

Post author By Ray Willmott
Post date September 18, 2012

Ah, sequels. They’re both the scariest and most exciting thing, aren’t they?

Borderlands is the most successful new IP in recent memory, so 2K were always going to commission a bigger, badder and better sequel.

Did they get exactly that?

Tags 2K Games, Bajillion Guns, Bandits, Borderlands, Borderlands 2, Gearbox Software, Joy-Puke

Tekken Tag Tournament 2

Post author By Ray Willmott
Post date September 11, 2012

Tekken has truly become the fighter for the modern-day warrior. Sure, Soul Calibur V was a huge release earlier this year, and the crossover with Street Fighter was a big deal, but this has always been the jewel in Namco Bandai’s crown.

After a long, arduous absence, dating back as far as the PS2 launch, Tekken Tag Tournament is back, but is it still the greatest show on Earth?

Tags Fighting games, Heihachi, Kazuya, Mishima, namco, Paul, Tekken, Tekken Tag Tournament, Tekken Tag Tournament 2

Sleeping Dogs

Post author By Trent Pyro
Post date August 29, 2012

Action cinema is something we take for granted these days, but back in the day we had to settle for John Wayne cowboy movies and the occasional Steve McQueen thriller to satisfy our cravings for visual violence. Then along came a little-known Chinese director who changed everything: John Woo.

With just two films, The Killer and Hard Boiled, he revolutionised the way we viewed the gunfight, crafting almost poetic sequences with a flair and aplomb never before seen. He directed the actors like dancers and used the physicality of stars like Chow Yun Fat to create a whole new style of cinematography dubbed balletic gunplay. Pretty much every dual-wield dive through a plate glass window, modern gunman showdown and slo-mo bullet death owes a debt to Mr Woo. Without him there would be no Matrix, no Max Payne and now, no Sleeping Dogs.

Originally a fresh IP from little-known developer United Front Games called Black Lotus, it was quickly snapped up by Activision and rebranded as True Crime: Hong Kong in an effort to rejuvenate the old franchise for a new generation. Some time later the corporation declared that the game “…just wasn’t going to be good enough.” and dropped it in the lurch, leaving its future in question and United Front with an 80% finished game and no publisher.

Fast-forward a year and Square Enix London are among the companies being courted by the ailing developer. Claiming they’d found a diamond in the rough, the Japanese company picked it up and immediately began working with United Front to release the game under a new title: Sleeping Dogs. It’s finally here and the big question is, has it lived up to expectations? Squeenix said that Activision must have been crazy to drop the game, so let’s find out if they were right.

Darksiders II

Post author By Ray Willmott
Post date August 14, 2012

Death waits for no man. It can’t be outrun. It can’t be outsmarted. There is nowhere to hide.

The representation of the Grim Reaper varies from place to place; both appearance and attitude are depicted differently by culture, race and imagination. This is as true of the protagonist of Vigil Game’s Darksiders II as anywhere else. As such, there is no right or wrong way to see the world’s most feared executioner. We’re unified in our belief that the Reaper walks a path of destruction, leaving nothing alive in its wake, and that’s all that matters.

Thankfully for THQ, however, the path set before us in Darksiders 2 is one we will all want to walk and see through to its conclusion.

Tags Armageddon, Darksiders, Darksiders II, Death, Famine, Pestilence, thq, Vigil Games, War

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater HD

Post author By Phil Ubee
Post date July 30, 2012

One of the best things about XBLA is getting to play the HD remakes of all those games you grew up with. One of the worst things about XBLA is having to play some of those games you grew up with. That might seem a little contradictory but put in layman’s terms, for every R-Type Dimensions there is a Crazy Taxi.

Similarly, the major plus of writing for a gaming site is getting to play games you would never usually play, but the flipside is sometimes you have to play games you’d never usually play. This brings me to Tony Hawks Pro Skater HD, a reboot of the 1999 original from Developer Robomondo.

As a youngster I had a brief and unsuccessful flirt with skateboarding, before very quickly realising that tall and heavy wasn’t the best body shape for balancing on a small piece of wood while going up and down ramps. So I had little interest when the original Tony Hawks launched. However, as a large number of my close friends were heavily into the sport and purchased the game, I had to endure my share of nights trying to pull off all those tricks in the virtual world that had eluded me in the real one. As such, I wasn’t exactly excited by the prospect of the reboot; but here we are, and the big question is can it change my mind?

Tags Activision, PS3, Robomondo, Skateboarding, skater, THPS, Tony Hawks, XBLA

Game of Thrones

Post author By Ray Willmott
Post date July 17, 2012

George R.R. Martin’s fantastic fantasy series has taken the world by storm, thanks in part to the hit HBO series which debuted last year. With so many dynamic, unpredictable and interesting characters, coupled with a luxurious, beautiful landscape, the Seven Kingdoms has sucked us in with sickening virtuosity.

However, with a world so vast, a game is necessary to help fill some of the gaps in the lore. Enter Cyanide Studios and their RPG interpretation. A title that prompts incredible promise and expectation, but is this all we want it to be?

Tags Clash of Kings, Dance with Dragons, Feast for Crows, Game of Thrones, George R Martin, Lannister, Stark, Storm of Swords, Westeros

Lollipop Chainsaw

Post author By Michael Charge
Post date July 13, 2012

It’s very rare that I can’t physically finish a game due to its content. As someone who writes about games, I feel like I need to play something all the way through in order to give a proper opinion on how a games eventually roll out, seeing as nearly all of them pick up later.

Unfortunately, Suda 51’s Lollipop Chainsaw is just so offensively uninteresting I can’t finish it. Which is a shame, as the story has the potential to be really funny but the rest of the game just won’t let me get there.

Tags action, Beat em up, Grasshopper Manufacture, Lollipop Chainsaw, Suda 51, Warner Bros

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim – Dawnguard (DLC)

Post author By Trent Pyro
Post date July 12, 2012

Since it hit the shelves in November last year, many of you have spent an inordinate amount of time in Skyrim. It’s surely a testament to the depth and quality of Bethesda’s latest Elder Scrolls world that it remains in many people’s most played lists despite having no multiplayer to speak of.

Even so, there’s only so much to do and so much to see in Skyrim and Bethesda know this. Like any good developer they’ve been teasing us with the promise of ‘less but bigger’ DLC in comparison to Oblivion, and they recently made good on that promise with the release of Dawnguard.

With a hefty price tag of 1600MSP (about £14) and the world of Skyrim already pretty full, is Dawnguard worth the purchase? Unfortunately this is one of those tricky things that entirely depends on what you’re expecting, what you’ll be happy with and how much you hope to get out of it. I’ll lead you through my experience of Dawnguard, as well as my overall impression, and you can make up your mind.

NOTE: This is simply my playthrough of Dawnguard, following one of at least two possible paths. This is by no means the definitive account of the Dawnguard experience but an impression of my time with it.

Tags armour, Dawnguard, fantasy, perk trees, Riften, RPG, Serana, Skyrim, The Elder Scrolls, vampires, Weapons, Werewolves

The Amazing Spider-Man

Post author By Andy Corrigan
Post date July 10, 2012

As the site’s resident Spider-Man fanboy, I have been fervently awaiting both the new Hollywood reboot, The Amazing Spider-Man, and its inevitable smash n’ grab video-game tie-in from Activision.

For the third time running, Beenox return to development duties for the Webhead, having had moderate success so far. They hit the ground running initially, providing a solid Spidey game in Shattered Dimensions, in spite of swapping the usual open-world playground for a structured affair. Unfortunately, their follow-up Edge of Time fared a lot worse, restricting things a little too much and leaving players with a hollow, repetitive experience that wholly disappointed.

With The Amazing Spider-Man tie-in, however, things have been looking back on track. Open-world New York returns in its starring role, while the much-touted Web Rush mechanic offers players a more precise and stylish way to navigate.

The movie, for me, totally hit the mark. Does the game follow suit or is this yet another weak-ass movie game, rushed out for a quick buck?

Tags Alistair Smythe, Beenox, Free Roaming, Gwen Stacy, nolan north, Open world, Spider-Man, Spidey, The Amazing Spider-Man, The Lizard, Web Slinging, Webhead

Magic: The Gathering – Duels Of The Planeswalkers 2013

Post author By Phil Ubee
Post date July 6, 2012

If you are anything like me, the idea of a card trading game fills you with about as much excitement as watching paint dry, and the idea of playing such a game on a console is like pairing Mary Poppins with Mr T: it just shouldn’t happen.

Naturally, this means I had absolutely no prior knowledge of the Magic: The Gathering series. I’ll be honest and say when I was asked to review Duels of the Planeswalkers, my first thought was one of questing across vast planes in a scaled down Action/RPG for XBLA. Obviously I was a little shocked when I first fired the game up, to find the latest release in a series I now know spans almost twenty years and is the most popular card trading game on the market, with over twelve million players.

Having overcome my initial shock and after spending a little time looking at the series’ history, the question is would I add myself to that number? Read on to find out.

Tags Card Trading, Dules of the planeswalkers, iPad, magic, Magic: The Gathering, mana, PC, Planechase, PS3, PSN, Steam, Wizards of the coast, XBLA, Xbox 360

Spec Ops: The Line

Post author By Michael Charge
Post date July 4, 2012

Morality is something games really struggle with at the moment. They seem to really focus down on being binary: good or bad, positive or negative. Jaeger’s Spec Ops: The Line throws this idea out the window as it presents you with choices no man should have to pick from. All this takes place inside of a story that makes me want to put this game up on a pedestal as a truly adult game.

Tags 2K Games, cover shooter, john konrad, Spec Ops, spec ops: the line, Walker, yager

Starhawk

Post author By Jesper Hauerslev
Post date July 4, 2012

Starhawk is the spiritual successor to 2007’s multiplayer-only Warhawk. It builds on the original’s formula of frantic running, gunning, driving and flying by adding a solid but short single-player campaign, and the ability to build structures during the heat of battle. Is it a worthy successor?

Tags futuristic warfare, Multiplayer, Online, playstation 3, Shooter, Sony, starhawk, Third Person Shooter, warhawk

Ghost Recon: Future Soldier

Post author By Andy Corrigan
Post date June 18, 2012

Despite a lot of the gaming community being divided on the merits of the Ghost Recon series, with the likes of Halo and Call of Duty leading the way for shooters, I can safely say that Ubisoft’s series has been a firm favourite with me since the very beginning. It was my first taste of a punishing, more realistic type of shooter. One shot was enough to down you easily and brutally, and the use of camouflage and your available teammates was essential to succeed.

Although the game took a step towards the future in Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter and its direct sequel, the core principles of the game remained intact. Slow burning, tactical combat ensued, and it was gloriously fun.

Ghost Recon: Future Soldier is the name of Ubisoft’s next foray into the Tom Clancy’s universe, and there is change afoot after a five year hiatus. More change than the series has ever seen before, I might add, but is that change a good thing?

Tags Conflict, Decoy, ghost recon, Ghost Recon: Future Soldier, Red Storm, Siege, Third Person Shooter, tom clancy, Ubisoft

Dragon’s Dogma

Post author By Trent Pyro
Post date June 15, 2012

Skyrim. The Witcher. Dragon Age. These names all say one thing; adventure. Massive worlds with endless hours of exploration and battle. Mad kings, demons, dragons and monsters the likes of which we couldn’t imagine. Fantasy, intrigue, betrayal and death. Exciting, enthralling and irresistible.

Yet it’s odd to think that, for all their brilliance, none of these games contain much adventure at all. Quest markers and in-depth descriptions tell you where to go and what to look for. Everything is orchestrated and set in place for you to succeed and enjoy being the hero.

Capcom are set to change that with Dragon’s Dogma. A new breed of adventure that truly captures the danger, fear and threat of true exploration, it has already been misunderstood and swept aside by much of the media and public. I’m here to set the record straight and to tell you that Dragon’s Dogma is the first true adventure game since they had graphics.

Tags action, Adventure, capcom, Combat, dogma, dragon's dogma, dragons, level up, magic, Monsters, Open world, Party, pawns, RPG, swords

Prototype 2

Post author By Phil Ubee
Post date June 13, 2012

Back in 2009, when Activision were still largely talked of as the darlings of the current generation console owner and COD was still hailed as a fairly innovative franchise, developer Radical Entertainment produced Prototype, a sandbox game with a difference. Instead of moody Eastern Europeans, car theft and an abundance of firearms, we were given super powers and a plot rammed to the brim with conspiracy theories and double-crosses.

Roll the clock forward three years and much has changed in the world of video-games. Activision are now often criticised, and amidst a wealth of AAA titles the likes of which we once could only dream of, even COD, the game of all games, gains critics quicker than a turd gains flies. What hasn’t changed is that Radical Entertainment still falls under the ever-growing umbrella of Activision. They know how to do conspiracy and intrigue too, as Prototype 2 takes everything its predecessor taught it and ramps it up a notch.

Tags Activision, Alex Mercer, Blackwatch, Infected, James Heller, p2, Prototype, Prototype 2, PS3, Radical Entertainment, Radnet, Xbox 360

Max Payne 3

Post author By Andy Corrigan
Post date June 4, 2012

It’s been nine long years since we last saw Max Payne, and nine years is a long time for a franchise that in 2001 was already ahead of the curve. When the first Max Payne hit, it was revered for its deep story of a cop relentless in pursuit of the truth, after being framed for the murder of his family. With its gritty noir style, it set the bar high for video-game storytelling and, in many ways it has not even come close to being matched. Throw in the then-ground-breaking bullet-time gameplay, and Remedy’s game was an undeniable classic.

In the time since the equally well-received sequel, developer Remedy decided to step back and start new projects, starting with a new pun-named character in Alan Wake. The Max Payne license has criminally sat dormant with Rockstar Games for nearly a decade.

When Rockstar finally decided to show their hand, it wasn’t what people were expecting. A fat, bald Max Payne walking around the streets of the uncharacteristically bright locals of Sao Paulo, Brazil? Many were worried, and I have to admit that in spite of Remedy’s involvement and backing to the project, I too was concerned that the series was stepping too far away from its roots.

As it turns out, we needn’t have worried. Rockstar have offered up one of the best shooters this generation has ever seen.

Tags Alan Wake, Bullet-time, cover shooter, Max Payne, Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne, Max Payne 3, Passos, Remedy, Rockstar, Shooter

Battleship: The Game

Post author By Trent Pyro
Post date May 18, 2012

To me and probably everyone else in the universe, Battleship will always be a tricky board game played by many and part of the hall of fame that includes Monopoly, Yahtzee and Guess Who. However, we now have another entity confusing Google; Battleship the movie. When it was announced I laughed along with many others. So many movies based on best-selling video games had gone under (Halo, Gears of War) and here was the bozo responsible for that cringe-worthy Modern Warfare 3 ad actually getting funding to make an action movie, about probably the most sedate board game this side of chess… with Liam Neeson and Rihanna.

Of course, as is written in the Holy Book of Hollywood, the movie (which did relatively well at the box office) has been followed by a tie-in game, lest Hell open and swallow us up. Developed by Double Helix and shoved in front of our faces by Almighty Overlord Activision, it looks to combine thrilling FPS action with tactical ship combat. I’ll dodge the typical movie tie-in intro spiel; I think we all know what we’re expecting. Instead I’ll just get on with it and explain why, against all odds, Battleship: The Game is actually alright…

Tags Activision, Aliens, battleship, COD, double helix, FPS, halo, Hasbro, military, naval, RTS, ships, shooting, US

Silent Hill: Downpour

Post author By Stephen King
Post date May 14, 2012

The fog has descended and the rain is beating down hard. From the nothingness, the enemies begin to approach. This can only mean one thing; you are in Silent Hill now, and it doesn’t want to let you leave.

The Silent Hill game series sates a particular hunger for me, as I was a huge fan of this style of horror games as soon as consoles could support them. It came to the forefront for me once Resident Evil (my previous favourite) began to take a more action-oriented approach to things. Meanwhile, Silent Hill attempted to remain as true as ever to the original formula by barely iterating over the span of eight games. I find myself pleased that there are still people who insist on maintaining some of the classic styling of the series, but at the same time, I am concerned.

Silent Hill: Downpour is the latest in the series and once again, the production of the game has been farmed out to a team who have no experience in this game style. So will this bring a fresh approach to how we play Silent Hill, or is it going to be a disappointing experience? Keep reading, because it’s going to be a bumpy ride.

Tags Konami, PS3, Silent Hill, Silent Hill Downpour, Xbox 360

Tiger Woods 13

Post author By Phil Ubee
Post date May 10, 2012

Tiger Woods has had his reputation somewhat tarnished over the past few years both off the course and on it, as the new breed of European superstars have taken over the top of golf’s world rankings following that split. However, in terms of golfing video-games, Tiger is still in a league or his own. It would seem EA Sports have no intention of ditching the title sponsor from their annual PGA Tour game.

Usually, when a new TW game is released, the sun is shining and the temptation to go out on the course for real is high for any golf lovers. Not so this year, with the release being closely followed by the most consistent downpour we’ve had for several months. Even a trip to the driving range is down at the bottom of the list for things to do with my weekend, so I’ve taken the opportunity to play my golf from the comfort of my armchair instead. The question is: how does it compare?

Tags EA Sports, golf, Kinect, PGA, PS3, Tiger Woods, TW13, Xbox 360

Skullgirls

Post author By Phil Ubee
Post date April 30, 2012

It is fair to say that we have seen a sudden uptake of the old-fashioned arcade brawler in recent months, with a wealth of titles looking to challenge for the crown once so comfortably worn by Street Fighter. Skullgirls is the latest off the conveyor belt and it makes no excuses for the obvious influence from Capcom’s granddaddy of the genre. Reverge Labs have produced a 2D fighter that at face value is as much an homage to the old school as it is a modern, complex, involved challenge.

Personally, I have to say that arcade fighters have always proven to be a bit of a challenge for me. Back in the old days of hitting the local arcade and crowding around a cabinet, I was always over by the likes of Football Champ and Double Dragon, rather than facing the inevitable embarrassment of yet another five second drubbing on the aforementioned Street Fighter. However, it is a genre that has given me moments of pure gaming joy that just don’t come around too often, so I was pleased to get the opportunity to take on this review.

The question is, does Skullgirls welcome in a novice like me, adding to those moments of gaming joy; or does it add to the humiliations of my youth?

Tags 2D brawler, arcade fighter, Autumn Games, capcom, PS3, PSN, Reverge Labs, skullgirls, XBLA, Xbox 360

Yakuza: Dead Souls

Post author By Sayem Ahmed
Post date April 18, 2012

The Yakuza series has always been a little bit weird. In Yakuza 2, for example, you had to fight off two lions (for some reason that I cannot recall for the life of me). It’s always been a little bit zany and off-kilter, but I wasn’t quite expecting what the latest in the series had in store.

As you’ve probably guessed, Yakuza: Dead Souls is about zombies. At this point, zombies are a bit of a cliché, with many games delivering different experiences wherein the world gets rocked by the arrival of our undead brethren. So how exactly can this niche Japanese title about organised crime stand up to the rotting, smelly giants such as Left 4 Dead and Dead Rising?

Tags action, dead souls, figher, Japanese, Sequel, Story, Third Person Shooter, tokyo, yakuza, Zombies

Rayman 3 HD

Post author By Phil Ubee
Post date April 16, 2012

Rayman is one of those game franchises that anyone over a certain age will have some sort of history with. The original, back on Sony’s Playstation in 1991, was something of a breath of fresh air at the time and looked to take on the giants of Sonic and Mario head on.

Like its contemporaries, the Rayman franchise has given us a loveable lead character, a somewhat inferior yet humorous sidekick and a wealth of colourful, enjoyable games across multiple generations. However, unlike the other big franchises, Rayman’s iterations have been somewhat irregular in release, with the third part coming a full eight years after the original.

With the recent success of Rayman Origins, Ubisoft have seen fit to give Rayman 3 the HD makeover for XBLA and PSN. Priced at 800MP, I have been looking at whether it was worth the effort and if it still stands up in today’s market.

Tags Globox, hoodlum havoc, PS3, PSN, Rayman, Ubisoft, XBLA, Xbox 360

Ion Assault HD

Post author By James Sheppard
Post date April 16, 2012

Space Invaders. Asteroids. Galaxian. Space shooters are one of the oldest, most original styles of video-game; but as with any trends, what goes around comes around. Geometry Wars blasted onto the Xbox Live Arcade in 2005, effectively resurrecting this ancient genre and laying the groundwork for the modern multidirectional/twin-stick shooter. This concept has since been done to death by the likes of Everyday Shooter and Super Stardust HD (as well as a lot of less memorable examples).

To give these clones their due, some have at least tried to create their own spin on the genre, implementing original themes and gameplay nuances. Ion Assault HD is the next in line to jump on the twin-stick shooter bandwagon, boasting a new slant on gameplay that I’ll get to later. What remains to be seen is if this is enough to make its own mark, or whether it becomes yet another forgettable space shooter clone floating aimlessly in the cosmos.

Tags asteroids, Galaxian, geometry wars, ion assault, multidirectional shooter, PS3, shoot em up, Shooter, space, Space Invaders, spaceship, twin stick

Ninja Gaiden 3

Post author By Andy Corrigan
Post date April 12, 2012

Even as someone who’s never had the pleasure, I know that Ninja Gaiden’s brutal reputation often precedes it. Known for crushing difficulty and the need for continual mastering of combat to just about scrape through, it’s often seen as one of the last bastions of the hardcore gamer. That may have just changed with the latest iteration, courtesy of an Itagaki-less Team Ninja…

Of course, having not played the previous games myself, I’m in no position to compare Ninja Gaiden 3 to its previous majesty. With no prior point of reference, I can only review it for what it is and on its own merits.

Captain Ignorance… AWAY!

Tags boring, Hack and Slash, hack n slash, Hayabusa, ninja gaiden, Ninja Gaiden 2, Ninja Gaiden 3, Ryu, Team Ninja

Twisted Metal

Post author By Stephen King
Post date April 11, 2012

Vehicle combat games are a difficult genre to master. You would think it would be as easy as throwing a bunch of cars and weapons together, and letting the players fight it out. However, this is not the case, as many games within the genre have proven to be unsatisfying. The brightest star out of the whole bunch was Twisted Metal; with its outrageous characters, vehicles and game play style, it was in an instant like for most.

It still has some magic to show off, but are minor changes and a little nostalgia enough?

Tags Carnage, David Jaffe, Eat Sleep Play, Jaffe, PS3, PSone, Sony, Twisted Metal

Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning: The Legend of Dead Kel (DLC)

Post author By Trent Pyro
Post date April 10, 2012

It’s always baffled me why the biggest games seem to get the biggest chunks of DLC. While MW3 gets flimsy maps instead of a booster to its blink-and-you-miss-it campaign, enormous games like Oblivion and Mass Effect get entire new areas to explore, complete with quest-lines and characters galore.

Colour me unsurprised then, when I heard that the first expansion to the unexpected (but much deserved) hit Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning was a whole new island full of side-quests, new characters and tons of loot; all for a credit-crunching 800MSP. Being such a fan of the vanilla game (read my gushing review here) I picked it up as soon as possible and it doesn’t disappoint one bit. In fact, it puts many other, less extensive chunks of DLC to shame.

Tags 38 Studios, Big Huge Games, DLC, EA, gallows end, kingdoms of amalur: reckoning, loot, PC, pirates, PS3, quests, Steam, the legend of dead kel, Xbox 360

Shoot Many Robots

Post author By AJ Thompson
Post date April 5, 2012

Do you have at least three friends who enjoy playing video games? Hopefully you do, because if you’re interested in playing Shoot Many Robots, you’re going to need all three of them. This side-scrolling, ‘bot-shooting mayhem of a game will require all four of you to be ready to kick some robot tail.

The game is one big parody of the American South, and it’s a hilarious romp. It’s not the best multiplayer game I’ve ever played, but it’s a pretty good time and a good way for friends to have fun killing robots together.

Tags Demiurge Studios, PSN, Robots, shoot many robots, shooting, Ubisoft, xbox

Devil May Cry HD Collection

Post author By Ray Willmott
Post date April 3, 2012

Capcom gave us a lot of reasons to be happy during the days of the Playstation 2. From Resident Evil 4 to Okami, and a little series called Devil May Cry.

The series is renowned for its over the top penchant for blood, violence and destruction, and remains a beloved classic among gamers the world over. Yet, it is with trepidation many look toward the Ninja Theory Series Reboot later this year. With big lore changes, gameplay style and art direction, the new DMC has caused a huge divide among its potential audiences.

Adding further fuel to the fire, Capcom have also decided to re-release the games that made the series famous, leaving us with two very important questions.

Are these games still any good? If they are, will these HD reminders serve as an unintended death sentence for Ninja Theory’s forthcoming efforts?

Tags capcom, Dante, Devil May Cry, DMC 1, DMC 2, DMC 3, Ebony, HD, Ivory, Sparda

Binary Domain

Post author By Andy Corrigan
Post date March 27, 2012

Binary Domain has been a bit of a weird one. I’d heard bugger all about it until a few weeks before it was released, and Sega haven’t exactly been backing it with the big marketing bucks. Neither of those scenarios are a good sign, let alone both, and my thoughts harked back to the shoddy mess that was Alpha Protocol.

Thanks to a postal error, my review copy turned up a few weeks late. Up to my eyeballs in Vita reviews and not feeling too optimistic about the game’s chances at that point, I can’t admit to being too deeply disappointed with the delay. Now? I’m still glad that it arrived late, but not for the reasons I had originally thought…

It’s a game that’s been largely ignored by the buying public and having now played it, I think it deserves a second look. This delayed review might just get people to give it that much.

Tags binary domain, cover shooter, dystopian, Futuristic, Gears Of War, multiformat, Multiplayer, Robots, Sega, Shooter, Terminator, Third Person Shooter

Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City

Post author By Trent Pyro
Post date March 23, 2012

Resident Evil is the most immediate franchise for many when considering horror games. Its first incarnation on the PS1 in 1995 revolutionised fear in video-games, and taught us that less can definitely be more with sparse resources and solitary gameplay. Fast-forward to today and Resi fans have been spoilt, both by the bar-raising Resident Evil 4 in 2005 and the gorgeous action-fest of Resi 5 just a few short years ago. Patient as always, followers of Capcom’s franchise have had numerous editions of the last proper game, plus mobile spin-offs to keep them occupied until the inevitable release of Resi 6 later this year.

What to do until then, I hear you cry? Well, not one to make us go too long without a shot of the old T-Virus, Capcom have recently released Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City. Following the course of an Umbrella clean-up team trying to cover their employer’s tracks after the monumental outbreak in the city, it takes a much more action-based approach in the the form of a co-op shooter rather than a survival horror. Controversially this instalment is developed by an external studio, Slant Six Games and only published by Capcom.

Is this a sign that the company is abandoning the survival horror roots of the series and letting it become just another action title? Well, not exactly…

Tags capcom, Claire Redfield, cover shooter, HUNK, Infected, Jill Valentine, Leon Kennedy, Operation Raccoon City, Raccoon City, Resident Evil, Slant Six Games, Umbrella, Zombies

Asura’s Wrath

Post author By Stephen King
Post date March 21, 2012

Asura's Wrath

Having had a look at Asura’s Wrath when the demo was released, I was left with two very different feelings. My first thought was that despite the game’s promise, it felt like I was actually performing very little in regard to actions. Almost as if the game was playing itself and I was just along for the ride.

The second thought, however, was that there was something about Asura’s Wrath that just caught me a little off guard. There was something here, buried under the quick time events and limited control. Having played through the entire game, I can now tell you that I was right; there is something very special about this game.

Tags anime, Asura's Wrath, capcom, CyberConnect 2, PS3, Xbox 360

Journey

Post author By Ray Willmott
Post date March 15, 2012

To those who’ve played Journey, whatever I write will probably seem hugely unbecoming. There is a magic and mysticism in this Sony Exclusive lacking in far too many games this generation.

Hard to believe it was made by just twelve people.

Journey is a very special and personal title for both thatgamecompany and Sony. For a small development team, this is a landmark achievement, a title that will soon define them. For Sony, they’ve finally reached the summit after a generation of experimentation. Due to losing an abundance of blockbuster exclusives from Playstation 2, they’ve been forced to push boundaries in new, ingenious ways, with the likes of Heavy Rain, Flower and now Journey.

Has their gamble finally paid off?

If our interview with Kellee Santiago didn’t make you a believer, perhaps this review will…

Tags desert, I was born for this, Journey, Lisbeth Scott, PhyreEngine, Sands, Sony, thatgamecompany

Street Fighter X Tekken

Post author By Stephen King
Post date March 13, 2012

Since the start of the year I have started to play more and more fighting games. In fact, I play a tournament every month now and take part in weekly play sessions, so the release of this Street Fighter X Tekken piqued my interest. In recent times the beat ‘em up genre has made a massive comeback, what with the massive success of Street Fighter IV; and its many sequels.

So, when Capcom made the announcement that they were going to be developing the first in an unexpected crossover with Namco’s Tekken, many fans were excited, although this excitement was met with some concern over balancing the two different game styles.

I am pleased to say that they have made a damn good go of it.

Tags capcom, namco, PS3, Street Fighter, Street Fighter X Tekken, Tekken, Xbox 360

Mass Effect 3

Post author By Ray Willmott
Post date March 9, 2012

We made it. I don’t know how we managed it or what kept us going along the way, but we’re here. Mass Effect 3 has finally arrived!

It’s a game that comes with a ton of expectation and a lot of promise, but has also elicited its fair share of concerns. Step forward Multiplayer modes, Kinect support, greater combat emphasis. Over the last two years, Bioware have piled on the announcements, all of them frightening die-hard fans, rather than exciting them.

Of course, now I have the game in hand, there’s only one final announcement left to make. Is this the fitting conclusion we all want it to be, or did Bioware unceremoniously sabotage this memorable journey at the last hurdle?

Read on if you dare…

Tags Arrival, Bioware, Chobot, Death, EA, Galaxy, IGN, Invasion, Kinect, life, Mass Effect 3, Politics, reapers

I Am Alive

Post author By Phil Ubee
Post date March 6, 2012

Let me take you back to June 2008. Shane Warne led the Rajasthan Royals to victory in the inaugural Indian Premier League Cricket, Hilary Clinton won the democratic primary, the Australian army withdrew from Iraq and UbiSoft unveiled I Am Alive at E3. In the (near) four years since that reveal trailer made the world sit up and take notice, Spain have become football’s European and World Champions, the USA has elected its first Black President and the UK has seen a major Royal wedding and a Coalition government take to power.

It’s fair to say that I Am Alive has seen a relatively similar level of change itself in that time, going from what most expected to be a full retail release to a download only title. Even the main protagonist has had something of a change in look and feel (not to everyone’s taste).

It’s a game I’ve followed quite closely in that time and I am very pleased to say that the wait is almost over.

The question now is, was it worth it?

Tags I am alive, platform, PSN, Puzzle, Reviews, Survival Horror, Ubisoft, Xbox 360

Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning

Post author By Trent Pyro
Post date March 6, 2012

I’m sure I’m not alone in saying that when I hear the words ‘New’ and ‘RPG’ in the same sentence my cynicism kicks into overdrive. So many times have we RPG fans been promised the next step in role-playing only to be given another failed attempt. We’re faced with either playing it safe and defaulting to the reliable classics, like Final Fantasy, Elder Scrolls, anything by Bioware, or risking our hard-earned moolah on another probable turkey.

So when I read about a little-known new game called Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning, my hopes were not exactly in the clouds. Developed by 38 Studios and Big Huge Games, it promised slick combat, a vibrant world and epic quests, but so do they all. It also boasted direction by Elder Scrolls alumni Ken Rolston, story by novelist R.A. Salvatore and art by legend Todd McFarlane. Still my cynicisms were not banished. Imagine my surprise, then, when the demo blew me away to the point where I pre-ordered the game.

Picture the scene as my heart melted and I uttered the words ‘This is my dream game’ closely followed by ‘I hope the full game doesn’t get boring’. Well now it’s out and about, I can tell you I was right. Here’s why…

Tags 38 Studios, action, Big Huge Games, EA, fantasy, Ken Rolston, kingdoms of amalur: reckoning, new, origin, PC, PS3, R.A. Salvatore, RPG, sorcery, Steam, swords, Todd McFarlane, Xbox 360

Warp

Post author By Jesper Hauerslev
Post date March 6, 2012

Aliens kidnapping humans and submitting them to painful tests is nothing new. How refreshing then, that puzzle game Warp turns this age-old cliché on its head, by letting you play the role of the alien desperately trying to escape your human captors.

Using, of course, some nifty alien abilities while solving some clever puzzles.

Tags Metal Gear Solid, Portal, Puzzle, warp

Review: The Darkness II

Post author By Trent Pyro
Post date February 29, 2012

When I bought my first Xbox 360, I had just enough cash to grab a few bargain games to play on it. These ended up being the massively popular Gears of War, the Xbox hit Fable and a little-known-to-me shooter called The Darkness. I had no idea that it would end up being one of the most original and enjoyable FPS games I’d ever played.

Based on the successful Top Cow comic series of the same name, it followed mobster hit man Jackie Estecado as he discovered an ancient secret that had cursed his family for generations. Manifesting as a malevolent voice and deadly, snake-like tentacles in equal parts, The Darkness was hell-bent on taking full control of Jackie and using his body to exact its grim will on the Earth. The game translated this very well, with players controlling Jackie as he discovered his dark family past and fought with The Darkness, as well as his mob-boss uncle Paulie.

While the last game was popular it didn’t break any records and its palpable, noir atmosphere and visceral shooter/melee combo combat was lost on many. It seems it did well enough to warrant a sequel, however, so let’s see if it was the right choice to make one.

Tags 2k, action, cel-shading, comics, darkness, Digital Extremes, evil, first person shooter, Hell, mike patton, relics, The Darkness, the darkness 2, top cow

Final Fantasy XIII-2

Post author By Andy Corrigan
Post date February 29, 2012

Call me crazy, but I’m in that bracket of Final Fantasy fans that absolutely loved the divisive iteration numbered XIII. Sure it was linear, but you know what? So are 80% of other, decent, JRPGs. Sure it took a while before it offered exploration, but guess what? Most JRPGs are linear by nature, especially in their approach to storytelling. Even the series’ golden child, FFVII, started slowly and took many, many hours (most of them climbing the stairs in the Shinra building) before it offered anything resembling the freedom that people assume comes part and parcel of the genre.

Still, I could see and recognise people’s complaints. It was, admittedly, slightly more restrictive than some JRPGs. It was missing the towns and cities that we all love to explore, where we would help charming townsfolk look for lost puppies and find the shops with the best equipment. I could see all those arguments, it’s just that those things didn’t matter to me compared to what the game did well.

I loved the setting, I loved the characters, I loved the strategy involved in the combat system, which many missed the point of. It became only the third Final Fantasy game that had taken me through to completion, and I loved every single second. It was the first Final Fantasy game since FFVII that I felt warranted an expansion on the universe and those characters, and my prayers were eventually answered.

So, while the announcement of Final Fantasy XIII-2 left many bewildered, thanks partly because FFX-2, the last direct sequel, sucked ass; and partly because people didn’t resonate with FFXIII as they’d hoped; I on the other hand, was relishing it.

So, it’s here in a relatively quick turnaround. Have Square Enix addressed the concerns of the majority?

Disclaimer: I haven’t yet completed Final Fantasy XIII-2, though I am on the final boss. I just haven’t found that winning strategy… yet…

Tags Caius, Etro, Final Fantasy, Final Fantasy XIII, Final Fantasy XIII-2, Lightning, Motomu Toriyama, Noel, Pokemon, Sazh, Serah, Snow, Tetsuya Nomura, Valhalla, Yeul, Yoshinori Kitase

NEXUiZ

Post author By Ray Willmott
Post date February 27, 2012

Few developers have truly bottled the arcade, pick-up-and-play feel of Epic’s Unreal Tournament since its initial 1999 debut. Many have tried, even Epic attempted to recapture past glory, but most have fallen shy of the mark.

Enter Alientrap Software. Back in 2002, they formed a low-key independent studio and started work on little-known title, NEXUiZ. Over the years, the game has been tweaked, adjusted and balanced from devoted fan feedback, and an overwhelming desire for perfection.

Now in 2012, NEXUiZ has become part of Microsoft’s House Party Promotion, remastered and rebooted for a current generation, but is age-old gameplay still relevant for a current-day demographic?

Tags Capture the Flag, Cry Engine 3, Epic, Forsellian, Kavussari, Nexuiz, Team Deathmatch, thq, Unreal Tournament

Syndicate

Post author By Ray Willmott
Post date February 24, 2012

The world of Syndicate isn’t new, but upon playing Starbreeze’s re-imagining of the series, it may as well be. Thrust into the role of an agent protecting the interests of global leader, Eurocorp, you face a world that has long resisted war, yet failed to escape its anarchistic clutches.

Moving away from the RTS origins of the series, Starbreeze have gone for a whole new approach with Syndicate, now fifteen years since the series first debuted.

Is it the right one?

Tags Blade Runner, Bullfrog, Deus Ex, FPS, Riddick, Sci-Fi, Shadowrun, Starbreeze, Syndicate

Gotham City Imposters

Post author By Phil Ubee
Post date February 23, 2012

Batman is arguably the single most recognisable comic book hero ever. Dating back as far as 1939, The Caped Crusader has been seen in numerous TV shows, Movies, thousands of comic book stories and, I might add, a fair few video games. Via all these mediums, the Dark Knight has been portrayed as a supreme detective and crime fighter with unquestionable moral beliefs, determined to clean up the streets of Gotham City.

Naturally, a hero of such magnitude is bound to pick up a few fans along the way, some of whom are likely to be a touch on the wacky side (Andy Knight, I’m looking at you buddy) and it is from here that Monolith Productions have invented Gotham City Imposters. Never mind taking the role of Batman, you will take the role of a man who thinks he’s Batman in an effort to stop another man (who just so happens thinks he’s The Joker) from running amok in your City.

So can a game of wannabes elevate itself above the crowd? Read on to find out…

Tags batman, d, dark knight, gotham city imposters, monc comics, olith, PC, PS3, PSN, warner brothers, XBLA, Xbox 360

Get up and Dance

Post author By James Sheppard
Post date February 22, 2012

Dancing video-games have really moved with the times, if you’ll excuse the pun. As fun as Dance Dance Revolution could be, at its heart it was more of a ‘Simon Says’, played with your feet with crazy high-paced music playing in the background, than a true dance video-game. The motion gaming craze has provided a serious chance for the genre’s evolution, however, with Just Dance pioneering gameplay that actually resembles real dancing, for a change. Kinect took that one step further with Dance Central, tracking the movements of your entire body.

With success and fame comes imitation, and of the latest wannabes to step onto the floor and show off its moves is Get Up And Dance. Can it be a true performer, or is this one that should be booed right off the stage?

Tags budget, Casual, Dance Central, Dance Dance Revolution, Dancing, dancing game, DDR, get up and dance, just dance, Multiplayer, party game, PS3, Wii

Metal Gear Solid: HD Collection

Post author By Jesper Hauerslev
Post date February 16, 2012

Hideo Kojima’s series of spy-games remain one of the most controversial game series’ in history, equally dividing the gaming masses into those that love the series for its unique quirkiness and those that despise it for the exact same reason.

The first game “snaked” its way onto the PlayStation in 1998 and since then, the series has successfully carved its very own niche in stealth-based gaming. Because of this, it’s remained unopposed thanks to its unique mix of stealth, gunplay and incredibly elaborate spy-plots exploring everything from loyalty and patriotism, to genetics and technology.

There is no denying that a Metal Gear Solid game is unlike anything you’ve ever played before and the Metal Gear Solid HD Collection brings three of the core entries together and presents them in glorious HD, for fans and newcomers to enjoy.

However, can it convert the non-believers while keeping true to the legacy that endeared the series to fans in the first place?

Tags Hideo Kojima, Metal Gear, Metal Gear Solid, Metal Gear Solid 3 Snake Eater, Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, Metal Gear Solid: Sons of Liberty, Naked Snake, Solid Snake

NeverDead

Post author By Phil Ubee
Post date February 13, 2012

Even for someone who regularly follows the video-game industry via the internet, social media, TV and various other outlets, there will inevitably be one or two games a year that get launched without you knowing a great deal about them. Normally these titles will slip under the radar without any fanfare, suddenly appearing on the shelves of your local video-game shop and as such rarely feature at the top of the sales charts regardless of any qualities they might bring to the table. NeverDead is one of those games.

More often than not, games that have this distinct lack of flash PR and OTT marketing campaigns will sit at one of the two extremes of utterly rubbish or complete gem, and large quantities of the gaming public might just miss out on a potential classic.

The question is, does NeverDead sit in the former or latter of those categories? Read on to find out.

Tags action adventure, bryce, Devil May Cry, Duke Nukem, Konami, neverdead, PS3, Rebellion, run and gun, XBOX360

The Simpsons Arcade

Post author By Ray Willmott
Post date February 8, 2012

It’s funny how one of my most anticipated games this year rolls in at a mere 18 megabytes. Of course size isn’t everything, but when you consider some demos breach the 2GB mark, it’s clear times have changed.

I grew up with Konami games in the Arcades, and getting the chance to own Turtles, X-Men and now The Simpsons is like a dream come true for my inner retro-enthusiast. Not only can I relive my childhood, catering to the longing pangs of a cherished yesteryear, I’ll finally be able to see the end of a beloved arcade game without having forced my parents to take out a second mortgage.

They’ll welcome back those jingling pockets with open arms, I’m sure.

Tags 1990, arcade, Bart, Bart vs Space Mutants, Homer, Konami, Krusty's Super Funhouse, Lisa, Maggie, Marge, The Simpsons

Catherine

Post author By Diogo Miguel
Post date February 6, 2012

Ever wonder what people mean by counting sheep? Catherine, the latest video-game from Atlus, has the answer for you. Turns out that dreaming about sheep is not a good sign at all… or at least it isn’t when playing Catherine. The game tells the story of Vincent, who starts having terrible nightmares when he finds himself connected to two very different girls. There is much more at stake, however, as Vincent finds out soon after in a deadly climb into his worst relationship-based fears.

Tags atlus, catherine, katherine, love is over, stray sheep edition, vincent

Scarygirl

Post author By Trent Pyro
Post date February 3, 2012

Comics are forever being made into films, TV series and games, so full are they of good ideas. From the legendary Sin City and Walking Dead to the indie hit series Scott Pilgrim, comics have been the go-to medium for inspiration for ages. While most developers are content with stripping the big names down and hopping on various cultural bandwagons, it seems TikGames have gone the opposite way entirely and brought a cult-hit graphic novel to XBLA.

Scarygirl, in its native form, is a character and brand encompassing a range of toys and said graphic novel, which is apparently critically acclaimed and much-loved. How creator Nathan Jurevicius managed to get a game made of his work, little known outside the comic book world, is a mystery. How he got Squeenix to publish it is an even bigger one!

No matter though, because it’s out now and I opted to take the plunge and see what all the fuss is about.

Tags 2D, action, blister, graphic novel, Nathan Jurevicius, platfromer, scarygirl, sice-scroller, Square Enix, TikGames

Dungeon Defenders

Post author By Ray Willmott
Post date January 24, 2012

Fantasy dungeons filled with maleficent creatures, enchantments and treasure always make for a great set piece to base your game against. In that sense, Dungeon Defenders already starts off on the right foot.

Though is it a pace of a fast nature, or one that trundles and bumbles along, desperately clinging onto the butt-end of an ogre’s club in order to try to keep up with the competition?

Tags Dungeon Defenders, Dungeon Keeper, Gears of War 3, Horde 2.0, Microsoft, playstation 3, Sony, Torchlight, World of warcraft, Xbox 360

All Zombies Must Die

Post author By Phil Ubee
Post date January 9, 2012

If there is one thing that I can’t stand in video-games it’s zombies. In fact, zombies in general just aren’t my thing and I am yet to have a truly enjoyable experience via film, game or television with these brain-eating creatures.

It is also fair to say that this generation, zombies have been done to… well… death, really. We’ve had the FPS team-based Left 4 Dead and the stereotypical B-movie style slug-fest of Dead Rising with pretty much everything in between, including a tower defence game which arms you with nothing but a few plants.

Imagine my surprise, then, when the code for yet another zombie-based title came into the TIMJ offices just before Christmas, and I was handed the task of taking Double Six’s new action-RPG for a test run. Could All Zombies Must Die finally give me an experience worth shouting about, or is it just another mind-numbing slug-fest?

Tags action rpg, All Zombies Must Die!, DoubleSix, PS3, psn. AZMD, XBLA, XBOX360, Zombies

Lord of the Rings: War In The North

Post author By Ray Willmott
Post date December 23, 2011

When fair-weather folk talk about who took down Sauron and his armies, that furry-footed hobbit, Frodo, gets all the credit. He took the ring to Mount Doom, they say, and he cast it into the fires from whence it came, they cry. Sure, his Fellowship get a lot of credit as well, but everyone outside of that group seems to be forgotten. Middle Earth is a big place, you know.

Clearly as affected by this as I, Snowblind Studios have a little story of their own to tell, and it isn’t focused on a Baggins. War In The North takes place at the same time as Lord of the Rings, but is focused on another, smaller fellowship created by a Man, an Elf and a Dwarf.

With a laundry list of high-profile releases at the end of the year, WITN is in danger of being forgotten under the Modern Warfares and Just Dances of the world. Being a film tie-in, you’re probably thinking that’s just as justified.

However, I’m here to tell you that War In The North is one of the most fun cooperative experiences I’ve had all year…

Tags Agandaur, Aragorn, Bilbo, Bree, Frodo, Gandalf, Lord of the Rings, Middle Earth, Peter Jackson, Rivendell, The Hobbit, warner brothers

Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath HD

Post author By Ray Willmott
Post date December 20, 2011

Westerns, just like The Beatles and King Kong, seem immune to scrutiny, and have no problem standing the test of time. They’re just as loved now as when John Wayne first saddled up and roved the barren desert wastelands in search of outlaws and justice. Last years Red Dead Redemption certainly helped to prove just that. However, while this may or may not be the last time games will indulge in tobacco spitting and chases on horseback, it certainly isn’t the first.

In fact, one of my favourite games from last gen put a completely new spin on the concept. In it, you could track down bounties, dead or alive, and claim reward for your efforts. All done, in Oddworld’s unique and quirky style.

Sounds fun, right? Totally justified for a remake. However, is Stranger’s journey to HD a welcome embrace, or one that should have stayed a legend?

Tags Abe, Just Add Water, Oddworld, playstation 3, Stranger's Wrath, xbox

Need for Speed: The Run

Post author By James Joell-Ireland
Post date December 16, 2011

After the impressive efforts by Criterion with Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit, it was a little disappointing to see the masters of arcade racers being pushed back from developing EA’s latest entry into the NFS franchise.

It gets to a point now whether you wonder if the series is ever going to be consistent year in and year out, and with that apprehension in your mind, it’s no wonder why fans of the series tend to get nervous. As the franchise itself is so heavily ingrained by high sales figures it is little wonder why EA chop and change developers, and some would argue that the series’ bold new direction this year is backed up by the idea that it needs new hotness to progress onwards for another decade. Is NFS: The Run another solid effort, or is this one worth taking the next exit to avoid?

Tags blackbox studios, Electronic Arts, michael bay, need for speed, playstation 3, review, the run

Review: Sonic CD

Post author By Rik Wortman
Post date December 14, 2011

It’s not like we’re unfamiliar with this certain species of hedgehog anymore. Sonic’s been around the block so many times now that it’s a huge shock when someone asks who Sonic is. “Who?!” I may reply, my voice struck with disbelief. “You disgust me!” I’d probably add.

Yes, Sonic’s been on pretty much every console, and he’s not afraid to admit it. Like the video-game swinger, he’s not alien to ignoring when his games get released either, so here we are, looking at a(nother) Sonic remake. Déjà vu? I don’t blame you.

Tags 3, 360, 7, Adventure, amy, Android, battle, DC, Eggman, generations, hedgehog, iOS, knuckles, Metal, metalix, Nintendo, PC, phone, Playstation, PS3, rose, Sega, Sonic, Tails, the, Windows

Review: Daytona USA

Post author By James Joell-Ireland
Post date December 12, 2011

Oh, times at the arcades were fun. The innocence of throwing away your mother’s hard-earned cash. ‘Just one more go…’ I would say. Growing up, I used to go to the arcades in Southsea every other weekend. I was a sucker for many of Sega’s arcade boards; titles such as Virtual Striker are still etched in my mind. I will always remember stumbling across an arcade in 1994 at a small town called Playa De Aro in Spain, where there was a two-storey arcade with its focus point around an Afterburner cabinet that spun three-hundred-and-sixty degrees.

Then there were some of Sega’s iconic racers, Sega Rally and Outrun being the two most noteworthy, but all this time I left Daytona USA out like it was the kid at school that never got picked for a soccer game. Now the game has returned on a console I own, it was my chance to see what everyone was banging on about when I was younger. Is this game actually any good?

Tags Daytona USA, playstation 3, review, Sega, Xbox 360

Review: LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7

Post author By Ray Willmott
Post date December 9, 2011

Harry is very attached to his wand; you could even say he uses it more than a mobile phone (who does that these days!?). It’s definitely got him out of some tough scrapes. It’s also provided him plenty of laughs. Whether he’s summoning a patronus to quell dementors, or splattering cake in the face of his distant relatives, Harry is pretty invested in his little wooden wonder-stick.

However, as he grows older, so his problems get much worse. Whereas Years 1-4 of LEGO Harry Potter were filled with a great deal of wonder and excitement, in Years 5-7, darkness is definitely spreading and the only way to stop it is to confront Lord Voldemort once and for all.

How does the generally charming, easy-going LEGO franchise deal with such ferocious source material?

Tags harry potter, Lego, LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4, LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7, magic, Magic Wand, travellers tales, Wizard

Review: The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Post author By Trent Pyro
Post date December 8, 2011

This is going to be an odd review, mainly because it isn’t one. I’ve always found it interesting when games such as Skyrim, with hundreds of hours of gameplay to offer, can be summed up on release day, plot and all, by publications far and wide. The chances of them having actually completed the storyline is very slim, even if they received the game weeks before release. Even if one poor soul had to rush through the main quest so he could write about it, in doing so he would have missed the point of Skyrim; to get side-tracked, drawn in and generally lost in the world. No one can give a full impression of a game this massive after only a week on the shelves.

So this won’t be the definitive TIMJ review of Skyrim. It won’t even be my definitive review of Skyrim. Unlike pretty much any other game out there, it’s impossible to give you guys a normal review even after playing it every night since release day. I’ve only just scratched the surface, and even if you too grabbed a copy on the 11th, I doubt you will have got much deeper than me. It’s a vast game with an incredible amount to offer, way too much to experience in just a week. So instead I’m going to talk about how Bethesda have put the work in and improved almost every aspect of The Elder Scrolls since the diamond classic Oblivion, and look at a few areas where the ball has been dropped, as well as give you my overall impression so far.

Tags Bethesda, Cyrodiil, Dragonborn, dragons, Elder Scrolls, elder scrolls V, Oblivion, Skyrim, Tamriel

Review: Rayman Origins

Post author By James Joell-Ireland
Post date December 8, 2011

I always said that in today’s modern technology age, a venture back into 2D platforming games could only be a good thing. Back in the 16bit heyday, developers were somewhat limited by the architecture the systems had at the time, and the 2D platformer was the most that could be technically accomplished. We aren’t limited by such constraints nowadays, but like some video-game revival, we’ve nonetheless had a good few in this classic genre released in 2011.

Ubisoft’s Michel Ancel has thrown Rayman back into the arena, and this time there are no pesky Rabbids in sight; in fact it’s more akin to the classic 1996 PS1 side-scrolling platformer we all loved. What has modern technology bought to the plate in terms of freshness, though? Is Rayman Origins a prime example that the days of 2D gaming are far from death?

Tags Platformer, playstation 3, rayman origins, review, Ubisoft, ubisoft montpellier

Review: Who wants to be a Millionaire: Special Editions

Post author By James Joell-Ireland
Post date November 29, 2011

Quiz games are pretty common these days, thanks to the emergence of downloadable content delivery systems. Unfortunately, many publishers use this delivery method to push forward to consumers a product that is of no real quality. In fact, the last quiz game to really deliver a punch was ‘Buzz!’. The ‘Scene It?’ series on Xbox 360 was complete rubbish, and other quiz titles out there haven’t encapsulated what is required to make these games a return winner.

Along comes Who Wants To Be A Millionaire. It has had more comebacks than Charlie Sheen’s coke addiction. Big question is, is it any good?

Tags Deep Silver, PlayStation Network, video game, who wants to be a millionaire, wwtbam, Xbox Live

Review: Saints Row: The Third

Post author By Andy Corrigan
Post date November 28, 2011

Saints Row and I have had something of a mixed history. The original game was one of the first that I actually got paid for reviewing (man, I cringe so hard, reading that review back), and without a comparable experience on the system at the time, I adored it. At this time everyone was comparing it to Grand Theft Auto and, to be fair, the comparisons to Rockstar’s games from last-gen were there for all to see.

Since then, the two franchises have taken different directions. GTA matured over its three iterations, leading to a bleaker, grittier piece of social commentary in GTA IV, while Saints Row took no time in filling the void of pure, unadulterated childishness. Volition undeniably ramped that aspect up something chronic in the inevitable sequel, to the degree where the two franchises were no longer competitors.

Somehow, though, despite my best efforts, that sequel just didn’t click for me in the same way it seemingly did for everyone else. My indifference led me to start it, and give up pretty quickly; something that I just wasn’t expecting to happen. There were probably just more interesting games to me at the time and that, coupled with the game’s slow start (who would have thought a prison break would be a slow start?) left me feeling apathetic towards it on every level. It just wasn’t meant to be.

Still, everyone else adored it, and that success has ultimately led to the recent release of Saints Row: The Third. A title expected to skew the series’ sketchy perspective on reality even further.

Silly it might aim to be, but is it a good game?

Tags Awesome Button, Johnny Gat, OTT, purple, Purple Dildo, Quick jacking, Saints Row, Saints Row: The Third, Shaundi, The Boss, The Third, Volition

Review: Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception

Post author By Ray Willmott
Post date November 25, 2011

The lure of riches can claim an individual’s soul, and send them on far-reaching, wild adventures in search of it. People will do crazy things in its name, their true voice can at last be heard, the impact of their decisions, utterly felt.

Nathan Drake has already seen so much, committing himself to impossible causes in order to uncover the greatest of secrets, but it is in Drake’s Deception that he truly meets his match. For the first time, the lovable rogue is about to face impossible truths and confront harsh possibilities. This adventure will get under his skin like never before.

Did it also get under mine?

Tags 3rd person, action, Adventure, Elena Fisher, Epic, Nathan Drake, Sully, Treasure hunter, Uncharted, uncharted 3, Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception

Review: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3

Post author By Rik Wortman
Post date November 23, 2011

It’s almost as if an introduction isn’t needed for this game. If you haven’t heard from the franchise before then you’re most definitely not a gamer, or at least an incredibly bad one. The possibility of being able to trawl through a video-game shelf in your local store without coming across one of the Call of Duty titles has gone so low I can’t even see the amount of numbers after the decimal points, let alone count them.

So reading this review is like entering a home you’ve already become accustomed to. Welcome in, make yourself at home. Would you like some tea? Your favourite cup is where you left it last time; shall we talk about Modern Warfare 3?

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