The second 2D scroller available this week is Shank; downloadable from both Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network. A bloody action beat-em-up, can Shank stand out from the already star-studded crowd of downloadable titles released this summer?

Shank is a tale of revenge, scripted by God of War veteran Marianne Krawczyk and in the style of old 80’s B-movies. The art style reflects this feel well, with Shank taking hints from Sly Stallone and the gore being stylishly splattered from bullet holes and knife wounds. The animation is pretty clunky, but works due to the ‘paper-cut out’ art design, and creates a fairly memorable visual experience. If nothing else, there’s nothing out there that looks quite like Shank.

Gameplay itself is pretty standard, and from the very start you’ll have access to pretty much all of this action hero’s moves. Equipped with twin pistols, a combat knife and a chainsaw, Shank can stab, cut and blast his way through the waves of enemies. The chainsaw is less violent than you’d expect (there’s no Gears of War-esque dismemberment here), but it’s all cartoonishly adult and the twin pistol firing is pretty slick, with Shank shooting in front and behind him when surrounded by thugs. Most fun of his abilities is the pounce move, and jump-tackling enemies before repeatedly stabbing them never seems to lose its novelty.

The problem Shank suffers though is, other than picking up some new weapons, the game always stays the same. The difficulty cure never really spikes other than in boss battles, meaning levels are mostly just mowing down cannon-fodder with relative ease. Not being able to unlock new moves removes any sense of true progression, leaving it down to the story to encourage continued play. The level designs are fairly uninspired, offering a small selection of platforming obstacles and little else.

Aside from the main story, the co-op mode offers some inspired enticement by being a prequel to the single-player game, offering some more longevity (provided you have a friend to join you). This is a welcome addition, since Shank is not particularly lengthy.

Verdict: At a full 1200 MS points/£9.99, Shank doesn’t offer a hell of a lot to do. Yet what is here is a solid enough action-brawler, with a great aesthetic that will easily eat away a few hours of your gaming life.

This year’s Xbox Live promotion, Summer of Arcade, has certainly been filled with some pretty superb titles. From the artsy Limbo to the madness of Monday Night Combat, there’s been something for all tastes.

This week we get another two great-looking 2D side-scrollers, first of which is Scott Pilgrim vs The World: The Game.

Coming to the 360 a couple of weeks later than the PSN version, Scott Pilgrim vs The World is still warmly welcomed on XBL. Based predominantly on Bryan Lee O’Malley’s comic books rather than the new film, the game sports a charming 90’s 16-bit aesthetic which will transport players back to the days of Streets of Rage. Gameplay is based around the seemingly forgotten genre of the side-scrolling beat-em-up, with the four in-game characters having access to a handful of combos to use against incoming enemies. In true old-school fashion, the end of each level results in a boss fight; here a fight against one of seven evil exes.

Hang on… evil exes? If this is the first thing that comes to mind, you’re clearly unfamiliar with the Scott Pilgrim universe. The plot revolves around our hero – the titular Scott – who must the battle seven super-villain exes of his new girlfriend; Ramona Flowers. The story is presented through a small selection of brief cut scenes, but offers very little other than presenting the next boss. The game is unquestionably more rewarding to those familiar with Scott Pilgrim, who will appreciate seeing the comic’s art come to life and be aware of what’s going on in each area.

But for those new to Scott Pilgrim, who are picking up the game for an old-school experience, there’s still enough fun to be found. The game’s hub-world is a lift from Super Mario Bros., as is the character select screen. Like the comics, the game has many nods to gaming culture; a Guitar Hero boss battle being just one of the most memorable. These are bound to provoke smiles in veteran gamers.

Most impressive of all however is easily the soundtrack. Chiptune band Anamanaguchi scored the game, and have created easily one of the most catchy and enjoyable soundtracks of recent memory. Each area has a distinct unique theme, really bringing back memories of the days of MIDI-based game music.

Unfortunately, Scott Pilgrim vs The Word doesn’t shine in all areas. It’s all well and good being a fun brawler due to the old-school feel, but the game almost relies entirely on this attraction. The combat feels somewhat shallow, and after a while the repetition really starts to set in. There’s unfortunately nothing more to do other than beat up guys and then hit the boss, so Scott Pilgrim really could have done with a little more variation, even if it were for just one level. The co-op mode helps relieve some of the tedium, but is criminally lacking a drop-in system, meaning levels must be started in co-op mode from the start. There’s also no online co-op support, which in a world where XBL and PSN are so prominent, seems a foolish idea. Just because the game looks old, doesn’t mean it has to function archaic.

There’s also a distinct issue with the difficulty. Playing solo, it’s absolutely impossible to complete without subjecting yourself to hours of grinding; replaying previous missions over and over in order to level your character enough to take on the next boss. Like any grind, it’s annoying and simply shouldn’t be there. The only way past this is to play with friends; basically Scott Pilgrim is designed to be a co-op only experience.

Verdict: Scott Pilgrim vs The World isn’t a perfect game. The gameplay is overly repetitive, and the co-op system that it demands is poorly implemented. However, its style pays such respect to the comics and to old games in general that it possesses a charm that is hard to shrug off. It may not be all it could have been, but there’s still enough fun to be found here.

It’s been twelve long years since we last heard from the Terran military, but at last Blizzard’s highly anticipated non-World of WarCraft title drops onto the surface of our little planet. But is it everything fans have hoped for, or over a decade on has the universe of StarCraft lost its shine?

From its opening it’s clear that StarCraft II is the most polished gaming experience out there at the moment. The menus are beautifully constructed, the opening cinematic is stunningly animated, and everything looks breathtaking. Players will be taking up the role of Jim Raynor, a familiar face to veteran fans. This grizzled rebel, alongside ex-convict marine Tychus and ship captain Matt Horner will be battling the Dominion – a dystopian military government – as well as previous threats; the Zerg and the Protoss. For most players these will be familiar faces that still easily excite, but they are made easily accessible for new players who will soon pick up the back-story and be drawn into this heavily detailed universe.

The gameplay of StarCraft is surprisingly unchanged from its decade-old predecessor. It would be easy to argue that this is a lazy move, but considering StarCraft is one of the most long-term surviving games of all time (still played as a serious sport in Korea), what’s the point of fixing something unbroken? Once again you’ll be harvesting minerals and Vespene gas with SCV’s, training Marines from Barracks and building tanks in Factories whist viewing the battlefield from an isometric viewpoint. Other than the heavily updated visuals, this is classic RTS gameplay at its most quintessential. The isometric camera means that there’s no 3D environment to spin around, and the zoom barley hits ground level, meaning there’s no Dawn of War style viewing to combat, but since StarCraft’s art style lends more to detailed environments rather than individual units you’re going to want to watch the action from above rather than on the ground.

Whilst StarCraft II is stunning to watch from the battlefield camera, more impressive is the in-between mission sections. Rather than short cut sequences, you can explore Raynor’s ship between missions and talk to the various crew members in an almost RPG-like manner. The ship’s armoury, lab, cantina and bridge are all stunningly realised and it is here where some of the best story elements are revealed, with dialogue delivered by top actors that ensure the experience is second to none. The facial animations here are tremendous, and characters such as Matt and Tychus are graphical masterpieces. It is in these sections of non-combat that you’ll be able to access the ship computers to perform military research and hire mercenaries, which is a management game in itself.

The bulk of StarCraft is of course seen through missions, and these can be accessed in a non-linear fashion from the bridge. Rarely before has an RTS managed to produce so many mission types beyond the ‘defend this, attack this’ mentality, and each one of Wings of Liberty’s campaign missions feels unique. From attacking and robbing a train to harvesting rare minerals against the clock before lava floods the area, every mission is fun to play. There’s an even mix of mission types, especially fun are the more character-based ones where you fight through an area DoTA-style without the need for base building. Difficulty levels can be altered pre-mission, with the lower difficulties allowing quick blasts of fun and the higher ones posing a significantly more difficult challenge.

StarCraft was never just about the campaign though, and when you’ve finished up the tremendous single-player story there’s the addictive online component. There’s a distinctly different feel between single-player and multiplayer, with different unit choices and various other features. It is here you’ll be able to unleash the power of either the Zerg or the Protoss (the Wings of Liberty campaign focuses solely on the Terran, with later expansion packs offering campaigns for the other races) and engage in epic online clashes. There’s no doubt that this will go down a storm online and easily step in to replace its predecessor as the RTS favourite. Blizzard’s new Battle.net system also allows for a smooth and polished competitive experience, with an Xbox Live style matchmaking system that helps match up players of equal experience. This is extremely welcome since newcomers would otherwise be obliterated by veteran StarCraft players, considering the experience here doesn’t differ too much from the game they’ve been playing for twelve years now.

Verdict: There’s no doubt about it, StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty is the most polished, deep, sublimely constructed gaming experience available on the PC. It blows all but the sturdiest competition out of the water, and offers torrents of fan service whilst opening up the universe to new players. For those who disliked the original StarCraft, there’s little in Wings of Liberty to convert you due to its classic mechanics, but for everyone else this is an experience that must be lived.

When you first download Limbo, its noir art style and dot-eyed child protagonist is likely to push you one of two ways. You’ll either be drawn in by its Tim Burton sensibilities, or be turned away by its apparent pretentiousness. So is Limbo a game for high society pompous gamers, or genuinely something special?

Behind the monochrome visuals, Limbo is a pretty standard side scrolling platformer with required lateral thinking. Whilst none of the puzzles are strikingly difficult, they do require some genuine thought and are always designed very well. Actions are carried out with complete simplicity, with the player’s only abilities being to move around, jump and pull or push items (generally boxes). All objects are impacted by forces that bring in some nice physics-based puzzle gameplay. The effect is most notably used to strength during the central chapters, where entire levels spin around the character, requiring constant attention to be played to the centre of gravity and predicting what items will be affected by it next.

It isn’t until you have been playing Limbo for a few hours that the best uses of the mechanics reveal themselves, and it is easy to be underwhelmed in the first hour or in the playable trial. But by the end of this adventure (a fair six hours), you’ll have experienced some truly stunning elements of play.

Across the world of Limbo, you’ll experience a variety of settings. Most impressive are those present in the early stages of the game, set in forest environments, where dangers include giant arachnids and bear traps. There also appears to be a small clan of other children who are horrifically brutal towards the player, setting up traps and luring him into killer situations. The game certainly pulls no punches when it comes to death; with decapitations, impalements and crushing aplenty. Death can be something creepily distressing considering such horrific fates are being inflicted upon a protagonist no older than ten years. And death is something you’ll encounter with great frequency; the game often presents puzzles without warning and you’ll die instantly. Fortunately the game auto saves before each puzzle so there is little to replay between deaths, but these occurrences do force a trial and error approach that may not be to everyone’s taste.

The art style does much justice then to the creepy and unsettling feel of the game, and certainly emphasises the atmosphere. This is much aided by the use of sound, which is an expert blend of effects work and ambient tracks. The overall result is the most atmospheric world since BioShock’s Rapture, which turns a fairly standard side-scroller into something special. Whilst the puzzles are fun and interesting to suss out, it’s certainly the art and atmosphere that make Limbo a joy to play.

Unfortunately, Limbo finishes on a little of a low note. The end is abrupt to say the least, and the absence of dialogue makes the final sequence slightly perplexing. It’s somewhat unsatisfactory, which comes as a disappointment after some other websites highlighted how excellent the conclusion was. Replayability is limited considering the extreme linear nature of the game and the puzzles only having single solutions. Whilst there are eggs to collect to unlock achievement points, unless you’re completely love-struck by the game’s style, there’s little reason to come back for more.

Verdict: Limbo is an excellent example of ‘art house’ gaming when it comes to visuals and audio, but underneath its glossy exterior is a fairly standard yet solid puzzle platformer. Certainly worth your time, but doesn’t quite live up to its (perhaps unfair) expectations.

If you’re a gamer who would consider themselves seasoned or a little ‘old school’, then there’s no question that you’re familiar with Lucas Arts’ Monkey Island series. Arguably the most loved and critically admired of the 1990’s graphic adventure game boom, Monkey Island 2 has received a make-over for the 21^st century.

Last summer saw a Special Edition of The Secret of Monkey Island – the first game in the franchise – which drew in widespread critical acclaim. What you can expect with Monkey Island 2’s update is much of the same, but with a noticeable amount of added polish and thought. Criticism’s against its predecessor have been smoothed out (main character Guybrush no longer sports a ridiculous haircut) and once again the game has been remastered with HD visuals and a new orchestrated soundtrack. The full cast return once more, with Dominic Armato reprising his role as Guybrush to perfection. Since Monkey Island 2 contains arguably the wittiest dialogue of all the games, it’s excellent to hear these lines read aloud as opposed to the original’s subtitles.

For those unfamiliar with the series, this second instalment follows Guybrush Threepwood (mighty pirate) as he attempts to seek ‘Big Whoop’, a legendary treasure of undetermined nature, whilst attempting to remain out of the clutches of his arch-nemesis; the zombie pirate LeChuck, and winning back the heart of his ex-lover; Governor Elaine Marley.

Once again you can swap seamlessly between the HD remaster and the 256 colour original, although this time the option is there to have the voice acting present in the original, pixilated form. The novelty of swapping between the Special Edition and the original hasn’t been lost since last years remaster, and seeing how the music has been transformed from MIDI to full-orchestra soundtrack is both interesting and provides a sense of nostalgia. The iMUSE system that featured in the original – where between areas the music would seamlessly alter; adding and removing various instruments and melodies – is used once more here, arguably with a better impact due to the new score.

This second Special Edition is also visually much stronger than last years, with better character designs and a noticeably more fluid set of animations. Whilst it still looks distinctly ‘old school’ due to its heritage and having the new art essentially pasted over the top of the old game, the animations are far more accomplished this time around and don’t retain the jerkiness of the 256 counterparts as characters did in the Special Edition of The Secret of Monkey Island. This, combined with the timeless artwork within the game’s environments, ensures that Monkey Island 2 is consistently a visual triumph.

Yet the biggest bonus of this Special Edition is the addition of a director commentary, featuring the game’s original creators Ron Gilbert, Tim Schafer and Dave Grossman. At certain sections of the game a prompt will appear to allow players to listen to the musings of the three creators, often giving interesting insights and humorous quips. This is all done in a style reminiscent of Mystery Science Theatre 3000, with the silhouettes of the designers appearing in the bottom right corner as they talk about their memories. The only complaint that could be levelled against this commentary is the shortness of it, with only selected scenes having director commentary. Also, a few of these scenes are cut-scenes which cannot be paused, so playing the director commentary over it drowns out the voice cast, which is an unfortunate misstep.

Verdict: Back in 1991, Monkey Island 2 was easily among the best computer games ever created. Almost twenty years later, none of the impact of its wit, story or puzzle design has degraded with time.  This Special Edition lovingly recreates this timeless classic for the HD generation, and should be enjoyed by both long-term fans and newcomers alike.

Blacklight: Tango Down is a first person shooter too eerily familiar to this side of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. It’s an online only multiplayer focused shooter with all the features you could expect out of one. There is no single player campaign and thus leaves you with very little vested interest in the games maps and weaponry. Every aspect of the game will bring you a very good sense of déjà vu thanks to Activision’s blockbuster title. There is an experienced based leveling system, weapon unlocks, similar controls and even a co-op mode to help you take on the computer AI. Let’s take a deeper look into the game and see how it looks.

All the action takes places through the eyes of your characters electronic visor. You’re also extremely light on your feet which will feel a little too awkward at first. Movement is essentially boiled down to being like your flying through the air and being in space where there is no gravity to speak of. Gun fire is a little too loose as well with no weapon recoil or realistic sense of each weapon at all. The crosshairs for instance are even strangely positioned a little above your weapon. There are other issues at hand like matchmaking which seems to pit rookies against veterans almost every single time.

Other problems include the intentional camping that seems ramped throughout every match. It’s not hard too go 5 minutes living and then 2 seconds later get sniped from a guy half way across the map. Don’t worry though; it doesn’t get any better as the way the game chooses its spawn points that have you set in a fixed location for that guys sniper kill. There is a silver lining in this game, however, with unique game modes and different accessory unlocks. For example, there is an MP grenade that will allow you if landed correctly to disrupt an enemy’s electronic visor giving you time to go in for the kill. You can also customize your weapon classes as much as you need too. So, you don’t have to worry about lacking in any area from sniping to the shotgun to even your armor.

It’s a pretty packed game for its 15 dollar price tag which might scare away some at first until you peel back and look at what you get. You’ll see there are 7 maps and 4 black ops missions. The game supports 1-4 players online only unfortunately and developers are supporting they have just recently new maps for all 12 levels in the game called “blackprints”. Developers will be working continually on the game so expect more support in the future with patches and more map packs.

Verdict: Blacklight: Tango Down is a game you’ll certainly want take the notion of “try before you buy”. If you’re into the mad crowd for Modern Warfare 2 and need a break, Tango Down might be what you’re looking for. It’s a different take on the genre and brings in some good ideas. A single player campaign would’ve been a nice addition for the price, but thankfully developers managed to put in enough multiplayer content to keep you busy. Ultimately, Tango Down boils down to being an average first person shooter with unique ideas that could certainly be expanded upon in the future.

Having never played a Dragon Quest title before, I was a bit apprehensive about giving this one a go. It’s the ninth title in a well-established series with its own niche and well-carved out audience, supposedly not fitting for newbies. Or so I was told. However, I was pleasantly surprised to find that DQIX is a game with such simplistic gameplay that I was sucked away from my editorial duties for this very site due to severe addiction.

It all started when I chose my little character and got him setup and into his journey. What followed was a trip through what can only be described as an epic adventure. It may not be the quintessential Japanese RPG, but its so feature complete and really does feel like a full console title in the palm of your hand. Level-5 and Square Enix really have worked hard on this one to make it accessible. The closest thing I normally get to a Japanese RPG is Pokemon, which is a series that has made trade-offs to appeal to a western audience. DQIX doesn’t dilute itself to appeal to these shores, but aims to entice us through other means.

The gameplay is ultimately the staple for a great deal of RPGs – go to place X, fight off monsters with a turn-based party-based battle system, upgrade, grind and kill the boss. The beauty with DQIX is that it’s all so easy to keep on playing. There’s no silly rhythmic timing needed or random button presses to ensure critical hits, it’s just focused on giving you a fun experience. That’s not to say it’s easy. I admit that I died on plenty of occasions when I was trying to work my way around the nuances of bosses and trying to explore obscure locations in the over-world.

Talking of which, the over-world is interesting in that it’s presented well but isn’t very deep. You’ll only see it when you have to travel to a different location most of the time. However, there is a lot to do here and the game loves sending you off on wild goose chases everywhere. Whenever you go to a new place, no sooner than after you’ve checked out the village shops you’re asked to go rescue someone or stop some crazy lunatic in the nearby dungeon/tower/basement. Your character already has enough to deal with in the game (he’s a celestrian that fell to Earth during a massive fight between some very important characters) without having to sort out everyone else’s problems, but yet he has to trek on.

In many games, this would undo the experience. People would sense the melodrama like a green elephant in a prison yard. However with DQIX, the game knows it’s being pompous and conveys that through some intelligent writing. There’s self-depreciating humour in abundance and you can tell the localisation team had a lot of fun when scripting the experience. Some moments get so random they wouldn’t be out of place in a Monty Python film. It’s so refreshing to see a game making use of localisation as a tool to produce humour, but it works. There’s also the inclusion of text-based regional dialects, and that never fails to produce a hint of a smile when talking to random folk.

According to some fanboys, the Dragon Quest series is famed for having good music. IX’s music is fairly good, if repetitive. It uses some songs from past games in the series, so for a newcomer like me it’s nice to hear what past games may have sounded like. There’s no voice acting at all, sticking to the same line as the majority of DS titles. However, the presentation is competent. Menus are a bit fiddly and have the typical hard to read Japanese-esque font, but they do the job reasonably well. Regardless, the main centrepiece for this game is its visuals. It just looks beautiful. From the inventive enemies through to some tasteful sepia-toned nostalgia cutscenes, everything helps to create a believable cell-shaded world. Some cutscenes devolve into full blown anime segments, and while they’re entertaining, they can take a little away from the game’s visual impact.

There’s other grubbins like local 4-player co-op and downloadable quests over the Nintendo Wi-Fi connection too. Only having local co-op is disappointing, but it works well enough and brings a lot of tension into some of the fights. Downloadable quests are handled remarkably well, and prove to be equally as frustratingly difficult as side-quests already included in the game.

Verdict: Dragon Quest IX is an exhausting experience. It will keep you locked to your DS for at least a solid week and won’t let you go, even for pasta. It’s one of the best non-Pokemon RPGs on the system and is surprisingly approachable. However, there are a few out of date complexities and the amount of grinding needed to take down the more challenging bosses can be frustrating (as well as bad for your hands. Crushing them in a vice would be less painful).

We’ve said it for a very long time; movie-tie in games suck. No matter which way you try to spin it, movie-tie in games usually end up flopping out. There are ones that are so bad you wish they never saw the light of day, (I’m looking at you Iron Man). There are some rare exceptions though that makes you wish studios would take note. What may come as a surprise to some is that these are games based off of kids movies and to top it all off; Disney/Pixar movies at that. Read more below for the rest of the review.

So, this brings us to Toy Story 3, a game and movie that continues the adventures of Buzz, Woody and the gang. It would be wrong to give away the story here, so I’ll leave that up to you if you decide to venture and watch the film, a great film mind you. Of course, you must be wondering where I can possibly go next in this review. Well, I’m here to talk about the game itself obviously. There are plenty of areas to explore and play through in places like Andy’s room, or even the Sunnyside Day Care Center. Every area in the game is completely open to the player’s decisions and leaves you with plenty to do. With a lot of small unlockable items dropped everywhere it’s not too hard to let curiosity get the best of you. It’s easy to run around and soak in the space around you. The items range from coins too items you can use to customize your world in the Toy Box.

Toy Box mode is where the game really gets its high marks. It’s a place where you can run around at will and do whatever you want. Something I’m sure the kids will enjoy especially. There are big open spaces for running around and completing side missions and lasering your next victim. In the Playstation 3 version of the game you’ll be able to play as the evil Emperor Zerg figurine.  In this expansive world of the Toy Box you’ll be able to customize everything from the toys themselves to the buildings around you. You can add things like a barbershop or even a jail. As the Sheriff of the town you’ll also have the task of running around and drop kicking any masked robbers you find in the streets. You can collect gold from completing missions or digging around the world of course to buy more stuff.

Now, there is one thing that irked me about the game which I’m sure I’m not the only one that noticed. There are a few times during certain levels, particularly in tight levels where the camera gets in odd angles. There were plenty of moments where, thanks to the camera, I fell to my death whether it is off a ledge or into the barrels of space. However, thanks to this being a kid’s game you’ll have plenty of lives to finish the job. You’ll end up right back where you started. When it comes to the games presentation, you’ll notice it looks almost exactly like the movie. All the toys are about as close to their counterparts in the movie as you can get. However, the voices though might be a little irritating to those who like a sense of authenticity with movie licensed games. You won’t find Tim Allen or Tom Hanks reprising their roles in the game unfortunately save for the less minor characters. Toys like Slinky and even Ham the piggy bank are both reprised with their original actors.

There is enough material in the game to give experienced players a good challenge. The difficulty curve is too extreme for the little ones either, so you can always hand over the controller to split the gaming time. The levels are certainly designed to give you some thought with each puzzle that comes your way. There are only three characters to choose from for your adventure for most of the maps: Woody, who also has an ability to swing to multiple locations using his pull cord, Buzz Lightyear who has some lasers in his arsenal and Jessie who is the more nimble of the bunch helping you reach high points in the maps. There isn’t much of a reason for you to go back and replay certain levels, as most of them are pretty straightforward save for the areas you get stuck in.

Verdict: Overall, Toy Story 3 is a game that you can enjoy with your kids and family in tow. The difficulty is skewed so that even the most light-hearted gamer can get a handle on it and enjoy it till the end. It’s certainly a recommendation for a rental and up to you if you decide it’s worth the full purchase.

The original Crackdown was deemed as a tour de force of modern day gaming, a collectathon/superhero game for the 21st Century, according to some folk. However, some elitist gamers thought it was extravagant mainstream tosh. Unfortunately for them, sense prevailed and they were categorically wrong in terms of common public opinion. Crackdown was awesome, and even those that simply brought it to get into the Halo 3 beta came to appreciate the gem that they had in their possession.

Crackdown 2 once again takes place in Pacific City. Only this time, the place has got a bit out of control. A new gang called the Cell has taken most of the city from the Agency, and a charming mutant race called the Freaks come out at night and control most of the streets into the twilight hours. It’s fair to say things aren’t going according to plan for the agency, which looked safely in control by the end of the first game and were set for world domination. If they want to create a new world order, they’re not going the right way about it.

Regardless, Crackdown 2 copies the same basic sandbox gameplay formula from Crackdown. You are still a super-powered agent, climbing, jumping and driving around Pacific City and it controls the same as you do so (apart from shooting, which has a new Red Dead Redemption style lock and shoot mechanic, where you can target individual limbs or heads. You can only switch to another target by letting go of the left trigger and pointing your reticule over another enemy. It can get a bit annoying as your Agent sometimes picks targets nowhere near you, but for the most part it works well enough). You can still rank up your character by doing the corresponding action to the ability in question (shooting people gets you firearm experience, blowing people up with rockets or grenades gets you explosives experience, finding agility orbs increases your agility, etc.) and you still have to do (near enough) the same old stuff.

However, the mission structure has changed. Instead of going to different places and taking down various crime locations and kingpins, you now just go place to place wiping out Cell strongholds and placing power beacons. Wiping out Cell strongholds is basically what it says on the tin. You go to various Cell markets on your map and fight an army of Cell baddies until they’re all defeated. Air support eventually arrives and you claim the location. This is basically the same throughout the entire game and it does get very boring very quickly, but there are a few entertaining combat locations, with the rooftop ones being significantly more challenging and fun. Cell’s strongholds take you across key locations from the first game, so you get to see the big old mansion and other areas. The last Cell location (we won’t spoil it) is particularly amazing if you are well adapted to making gigantic leap of faith vertigo-inducing drops.

Placing power beacons to get rid of the freaks is supposed to be the main point of the game, but it quickly becomes tiresome and repetitive. Essentially, you have to travel to three different generators and power them up with your Agent suit and then go to the power beacon bomb location. Once there, you have to tell air support of the drop zone and defend the bomb from a ridiculous number of freaks until it goes off. It’s quite a pedestrian affair until the last few locations, when things get a bit tasty. It’s a shame that these are the missions for the game really. There are no Crackdown 1 style crime bosses to kill or anything that dramatic, just simple and to the point missions.

That’s not to say there isn’t much to do in the game though. There are also freak breaches to take care of, as well as some road and rooftop races. There’s also some vehicle and wingsuit (unlockable when you reach a high enough agility level) stunt rings to play around with. However, they aren’t as compelling as the main objectives and seem to get incredibly difficult as you proceed with them. The first 10 rooftop and road races are quite easy and to the point, but the last 5 for both of them are stronger than an artificially reinforced orange. If you’ve played the original Crackdown, you should know what these are about by now. If not, you have to race to each checkpoint as quickly as you can. Crackdown 2 puts your race time on a leaderboard with your friends and people around the world via Xbox Live, so you can see who’s the best at both rooftop and road races.

Freak breaches are basically holes in the ground where a load of freaks pour out of. You have to annihilate the Freaks until air support arrives. It’s strangely cathartic and fun, especially when you visit a location and an earthquake signals the start of the breach mission. The camera goes all wobbly and things get real interesting, agent.

As you would expect, the overlord voice of the agency is back. He’s just as maddeningly awesome as before, but this time has a wealth of new lines that will make you stop for a minute as you chuckle away. One of our office favourites happened when we got into an Agency supercar. The Agency overlord piped up: “This car sticks to the road like shit to a blanket”. It’s not his most artistic or original line in the game, but his delivery is poignant and it still really helps to induce some light relief when things get a bit too crispy to handle. Talking about vehicles, they no longer morph to your driving level. However, there are more agency vehicles on offer including a helicopter (once you get full agility) and a tank alongside the usual agency patrol car, buggy, supercar and SUV.

It’s also worth noting here (as there doesn’t seem to be anywhere else to put it) that after you complete the game, you can carry on playing as if you haven’t completed the last mission, which is good for completing side-quests and catching the all-important agility and hidden orbs. Talking of orbs, as well as the regular kind mentioned throughout this review, there are also renegade orbs that you have to chase for their juicy experience. They come in two flavours: Agility and Driving. These orbs have some kind of mystical AI goodness that makes chasing them as entertaining as some of the missions. Some can be really tricky to catch, but getting hold of them is rewarding.

One of the biggest things about Crackdown 2 is the new multiplayer modes. You can play the main game through four player co-op at any time. You can make it invite or friends only or open it up to allow anyone to join. It’s a shame there’s no kind of matchmaking system for joining random players, but we guess that’s to stop the game developing into the gaming-based equivalent of Chat Roulette. You can invite people as you play and there’s no “player joining” interruption nonsense. It’s a very slick way of doing things and Ruffian should be applauded for getting it right. However, if all four of you do campaign missions, bear in mind that it will only progress for the player that hosts the game. When you go back to your game, you’ll be wherever you left off. You can still take your levelled up agent to your friends game though and emasculate them with your superiority. There isn’t a great deal exclusive to co-op, but there are Online Orbs (you may have seen them in the demo), which folks playing co-op can pickup. They basically act as Hidden Orbs, and give you experience to all your abilities.

Co-op seems to run very smoothly, like an Octopus, but there are few framerate jitters across the game, even when playing on your lonesome. To be fair, they only crop up when you chain together a beast of an explosion or there’s too many enemies on-screen for the game to handle. There are also some of the regular bugs back from the original Crackdown, including the “either you’re on it or you’re not” climbing system. Some building designs don’t really promote climbing too, which we guess is part of the point, but we shouldn’t have to go all the way to the very top of some skyscraper to find out there’s no conceivable way to get to the roof. It doesn’t happen very often, but when it does it is annoying.

There are also some competitive multiplayer modes, including Rocket Tag, Deathmatch and Team Deathmatch. These are separate from the main game, but take place in parts of Pacific City. You are limited to a small area to muck about in and for the most part, it’s actually quite fun. As you would expect, you all play as agents and that means there’s lots of jumping, dodging and precision grenade prediction needed to compete. It won’t replace the main meat of the game (the campaign), but it’s definitely worth looking into while you wait for friends to get online or for a quick distraction. It’s a shame there aren’t more modes. Ruffian was probably rushed to make the game and it shows here.

Verdict: Crackdown 2 is basically more of the same, which isn’t a bad thing. If you loved the original, you have to get this thanks to the allure of four-player co-op, agility orbs, monolithic explosions and a ridiculous amount of enemies on-screen at once. If you haven’t played Crackdown before and you are pining for something a bit different, then it’s hard not to recommend it. Just remember it can get a bit repetitive at times.

Traveller’s Tales has been in industry for years and when they discovered you could bring LEGO adventures to console systems, it was a gold mind idea. They debuted with Lego Star Wars and since then have created many Lego games based off of different popular series. Some of which included Batman and Indiana Jones and most recently their next project, of Harry Potter. Here, Traveller’s Tales brings us Lego Harry Potter: Years 1-4. The game details the events of the first four books of the series as it’s presented in the films with references from the books as well. Read more below as we take an in-depth look into what makes this an adventure.

From the very first moment and the very first cut scene, the game manages to capture the charm and quality of the series as seen in the past Lego titles. If you know the story behind the Harry Potter books then you should have no trouble keeping up with the many references in the game. The game is full of quality gameplay, enjoyable visuals, a lot of charm and humor. The tried and tested formula of the game shines through especially in the choice to use expression sounds in stead of actual dialogue. If you’ve seen the films, characters will be easily recognizable as well. What made Lego Star Wars so fun was the ability to build things using the Force. The Force was that touch of magic that actually made sense. It was something that you felt was missing out of Lego Indiana Jones and Batman because it didn’t fit right without it.

Unfortunately to keep in line with the story, you start off with very limited powers. However, remember that you’re going to school to take lessons and these aren’t the lessons that force you to write notes and study for tests at the end of the week. These lessons will take you beyond the books to help you learn new abilities and spells to progress through the story. They aren’t difficult to learn and are still fun to do. You’ll be building everything from a staircase out of Lego bricks too a witches pot for potions. Of course, being a product based on an official license there isn’t room for being creative. It’s still nice to see that Traveller’s Tales has managed to be creative with the level design. The level design is still accurate to its influence and also being easy to navigate through. Not everything is perfect and like me, you’ll still find yourself getting lost as you progress.

There are plenty of creative puzzles and collectible items you can find throughout the world if you get tired of the story missions. You can take a simple stroll through Diagon Alley without entering back into story mode. There are plenty of shops and side missions that’ll give you Lego bricks to collect so you can purchase playable characters and spells. There is no multiplayer, so don’t expect to be blowing each other up with death spells. Everything Traveller’s Tales has done to keep true to the Harry Potter experience is incredibly intuitive from riding broomsticks to casting spells and more. Developers certainly haven’t lost their step when it comes to creating a world out of Lego.

With every Lego title adds the addition of co-op play and it becomes a vital part of the game. Unfortunately the co-op play stops at 2 players and a third person is not allowed to join in, though that still doesn’t take away all of the fun. The drop in/drop out gameplay works as well as it has since the mechanic first appeared in Lego Indiana Jones 2. It is up to the users how you set up the option. The game also has four different save slots so that means the whole family can get in on the action without interrupting another players experience. Lego Harry Potter is certainly without a doubt the best Lego game to date. It has everything you could ask for in a Lego title and has brought back the magic missing from the past two releases especially since Lego Batman.

Verdict: A great family-oriented title with a lot of charm and charisma and humor. Not to be missed for Lego fans, gamers and Harry Potter fans alike. Traveller’s Tales has once again managed to capture everything about the world of Harry Potter in Lego form. The only question that should be in your mind at this point is which series will they tackle next?

If you were to ask most gamers about Naughty Bear, they would say they saw trailers for the game on their favourite sites and that it looked fun. If you were to ask someone who’s actually played the game, they would have a different story to tell. The thing is, Naughty Bear is a victim of its own PR. Trailers and press releases hyped up a game about a bear going about doing naughty things (no way), but cleverly, didn’t actually show gameplay.

Sites reported the funny gameplay-less trailers, showcasing a weird and wonderful world where a bear gets so demented after being rejected by his folk that he goes about killing everything and doing whatever he likes. It’s a fun, tongue-in-cheek premise with a lot of imagination. However, it’s all let down by its conviction, as what we get instead is an intensely linear and nearly unplayable excuse for a game (no wonder they were apprehensive about showing gameplay). Which is a shame, as given the character and gameworld possibilities of a bear gone rogue action adventure, there should be a lot to see and do, with ample room for humour through parody, irony and sarcasm.

The game is set up through annoyingly weird levels, following the aforementioned naughty bear through a journey of hatred and vicious tendencies. However, there is no narrative or story progression, just a continuation of the same basic chapter theme through a multitude of boring episodes (go here, kill X bear, do X thing, rinse, repeat). This is a game that could’ve benefitted from an interesting plot, exploring how bitter and twisted the naughty bear had become, but instead there doesn’t seem to be much going on at all.

This is also reflected by the gameplay. The controls are awkward, and coupled with some bizarre character animation for everything; it just isn’t fun to play. Enemies have hardly any AI, so killing them just seems to be as easy as running at them, mashing square and then going in for the finishing move. The basic premise for missions is to go and carry out an objective within an enclosed free-roaming environment. There’s a massive green arrow to point you in the right direction and helpful hints, which don’t quite match up to the audience that the game seems to be for in terms of content.

It’s as if the developers don’t know what their demographic (presumably people 12 years and older, according to the age rating on the box) wants from a game, or how their perceive gaming. 12 year olds aren’t retarded; they can certainly show me a thing or two on Modern Warfare 2, so you don’t need to keep on battering around the head with help arrows, objectives and a massive hint manual. Let them find stuff out for themselves and explore a game without getting in their way, don’t hold their hand and treat them like idiots. The music and constant commentary on what you’re doing don’t fit either. It’s all supposed to be heavily satirical, but it simply comes across as annoying and condescending.

All these annoying elements give the game a cluttered UI and coupled with ugly menus throughout, it’s fair to say that Naughty Bear isn’t aesthetically pleasing at all. The look of the game isn’t helped with bland environments and an annoying everywhere-but-normal framerate. There isn’t a great deal to see and do and the bears themselves seem to be the only things that look alright. Killing them with a brutal finishing move also brings something resembling a mini-smile to my beautiful face, thanks to some actually good animation (that isn’t present anywhere else in the game).

The multiplayer side of things is somehow even worse than the rest of the game. A hearty mix of framerate issues and lag combine to create something that’s not even playable. It’s a surprise really, as there are quite a few multiplayer modes and it could’ve proved a fun distraction given the state of the rest of the game. The only redeemable feature for online multiplayer is that in-game bears can be recruited, or can tamper with an objective. It gives proceedings a fairly unpredictable feel, but you could say that about the game’s netcode or even gameplay really.

Verdict: Naughty Bear is a game with an awesome premise but is let down by lazy development. Given the narrative capabilities of the game’s premise and characters, we really wanted to like it, but there’s just too many faults. It has a janky framerate, hardly any enemy AI, terrible controls, frighteningly basic environments, repetitive gameplay, annoying music and an unplayable multiplayer mode. This might be the worst game we’ve ever played. Avoid.

Raven Software are an odd bunch. They crank out games at a good pace, but all their titles seem to miss that little bit of polish or spark that could shift them into a different light. One example of this is Quake 4. It was playable, but it just didn’t feel right and ultimately it failed to match up to the Quake name. Following that, they made Marvel: Ultimate Alliance, X-Men Origins: Wolverine and Wolfenstein, which were all enjoyable but again there was no crazy thrills or anything that would create that gratifying feeling of enjoyment we crave.

Singularity is different. There is something about this game that we really like. It might be that the gameworld is designed in such a way that it may as well be a Bioshock expansion, or that we are secretly communists ourselves that wish to prolong a new Russian empire. Whatever it is, it’s hard to place, but let’s just get the basics down. Singularity revolves around an old Russian scientific experimentation centre (Katorga-12), where the lucky folks who toiled away there found E99.

E99 is odd in that it can do weird timey-wimey stuff and apparently turn normal people into weird blue freaks. Regardless, you’re playing as Nate Renko, an Air Force pilot who has been given the unfortunate task of investigating weird radiation emissions from the Katorga-12 Island, remnants from the “Singularity” event that occurred sometime in 1950 and mucked everything up. Naturally, Renko’s helicopter crash lands and that’s when things get complicated.

Renko quickly becomes some kind of time tripping super soldier, like Master Chief on LSD. The twist is the game takes place both in 1950 and 2010, thanks to the Time Manipulation Device (TMD). As a key gameplay and plot/narrative mechanic, it’s probably the only original thing here. You can use it to age/de-age objects; open time portals, as a gravity gun that freezes objects in time, to create weird slow-time bubbles and other such time oddities as you progress through the game. Other than the cool timey-wimey stuff, the gameplay is basically typical FPS point A to point B linearity, but with Bioshock-esque audio logs and one corridor exploration.

Despite this, the gunplay is actually quite good; basically akin to Modern Warfare 2 (maybe Activision is finally making developers share their tech). You can only carry two weapons, and there isn’t much to choose from, but what’s here gets the job done well. There’s your typical machine gun, shotgun, pistol, sniper, etc. and they’re all upgradeable. What’s interesting is that you can mix and match your time powers with your normal run and gunning for some unique results.

Some enemies have to be brought into this timezone, whereas others can be slowed down or destroyed through reversing their own biological timeline. It’s refreshing to see that in an industry that’s keen on dumbing down to casuals, we can still have complex elements in shooters like this. Sure, it won’t make gamers bow to it like how we all will to China in five years, but there’s always something rather fun about mucking around with time. TimeShift may have done most of this stuff already, but the basic gameplay and gameworld is much more intense here.

Talking about the gameworld, the aforementioned comparisons to Bioshock are not some kind of odd joke for your amusement; the game literally looks like something in the same game. While this reeks of unoriginality, we think depicting Katorga-12 with this style complements the propaganda-propelled Russian communism of the mise-en-scene. The life-bar and time-energy (we forgot its technical name because we were busy blowing people up when the game told us it) are ripped straight from Bioshock, with literally the same health-kit system.

Traversing through the linear levels isn’t ever boring, and there’s always something kicking off. Whether it be a new TMD power, lots of enemies wanting to kill you or an impromptu boss fight (don’t worry, it’s actually good), the pacing is very fluid and it fights for your attention. The big set-pieces are surprisingly fun to play through, despite one particularly annoying segment when a load of creepy-crawly enemies run at you and explode, like the world’s worst spiders. If you’re not afraid of them, you’ve got a better disposition than anybody in our office. This type of enemy must be the worst thing to be introduced in the past few generations of console gaming. We do not want weird gits running at us to try to blow us up in rapid succession; we want good old fashioned bipedal Russians, poor people or aliens to duel with.

The rest of the enemies are so-so. Their design is a bit odd, with most of them looking like rejects from Eiffel 65’s Blue (Da Ba Dee) video (we suggest heavy YouTubing, but you didn’t hear that from us). The Russian soldiers from the 1950-based segments look remarkably cool in their full soldier regalia, and you will weirdly find yourself looking forward to the time-trippy moments just to see a different colour pallet for a change. We get that the 2010 enemies have been infected with some weird time stuff, but you don’t need to bang us over the head with it by making everyone blue.

Multiplayer-wise, what’s here is entertaining and should keep you going during the summer release drought. You get to fight as either Soldiers or Creatures to try and control a map. As you would expect from a game in this century, each side has its own abilities and classes. It’s nothing to write home about but could give you a nice distraction if the weather finally decides to implode in real life.

Verdict: Singularity is daft but good old-fashioned gaming fun. It isn’t quite a top tier must-have, but it’s definitely worth playing and has some tasty tricks up its sleeve that will make you want to keep playing. It may be linear and unoriginal in places, but the time-wimey elements are surprisingly entertaining.

The Decepticons are ready to rage war against the kind-hearted Autobots who look to destroy everything that is evil about the Decepticons in Transformers: War for Cybertron. It’s a new take on a license that has certainly seen better days since its past releases. Its mission is to take players into the classic days of Transformers with its look and feel. Does it strike gold or is meant for the junkyard? Brace yourself as we put our feet in the shoes of both the Autobots and Decepticons in this War for Cybertron.

The game is set during the end of the 3^rd Cybertronian war, Megatron who is the leader of the Decepticons strikes a plan to take the Dark Energon and corrupt the core of their planet. On the other side, the Autobots who are deeply wounded in the war are mounting a counter-offensive against Megatron to wipe him out once and for all and bring Cybertron back to its peaceful state. It’s a great back story that includes many of the infamous Transformers like Bumblebee, Starscream and so on, showing you how each character first met. The action basically takes place through scripted events and fellow banter between mates. Of course you can’t forget the cut scenes for a little extra eye-candy. The dark tone of the title certainly fits the atmosphere well so fans and newcomers to the series shouldn’t have a problem fitting right in themselves.

The campaign is split into two stories, that of the Autobots and Decepticons and you’ll be able to choose your side in the beginning. Don’t worry; however, you’ll easily be able to jump between the two sides after you get started. To give you the run down, each campaign offers up to a 12 chapter story with numerous missions in between to keep you busy. Think of it this way, each campaign will end up lasting you a good 5-6 hours each depending on your play style and how quickly you can progress through the game. You can also choose from several different segments and characters to get you started. Transformers boils down to being a third-person shooter that seems much inspired from Epic Games’ Gears of War. You’ll have two buddies along side you for the ride as your backup. You’ll be blasting everything in sight and there is plenty of ammo and health along the way in case you were wondering.

On the other side of the spectrum there are 6 different versus modes for online play as well as 3 player online co-op. There are several different maps on each of the game types as well so you’ll have some variety. You can customize your characters and classes however you like as you level up. If you’re in for something else to play there is a mode called Escalation. It’s pretty much the same as Nazi Zombies but with Transformers clothes on. As for gameplay, the controls are pretty tight and represent your standard third-person shooter. The twist here is that there are several different options when being a Transformer. Every transformer can transform into its vehicle form simply by hitting the left analog stick. However, it can become frustrating considering the analog sticks sensitivity and you can easily transform while in mid-battle.

Other then that, weapons controls are fine and varied for each character so you won’t necessarily see the same one twice. Offensive classes are given strong melee attacks while defensive classes are given the ability to heal allies and set up barricades. In vehicle mode there are a lot more options available to you as well. The controls for your vehicle are tight and can easily be fun to use. While in battle, keep in mind that simply running into the firefight won’t cut it. There isn’t a proper cover system so it’ll take some strategic planning to move onto the next objective. Though there is a lot of debris laying around if you really needed something to help you out. Mastering your terrain is essential if you want to move forward. The jump ability will help you out greatly especially considering the double jump as well considering each Transformers jets.

The visual presentation is accurate on Transformer accounts even though the world itself looks bland. The textures and character designs are nicely done and the only problem anyone might have would be with Cybertron itself. It looks as if the designers could’ve spent a little extra time on detail and everything would’ve been perfect. Aside from that everything runs smoothly and there are rarely any hitches in the process. War for Cybertron is a nice take on the history of the Transformers before they went to Earth. You’ll be pleased to know that the voice work is right on point with all original members reprising their roles for both Autobots and Decepticons alike.

Verdict: Transformers: War for Cybertron boils down to being a standard third-person action title with a lot of promise. If you’ve finished both campaigns and embark on the multiplayer it at least gives you something to do. That all really depends on your interest in the series in the first place. Transformers: War for Cybertron isn’t essential for your library but it is good enough to give it a spin at your leisure.

If you’ve ever wondered when someone was going to make a game where you merged real life cars with power-ups from this side of Mario Kart, you’ve finally got your answer. Bizarre Creations have given us Blur, a game that has taken real life cars and given them power-ups that you would swear you’ve seen in Mario Kart. The fusion of these two oddities made way for an exhilarating racing title with plenty of depth to keep you busy for more then a few hours. Another element that takes a keen eye to pick up on is the experience system that seems to be inspired from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and integrated into the entire game. What comes out of it is a pulsating race for experience to earn you fans, prizes and more cars. But what else does Blur have to offer that everyone else doesn’t? Read on to find out.

So, while it’s all fun and games to be having strong power-ups at your and exotic places to drive around in, the big question is, how’s the driving? I’m here to report that the driving is solid and easy to take control of. This is a game where quick reflexes are necessary in order to finish ahead and grab the checkered flag. After a bit of practice you’ll easily be able to dodge land mines, avoid missiles and take tight turns to get ahead in the competition. There are plenty of vehicles to pick and each of them has their own advantages and disadvantages. For instance, if you’re working on those tight turns you might have to pick a vehicle with a little more grip. Some cars even have the ability to drift more if you’re looking for quick speeds and easy handling.

Beginning early in the career mode you’ll have an easy time to pick up on the controls and the general concepts of the game. However, as the game moves on, objectives and races become more difficult. There are a total of 63 events and nine bosses to compete against, so you’ll be busy for a while. But, by no means does that mean Blur isn’t a fun game. On the contrary, Blur is exciting and brings the action right in your face without thinking twice. In the game there are three event types to work with; racing, destruction and checkpoint. Racing is pretty obvious; you’ll be competing with you and 19 other cars.  Checkpoint has you racing against the clock to hit various checkpoints across the map before time runs out while gaining speed boosts and time extensions along the way. Finally you have Destruction which allows you to race against other vehicles with very low health giving you the opportunity to blow them away to earn enough points to move on to the next objective.

On the multiplayer side of things, it’s eerily familiar to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare as I mentioned earlier. You’ll race against 19 other players in a 3 lap race to the finish. You’ll gain experience along the way helping you level and unlock new awards and cars. The multiplayer level cap sits at 50 for online play while the level cap is stopped at 25, giving you much more reason to keep playing. There are a few race types you’ll be able to play through, but after leveling up more of them become available to you. Also adding to the online experience are challenges you can send to your friends as well as alerting your friends of any new times you gain. So, there are plenty of things to do if you feel fed up with the single player portion of the game.

To sum it up, Blur is an excellent racer that shouldn’t be overlooked if you’re looking for an impulse buy. What should also be remembered before closing is that the visuals of the game are outstanding. The only issue you may encounter is when you’re low on health, in which the screen will pump a red glare making it hard to keep track of the road. You should have no trouble enjoying the full realistic car models and excellent views of the city in your tracks. Blur is a fast and fun to control racer with an unlikely marriage of two popular genres combined into one.

Verdict: Definitely an impulse kind of buy. Blur does an excellent job of keeping the racing genre fresh and new again. The combination of Mario Kart and RPG is a match made in heaven for Bizarre Creations. You’ll loose long hours of time in the game going through both the single player and multiplayer.

Aqua Panic is a weird game. On one hand, I want to enjoy it. Its mix of cute Lemmings-like gameplay and pastel-shaded aesthetics should result in something special, but it just doesn’t get me involved as much as Lemmings. Let’s back up a little bit and explain Aqua Panic. Essentially, you have to modify and change a 2D environment in order to get your fish from the top of the screen to their goal at the bottom. To do this, you get stuff like explosives, harpoons and other such tools. There are also in-level elements such as snails that allow fish to go throw and drop out under them.

These may sound all well and good, but the game is very restrictive on the resources it gives you. This is odd as the art style denotes a casual game, but the gameplay is very hardcore thanks to these restrictions. It also means that levels are very linear and restrictive, which is disappointing as the gameplay is good and you can restart again instantly, but there is not a way to rectify a bad situation during the level. Many levels start off with looking across the level, deciding where to use each tool and then using them when the level begins. After that, you just sit and wait to see if your emplacements were right or wrong. Games like these shouldn’t play like a tower defence title.

Coupled with that, the look and style of the game really doesn’t match the difficulty and target audience of the game. As mentioned before, the “cute” art style feels out of place. There isn’t really anything here that the casual audience could play. It’s difficult, fiddly and weird to play. What’s more, the music is also annoyingly struggling for the casual market it hurts. The haunting theme tune will annoy you at every opportunity, especially after failing one of the more difficult levels. The in-level music is wonky and doesn’t match what’s going on, and neither do the weird stuttering slow-down starts to levels.

However, you do technically get a nice amount for your money. There are lots of modes and such but the main one everyone will go for when trying the game for the first time is Adventure Mode. Adventure Mode has a lot of levels (with some neat tips during loading, but you will soon tire of seeing these between every single level) but there isn’t anything “adventurey” about it. You just keep on going through levels, one after the other without any sign of progression or the game actually saving your progress. There’s just a level indicator at the beginning of a level and after that you’re left hoping that it’s all saved and you’re progressing well.

The thing is about this game is that there really isn’t any reason to play it. Once you’ve tried it and done a few levels, there’s no compelling reason to continue. There’s no feeling of characterisation and empathy between you and what’s happening on-screen. This is all thanks to the wayward design and wonky game mechanics. It’s a shame, as the basic idea is solid enough, but there isn’t really much here that actually needs to be played, especially with so much other stuff to play and other distractions nowadays.

Verdict: A game that is not for normal people. Most regular folk will get so frustrated that their controller will not survive its torment. There isn’t much to see or do here, but if you’re into genocide-prevention sims there isn’t much else to play nowadays. Everyone else won’t be missing much.

Quite frankly, if you’re looking for consumer advice on Red Dead Redemption, there’s very little point reading this review. The game has a little yellow box with an ‘R’ in it in the bottom corner of the packaging. That’s pretty much all you need to know. This is a Rockstar game, and this should leave anyone with no doubt as to the level of quality Red Dead Redemption revels in.

A spiritual successor to 2004’s Red Dead Revolver, Red Dead Redemption is an open-world sandbox set in 1911 and at the height of Wild West period. Whilst players live in the spurred boots of ex-renegade John Marston, the real star of the game is the frontier itself. Spanning out for miles are beautifully constructed acres of scrub-land, mountains and rock formations. Galloping through these areas on horseback is nothing short of thrilling; at times even breath-taking. Here, ‘living harsh’ doesn’t even begin to explain the atmosphere, as the world is brought to life through numerous random encounters with bandits, lawmen and dames, who wander the world and litter it with personality and wonder. Add to this over thirty types of wild animals (all which can be killed, skinned and butchered for profit) and this is without a doubt the most realistic feeling world created in a videogame. The people within the dusty towns of the West all seem to walk with purpose, their day to day lives governed by the power of the Euphoria system that ensures life-like reactions (previously seen in GTA IV). If ever you wanted to know how it felt to be on set with Clint Eastwood, here’s your chance.

If looking at the scenery wasn’t enough, then there’s the campaign to run and gun through. Whilst not as lengthy as the traditional Rockstar game, there’s a solid story to be told (which leads up to a simply stunning finale).  You’ll travel through the West and into Mexico on a mission to round up your old riding pals, who have stuck to the crooked path rather than converting to the straight and narrow. On the way you’ll perform train heists, burn villages to the ground, blow up a lot of stuff with dynamite and take part in numerous Mexican standoffs. If this sounds perfect, it’s because it is. Red Dead Redemption has an immensely satisfying campaign where no two missions feel too repetitive, where nothing feels like hard work and every shot fired is as fun as the last. The campaign is structured identically to GTA – arguably a minor flaw – with mission-givers identified on the map by a letter. Approaching them starts the familiar cut-scene explanation, and then thrusts you in-game where you are normally required to gallop to point A and then have all hell break loose.

When it does go all blood and bullets, it’s a great thing that the combat mechanics are tight and well implemented. Aiming and firing is responsive and the guns feel antique and well suited to the time period. The shooting is accompanied by the ‘Dead-Eye’ system which is a kind of bullet-time arrangement that allows you to slow down time, point out various targets and then fire off six or so shots in quick succession. It allows for some nifty cinematic take downs, and is especially useful for combat when galloping away on horseback.

As mentioned earlier, the game is filled with random events that are arguably more satisfying to engage in than the actual narrative missions. This can be anything from helping a wounded law man chase down escaped criminals to saving the wrongly accused from the hangman’s noose. The latter is an exceptionally thrilling activity, kicking up dust as you arrive at the gallows, pulling out your revolver and shooting the rope off the poor victim. Not only do you get to feel like a hero, but you’ll be rewarded with fame and honour points, which rack up for rewards and more respect from your fellow frontiersmen.

Alongside this terrific single-player campaign is an equally accomplished multiplayer. Whilst it contains all the usual modes of death matches and the like, the free mode is the most interesting to play. You and up to seven other online buddies can form a Posse and ride together into the sunset, shooting buffalo to your heart’s content and rounding up bandits into the early hours.

Verdict: Red Dead Redemption is almost flawless; the only criticism that can be put upon it being that it does little to evolve the Rockstar sandbox formula that’s been in existence since GTA III. Yet when a game can be this consistently fun and conclude with a tremendous final act, complaining that it’s a little formulaic seems like unfair nit-picking. Saddle up and load those revolvers, gamers!

Half a decade ago, as the world sat on the edges of their gaming sofas waiting for the Xbox 360 to arrive, Finnish developers Remedy teased us all with shots and talk of Alan Wake, a psychological action thriller game that would blow all our minds. For years this was the killer title that many used in their arguments as to why the 360 would destroy the PlayStation 3. And yet, as the years went by, Alan never walked into 360-ville. All communication from Remedy seemed to cease. Had Alan died? Had he gone insane writing his novel and flung himself into a lake? Was he being held in a mental institute? Who knows, but now in 2010 he’s finally reappeared with a complete story to tell. And it’s one you’re sure to enjoy.

As you’d expect from Remedy, Alan Wake’s core strength is atmosphere. Akin to their Max Payne games, Alan Wake has a gloomy, heavy air about it that ensures every moment is gripping and engaging. Such a feel is delivered primarily through a combination of superb lighting effects and some top-notch voice acting.

Set in the rural lake-side town of Bright Falls, Alan spends much of his time in forests, where the use of moonlight really emphasises the oppressive darkness. Alan’s torchlight beam is perhaps the most realistic seen in a next-generation title, and sparks from electrical equipment and the flare gun burn your retinas with realism. The stark contrast between light and dark emphasises the core of the gameplay, with light conquering the darkness that oppresses Alan in his hunt for the truth. His foes – in the guise of shadowy logger men and axe-wielding lunatics – are shrouded in darkness which acts as a shield which Alan must penetrate with his torch before finishing them off with conventional firearms. It’s a tight combat mechanic that feels fresh after playing so many duck-and-cover shooters.

The game often spices combat up with various other light-emitting devices such as flames and an interesting variety of pyrotechnics in later stages. The most impressive element of the combat system however is how vulnerable you feel when playing as Alan. He clearly isn’t cut out for fighting, and dodging flying axes genuinely feel like close calls. When two or more foes appear there is a convincing sense of danger, where the first reaction is to flee like a girl to a safer spot rather than try your chances. Whilst by no means an exceptionally difficult game, Alan Wake certainly forces you to realise you’re only human.

In terms of narrative, Alan Wake can become somewhat confusing at times but for the most part is highly engaging and cinematic. Many of the story sequences are told through gameplay which is more compelling than being restricted to cut-scenes all the times. Through the game Alan discovers pages of his unwritten manuscript that nicely foreshadow future events, and are read by Alan in a style familiar to those who enjoyed the graphic novel section of Max Payne.  To reveal here details of the story would destroy a major part of the Alan Wake experience, but expect David Lynch’s Twin Peaks mixed with the works of Stephen King (who is named dropped an absurd amount of times). The story is presented as a season of a TV show, and opening ‘previously on Alan Wake’ montages for each episode ensure the entire package feels highly polished. Licensed music tracks for the end of episode themes are another nice touch.

For the most part, Alan Wake is an extremely good looking game, which is vital to its atmosphere. It is let down, however, by some rather distressing facial animations that make the characters appear to be midway through a stroke. Lip-synch is also on the iffy side which at times can spoil the otherwise perfect cinematic feel. It’s made a worse sting by the quality of dialogue, which is both fairly well written (if sometimes bugged by a few clichés) and excellently delivered by a cast of strong voice actors.

Verdict: A long time coming, Alan Wake has been worth the wait. Whilst hampered by a few bad animations, a couple of narrative miss-steps and some repetitive combat scenarios, the majority of Remedy’s latest is an unnerving and atmospheric trek through the unknown darkness. An experience that should be visited at least once.

The Earthworm Jim series is a bit odd. The originals were very strong titles back in their era, and the attempts to bring it to this age with “Earthworm Jim 3D” pretty much failed. Instead, we got tired and conservative handheld ports/original titles, which is weird because it’s a strong IP with a genuinely entertaining protagonist. Games these days seem to have questionable protagonists, and yet there’s a few golden oldies sitting in gaming’s past ready for new outings. The Earthworm Jim franchise became stale and we never thought we would see a good iteration of the old-school platformer/shooter hybrid again.

Earthworm Jim HD plays it safe in the series’ tradition. It’s basically a HD remake of the original for the Xbox Live Arcade (PSN next month). That’s not to say it doesn’t instigate a few changes. The graphics look stunning in HD, as does Jim and his animations. Enemies also look distinctively different thanks to the visual upgrade. Explosions and shots look crisp and destructive, the space segments look awesome and you can tell Gameloft gets why people love this series. They could’ve ruined it with obscure HD elements or new gameplay aspects, but they kept it pure. It’s nice to see the original like this; simplistic and back to basics, ready for new players to experience it.

However, the visuals might bring some new players a false sense of security. While everything looks pretty and “cartoony”, it is every bit as hard as the original. This is a platformer that is obsessed with timing. You have to jump off platforms and such with military precision and it’s not uncommon to miss jumps, especially with those where you have to use the whip to swing across gaps. Enemies are still ruthless too, with some able to kill you in one attack. Fans of the series should be used to this kind of brutal treatment by now, but it’s something to think about for people considering trying this. Even the inclusion of easier difficulties shouldn’t fool you; it will still bring you in and spit you out with the upmost contempt.

Fanboys will notice that the “Andy Asteroids” segment has changed. For those not in the know, it puts Jim on a space rocket and you are tasked with guiding him through a tubular asteroid field whilst simultaneously racing Psycrow, the chief antagonist. In this version, the asteroids are easier to dodge at lower levels, but as you progress through the game they become incredibly difficult. Luckily if you can’t do it, you can take on Psycrow in an incredibly easy boss encounter instead. It’s a nice moment of respite during a game that will cause your controller more destruction than a perfectly placed drink spillage.

Other fans will notice that other pieces of content are missing or changed, but on the whole it’s the Earthworm Jim we know and love. The music that was on the original game’s cartridge has been remixed, but on the whole it sounds good and complements the game. A lot of remixed tracks from older titles struggle to encapsulate the retro sounds from the past, so it’s good to see the opposite in effect here. Again, Gameloft gets why this title is popular and has kept things stylish and minimalistic in a way that complements the classic experience.

The new “bonus” levels are a joy to play, and we would’ve liked to see a few more original levels in this stead. Gameloft have proved they understand the franchise, but it seems they don’t have the confidence to create something truly new. Despite this, fighting keyboard cat as Earthworm Jim (one of my childhood heroes) is every bit as fun as it sounds, even if the fighting mechanic against the infamous cat is a bit dated and annoying.

Moving on to more new material, the multiplayer mode is surprisingly enjoyable. Finding a match isn’t that hard and you get to team up with three other Earthworm Jims to tackle levels in a co-op fashion. The only problem we’ve had with it so far is that our partners seem to be a tad elitist. Their demanding attitude isn’t the game’s fault though, but it would be nice if there was some kind of system in place to assist inexperienced players (basically us) play with Jim veterans. As it stands though, we thought it was solid enough for a quick blast around a level and showed us how rubbish we really were. Step up or prepare for the quitters.

Verdict: We were genuinely surprised with Earthworm Jim HD. It’s a game that pays homage to the original and should bring a nice contingent of new fans into the mix. However, don’t expect much new stuff and prepare for difficulty harder than a World Cup Final match against Brazil. If you enjoy quirky humour and can forgive the restrictive old-school platforming conventions, then give it a try. If not, don’t even contemplate this as we cannot guarantee the safety of your gameplay input device of choice.

Mario has a hard life. No sooner as he’s rescued the Princess (unless she’s in another castle) that Peach goes and gets herself kidnapped again by a creature that doesn’t realise how played out and clichéd he really is. Luigi isn’t any help, as anyone who played Luigi’s Mansion could testify. Yoshi only shows up if he smells something to eat, and then runs away when shit gets real. On top of all this carnage, poor Mario also has a mushroom addiction.

Everyone probably knows all this by now thanks to the countless streams of platforming gems Nintendo keeps on putting the portly plumber in. It’s no secret he’s been about a bit but it’s fair to say most of the games in the main Mario series are timeless classics that have to be experienced as a gaming rite of passage. In this vein, Galaxy was something that showed us that Nintendo still had something up their sleeve for the 3D branch of the series, which was quite surprising following Super Mario Sunshine.

Super Mario Galaxy 2 is something special. It’s the first time there’s been a sequel to a Mario console game and it’s the fourth original 3D Mario console title. Nintendo could be blamed for being a bit conservative and sticking to the Galaxy formula in terms of game aesthetics and basic gameplay, but Galaxy 2 takes everything up a notch.

The thing that separates this from Galaxy is level design. Each galaxy has something interesting or new to introduce; whether that being playing around with gravity or offering a new power-up. The levels are designed with precision and they have all been crafted in the right order to give a steady difficulty curve. Despite a sometimes fixed wonky camera on some planets and some questionable power-ups, it really is a joy to play. Even the normally dreaded water levels play delightfully well. Jumping out of water could be improved but it’s a minor niggle given how well the rest of the controls work under the sea now.

Complementing all this is some superb presentation and animation. It feels a touch smoother than Galaxy and it proves that the Wii can deliver better graphics and design than many would think. On top of this, it feels responsive and logical, with most of the in-game deaths being solely player-responsible. The new power-ups are interesting in that the game didn’t really need them but they add a bit of fresh content. Mario purists may be turning recalling in horror, but there were only a few that perplexed us. The fact of the matter is, turning into a giant boulder and rolling over enemies is fun, but spawning clouds isn’t.

Another element that will have purists scratching their heads is the inclusion of Yoshi. He turns up in some levels, and in those he has to be ridden in order to complete them. There isn’t any of Super Mario World’s Yoshi riding just for the hell of it and it’s a bit of a shame. However, his levels are done well and his infamous tongue is controlled with some intuitive Wii pointer action. His trademark flutter jump also makes an appearance, but unfortunately it doesn’t have to be used in as many comic last-ditch efforts to stay alive.

The main flaw of Super Mario Galaxy 2 is with the motion controlled segments. They’re better than Galaxy but are still every bit as frustrating to non-motion gamers. It’s amusing that the group gamers call “non-gamers” will probably find these segments fun, having been enticed by the ways of motion by the Wii in the first place. Most hardcore gamers see motion as unnecessary and counter-intuitive after a life with controllers so there’s an odd disconnect there. Besides that, the motion parts have been cut down but if you want the stars you’ll have to put up with at least some of them.

In truth nitpicking Galaxy 2 is easy because it’s such a good game, which makes its blemishes easy to spot. Despite this, they are minor niggles and won’t stop you enjoying what could be the best platforming title of this generation and possibly decade. There hasn’t been anything quite like this and we’re proud Nintendo took time out of their busy schedule of catering to the casual market to make this labour of love to the series and its fanbase. We feel jealous of the children starting to game now, Mario 64 was groundbreaking but to start off with something this refreshing and vibrant is the perfect way to begin an illustrious gaming career.

Verdict: This is absolutely essential. If you do not own a Wii already, you have to get one and this game. This is an utterly compelling tour de force of game design and it’s full of moments that will give you a big silly grin.

EA’s FIFA series has been going on for a fair old while. For the past five years, it has arguably been the best football series. Its sales and presentation have always been higher than Pro Evo, but it was a refreshing move when EA decided to up their ante and delivered a better package that deserved the hype. However, their specialist tournament editions have left a lot to be desired in the past.

UEFA Euro 2008 and FIFA World Cup 2006 turned out rough, to be frank. They played and looked like rushed releases, pushed out to cash in on the tournament. It was a shame, as the World Cup is the biggest footballing event on the world stage and only comes about every four years. It is a time where we can celebrate other cultures and come together to support our teams, and so far not many games have managed to tap into this aspect of the tournament.

2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa makes an interesting effort into this area, by making the game accessible. For every in-game menu you go to, there is a short voice-over from one of the in-game commentators. This is a welcome addition and goes some way into making the game more approachable for those who wouldn’t normally play this type of titles.

EA has also introduced a new control scheme for the game, with a simplistic (optional) two-button scheme, with just shoot and pass (or tackle and sliding tackle) alongside the left stick being useable. It’s a step in the right direction for the series and we hope to see it making an appearance in the upcoming regular FIFA titles.

However, the beginning in-game menu is overly complicated. EA have thrown every possible option and menu item at the screen here and it’s an unsorted mess, which is a shame as the presentation makes use of the South African theming rather well everywhere else. The interface pops with orange backgrounds and borders, and it’s refreshing to see the tournament hosts respected to this degree through the game.

Moving on to the actual gameplay, it improves upon FIFA 2010 with some excellent developments in fluidity. It is genuinely making great strides into fully emulating real-life football. Don’t get us wrong, it’s still got a long way to go, but recent iterations in this series are ironing out all the oddities and kinks of the match engine and gameplay. Passes now feel weightier, shots feel more powerful and tackles have to be made more accurately.

Penalties have also changed now, and finally make sense. No longer do you have to simply hit B carefully and hope for the best, as now it works on a slider based system. The first slider goes from red to green to red, with the sweet spot being the green area. According to EA, this is supposed to emulate composure. The second slider controls the shot’s power, but this is a basic fill to the top meter. From here you can decide where you want it in the net. It’s a much better system and having all the elements of how to take the penalty displayed on-screen whenever you get one makes them less of a trip into the wild green yonder.

However, don’t expect to score every single penalty. Goalkeepers and defenders are once again very powerful in this release, and could do with a touch of nerfing in FIFA 11. In fact, the balance is a little off everywhere in the game. Spain are too strong and Beckham is somehow classed as a star player even though he is years past his peak. Players like Messi are made out to be in-game messiahs and its clear EA needs to rethink the team aspect of the series. Even the “Captain Your Country” mode has you having to compete against AI players from your own team during matches. It’s silly, and doesn’t reflect the way football should be played.

Despite this, Captain Your Country is every bit as good as it was in Euro 2006 gameplay-wise. Now, it has 4 player co-op and this can be very fun. The ratings for each player aren’t very conductive to a great team spirit, but it does make for a tense and exciting atmosphere as all four of you dart around the pitch.

Other aspects like commentary and graphics have also improved, and little touches like cutaways to the fans, the manager and players are now better than they’ve ever been and don’t make you automatically want to find the skip button. The characters still act a bit wooden but the uncanny valley is eroding with every iteration.

Alongside this, there is a lot of content on offer here. There are 199 teams, with various stadiums out of that lot and all 10 of the official World Cup stadia. There is an online World Cup mode with some stunning netcode (matchmaking took us all of about 15 seconds in the office) and includes the highlight of these World Cup games: a scenario mode. The scenarios are mainly the qualifying campaigns for the countries involved, but there are a few for the dramatic moments in the 2006 World Cup and an intriguing scenario category that will focus on the dramatic goings-on at this year’s World Cup. EA will update it during the cup, (they have said in interviews that they are aiming to provide scenarios for every single match within 24 hours of them occurring but that is liable to change) so we’ll be providing impressions of that when we’re not reclining in our chairs with a beer and watching England lift the trophy.

Verdict: Not essential as the yearly FIFAs for football fans, but it is the strongest World Cup game so far and offers a wealth of content to keep you going. Newcomers will appreciate the new improvements in accessibility and regular gamers should get a lot from it too. The dynamic World Cup 2010 scenarios could make this a lot of fun to have around during the tournament.