DarkSiders

Score: 11/13

Written by Dan

It would be unfair to call Darksiders a straight rip off of other games..so, we won’t. In fact, nothing could be further from the truth. Vigil Games have taken post-modernism on board and branded it with their own style, thanks in no small part to the fantastic creative work by comic book artist Joe Mad – best known for the Marvel’s Uncanny X-men series. The game smacks you with comic book appeal from the off, with thick outlines and bold colours creating a world not too different from one you’d expect to see in the pages of a post-apocalyptic superhero story.
You play as War, one of the four horsemen of the apocalypse whose duty is to mediate the final battle between Heaven and Hell by request of the Charred Council. The Charred Council being the body responsible for maintaining a balance between the two opposing forces.
When mankind arrived on Earth, the council sent the four horsemen of the apocalypse to force a truce on the battle. Predicting that mankind will somehow play an important role in the future, they reckon a final war will eventually break out and decide to bound the three kingdoms with seven seals; keeping them apart. Once the seven seals are broken, the four horsemen will descend and the war to end all wars will take place.
With the call sent out that the seals are broken, War comes crashing down to Earth on his trusty steed to bring order to the chaos. But when he gets there he sees that monsters are already causing havoc on the streets – presented to you through a solid opening movie – and that the other horsemen haven’t shown up. During a fight with massive demon Straga, you discover that the seventh seal wasn’t actually broken and that the war has started prematurely. What’s more, you’re powers are weakened, meaning Starga can take great pleasure in crushing you in the palm of his hand.
The Charred Council are pissed that it’s gone tits-up, blaming you for what’s happened. Your coming to Earth prematurely kicked things off, which is the one thing you was commanded to avoid. In a final bid to make them hear your protests that the call was made but the seals were not broken, you offer to go back to Earth and seek out whoever framed you.
If there’s one thing you don’t want, it’s a bad-ass named War coming after you with a sword..

You inexplicably arrive back on Earth a whole 100 years later, with humanity already wiped out and the planet a wreck. Being a third-person action adventure at heart, Darksiders offers an incredibly designed post-apocalyptic open-world to explore. After a somewhat linear appearing introduction, Darksiders soon blossoms into a free-roaming adventure akin to that good old classic, Zelda.
Your journey will require you to explore new areas, collect items, upgrade weapons, and re-visit old areas with new abilities to discover things you previously missed. You’ll solve puzzles, kick ass and take names. The whole scope of the design deserves major plaudits, tying successful elements from multiple genres into one highly enjoyable romp. There are hardly any loading times to speak of either, and plenty of diverse looking environments to traverse between the fun cut-scenes that tell the story of your search for the truth.


Read More in Issue 23

About the game

Alba’s behind…Cuthbert’s top half…Portman’s face..isn’t it fun when you start putting things together? Imagining the perfect package out of ready available parts is something we’ve all done, but once you start thinking about how those parts will function together, you realise you’ve probably created nothing more than a stitched-up mess. It takes a lot of time, thought and consideration to bring the best elements of existing products together in a new, interesting way. Only few can pull it off successfully; when they do, the result is a glorious compilation of design and function that’s hard to hate and easy to love. Enter Vigil Games’ first major release – Darksiders.

Bayonetta

Score: 12.5/13

Written by Dan

Bayonetta oozes cool from the off, with the opening sequence presented in a mixture of stylish film-cell stills, great looking FMV and an exhilarating fight that you control against a bunch of angels on a slab of concrete hurtling through the skies.
This is a prologue, and with no tutorial or introduction to the game of any kind before the sequence kicks-in, you’ll just be button-mashing and having a great time while you’re at it. It seems like the perfect mindless opener to what could be a great mindless action game, but here’s where Platinum play their trump card to great effect. The reason Bayonetta resonates as such a surprising early contender for game of the year – from our point of view, anyway – is the actual story that provides the backbone to all of the action.

At first you think the game is just going to be an all out brawl with the story taking a back seat. Well..it kind of is, actually, but Bayonetta isn’t just a spineless ride through action town. The characters are fun, Bayonetta being as sassy and cool and is she sexy, Enzo a loveable doofus and Rodin a good ally, providing you weapons straight from hell to take on your foes.
You play as Bayonetta, a witch who was revived from the bottom of a lake 20 years ago. She doesn’t know much about herself, other than the fact that she’s a kick-ass witch who often has to fight tons of angels to prevent them from taking her away. Oh, and she’s a dab hand at wielding four weapons; two in hands, two attached to her legs. Just the usual, then…
Your accomplice; the rather humorous Enzo, tells you of a stone hidden in the historically rich city of Vigrid, which you believe to be relevant to your past. The place is deeply tied with witch folklore, and a perfect lead to get you on the path to discovering where you come from. While light at first, the story unfolds at a steady pace and acts as a great complement to ease you into the experience (between the not-so-eased, all-out action sequences, that is). It doesn’t take itself seriously at all, noticeably going over-the-top at every given opportunity; as if to poke fun at itself. But ultimately, the characters have personality and the unfolding history of the witches – gathered through the scattered entries of explorer Antonio’s notebook – is interesting to take in, painting a backdrop to the surroundings and adding significance to the chaotic battles that play out. (For example, his notes tell of statues that were erected for mysterious reasons by ancient clans, which then act as the catalyst for huge brawls to occur when you try to pass that point in another dimensional plane.)


Read More in Issue 23

About the game

When a game opens with the warning, “some sequences may trigger seizures without prior history of the condition”, you know you’re in for one hell of a ride. That’s exactly what Bayonetta does, and exactly what Bayonetta is – one hell of a ride!
With Bayonetta, Platinum Games have created a game that plays out like the most pulsating roller-coaster at a theme park, and is possibly ‘the’ triumph of genre in this over-populated quarter of releases.
But, just like all the best roller-coasters, be prepared to put up with some pretty tedious waiting time first.

inFamous

Score: 12/13

Written by Johnny Clapham

Being evil is always way more fun than fighting for truth and justice, that’s a fact. Yet despite it’s homage to superheroes, the morality in inFamous lies squarely in the grey area.

It’s more complex than good and evil; every action is to help Cole survive, it’s just how selfish or selfless he/you act that will determine the outcome for both Cole and his loved ones. It makes trying to behave like a hero as hard as possible, and although doing the wrong thing may be easier, there are definite consequences both for the plot and the gameplay depending on how you play the game…

Read More in Issue 15

About the game

Courier Cole McGrath is caught in a mysterious explosion that grants him superpowers but kills thousands and leaves his home of Empire City devastated. When a deadly plague forces the government to seal off the city from the rest of the country, Cole and his friends are trapped with the remaining inhabitants and gangs of mutated mentalists in a battle for survival.
inFamous is set in a completely open sandbox environment where the player has to make difficult moral choices in order to survive, each one affecting the outcome of the game and shaping the world it’s set in. While controlling destructive electrical powers, you must uncover a deadly conspiracy that threatens to engulf the entire world.

Damnation

Score: 2.5/13

Written by Johnny Clapham

Damnation; the clue is in the title. This just might be the worst game of the year so far. Unfortunately, it fails at everything it attempts, as both a third person shooter and a platformer.
It’s actually quite hard to think where to start when the whole game is pretty much just one colossal cock-up. Too harsh? I like to be fair, so read on…

Read More in Issue 15

About the game

Damnation is set in an alternate universe where everything is powered by steam and technology has leapt forward as a result. The American Civil war has taken an unusual turn with a power-mad industrialist named Prescott poised to take over the entire country. You play as former soldier Hamilton Rourke, leading a small band of rebels across the wasteland that was once America, determined to stop Prescott and find your missing fiancée. Damnation combines both the shoot-em-up and the platformer genre in a unique Wild West steampunk world.

Beginning life as a fan made mod for Unreal Tournament 2004; Damnation was bought up and has now been released commercially. It was developed by Blue Omega and published by Codemasters…

Broken Steal (Fallout 3 DLC)

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Score: 12/13

Written by Gow

Broken Steel rectifies this beautifully by implementing the best bit of script-writing since “it was all a dream?!” This can be forgiven as it does open up the entire wasteland for you to roam and complete every last little quest. So for those keeping score, that’s 1-1 so far.

As with the previous DLC’s new areas, weapons and enemies have been introduced into the game. The Adams Army base is the new location as well as the route to get there which happens to be plagued by one of the new enemies, Ghoul Reavers. “Oh whoop-dee-do, another crappy little ghoul who’ll die in seconds” I hear you say, well. Not quite.
Ghoul Reavers are the hardest enemy in the Fallout universe, bar none. They have speed, power and seemingly infinite health. You’ll find yourself emptying clip after clip into them in a futile attempt to slow them down. They just keep coming at you, relentlessly. Worse still, they travel in packs along with normal ghouls and the Glowing Ones. If you are spotted, you’re gonna die. If you have sentry bots and a follower… they’ll die, and then, you’re gonna die. If you turn your flamer on them… You’re gonna set on fire, roll around then die. Do you see a pattern here?
For the first time in Fallout, you are actually rewarded for being tactical and stealthy which, to a run and gun gamer, is a new style of gameplay. Sadly all of the effort to create a challenging foe has been squandered by the usual Fallout problems – bugs.

I’m not talking about you’re common Radroach or Bloatfly. No. These bugs prevent you from being able to do any substantial damage to the Ghoul Reavers. Under heavy fire they just twist and turn incredibly fast, so fast I thought we were all in the matrix shooting at agents… but after a short fall from a high building and a trip to A&E, it turns out I was wrong. (2-2.)

Read More in Issue 15

About the game

Broken Steel, the latest DLC for Fallout3, happens to be a paradox of a game. While it offers up the whole wasteland for you to continue on your merry way (GREAT!), it also offers little new gameplay and feels lacking compared to the previous offerings. Those who have played it will no doubt be screaming at their monitors right now and getting ready to flame me, but let me explain.

This is the first DLC that offers content after the main story-line, so you need to have a character close to the grand finale to start the new quests. Sadly, this is where the first problem rears it’s ugly little head. Without spoiling the ending to Fallout, the ending is pretty… well, it’s shit. There’s no arguing that the ending left many disappointed and yearning for more. It stopped so abruptly that you couldn’t go and finish other quests no matter which choice you made at the end.

Modern Warfare 2

Score: 12/13

Written by Alex Ross Bower

Modern Warfare 2 has been available for a month now, so the chances are you’ve played it. And so it’s even more likely that you’re aware how superbly it’s been delivered. Furthermore, it’s almost certainly apparent that you’ve loved every second of it, from its intense, if not dramatic, single-player campaign to its addictive and flawless multiplayer mode. If this is you, then you should probably stop reading now. For those of you who are yet to play the game, either because it’s wrapped up and tucked under your Christmas tree, or you’re sceptical about Infinity Ward’s ingenious title, then stick around…this review is for you!

We promise not to spoil any of the narrative by mentioning major plot twists – though there is an ample amount of them for an eight hour story – and we also promise not to get lost or sidetracked in the controversy surrounding the Russian International Airport level. In fact, let’s get that out of the way now.

Despite warnings stating that the scene in question may be offensive, we were caught unaware. In all honesty, it blew us away. The moment our undercover character stepped out of that elevator with four armed terrorists and those unaware NPCs turned around to face their deaths, our faces transformed into grimaces of disbelief.
As a player, we were given the choice to take part in the massacre or continue to watch as defenceless character after character was gunned down. What made this scene so effective were the first three levels before it. During the opening tutorial, playable-character Private Allen is told not to fire from the hip, but to crouch and aim down his sight. The next two levels require the player to follow similar duck and cover tactics from the first game. Like all its other antecedents, Modern Warfare 2 asks for more then just simply running around with guns blazing. However, the terrorists do just that,


Read More in Issue 21

About the game

Legendary developer Infinity Ward returns to take a second shot at excellence, after undeniably succeeding with a certain little title in 2007.
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare preoccupied the majority of gamers for over two years, with its addictive campaign and flawless multiplayer – but not anymore. Modern Warfare 2 is the most anticipated and addictive multi-format title to ever grace our PCs and consoles. Even as we start to write this review, it’s calling us back to its multiplayer perfection.

NHL 2K10

Score: 8/13

Written by Johnny Clapham

NHL 2K10 is certainly not a bad game, but it’s a style-over-substance title that may disappoint die-hard ice hockey fans.
More time seems to have been spent making this game a ‘social’ experience than trying to bring some new innovations to the series, and has parts that both suffer and prosper from this focus shift. For once, the Wii seems to get the best version of the game, while the other consoles get, mildly, shafted.

Lets start with the best improvement to the multiplayer and online modes – setting up games has been made a lot easier. Firstly, you can invite friends into any game mode you want. If you’re playing through franchise mode, it’s pretty easy to allow friends to play with or against you. The same goes for the other modes, such as exhibition and pond hockey. This easy to use system is a big improvement over previous editions, and something we welcome with open arms. The lack of the MyPlayer feature, which is available in most other 2K Sports games, is rather strange, though you can still compare stats and standings, and even your whole team, with other players.
The Reelmaker, which is used to make your own personal highlight reel to post online, is not the most in-depth, but still a good feature to have.
Online works fine, even with a full team; there is the odd moment of lag, but nothing that spoils the game.

The downside to this new ‘social’ experience is that the developer has taken it to mean ‘dumbing down’, and created a simplified experience as a result.


Read More in Issue 21

About the game

The latest instalment of 2k Sports’ NHL franchise offers a whole host of features that have not been available in previous games in the series. These include new online features where the player can create new teams, and the addition of more defensive moves in order to create a better-balanced game.
Whether you’re a die-hard NHL fan or a casual player, NHL 2K10’s pick-up-and-shoot controls, true-to-life authenticity and variety of on-and-off-line multiplayer modes promise hours of entertainment. Focus during development seems to have been on the Wii version rather than the PS3 and Xbox versions. Does this fact harm the hockey experience on the other consoles? Let’s find out.

Heavy Rain (Review)

Written by Jon Clapham

Format: Ps3

Genre: Err…Quick Time Interactive Game..thingy

Sitting down to review Heavy Rain is no easy task – there are times when it barely feels like a game at all, and though it has become clichéd to call this game an ‘interactive movie’, that is what it is.

Quantic Dream’s previous game, Fahrenheit, was their first attempt at bridging the gap between the world of film and games, and while Heavy Rain is leagues ahead of it’s predecessor, it still suffers from some of the same problems in the storytelling department.

Analysing the storytelling is what will take most of the review (spoiler-free, I hasten to add), and yes the graphics and sound are very important, but from this project’s inception director David Cage has frequently commented on the game’s emotional impact and original storytelling, hyping them as something never-before-seen in the realm of videogames.
So has he and the team at Quantic Dream been successful? For the most part, yes.

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Aliens Vs. Predator (Review)

Written by Jon Clapham

Format: Ps3, Xbox 360, PC

Genre: Action, Horror, FPS

Going back-to-basics is not an advisable idea for a first-person shooter. Of all the genres of videogames, the FPS is the one that has to move forward with new ideas to avoid stagnation, and it is the lack of a fresh take that is the major problem with Aliens Vs Predator.

The entire experience feels like a step back to the shooters of the mid-to-late nineties and while the game doesn’t do anything majorly wrong, it doesn’t have anything that makes it stand out. A lack of new ideas is not always a hindrance as long as what the game does is done well. But even in this, AVP rarely rises above average.

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