A once recognizable mascot for a thriving company, it appeared that Sonic was everywhere at one time. However, when Sega fell apart in the early 2000s it was hard to bring back Sonic into the limelight with a slue of disappointing releases. His games have been hit or miss since his redesign and haven’t brought back the feeling of what the blue hedgehog was all about. Sonic Generations is now trying together bridge the old with the new and the result is a game that finally brings us the speed and character of an old friend.

You may have noticed these days that the recent Sonic games have come with the most ridiculous plots and Generations takes this to a whole new level but with some charm and humor. Two generations of Sonic’s are pulled together thanks to the will of an unknown evil force causing a dimensional void threatening the fabric of space and time. Rather then build a central Hub with automatic level increases and straightforward plot devices, Sonic Generations gives you a world, with no shortage in fan service, with plenty of side attractions along the way. While you still have to advance in a linear fashion the story does give you an opportunity for variety allowing you to break off from the main objectives. You may find yourself feeling nostalgic for old time Sonic fans, like myself, as all of the 9 zones are based on levels from previous games and broken into two acts.

The first act is tailored after the classic 2D Sonic games and the second act plays off the more modern style in the 3D view. Before you move forward it should also be noted that you’d be able to switch between the old classic Sonic and the new modern Sonic at the press of a button. What’s fun about this experience is seeing how a classic map like Green Hill Zone looks in this modern age and vice versa in its 2D form. While the game leaves more to be desired, unfortunately you’ll have to shell out a few more dollars for the upcoming DLC for more zones. As you progress through the main stage, challenge rooms unlock that are set within existing zones and put your skills to the test in a variety of ways from buzzer beaters, to medal hunting and more. While it is mandatory to complete a couple of these challenges to progress, if you don’t like a certain challenge you can simply pick a different one.

The game should take you no longer then 5 or 6 hours in one sitting, but if you venture off to complete everything you can bet you’ll double that play time. There are two additional online modes; one is 30-second trial, which challenges players to see how fast you can complete a level in 30 seconds. The second mode is Ranging Attack, which challenges you to gain the best score and time on each level. Both modes support online leaderboards as well to track your online progress. I found myself enjoying the 30-second trial, as it gave you a chance to test your skill and add more to the replayability factor.

Some of the problems that have plagued recent Sonic releases were uninspired level design and unresponsive controls. Sonic Generations manages to address these issues by combining the nostalgic feel of the previous Sonic games and merging them into the modern age and they look beautiful. What we are presented with are levels that fill you with a sense of speed and minimal headaches. Of course, it’s not perfect; there are still instances of cheap deaths and overall frustrating challenges.  But what’s here is a positive experience and doesn’t take away from enjoying the speed of the blue hedgehog. While the modern stages are aesthetically pleasing, it’s the classic stages that steal the show. The physics feel just right and Sonic feels just as he did back in the Genesis days. While it’s great that the speed is improved, sometimes it causes problems that you’re moving to fast through the level. At some points I noticed that you could easily find yourself trapped in corners if you use up the boost meter. Finally what you may find yourself having a problem with is switching between retro and modern Sonic as in the boss fights you’ll find it’s harder to take advantage of the controls. However, what you’re left with in the grand scheme of things is simple controls that you can easily enjoy and tag along for the ride, which is all you can ask for.

Bottom Line: It appears that Sega has finally learned from its mistakes and has created a true Sonic game that everyone can enjoy. The game hits home on many levels from the nostalgic days to the modern age to introduce new fans to the blue hedgehog. While it’s on the short side, the essential fundamentals are here and it’s a game where fun can be had on a rainy afternoon and that’s all you can really ask for.

Do you find yourself asking this year; do I want more Call of Duty? If you have played any of the Call of Duty games before, especially Modern Warfare, then some of you will overwhelmingly say “of course!” Even if you’ve kept up with the series up until now, there will also be some of you that might be asking yourself if you want more. But if you’re on the fence about the idea of jumping in now, it might be wise to know that Modern Warfare 3 has new maps, modes, and new options. It doesn’t reinvent the wheel or make any changes to what’s already there; though it does make some smart additions some will come to appreciate. However, if you’ve finally reached your limit on scripted campaign storylines and a particular type of multiplayer, than none of those changes are going to pull you back in.

There’s still more to it about Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 and we’re going to start with the game’s single player campaign. It clocks in at a short 5 hours, with the action taking place only moments after the conclusion of Modern Warfare 2 released back in 2009 with Soap in bad shape and Captain Price rushing him to safety to revive him. Task Force 141 has been completely disowned by the government, though that doesn’t stop them from hunting down Russian terrorist Markarov. Meanwhile the war that Markarov started thanks to the attack on the Russian airport in MW2 is in full swing with American forces attempting to keep Russian armies at bay and away from American soil. You mostly end up switching between Price’s group, American forces and other characters when appropriate.

The first act of the game is your re-introduction to the characters and story as soon as the first explosion hits. Afterwards the game doesn’t settle down and one of the big problems is that there is so much going on in between and in the story that you can get lost. All I remember after finishing the game was how many times I killed a bunch of dudes with either a machinegun, or vehicle torrent or how many times I died. You spend a lot of the time as the passenger in a vehicle whether you’re controlling a mounted gun to hold off a position till a helicopter arrives, or jumping in said helicopter shooting down other helicopters or providing cover for your fellow soldiers. Other times the game forces you to follow another soldier who is marked with the word “follow” over his head. This of course isn’t that different from the previous games and from a gameplay perspective can sound pretty dull.

The interesting part, however, is that though it might not be fun to play, the narrative and nature of the script makes it fun to watch as the events unfold in front of you. You’ll find plenty of footage that was used for trailers and commercials. The engine certainly shows a bit of age, but Infinity Ward has managed to pump everything it can out of it to showcase new set pieces. You’ll be shown everything from monuments falling to pieces in front you, too a tank exploding as your sitting in it. The framerate is still one of the game’s bright spots and manages to be smooth and doesn’t show any lag. While the game might not win any awards for it’s writing or graphical environments, its overall story might be taken into account. If you’ve followed the adventures of Soap and Captain Price the ending does feel like everything is “wrapped up” and deals out that sense of closure.

After the credits roll, the game travels you right into the updated co-op friendly Special Ops mode returning from MW2. There are 16 new missions and each provides something different for solo play or with a friend. The mission pretty much compliment the missions found in the campaign from stealthy guiding resistance members to even fighting off waves of enemies in a juggernaut suit. Although each mission lasts only about 10 minutes each, you can get about hours of replayability out of it with each difficulty offering a better chance at gaining better rewards.

Spec Ops also offers a Survival mode also including more co-operative play and solo play as well. Survival places you against waves after waves if increasing difficult enemies in the same maps you find in online multiplayer. It’s also another great training ground for solo players looking to increase their skill level when they’re ready to tackle online multiplayer. As you progress you’ll be able to find hotspots to purchase items for your arsenal. You’ll still be able to pick up enemies weapons as you go of course. If you’re a social player, you’ll find Call of Duty Elite may be right up your alley. Call of Duty Elite adds in stat tracking features, weapon loadouts customizations on the go and the ability to share them with other players. Elite features stats across all previous Call of Duty games you’ve played as well as Modern Warfare 3. It comes in both free and subscription based forms, going for $49.99 USD for an entire year for the premium subscription. The premium subscription also includes monthly downloadable content for free along with virtual and real life prizes for participation in daily competitions. There is also Facebook integration for those with Facebook account to include your friends and post to Facebook.

In online multiplayer, gamers will find 16 maps coming on the disc, much larger then that of Battlefield 3. There are an excellent variety of maps to plant bombs, grab flags, as well as straightforward killing. A favorite match type is called Kill Confirmed. Here players will have to secure dog tags in order to score points and get credit for the kill for your team to reach match point. It’s a fun match type that is sure to eliminate campers seen in other modes like Team Deathmatch. Overall, the online multiplayer experience is close to lag free of course this is all dependent on your Internet connection. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 comes in both the standard edition and Hardened Editions (received for this review). The Hardened Edition comes in a slipcase and inside the collectible box are a field journal, Founder status as well as a Steel book collectible case for the game. You’ll also find Special Ops Avatar outfits for Male and Female avatars. Finally you have a premium subscription to Call of Duty Elite for the year.

Bottom Line: BUY IT! Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 certainly doesn’t reinvent the wheel or make drastic changes, but as the saying goes “If it isn’t broke, don’t’ fix it”. There are certainly flaws to be found as you delve deeper into the game but it doesn’t break the foundation of what Infinity Ward and Sledgehammer Games have built. The set pieces are fun to watch but the campaign will be difficult to get through and is short. Online multiplayer is as addictive as ever and you’ll find yourself wanting more as you keep playing. Replayability is strong here with Special Ops modes, varied multiplayer modes and co-operative play within it.

2 years after Uncharted 2: Among Thieves wowed us with spectacular set pieces, an unrivaled introduction and balanced gameplay, Naughty Dog has returned with Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception. Uncharted 3 brings the franchise full circle while reuniting characters, and story elements from the original title back in 2007. All of this while bridging together a fascinating origin story that looks deep into the history of our favorite hero and his partner in crime; Victor Sullivan.

Drake and “Sully,” continue the adventure and cross-deserts, seas, and continents to find “the Atlantis of the desert.” The script is written by series writer Amy Henning, and is funny and poignant. For the first time in the series, the people around Drake are beginning to question his motives and why he is doing what he’s doing. Are the risks and sacrifices worth the reward? This morality is what drive’s Uncharted 3’s overall story.  Nathan encounters a new type of enemy, himself. The story delves deeply into a narrative surrounding the character’s past and with a villain like Katherine Marlowe, the story goes even deeper turning corners that’ll leave you with your mouth gaping. Old friends return for a cameo and new ones are made as Drake finds that he’s being pushed to his limit.

Tombs are plundered, treasures exposed and discovered with enemies showing up moments later. “This is where the fun begins” as they say. In regards to your altercations with the enemy behind Marlowe, there’s no variety. Enemies spawn in random points often being unforgiving as soon as you begin the checkpoint. On top of this, they are not afraid to get in your face. If you’re close enough, enemies will engage in fisticuffs and you are powerless if you’re in a bad spot with enemy fire coming your way. Aiming is a bit of subjective point of view. The aiming in Uncharted 3 isn’t as ridiculous as everyone claims it is. Every person has a different perspective of how they play and some may encounter issues and some may not. I personally did not have any issues with the aiming in Uncharted 3. There were points during the game, however, where controlling Drake felt like a chore when you didn’t hit the right spot while platforming.

Yes, platforming is the main way to get around in the Uncharted world. There are various locations you’ll find from tombs to cities and caves that require climbing. The platforming is well designed, however, if you don’t hit the right spot at the direction Naughty Dog is pointing you in you will fall to your death. It should be noted that the platforming seems to have been taking by the way side for more shooting sequences. I did feel like I encountered more firefights then in previous titles, like in Uncharted 2 for example.  It was more of a feeling like run to this point, shoot these guys, run again, shoot some more guys…etc. The improved melee system was a great addition to the overall gameplay design; however, it feels like there should have been more puzzles. There were fewer tombs this time around when you consider the overarching story, so that may have played a factor. Drake’s isn’t searching for a simple piece of lost treasure this time around.

The game is beautiful; there is no doubt about that. Naughty Dog continues to impress in its artistic vision for the series. Colors are vibrant and varied; lighting is as realistic as it is relevant. There is something to be said when you find a game that truly takes itself seriously. The production values are staggering and with the stunning voice cast, you’ll swear you’re watching a new Indiana Jones adventure. Nolan North once again continues to give us a hell of a performance as Nathan Drake and applause all around for the rest of the cast as well. There seems to be no stone left behind when you dissect Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception. Everything is here to give you a cinematic experience that you’ll be left with wanting more when the game ends. The ending by the way actually comes in a blink of an eye.

Uncharted 3 comes with a host of modes for online multiplayer.  First things first is that with every new copy of Uncharted 3 gamers will have to enter an Online Pass in order to access the MP content. Afterwards, what you’ll find is every bit of customization you can imagine. If you choose to stick with a custom character, you can outfit him with different color skins, faces, weapon loadouts, weapon skins, kickback rewards, and the list go on. You’ll start off with a basic cash amount and as you play more matches you’ll earn more cash to spend on your character. There is a level up system as well so you’ll see what rank you are at when looking at the Leaderboards. Other modes include online co-operative play where you are given a few missions to test your skill and work together. Within the online multiplayer you’ll find match types like Team Deathmatch, Free for All, and more treasure seeking modes where you must find the treasure before the other team.

Bottom Line: Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception isn’t perfect by any means. There are a few flaws that will take away the immersion factor at times.  However, when you look at the overall picture, this latest installment in the series is merely a stepping-stone in Naught Dog’s continued success. The only real disappointing thing to remember is that we’ll have to wait for another 2 years before the next game.

Companies have been trying for years to find the perfect competitor to battle in the “war” against the Call of Duty franchise. It’s a war you see taking place in every trailer, press release and TV spot up until the games launch. The Battlefield series has roots originally in the PC, but has new life in the consoles thanks to the Bad Company releases. Battlefield 3’s release see it spanning from PC to consoles this time around and is definitely a better choice to measure up to Call of Duty then Medal of Honor was. This is all well and good, but are they focusing too much on the outside war and not enough on the inside?

The first thing you’ll notice when you bring home your copy of Battlefield 3 is that is on two separate discs on the Xbox 360 version. One disc contains the single player campaign, and the other disc contains the co-op missions and multiplayer content. This is something a bit perplexing mostly because developers have normally been able fit both content on one disc and call it a day. However, what we find here is that players will be swapping discs as if they’re playing Mass Effect. If you were looking to dive right into the Battlefield experience I’d recommend starting with the multiplayer components of the game. The single player is by no definition containing any life or scenes worth remembering. Yes the game certainly looks pretty compared to other first person shooters on the market, however it is a much short lived experience.

The single player campaign can be completed in an afternoon or in other words, about 5 or 6 hours depending on your playing style and preferred difficulty. You play as several different characters but the mainstay is Staff Sergeant Henry Blackburn. The game depicts its story in a series of flashbacks as you are questioned and under investigation by the CIA. These various scenes flash by in a blink of an eye but what they contain are several quick time events and rather bland gameplay. While it was a different take than what other first person shooter are attempting its effect got lost in the clutter of its poor design. In the main campaign there is everything from missing character animations to weird enemy behavior, roller coaster difficulty and terrible offline lag. It marred what could have been an interesting experience. The campaign doesn’t particularly get to jump till halfway through the game but even then you’re still fighting the waves of frustration.

When you head into the second disc, this contains your online multiplayer and co-operative missions. Along with the standard Deathmatches, there is also a Conquest mode where teams capture flags on the map to reduce the opposing teams spawn points. Finally we have the popular Rush mode in which teams attack or defend each other’s M-COM stations and push their lines further back.  The multiplayer is the meat and bones of the Battlefield experience going back to the original days on the PC with the first game. Every time I find myself in a new round of battle, I get lost in the fight just simply finding a way to survive without getting murdered in 5 seconds. As soon as the match starts I can hear the rumble of vehicles passing through the terrain, helicopters flying around and jets breaking the speed of sound. Explosions and bullet pops in the background are another noticeable and trademark feature of the series.

Whenever I’m dropped into the map, the immediate soundtrack of war surrounds you. The game really doesn’t have much of a soundtrack of the musical kind. You’ll find yourself trying to get your bearings straight and with the games mammoth maps, there will be a lot of running. The first task is to get yourself in one of the vehicles (which are everything from helicopters, tanks and jets) to get you around the terrain and just make sure an RPG doesn’t blow you up. The biggest draw for Battlefield and its biggest selling point is the concentration on teamwork. There are various classes you can choose from upon starting your match and each has their own varying degrees of success and how you want to contribute to your squad. There are different classes to for you and your teammates to decide upon to use. Each has there own unique abilities to control. You will have to watch how you spawn, however, as you could easily spawn and be caught in the middle of a firefight. There are options to spawn next to your squad mates or a pre-determined spawn point on the map for your 5-minute walk.

Bottom Line: When looking at the overall package, Battlefield 3 is only worth half the price of its current price tag. While the multiplayer is a great experience, the single player is the real downer here. The co-operative missions are decent for what they are, but feel uninspired and only they’re for your achievement hunting. The effort put into the multiplayer stands out and could easily take your time away for hours on end. Battlefield 3 is easily a shooter that should be in your first person shooter catalog if you’re into team based combat and realistic modern warfare.

Arkham Asylum was shut down and all its inmates and resident lunatics from the Asylum and Blackgate prison were moved to what is now known as Arkham City right in the middle of Gotham City. However, it gets much worse, Hugo Strange was placed in charge and rules Arkham City with an iron fist all while Two-Face, Penguin and The Joker prepare for a three-way war. Finally to add to the mess, Bruce Wayne was arrested for seemingly unknown circumstances and tortured by Strange and thrown in with residents who are not so fond of the billionaire.

Thus the story is set for a Batman game that is so full of twists and surprise appearances that you would think it’s part of DC Comics canon for the franchise. The game features a huge cast of characters from the Batman universe and some of which I wouldn’t even dare to mention here without it being a major plot spoiler. Arkham City is nearly the ultimate Batman experience in video game form. I mention nearly because there are moments where information is presented a bit too rushed in the beginning, however that certainly isn’t to say the entire experience is a letdown. Batman fans will certainly eat this game up and enjoy every bit of the plethora of comic references and mythos of the character.

The biggest change between Arkham Asylum and Arkham City is merely in the name in itself, Arkham City is an open world. As Batman you can move freely through the streets and rooftops of the city. This ability will make you truly feel like the legendary detective. Using intuitive controls, Batman fans will no doubt recognize many of the new gadgets you encounter as you progress through the game.  Players can easily glide through the air, while diving and swooping to maintain altitude. Crucial to your traveling is your grappling hook and as you glide through the air you can grapple onto rooftops and various other high surfaces to keep your speed going. It’s a crapshoot, however, while using the grappling hook as the game will often pick a random point for you to latch onto so more often then not Batman will end up in the wrong place. To correct his position all one must do is simply jump off and glide away.

As mentioned, Batman has a whole new host of gadgets starting with everything used from Arkham Asylum like batarangs and explosive gel before adding freeze grenades and ranged electrical charges. All of these new gadgets are essential in navigating around the City as you find new paths and hidden places.

Rocksteady has brought back the excellent and simple combat system. As you might expect, Batman will often find himself in situations were groups of various and vicious thugs will need suppressing. You’ll be taking them out with the fluid combat system. Bruce will be able to stop his attacking foes with one button and break their combos with the press of another button to counter attack. This is the same system that was introduced in Arkham Asylum and has been updated for Arkham City. Players must continually keep a stream of attack matching with counter attack to keep Batman from breaking his flow. New combos were added to Batman’s arsenal and you’ll see new combo animations to finish off opponents. While it does look good to see Batman flawlessly finishing off his opponents, the combat system can be temperamental. Simply smashing random buttons to attack your opponents is more difficult to match the speed of the counter attack, considering the prompt simply shows up late at times. Thus this breaks Batman’s responsiveness and ends up with you being knocked off your rhythm and open for attack.

To give things a bit of a fresh take; Rocksteady added the ability for Batman to use his gadgets while you’re in a fight. If you’re in the middle of a brawl you can hold the shoulder button and use a face button to throw in say a freeze grenade to try and give you an advantage. From my experience, the smoke grenades are very helpful to begin the fight and catch the enemy off guard especially if they have automatic weapons. In addition to this there are also special enemies that require special takedowns to defeat and a prompt appears during your encounter with them to take care of them. All of this is effective, however, it puts one thought in mind, trying to do too much at once.

It can be confusing at times when there are so many enemies that require different ways to dispatch. This also ties into Batman’s gadgets, as there are sometimes things you don’t even realize you could use in certain situations. For instance, I was stuck at a certain point in the game and above all things I never realized you could use Batman’s grapple hook to pull myself to different platforms and easily get across certain areas with little effort. Moving on, while exploration and combat are just part of the experience, stealth is just as heavily influenced in the game as ever. The Predator maps are back and as tough as ever. Snipers now have a greater field of vision; thugs now also have thermal vision as well so they can see if you’re hiding up in the gargoyles. They’ll also blast them away making it more difficult for you to take them out. This is also where you’ll truly feel like Batman, as you swing across different areas of the map planning your next move. You’ll have to think quickly because with there automatic weapons will take you out in a few shots.

The main campaign will take you just over 8 hours to beat and there’s plenty of optional content to tackle once the main story is finished. The Riddler is back and has set up plenty of trophies across the City as well as challenge maps for you to rescue hostages from death. The Catwoman episodes are fairly short and do add a fun twist to the story. Her abilities are somewhat limited and her combat doesn’t feel as fluid as Batman’s as you are more vulnerable and have less gadgetry to work with. Arkham City is vastly depressing and I mean that in the most entertaining way and though it is missing the pacing of Arkham Asylum due to the open world environment, Arkham City still manages to give the Batman experience you’ve always wanted.

Bottom Line: Batman Arkham City is the ultimate Batman experience and is beautifully crafted. You’ll feel like you’re the goddamned Batman with the new tweaks and plot arrangements. While the combat will be tough to overcome, if you plan your style and your next move, it can easily be a smooth experience. Don’t forget to look forward to the addition downloadable content coming that adds new characters like Robin and Nightwing in various challenge rooms.

Title: Driver: San Francisco
Platforms: Xbox 360 [Reviewed], PlayStation, PC, Nintendo Wii
Developed by: Ubisoft Reflections
Published By: Ubisoft

The Driver series has made its return after a long hiatus since its previous incarnation back in 2004 with Driv3r. Ubisoft Reflections took on the helm of development under the direction of the original series creators. Driver: SF opens with Charles Jericho being taken to prison only to escape with the help of a crazed woman with an RPG. John Tanner and his partner pursue him only unfortunately for Tanner to wind up in a coma after his car collides with another vehicle commandeered by none other then Charles Jericho, the escapee. In his unconsciousness he is still pursing Jericho as if he’s still in reality. However, this new-found ability to “shift” his spirit, allows him to control any driver in the game at the press of a button. This may sound confusing at first, but once you see the game in action it all begins to make sense after the first act.

While the game has a rather sober ending, the road to get there is absurd but services a rather interesting game mechanic that makes for a replay-able game based on its side missions and main story. As you head into the main story you encounter a huge sandbox world littered with activities within to keep you busy. The set up is simple, you complete various objectives, which range from radical driving races, stunt challenges, and help you unlock story missions and bonus activities. As the game goes deeper into Tanners storyline the world expands giving you a much bigger playground and more activities at your disposal. You can shift pretty much at will and allowing you an opportunity to simply bail out of any activity you aren’t having fun with and the touch of a button.

However, with the game rewarding you for any reckless havoc you cause without any goal in mind, it allows you to zone out as you drive. The currency you earn as you progress in the game flow like water and there’s plenty of it to spend on like licensed cars to unlock and purchase. You ca also unlock larger boost bars and other bonus challenges and if you buy more garages you’ll have access to other stuff as well. The multiplayer system comes with Driver signature modes but adds on a fresh new feeling when you factor your shift ability. You’ll have to level up before for quite a while before you are given access to all the modes and even before then you’ll need an online pass to access the multiplayer content. Aside from the familiar Tag concept, there are team-based modes as well like capture the flag, and group races where shifting is disallowed. There is split screen available as well online and seems to be well crafted when we tried it. There are unique game modes developed with split screen in mind.

With the shifting ability the game turns into an open world sandbox with opportunities that expand the experience. The shift mechanic cracks the game wide open and allows for the reckless driving that the game offers. For instance when you participate in events that require you to slam into other vehicles, you quickly learn that chasing them down won’t do and you can simple posses a vehicle barreling down the oncoming lane to finish the job. While the shift mechanic is restricted in multiplayer for the most part, when you are able to use, take advantage, as it’ll help you greatly. The cars handle predictably fast and are a little too loose for my liking. You could easily find yourself spinning out especially considering the game emphasizes drifts, tight turns and jumps off of San Francisco’s hill of geography. There are various cars you could use and the statistics the game provides for you should give you an idea of how each car is to be used. There seem to be though just two types of cars, one that allows you to escape from pursuing fugitives, and heavy cars to ram into fugitives.

The game itself runs rather smoothly and of course your mileage will vary when you enter the realm of the multiplayer world. The cars look pretty convincing themselves and you’ll certainly be able to tell the difference between Detroit steel and foreign carbon fiber. You might just wince when you start to see the damage appear to your cars but then again Tanner won’t be the one suffering in this end. While the focus is on the cars of the game, the people in the game look great. The attention to detail and characters modeled with a distinct level of realism allow for convincing performances. It’s a shame we aren’t able to say the same about the pedestrian population. Try as you might, if you try to ram your car into the sidewalks and walkways in the streets, people will simple zigzag out of the way avoiding your oncoming disaster.

Bottom Line: As far as I’m concerned, Driver: San Francisco has been successfully reborn. The amount of content in the game will keep you playing for hours whether it’s through the main storyline or the side missions. The map keeps expanding as you unlock garages and cars along the way. The multiplayer certainly benefits greatly from the novel shifting mechanic and provides a bit more of a challenge for you keeping old modes fresh again and new ones exciting.

The Football Manager series has dominated the market. It has become the only real football management sim left (occasionally there is a new one or two from SI Games’ competitors, but it’s becoming increasingly rare). Some say this is a bad thing as it means that SI Games and SEGA don’t need to do much every year to keep their illustrious fanbase. The question is; have they got complacent with this year’s release?

Well, the answer isn’t as black and white as it first appears. All the usual Football Manager elements are here and the UI has been tidied up, with those packing large monitors in for a special treat in the form of mass stat overload. The match engine has also been improved quite considerably, and to our surprise we found that the 3D views work just as advertised on older PC hardware. This was a sore issue for some last year so people running older rigs should be in good spirits. The new director view also contributes to the experience and helps to add to the drama of matches.

On the flip side, match audio is still the same old dull fan noise that has been pre-recorded. It still doesn’t sync up to the game’s matches and it can disrupt what is otherwise a coherent experience. The experience is also broken up by the spotty licensing. SI Games and SEGA have decided to resist going after the Premier League license and instead are satisfied to push an incomplete product for many years now. They have got away with this for far too long and we think it’s something fans should try to demand for. We appreciate that the licensing deals must be expensive, but it’s a fair assumption to suggest that many players of this game will want to manage a Premier League side.

Regardless, the usual array of awe-inspiring stats and up-to-date squads (including the very latest real-life transfers – Arsenal’s desperately cobbled together squad is present) are the main meat and potatoes of the game. The sheer amount of information on offer is fantastic as always and that definitely helped to keep us addicted during the course of this review. All this info intertwines within the gameplay with the new conversational tones and team talks. These vary from being aggressive, passionate or calm amongst others and each one can have a direct affect upon your player’s attitudes on and off the pitch. It’s a surprisingly deep little system, and you will find yourself watching how you talk to the in-game media plus your team in general in order to get the most out of them as possible.

Other new highlights that deserve a mention include the new contract negotiations. You can now lock certain elements of the negotiations and this also makes a sizeable impact to how you interact with the game. The leagues are also improved, matching their real-live counterparts as closely as possible. These league and team improvements seep into the international management angle of the game. Controlling international sides is much more intuitive, with more hands-on elements so it genuinely feels like less of a tacked-on experience.

Youth squads and the ability to add or remove leagues as you play through the game are also game-changers that complement the management sim well without breaking the game. Rounding up the changes are the new in-depth tutorials for new managers and social network integration for all those sociable folks so you can bombard your friends whilst you bombard your opponents when you play the game.

All these new elements are great, but there doesn’t seem to be any real killer-feature this year and the game feels like it has run out of ideas. Full licensing might help, but there needs to be a better hook for new players going forward or the game might be in danger of appeasing to an ever-decreasing niche. We’re not exactly sure what the answer is. FM2012 had us hugely addicted during our review period and it does feel great, but there’s just no big pay-off for all the hours you will put in anymore outside of your team’s success.

Bottom Line: In a time when our personal lives are being eaten up by a variety of different distractions, FM2012 is just a little slow-paced and slightly unrewarding to compete in a world dominated by more bite-sized distractions. However, this is the best Football Manager since 09 and it has pushed the football management sim genre to the furthest it has ever gone. What comes next very much relies on what SI Games and SEGA want to go with the franchise. For the first time, it could be argued that a football management game is fully feature-complete and if you are a football fan you will immensely enjoy it.

Title: Ace Combat: Assault Horizon
Publisher Namco Bandai Games, Developer: Team Aces
Platforms: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 [reviewed]
MSRP: $59.99
Release Date: October 11 2011

When I received my review copy of Ace Combat: Assault Horizon a few days before launch, it took me by surprise. I remembered the days playing the old Microsoft flight simulator titles and thinking what it would be like to experience jet fighter combat in a wartime setting. Then the Ace Combat series comes along and I have had very little experience with it. I remember playing a couple of the older titles and thinking the games are very fun and inviting and have a great atmosphere. While this is certainly not intended to be a simulation but an arcade flight combat experience. Ace Combat Assault Horizon ditches the fictitious story telling for a real world tale from famous novelist Jim DeFelice.

The story focuses on a NATO operation in Africa against rebel forces with both ground and aerial assaults. Soon after it expands to all corners of the world as you fight for control of a new super weapon. In this respect, Assault Horizon does a decent job of being the glue to hold the game’s focus in tact, with the story. When it comes to real life aerial combat, there is a lot of waiting around for commands, shuffling through equipment and making the adjustments before the attack. But, Assault Horizon just skips all that and turns into a military action shooter and doesn’t let up from the first strike and that’s certainly not a bad thing.

You’ll be using a variety of military vehicles during many missions, but the core of the gameplay remains the same; battles between jets. Team Aces has revamped the combat system in Assault Horizon and has opted for close encounters of the arial kind to get the job done. The new mode, called ‘Dog Fight Mode’ (DFM) wants players to sneak in close behind the enemy and lock on an enemy by pressing the bumper buttons. Once this happens, you’ll be in a close range combat and you can either wait till your missile’s lock on or fire away with your machine gun. DFM then puts your plane on a partly-guided trajectory completely focused on the jet in front of you leaving you open to other enemy fighters. This happens regularly, so don’t be surprised if you see yourself being shot down more often then not as I experienced. However, DFM allows you to turn the tables if you find yourself trying to be locked on. When a red circle appears behind your aircraft, simply hit the brakes and you can do a Top Gun style maneuver to get a better angle of attack. The same method also applies when you are fighting ground forces in ‘Air Strike Mode’ (ASM).

The DFM mode works well as its intended too, but regularly do you find yourself in situations where tougher enemies seem to have it easier than you do. Locking on and doing a reverse flip often feel simple in task and makes the game feel more like an arcade game. Enemies will often get a lock on you, so more often than not you’ll have to break out of it towards the later parts of the game. You’ll earn more planes to use with different speeds and special weapons, but no upgrades. The lack of any RPG-style options will certainly disappoint some looking for a more sophisticated aircraft experience. Outside of the dogfights, the game does mix up the action with an aerial attack as you play as an AC-130 gunner and feels vaguely familiar if you remember the same experience from Call of Duty. The player will be able to control three types of weapons from a computer screen and you’ll have to support the ground teams as they form their assault. There are even missions as a Black Hawk gunner and a stealth bomber crew member.

Alongside the single player you can play Assault Horizon online with friends including a co-operative mode for two or three players with eight missions to engage. The online multiplayer supports up to 16 players in team based aerial combat battles.  Capital Conquests has players defending or attacking various world capitals split into two teams of eight players each. You’ll get to use fighter jets, helicopters or bombers. All you have to remember is to play to your strengths just like in any other shooter out there so pick the class that’s right for you. There will be supported downloadable content as well and it is noted as soon as you boot the game up on the main screen for what’s coming next. The game looks good and its cinematic pieces are certainly high quality giving you a chance to care about the narrative and overall story arc despite it jumping all over in different places. For a limited time, gamers who purchase first run copies will receive the original soundtrack of the game with their purchase.

Bottom Line: Ace Combat: Assault Horizon is an experience to tread carefully on. It’s explosive and certainly a lot of fun to play. The new combat system works as its intended but can be a frustrating experience as well in heavy dogfights. Whether you using a Black Hawk helicopter or a fighter jet, make sure you learn the ropes of the game before heading into that Elite difficulty, as the game will give you a run for your money.

The Resistance series has been an interesting series to follow along since its original launch back in 2006. It’s enjoyed a good amount interest from the press and gamers alike but is constantly debated on its quality and dated gameplay mechanics. It has since earned far less commendation then that of Uncharted or even inFAMOUS. It has very easily snuck into it’s own place as the “B” shooter and has really seemed to struggle to find its place. The past two titles have been entirely different from each other that you come to wonder what kind of identity the game really has and if Resistance 3 can still retain some sort of dignity among the its fellow crew. Luckily it seems that Insomniac Games has found that identity with Resistance 3.

Resistance 3’s campaign puts us right back in the alternate timeline of the 1950’s United States with the Chimera in firm control of Earth. Joseph Capelli is the man responsible for killing former protagonist, Nathan Hale and has been dishonorably discharged from the Army and is currently hiding with a group of survivors in Haven, Oklahoma. However, that doesn’t last long as the Resistance find out about the Chimera plans to freeze the planet force Capelli to make the long winding road trip to New York City to save humanity. There is a bit of an issue, I have, with the story, however, and that’s not to dampen the game in terms of quality. The Chimera have all but turned into humans with an alien infection turning them into Chimera to fight on the races behalf. In this respect the game doesn’t seem to know if it’s turned into an alien shooter, military shooter or zombie shooter.

The game takes place across twenty chapters that should take you about 8-10 hours to complete. At first glance Resistance 3 is yet another brown shooter with cover based mechanics, regenerating health and two weapon slots. Wait a minute, one thing’s noticeably different, as you notice on the ground you’ll find glowing items called medikits. As the light bulb might have gone off in your head by now, Resistance 3 does not have regenerating health and you’ll be fleeing on your last limb desperately seeking health through each firefight making things tense and exciting. It would also be more competent if you could carry ten weapons at once, wouldn’t it? Well, fear not as you can. There is a variety of different Chimera and Human weapons you’ll encounter throughout the campaign and despite some minor balancing issues you’ll enjoy experiencing each weapon. This is one thing Insomniac has been good and that’s making cool weapons. There is a weapon wheel, which you can open to pick through a variety of weapons you’ll find throughout the game and each weapon does level up as you play. There are even no cover mechanics, as you’ll just have to strategically use your surroundings around you as cover and keep those medikits close by in case of emergency.

The game does present you with a bit of variety through the story keeping you busy throughout different environments between escort missions, boss battles and firefight encounters around every corner. After completing the campaign unlocks include cheats that let you mess around with the main campaign whether it be glitches, to super weapons and even infinite ammo. The game also offers co-op gameplay in online and offline split screen delight. While there’s no other incentive for co-op it does bring a chance to bring a friend into the story to help you move along. You’ll be able to revive each other when you’re down and the only down side is the visuals are scaled back a bit to handle the extra player.

Speaking of scaling back, multiplayer allows for 8 vs. 8 online plays with the standard modes available to choose from. New modes include Breach, which pits players on a mission to destroy each other’s generators. Finally you also have Chain Reaction, which is essentially tug-of-war to fight for capture points on the map. Regenerating health is put here in place of medikits and if you rack up kill streaks you’ll earn rewards though don’t expect deep rewards like that of Call of Duty. Your level of experience determines the tools of your destruction that you can apply as you play. There are pre set load outs with custom ones you earn later on that let you purchase weapons allowing you to mix and match.

Like recent Sony releases, Resistance 3 has support for 3D TVs, and PlayStation Move. Resistance 3 also kicked off the Online Pass system, which forces you to input a code in the PlayStation Store in order to access the multiplayer content. This is in an effort to stop piracy and for to warn off people from purchasing used copies of the game. Each copy of the game comes with a code on the back of the manual that you have to redeem if you wish to play online. Resistance 3 looks pretty good in terms of visuals and is easy on the eyes, but that doesn’t mean it’s leading the pack in this department. There are still other games miles ahead in this department when you compare the game to the likes of Killzone and Uncharted. The game doesn’t take long to load on your system and is a breeze to play through. There are plenty of diverse environments with dust and wind effects blowing through the air breathe life into each area of the game. The audio design is great though the facial animations could be loosened up given their stiffness when the game shifts to pre-rendered cut scenes.

Bottom Line: The shift to cooler weapons in Resistance 3 is an excellent move by Insomniac to bring more variety to the series. Trying out each new weapon and upgrading it is fun and gives you an opportunity to enjoy the story with a few surprises thrown in. The multiplayer doesn’t exactly stand out in this entry considering it’s lack of content, but hopefully post-launch support will help to fill the gap. The excellent pacing and variety of the campaign, despite its short run makes it the best of the series and a title that we can faithfully recommend.

Developer: Id Software
Publisher: Bethesda Softworks
Release Date: October 4^th, 2011
Platforms: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 [reviewed], and PC

“Your reputation is everything here. If people don’t know you, they don’t like you.”

Such is the motto set for your post-apocalyptic adventure after the impact of a galactic asteroid alters much of Earth’s landscape. You take the role of a recent escapee from the government’s last-ditch effort for post-disaster reclamation after the world is nearly wiped out. With that kind of motto, it’s pretty clear you’ll have to fight for every inch of territory to survive and progress.

Thus is the stage set for this story driven post-apocalyptic first person shooter developed in-house from the people who brought you Doom. id Software is back and sets a different tone with this release of Rage. As noted in the quote above, you won’t get anything handed to you; you have to work for it. This point hits home with the heavy focus on the RPG elements, which include resource collection, a rather robust craft system and coming with it a ridiculous amount of mini games and more side quests then you can count. All of this is expertly implemented in which most modern shooters these days normally save for the multiplayer. It gives itself it’s own identity and separates itself from the cluster of other shooters on the market.

The game is a fairly traditional shooter opting for more close quarter combat instead of open zones like Far Cry or Battlefield. There are wide-open areas that allow for exploration, however, you’re kidding yourself if you want to go far out to explore without getting over run by bandits. These areas are reserved for your vehicle, which you’ll earn as soon as you complete a couple of missions within the first act of the game. Rage’s lack of cover-based mechanics makes for an entertaining trip through the wasteland’s various locations and battles. The first act of Rage is rather exciting as you are introduced to the games dark atmosphere, characters and world around you. You will tend to become attached to the story but by the time the second act rolls around you’ll find its more filler just to see the ending.

When it comes to combat, it increases in difficulty as time moves on and you’ll encounter different enemy types and be forced to use different tactics to move forward. Your main weapons are an assault rifle, shotgun, and crossbow and finally as your side weapon a wing stick. The weapons you are given feel powerful enough and aren’t gimped by any means. They seem well balanced and each provides their own sense of unique firepower given your situation. The combat areas are littered with glowing objects waiting for you to pick up and if you have the given schematic you’ll be able to take control of the crafting system to make ammo, health packs or whatever you need on the go without having to buy it. Towards the later half of the game you’ll find that you’ll need more advanced ammunition to take on the tougher enemies.

When you encounter different people throughout the world the people are just there. They’re waiting for you to come up and hit that button to hear their pre-scripted dialogue for you to continue the story or move into the next side quest. There are no dialogue trees or deep conversational topics to help you understand the story on a deeper level. The shooting does feel like classic id as if you’re traveling back in time to the good old days. However, it doesn’t go further then that. Each new weapon you get doesn’t have much to do other then its unique feature. The loot you find around the world is what you’ll most likely end up using to sell to vendors to earn extra cash for ammunition/health in the long run. There are no weapons upgrades unfortunately, so those used to the idea in other shooters, will be disappointed in this respect. The vehicles you’ll receive weapons for so you can take on the bandits riding around and will also help when you’re competing in races. Speaking of which, while there was so much concentration on the single player part of the game, the multiplayer feels more like an afterthought.

Each player is fit into a room and you’ll level up according to experience you gain and you’ll compete in races using various vehicles you can customize. There are no standard multiplayer here folk, just a race. Finally, remember the game takes 8 GB of space and if your on PlayStation 3 like we are, the game will take about 15 minutes give or take to install because of the detail of textures, people and environments of the large world of Rage. Even after installation on the hdd, textures still pop in and out in city areas and after traveling through each new area. This is not to say that the game looks poor, the game looks great, and despite that load times are going to be long.

Bottom Line: This isn’t to say that Rage is a bad shooter by any means, it is certainly pretty at times, but that’s still not painting over the truth. Rage feels as if Id is holding a lot of ideas within Rage and for whatever reason, these ideas aren’t realized. However, what is here is a game that is more then likely worth a try if you’d like a different kind of shooter. Rage’s main campaign can easily be completed within an 8-10 hour window of free time.

It’s no secret that the Gears of War franchise is deemed as a big money-spinner for Microsoft and Epic. The once-contained trilogy has become a top tier series designed to excite the fanboys and create hysteria en-mass. Gears of War 3 is perfectly placed to get all the 360 owners riled up, and it’s fair to say they should be.

What will strike you about the game first and foremost is its presentation. Gears 3 has seemingly hit the pinnacle of what the 360 can achieve, and we have to say it’s breathtaking. The environments make use of some clever effects to stretch draw distances to their very limit and the overall textures are manipulated to look stunning. This all fits in rather nicely with the UI, cutscenes and general other visual touches. This is the first real Gears title that feels like a cohesive unit and that definitely adds to the epic feeling.

The gameplay itself is typical Gears fare: stop and pop rules the roost here. However, we are delighted to confirm that the weapons have actually been balanced in this version. The lancer in particular feels much more enhanced, and that has changed the combat to a certain degree. Fights tend to be a much more mixed affair, with running and gunning shotgun types being left out in the cold. We’re extremely happy about this as shotgun-toting folk ruined the previous two iterations of this franchise and we personally believed that nothing was going to be done to sort the problem.

Story-wise, Gears 3’s campaign is a relatively short escapade (it took us roughly 10 hours, but can easily be done in much less) but it contains some fantastic set-pieces. It’s also refreshing to see such an important title trying to mess around with the conventions of the series, and to a certain extent; the genre. We won’t spoil anything, but you’ll know what we’re talking about when you get there. Other than that, the campaign is surprisingly easy and can get a touch plodding at times. The experience starts off fantastically well, but as the chapters drag on you realise the campaign just isn’t quite as epic (pun intended) as the ones found in its predecessors. Don’t get us wrong, there are plenty of fun moments but you won’t find anything here that will make you recite obscure stories to your COG-less friends. It’s quite obvious the focus with this package is the multiplayer (see the season pass news).

Talking of which, the multiplayer is easily pegged as the saying goes “the more things change, the more they stay the same”.

Team Deathmatch, Warzone, King of the Hill, Execution, Capture the Leader and Wingman composes the bulk of the games vs. modes. Some of the modes are either brought over from previous Gears titles or are bastardized versions of current modes. Team Deathmatch is also the mode people will flock too in crowds, so don’t be surprised if you have to wait “in line” to enter a match. TDM is the easiest and most basic mode to understand. Your team comprises of 5 players, and as a whole team you are given 15 lives to survive. The team to run out of their lives first is crowned victor of the round. You can decide in the settings how long you want rounds to last to determine victory. Just keep in mind, every time you time you die, you are hurting your team in this respect, because your single life could determine the outcome of the match.

The other modes in the game are pretty easily understood (King of the Hill, Execution)…etc through the games pop up texts that you are inundated with as soon as you start each match. The game supports dedicated servers so you won’t have to worry about loosing the match due to a loss of host, just the fact that you suck. The Stats and Awards area shows what you’ve earned if you played in the Beta or if you’ve progressed in the main campaign. The game is designed much in the way previous Gears are, you earn experience and level up when you’ve earned enough experience. This can be done through progressing through the campaign, playing multiplayer matches and through the games Horde and Beast modes as well. Horde mode, now penned as Horde 2.0 returns with 50 more waves of enemies for you to grind through. The more attention paid to command post building helps keep Horde fresh and interesting. Horde mode and Beast mode can hold up to 5 players per session. You can earn cash to be able to build turrets, barbed wire and other items all of which can be upgraded. Keep in mind, every 10^th wave is a boss wave and can include anything from a Berserker to a giant Brumak for you to tackle.

One new aspect Epic Games added in development was the addition of Beast mode. This is essentially the reverse of Horde mode. Instead of fighting the Locusts wave after wave, you are fighting waves of COG troops as the Locust themselves. You’ll start as smaller creatures like Tickers and you’ll have to smash away the defenses of the COG army before you unleash your bigger threats. You’ll eventually be able to earn bigger enemies like Brumak or Berserker’s. This is essentially the meat and potatoes of the Gears of War 3 experience. You can expect to find more downloadable content in the future just by checking up on the Event Calendar section. If you bought the Season Pass, it will be delivered right to your Gears 3 profile. All in all, there is plenty of content to enjoy with Gears of War 3 and you’ll no doubt find something to do when you hit main menu.

Bottom Line: Gears of War 3 is the ultimate sequel and ending to a mega franchise that the 360 has enjoyed since it launched many years ago. It’s top quality and in-depth content will certainly keep you coming back for more. Horde mode is as addictive as it ever will be and with the addition of Beast mode, you’ll find that you might not ever escape the Gears universe after all. Gears of War 3 is a must own title in your library and once it grabs you its hard to get away.

Small developers are looking to become the forefront of the Steam marketplace. While we will always see big titles with ridiculously good deals flooding the Steam front page, it seems like the Indie developers are beginning to make up the numbers in the background. With that in mind, EDGE is one of the latest games made by a relatively small company (Two Tribes) that has just been released on Steam.

First of all, EDGE looks fantastic. It is surprising for a game that uses so much white, grey and black that it feels so colourful. A very clean yet lively feel predominates the style of the game and this is largely down to your technicolour dream-cube. The player characube is the most interesting thing in the game, but flashes of colour that cling to edges of moving platforms and huge stacks of square make the world feel more alive. The game feels like it takes place some kind of cube Milky Way with small shards of levels floating in the background.

EDGE isn’t just pretty; a solid game lies behind the looks. You must navigate a colourful cube by balancing and tumbling through small puzzles and avoiding obstacles. The familiar smell of ‘arcade game’ wafts through EDGE’s pores and this brings with it both good and bad elements. On the positive, levels are short, often fun and each contained within their own set-piece. However, varying levels of difficulty, frustrating level design and having to collect items to access the last levels are a sour aftertaste in a sweet nostalgia kick. Aside from this, neat touches litter the game such as timers appearing when you balance on the floor or wall and plenty of secret passages.

However, there is one fatal flaw in EDGE that will distract and even put off some players: a poor control system. While, no doubt, some will get to grips with the controls straight away, it feels like the camera angle does not compliment the arrow keys at all. In the beginning, I often had to repeat checkpoint after checkpoint because I pressed what I thought was the correct direction on the keyboard and instead tumbled into the abyss. As time goes on it slowly makes more sense, but even now I make the odd mistake when under pressure.

While not a major issue, lag seems to attack randomly and at one point slowed my cube to a near halt when a lot was happening in the background. In addition, while most of the levels are challenging, some amount to no more then: ‘press this button, watch a clever cube trick, walk to the finish’. This just seems strange in a game that prides itself on its puzzle elements. Speaking of the puzzles, by level 40 the designers seem to realise there is only so much you can do with moving platforms, pits and bumpers and the levels begin to feel repetitive. However, there is a lot of charm in EDGE and Two Tribes should be applauded for creating something fresh that homage’s the retro games of old.

Bottom Line: EDGE is a fun, short game that manages to feel retro and nostalgic but at the same time is something new and fresh. Frustrating and repetitive levels stop this game from being truly great, but at just over £5 it is a worthy contender in the Steam game library.

Firstly, I’d like to say sorry for how late this review is! My reviews from now on will be much timelier, I promise. Things have just been a wee bit hectic around these parts!

I’ve been waiting years for Dead Island. I waited and waited as patiently as I could through the game’s on-again, off-again status. The moment I had the game in my possession, I felt my heart flutter just a little. A fun fact about me is that I love zombies- anything and everything to do with them. From books to movies, video games to collectibles. Did Dead Island live up to my high expectations?

The story begins with a bang. You wake in a hotel on Banoi Island after a night of binge drinking and pill popping. A voice over a radio is promising escape (Bioshock, anyone?). You need to find the source of the voice, but there are some other issues you might want to be aware of. Most everyone died overnight. Did the stay dead? Nope. Fast forward. Turns out you’re immune to the infection and now it’s up to you to clear out the nearby lifeguard tower for the small handful of survivors you’ve encountered. Welcome to Dead Island- it’s gonna be a rough stay.

The bare bones version of the story is that you’re trying to get from one safehouse to another around the island. In a style vaguely reminiscent of Oblivion or Fallout, there’s a main quest to follow, but *plenty* of side quests to keep you busy. My only warning is that the quests can be extremely ridiculous. There’s some that make perfect sense such as going out to get gasoline. And then there’s me having to fight for my life to get someone their damn teddy bear so they can sleep. REALLY?! Since you’re immune to the infection, these people will use and abuse you to get sh*t done. On the bright side- The more you do, the more EXP you learn. That bring me to..

What makes Dead Island truly different is the leveling system. It gives the action packed survival game an RPG feel. There are four characters to choose from, each who possess a different specialty (sharp weapons, blunt weapons, firearms or throwing weapons), and each have three different skill trees you can use to unlock new moves and “buffs” to up your characters stamina.

You get to the really good stuff once you step foot out of the resort; this is where you really need to try and survive. There’s countless routes to your objectives and you can decide to take safer, and quieter routes, or brave the packed alleyways and open streets. Zombies remain a threat, but now there’s humans who don’t take so kindly to your presence. Beware of bites and bullets, my friends.

It’s easy to see that Dead Island was designed to be a co-op dependent game, but part of me enjoyed it more as a single player experience. When I played alone I really felt damn alone. With friends the game was a bit of a goofy, campy joy ride (sometimes literally, but most of my friends can’t drive for sh*t in game). The major benefit to co-op play is item swapping. In the beginning, your weapons are… well, they’re crap. It takes little more than a handful of hits before they break on you. Luckily, when you level up, your weapons also become more resilient. Very much like Dead Rising 2, you’re able to put things you’ve found together to craft mods for weapons. Trust me when I say that electrocuting zombies never gets old. And Dead Island is pretty huge, so you’ll have a lot of time to challenge that statement. The island is a colourful and fun mix of locations to explore. Taking a straight shot through the main story will still leave you with, probably, 20 – 30 hours of game play.

Sadly, Dead Island does have problems. I find the graphics to be dated, which was a letdown considering how absolutely gorgeous the amazing (and freekin’ heartbreaking) trailer was. The gameplay can feel rather stiff at times which can grow on the nerves when you’re surrounded by the undead looking for your brains. And I hate, hate, hate, HATE the mechanics of breaking down a door. So, yes, Dead Island is a rough around the edges. I can’t even deny that fact. Does it ruin the experience? I wouldn’t say so.

Undoubtedly the goriest game you’ll play this year, Dead Island is a fantastic recipe for a zombie themed game. The nitty-grrity end of the world backdrop seems goes hand in hand with the campy zombie movie feel. Despite the comedic aspects of the game there were a good handful of scares and moments of high blood pressure to keep the survival horror lover in my satisfied. Dead Island isn’t a perfect game, but all the things it does right overshadows the minor grievances.

Men of War: Vietnam is a real time strategy game where you micro manage small groups of soldiers against overwhelming odds. There are two campaigns: Russian and American. The first sees you controlling a four men team of Vietcong and Russian special-forces trying to escape to the border. The second puts you deep in Vietcong territory as an American special-forces squad. The campaign missions are varied, ranging from defending bases, to hunting for snipers, to setting up ambushes.

So far, so average. It’s when you begin to play that you realise how different Men of War: Vietnam truly is compared to other Vietnam games. I have never seen a real time strategy game with so much detail (and I play R.U.S.E). As an example of how detailed this game is, it lets you take the helmet off a dead unit and place it on one of your own units’ heads to add a miniscule of extra protection. Smoke grenades, mortars, claymores, flame throwers and revolvers, along with the more usual weapons, have been lovingly re-created as well as 12 vehicles that were present during the war. From the beginning you can see this is a game made with passion.

However, you will also notice when you first play Men of War: Vietnam that you die, a lot. With no tutorial, your dropped straight into the action and I often died minutes after starting a level. This game is brutal, with one or two bullets killing a unit and missions that throw set back after set back. For example, in the opening mission you are ambushed: your orders are to destroy a small camp, then destroy a few helicopters in another camp, then escape, then realise the escape car doesn’t work, then find a boat, then realise the boat also doesn’t work, then run to get fuel, then get ambushed again and then escape. While the scripted events keep you on your toes it sometimes feels ridiculous that your squad encounters so much bad luck.

The enemy A.I. is temperamental, sometimes managing to perform flanking manoeuvres and genuinely fooling you to carrying on with its patrol as its buddies are being slaughtered. Luckily for the A.I., it is helped by the dense vegetation seen in every mission. It is near impossible at times to see where your units are or more importantly where the enemy is under the mass of trees and shrubs that cloud your view. While at times frustrating, it has to be forgiven because, intentional or not, it really captures the feel of the Vietnam War. Keeping your soldiers alive while trying to spot shooters in the foliage can be a nail biting experience and constantly makes you second guess that swaying shrub.

Sadly, while the scenery looks beautiful and needs a high-end computer to take full advantage of it, this level of polish is not seen anywhere else. The user interface is bland and at times clunky, the cut scenes and voice acting are hilariously bad (look out for an emotionless John Travolta sound-a-like) and the music varies from bland to annoying. It feels like 1C  Company have spent all their time and effort into re-creating the terrain and statistics of the weapons and added everything else as an afterthought. However, when it does come down to the bare bones of game play and statistics, this is one of the most realistic Vietnam games around, for better or worse.

Bottom Line: There are sometimes small sparks of brilliance in Men of War: Vietnam where it is possible to have an incredible amount of fun. However, these sparks are too short, too sparse and weighed down by a lack of polish and a ridiculously steep learning curve. To their credit, when it comes to game play 1C Company have managed to create a game that captures the essence of the Vietnam War better then most. Unfortunately, much like the Vietnam War, this game is too brutal, unforgiving and should have been planned better.

Toy Soldiers: Cold War is well built for a tower defense title and houses a rather convincing house room backdrop and diorama feel, nothing feels too out of place. This manages to emphasize the games grand scale in many ways. At the start of each level, players will have to place torrents at different locations to defend against the constant onslaught of the communist armies as you do whatever it takes to defend your toy box. Your ability to jump in and man the torrents along with a unique assortment of remote controlled vehicles only adds more to the fun of the game. With responsive controls and proper action game mechanics, including the ability to control missiles through a first person view, provide the game with an extra spark to keep you around.

Another interesting feature of note is the barrages. These are earned through ranking up big combo strikes and destroying enemies with a red star. These equalizers give you the opportunity for boosters like Bombing runs, and even Rambo (looks like Rambo) himself or rather Commando, as he is known in the game. The game overall is simple in design and for committed soldiers, shoulder take just under a day to complete the main campaign. With limited torrent types and simple gameplay, Signal Studios was able to smartly craft challenges and feats within the gameplay to give you that extra challenge. There are bonus modes like high score challenges, and bonus maps in addition.

As for multiplayer, players will be able to compete in entertaining competitive matches. You’ll also be able to invite friend whether online or on split screen co-op and take on the commie Russian army in this what-if scenario. Toy Soldiers: Cold War certainly boasts top quality in terms of presentation and polish. It’s fun and interactive style lends itself to hours of replayability and should be able to help pass the time on a slow afternoon or rainy day.

Bottom Line: Toy Soldiers: Cold War is essentially a title you should have in your library. For history buffs you’ll get a kick out of the historical context the game is in presented in and will certainly appreciate the level of detail Signal Studios provided the game for its time period. There is a lot of fun to be had here if you remember the good old days in your childhood playing with your toy soldiers.

The first thing you will notice is that you don’t know what the hell is going on. Codemasters have tried to create a game that homages retro arcade shooters such as Time Crisis. In games like these, the story is not a big component and so I would have forgiven Bodycount for having a simple or even dull narrative. However, Bodycount’s story is so bare that I still don’t know who my enemy is, who ‘The Network’ are and most astoundingly, what my character is called or even looks like. I genuinely believed I was fighting aliens until one of them became the main antagonist and sprouted an English accent. The story is so thin that it becomes a hindrance, with radio chatter telling me what is happening to people I didn’t even know existed and mid mission briefings revealing the enemies’ motives when I don’t even know who they are.

This lazy approach is also found in Bodycount’s level design. The game unashamedly re-uses levels, making the player start from the end and work back to the beginning. Eventually, the levels become a bit more varied with the introduction of the enemy bases. However, these bases all look and feel alike and use the same entrances, the same staircases and the same locked doors. It’s a shame because it looks like a lot of time has been spent designing the enemies and their buildings. The first time you enter a base is a tense experience, with the heavy white and red colour palette a stark contrast to what you’ve previously seen. Unfortunately, as different as these bases look, the player must still unlock doors, press buttons and do exactly what they do in every other level.

Thankfully, a lot of work has been done with the gunplay. Most of the guns are satisfying and feel and sound like they have a weight behind them. Bodycount uses a novel leaning system when the player aims: instead of being able to move and aim, the player must stand still and move the thumb stick to duck, dodge and lean. While strange at first, it is a natural fit for a game that wants to imitate the old arcade shooters. Killing enemies is also satisfying with collectable orbs being dropped from downed units. These orbs provide power-ups that enhance your killing spree, including an invincibility shield, a deadly pulse wave and an air strike. All the killing is dampened, however, by the atrocious A.I. that makes soldiers shoot in the opposite direction and sometimes simply ignore you.

If you thought the multiplayer would be Bodycount’s saving grace, you would be wrong. There are three game types: Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch and Co-Op. Deathmatch and Team Deathmatch are plagued with matchmaking problems (it took forty minutes of waiting in the lobby before a game started). While waiting I heard other players’ stories of having to wait over two hours to get a game going.  This isn’t because Bodycount doesn’t have a large player base, it is because the online component itself is buggy and full of problems. While waiting for a game the lobby became full twice and all players had pressed ready, but the game still wouldn’t start. Every player had to leave the lobby to let it switch host (the lobby doesn’t say who is hosting the match) for it to finally work.

When a game finally starts things do not improve, shooting human opponents in Bodycount is not as satisfying as shooting the A.I. and it is hard to tell when you are near death. Too many times I was rushed to the re-spawn screen without even knowing I was about to die. In addition, the multiplayer maps are trimmed down versions of the single player levels, which makes the process feel even more repetitive.

Co-Op is where you will have the most fun; you must survive twenty waves of increasingly more difficult enemies. With no story to worry about and a friend watching your back, Bodycount shows what it could have been. Surviving wave after wave is always a tense and brutal affair and is by far the most fun thing in the game. Yet with only a player cap of two and no split-screen support, it is a wasted opportunity. The shattered and smashed guns that float behind the multiplayer lobby reflect exactly what Bodycount’s multiplayer is: broken.

Bottom Line: Bodycount feels like the middle child. It can’t compete with its older Bulletstorm and Call of Duty brothers and doesn’t have the allure of its younger, Indie sister. Instead, it tries to become a combination of the two, with nice graphics, good sound, great shooting mechanics and novel features such as the leaning system and kill rewards. However, by trying to morph into its competition it loses its own personality: Bodycount becomes a soulless game riddled with problems, but if it had tried a little harder at being itself it could have really shone. 

With OnLive in the news recently and its latest update online and ready for your time, we have here our feature review of the home console. OnLive is available in the United States and is officially coming to Europe as well during the Eurogamer Expo in September. Now, keep in mind that OnLive is a game streaming service, much like video streaming services like Netflix. What that means is you have to have a constant Internet connection, preferably a broadband Internet connection. So, now that you have that in mind, is the OnLive Micro console for you? Read on to find out.

For $99.99, gamers will receive a rather stylish black box. Inside the MicroConsole is the OnLive controller, some batteries, an HDMI cable and a power cable as well as a short USB cable to get you started. The service supports some Wi-Fi, but it is recommended you have a wired Ethernet connection. With the console coming straight with a HDMI cable you’ll have to have an HDMI port on your HDTV and if you don’t you will have to purchase a HDMI-to-component converter and if you want rechargeable batteries for your controller that is another separate expense as well, so keep those in mind.

Moving on, the black box is pretty stylish and impressive, its small size will easily fit into your entertainment center next to your home consoles. The MicroConsole has HDMI output, optical audio out, headphone jack, an Ethernet port and a power plug the device is still simple in design. The design manages to use less energy then a light bulb and once the controller is synced up, you don’t even have to bother with the MicroConsole again. In the long run it’s the controller you’ll be spending the most time with and it’s a very solid gamepad.  All of the features are here so if you are familiar with the Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3 controllers you’ll feel right at home. The major buttons are here and it looks and plays great. It’s dual-toned with a sleek black matte finish with orange accents.

Since the controller’s first reveal in 2009, it’s undergone a major design change. The left analog stick sits on the bottom while the d-pad sits on the top part of the controller. The D-pad has been redesigned with precision and the buttons can now be pressed towards the center of each other making it easier to perform those extreme moves in Street Fighter for instance. Outside of that the analog sticks are at a decent height and the face buttons (A, B, X and Y) are all here and spaced evenly like the 360 controller. The trigger buttons have a little more resistance then the 360 controllers making for much less noise.

Games like Batman: Arkham Asylum and BioShock played great though with occasional network errors things can become a bit flustered. Depending on your network connection you could see slight graphics mishaps like colors being distorted at times and changing different shades. It didn’t end up feeling like true 1080p gaming but it’s getting there. The service is continually growing and this is just the beginning for OnLive. On my network things ran smoothly that is when nothing else in the house on Internet is running. The games in the catalog are of older titles, but OnLive is continuing to make deals with publishers specifically more recently with Square Enix to release Deus Ex: Human Revolution (PC version) on it. Recently OnLive MicroConsole codes were packaged in the PC version, in promotion with Square Enix, for the recent release of Dues Ex: Human Revolution. Other games like Unreal Tournament III and Homeland, games with multiplayer components, played well but again the lag is something you’ll have to overcome to enjoy these titles.

Of course brighter games like Braid and The Maw for instance fared better visually. It’s the dark games that have issues when it comes too visual clarity. So if you can tolerate the lag issues, graphical fidelity and the rather closed approach too multiplayer gaming and DLC, OnLive is certainly a good addition if you like PC gaming without the need to upgrade. OnLive certainly doesn’t feel like a half-assed service and the company behind the product is continuously looking to create a better environment for gamers adding new features like the recent update and the MicroConsole certainly has a bright future ahead.

Plantronics sent over its PlayStation 3 Bluetooth headset the GameCom P90. This headset is compatible with all Bluetooth devices and PlayStation 3 consoles. This headset was released at its price of $39.99 as an alternative to gamers from Sony’s official headset. Read more below for our thoughts on the headset.

As a headset that’s being marketed for PlayStation users, the headset does aesthetically take on the PlayStations’ look and style. The headset is mostly black with a silver band around the middle with another around the call button. A small LED light is located within the middle silver band. In addition to the call button you’ll find two buttons on the top of the headset to control the volume and one on the bottom as the power button. The blue LED light indicates the status of the headset (charging, pairing, low on battery…etc). The power switch is easy to use and has enough resistance so that you don’t accidentally turn off the headset by accident.

On the back of the headset is an ear bud, which fits safely in your ear and matches up with the thin plastic loop to sit comfortably on your ear. The one issue that might come up with heavy use over time is the thin plastic loop could be broken off depending on how it’s used. I have used the P90 headset on my iPhone as well as the PlayStation 3 and I can safely say you will have no trouble connecting to both devices. Upon receiving the headset I charged it immediately and with that first charged lasted a good while between phone calls and gaming usage. I didn’t have any complaints when making phone calls to friends and family members or gamers online.

The P90 is very light weight and comfortable to wear for extended periods of time whether gaming or on the road with your cellular device. You can charge your headset through your PC or the PlayStation 3 console with the USB cord included in the box.

Bottom Line: The GameCom P90 is a very well designed Bluetooth headset with a reasonably priced $39.99 price tag. The only quibbles you might have are if after a lot of usage the thin plastic loop around your ear might become weak and will be prone to breaking. After my time with the headset, I have not found it to be an issue other then my ears being uncoordinated in placing the headset correctly on my ear.

Dungeon Siege III is the third installment brought to you by RPG developer Obsidian Entertainment. The focus is all too reminding of Dungeon and Dragons style play and with all the workings of a regular role-playing game inside. After completely acquiring the Dungeon Siege license, the development of this third installment was passed down by Gas Powered Games. Dungeon Siege 3 more represents a re-imagining of the series than a sequel. Does the new developer mean good things to come for the series or will the game run itself into the ground?

Dungeon Siege III is a bright and colorful RPG title that is easy for newcomers to the series to get a grasp on. To start, you’ll get to choose between 4 different character classes aka Legion Warriors. You have Lucas the Knight, Reinhart the mage, Katrina the sharpshooter, and Anjali the Human Torch. Each character offers a different experience with various upgrades and weapons you can encounter. A favorite is Lucas the knight, who while is the most traditional character to play as, you’ll find, is the easiest to start out with. You can gain experience by getting kills and completing quests with abilities and moves gained by leveling up. You’ll have to strategize you’re improvement based on your playing style as you only have five slots for ten potential improvements.

As you play through the single player campaign you’ll eventually gain the support of the other three characters you didn’t choose and you can have one in the field at any time. This is where good co-op communication can come in handy. If you plan on using co-op throughout your adventure you can play with up to three other friends online. You can only save progress through the host’s game and you can drop in and out as you please without interrupting progress. You’ll also still be able to level up your character and gain experience as you go along but your own progress will be non-existent. This actually works out well as you won’t be able to bring in an overpowered character into someone’s session. The only issue appears to be the camera angle when you enter co-op as everything is kept on the same screen. This is where split screen would come in handy to make things less cluttered.

While Dungeon Siege III isn’t the most graphically powerful game, as far as character design goes. Environments are varied and each have their own unique touch. Everything from spider-infested forests too mines, and hillside towns are well light and easy on the eyes. The characters may look like they were taken from the drawing board without any depth added they are still memorable. Odo for example sounds as if he is a distant relative of Yoda with wise and especially descriptive storytelling.

Quests in the game give you the chance to gain more experience by either ‘collecting an item and returning it to its owner’ or ‘saving a man from certain death’. You won’t see any complex or deep narrative here in Dungeon Siege III. While you may notice the game trying to take on a sense of morality the main focus still relies on trekking through dungeon after dungeon thwarting enemies and collecting loot. You’ll find plenty of dialogue to read through as you venture through the game, though none at the level of BioWare’s Mass Effect. Dungeon Siege III still entices you into its story and keeps you along for the ride. The weapons and armor are so varied and the combinations are endless when it comes to customization. It’s fun to change things around and see what works best for your playing style. Obsidian Entertainment has crafted a role-playing game worthy of its placement in the genre. The only quibble is the camera angle makes combat seem a bit too restrictive. When it comes to boss fights in particular and you find yourself stuck in corners it’s hard to get a gauge of where you can attack next. Environments end up feeling small in comparison with not enough room for movement to dodge if you are low on health. Another issue appears when your AI character is concentrated on healing you during battle and enemies often swing away stopping the process and killing both of you. Without an online friend at your side things can get a bit too frustrating if you are overwhelmed.

Finally, Dungeon Siege III is at its heart is a Dungeon Siege title that still has the spirit of the series while still re-imaging itself and becoming more accessible to the everyday player.

Bottom Line: Dungeon Siege III is a fun title to if you are into role-playing games especially for returning fans of the series. It’s been a long time since we had a Dungeon Siege title hit the streets and Dungeon Siege III is worthy of the license acquired by Square-Enix. Obsidian Entertainment has taken the game into a new direction and RPG fans will certainly be along for the ride.

It’s a little late, but late is better then never right? So rare have we seen video games explore the dark sides of the field of criminal justice and even more so in the time period of the 1940s. However, thanks to Rockstar Games, both areas collide to bring us LA Noire. LA Noire takes an ambitious step with new technology and film style to bridge the gap between realism and fantasy in this industry. Is it a step in the right direction, or is the game headed straight for the morgue? I decided to take a look into LA Noire to find out, read more below!

You play as Cole Phelps, a celebrated war hero with a keen sense of direction and an eye for detail. After coming home from the war, a few medals earned him a spot in the traffic division of the LAPD (Los Angeles Police Department), however, its not long before you join the ranks of the Homicide department and become a Detective on your first case. You’ll start off with a few feeler traffic cases to get your feet wet before a series of murders has the game placing you on the trail of a serial killer. Finally the game takes you on a roller coaster of twists and turns in the story as you start following up on drug rings and scandals towards the final acts of the game. There are other plot threads lying underneath as well that try too filling in rest of the story. You’ll find yourself engaged in frequent flashbacks to Phelps’ past in the war as well as you’ll find newspapers lying around the ground pertaining too certain events going on independently of your investigations. The game isn’t without its fair share of drama, as you’ll find yourself in all kinds of twists; cops aren’t always on the same side, search warrants are given out like candy and even racial tensions are over the scale. It certainly doesn’t shy away from the harsh topics even with a linear script.

Although the game is free roaming, there is still a set of “rules” barring how you go about roaming around. You unfortunately can’t draw your gun in public you are a man in blue, so any wild driving like running over pedestrians and causing trouble will be marked down on your case reports. All of the firefights, fisticuffs and driving chases are all but reserved for when the game mandates it. With a linear story, the cases are presented as such though there is a bit of room as to how you approach your locations you have too scout and witnesses you interrogate. After each investigation you’re given a rating based on the clues you collected and how well you conducted your interviews. Once you finish each case you can go back and replay them to get a higher rating, which there is an achievement for. You are awarded for your efforts as you rank up with intuition points for investigations as well as new uniform choices to play around with. Outside of that you have over 30 landmarks to find, about 90 vehicles to find, and finally over 40 short street crime side missions to tackle if you want a break from the main case. If you need help you can bring up Phelps’ notebook, which has everything from clues to locations and your current objectives. Although there is no surprise here that there isn’t any multiplayer, despite that you do play with a partner, unfortunately as the opportunity for co-op isn’t realized.

If you’re used to playing open world games going guns blazing, then LA Noire isn’t for you. Unfortunately, you’re stuck being the good guy in this one; however, the gameplay does leave you with options to spread your wings a bit. If you played GTA 4 you’ll notice the gun gameplay and generous auto-lock and cover mechanics are back. So, unless you travel to more of the side missions, the gun-play is pretty standard till the final acts. Other then that, you’ll be chasing suspects on foot, and by shooting them down by car. The biggest hurdles though aside from the fences are trying to line Phelps up at times to discover new clues. Although LA was never as huge as it is now, it’ll still take you a good few minutes to get from one side of the map to the other. Using the map, you can elect to let your partner take the wheel for quicker routes. So, while the main mechanics of the game have their limitations, it’s good to note that the major parts of the game is ironed out in your investigations and this is where the dirty work is. Each act is set up where you receive a case from your superiors and set off to the crime scene. Once you arrive you have to search for clues indicated by the rumble of your controller. Specific items can be rotated to find hidden clues and sometimes even new objectives. After that you can search any bodies lying around which will normally give you your first leave, just make sure you don’t forget to search their pockets. The final step is questioning any potential witnesses for their statement and interrogating them to find out what they know or saw that will lead you to suspects.

Once you’re in the groove talking to suspects or witnesses, you have to determine if they are telling the truth, being suspicious or just lying. If you choose the lie, you have to make sure you have evidence to back you up; otherwise you’ll loose a potential break in the case that’ll lead up to an arrest. Finally, you can use intuition points to help in breaking down the interrogation to discover what answer you should go for.

The incredible introduction of the Facial Capture technology helps to make it easier in determining witnesses’ stories. The amazing detail in facial expressions and graphics alone in the game make you fee like you’re right in the time period or watching a detective film from the era. All in all, Rockstar has made LA Noire as authentic as possible and succeeded. The presentation is top notch and deserves every amount of praise it gets. You’ll spend most of the time just watching and interacting, which is fun, as the main gameplay does get rather repetitive after a while. The musical work in the game is outstanding as well as the voice over work. Every once in a while you’ll encounter a frame rate issues or glitches and the vehicle camera could use some work, but overall it’s an exciting experience.

Bottom Line: Despite little of its flaws, LA Noire is an excellent title to give a try if you’re into crime solving and detective work. The introduction of Facial Capture technology is a big step for the gaming industry and one that I hope is used in future games, as it makes them all the more real both in presentation and gameplay interaction. If there is one big flaw on its part, LA Noire is a bit too linear for its own good, however, that’s also its biggest strength based on the way the game and story play out in front of you.