Thirteen1

Review – The Walking Dead: Episode 1 – A New Day

I should start this review by admitting I’ve never had an interest in episodic, QTE adventure games. But when it comes to a mega franchise like The Walking Dead (zombies, yay!), I couldn’t resist the pull of the genre any longer. I feel confident in saying I’m not the only one who’ll be jumping into new territory to play this game either, such is the pull of The Walking Dead ever since it’s TV debut in 2010.

But if there’s one thing I do know, it’s that developer Telltale Games is a powerhouse of this field, and despite never playing them, the success of their takes on Sam & Max and Monkey Island have resonated throughout the industry. At least my episodic virginity is in safe hands, then.

Episode 1 – A New Day is the first of 5 planned episodic releases, each based on the universe created by Robert Kirkman’s original comics rather than being directly inspired by the popular TV series itself. Not that this represents much of a deviation for those who have only seen the TV show – the earlier episodes are surprisingly faithful to the comics. Read More

Review – Prototype 2

Prototype 2 is the very embodiment of a love it or hate it product. Or at least, I thought it was until I tried to decide which side of the argument I supported. On the one hand, flying around Manhattan as James Heller while ripping people apart is about as fun gaming gets. It’s a mash-up of pure, unadulterated, hilariously violent, gore-fuelled madness that any red bloodied male (or female – let’s not discriminate here) would be crazy not to enjoy. But on the other hand, this very strength also proves to be a major weakness, turning what was a potentially genre-defining game into a fun but ultimately shallow sequel.

Did you follow the hype and build up prior to Prototype 2’s release? If you did, then like me you’re probably expecting a more personal, fleshed out tale than that of Alex Mercer’s violent rampage in the original Prototype. But much like an Alzheimers suffering pizza boy, it fails to deliver on what was promised.
Read More

Review – MUD: FIM Motocross World Championship

MUD holds three major licences to do with motocross gaming (MX1, MX2 and MxoN), so you would be forgiven for thinking this game is a serious-as-Sam take on the dirt bike racing world. The kind made to appeal to fans more interested in a simulation style motocross game than a high energy arcade style racer. However, Black Bean must have reckoned this would halve their potential player base, so it seems the development team have tried to fall somewhere in the middle. The result is an interesting but ultimately unworkable mixture of Mario Kart style starts with the nitty gritty track deformation of reality.

The game starts by offering you Official Mode, World Tour and Multi-player. Off the bat I choose Official Mode and jumped into a quick race to get my bearings (and to see just how bad I really am.) After deciding which character you want to be, you’re good to go – simple as that.
Read More

Review – Awesomenauts

Romino Games are living in the past – the 80’s to be exact. Luckily for us, this means that between episodes of Thundercats they have put together Awesomenauts, a truly addictive and frustrating 2-D online arena battle game starring a space monkey and a genetically engineered space cowboy (among others). It’s all lovingly crafted in the style of the much revered cartoons of the 80’s too. The game as a whole is very simplistic from premise to gameplay, which is a strength as it never detracts from the fun and makes it very accessible for newcomers. Defend your base, destroy your enemies – that’s the premise here.
Read More

The Cursed Crusade – Review

The Cursed Crusade launches you back to the time of the Fourth Crusade during the early 13^th Century.

It all revolves around co-operative combat, putting an Army of Two style focus on you and your partner battling your way through various stages together while using all manner of weapons, from swords and maces, to axes and spears. The combat is bloody, gory and the finishing moves can be extremely gruesome. Beheadings and impalings, anyone!? Read More

Review – Marvel Pinball

Simply Marvel-lous.

Zen Studio’s are known as the masters of the pinball gaming scene. Yeah, it’s a niche, but it’s also a fun one that they know like the back of their hand. Their latest offering is no exception. Four initial tables are included, Spiderman, Wolverine, Iron Man and Blade. Yeah. Blade. However, two additional tables, Fantastic Four and Captain America, are available as DLC.

Each table gives the player the chance to battle against the most notorious villains from each of the comics. These boss battles are unlocked in differing ways on each table, from hitting certain bumpers, shooting ramps in a certain order to many other more complex requirements. Read More

Review – Portal 2

Occasionally, something comes along that completely changes the way we think about games. Sometimes its their gameplay, others its the art-style or the story. In 2007 Valve managed to hit the triple with a little game called Portal. Bundled as a bonus game with the second expansion to Half Life 2 and based on a indie game made by students, nobody could have imagined it would become as popular as it did.

But popular it became & the memes sprang forth. You couldn’t go anywhere online without seeing a reference to the cake or a companion cube. Obviously, this meant a sequel was as inevitable as death by neurotoxin. That sequel is now upon us, so it’s my job to analyse & test that it stands up to the reputation of its predecessor…..for science, naturally.
Read More

Review – Section 8: Prejudice

You can’t get much for $15 these days. A single ticket to a movie, but no popcorn; perhaps even a couple of pints at the pub (but let’s face it, you really just rent those).

No, $15 doesn’t go very far; that is unless you’ve just bought Section 8: Prejudice, a new FPS from TimeGate that packs a ton of value into a small digital package.

Prejudice is the sequel to TimeGate Studios’ 2009 offering, Section 8. While Section 8 was a full retail release, it’s sequel is a digital-only download, available on Xbox Live (XBLA) for the Xbox 360, on Steam (and other download sites) for the PC, and will be made available on the PlayStation Network later this summer.

The original Section 8 received mixed reviews, but Prejudice is turning heads for its intuitive arcade-style gameplay and creative twists on the FPS genre.
Read The Full Article

Review – Killzone 3

Players of the previous Killzone games know exactly what to expect from this threequel, but that doesn’t make it any less exciting.

For the uneducated, Guerilla Games’ Killzone series carved it’s name into FPS history with the thrilling Killzone 2, providing fast and frantic battlefield action that felt amazingly authentic. You weren’t just playing through the action in Killzone 2, you were in the action, and it felt like every second counted in your fight to stay alive.

Killzone 3 has barely changed in the gameplay stakes, aiming for refinement rather than attempting an unneeded overhaul. It was a good call. Killzone 3 is tweaked in almost all of the right areas, offering a more rounded experience with a much better campaign than before, as well as a solid online experience to boot.
Read The Full Article

Review – MotorStorm Apocalypse

MotorStorm Apocalypse is to gaming what Machete is to movies.

Insane, full of action, and above all else, clearly designed with men in mind. Real men, like Danny Trejo.

Before we get called sexist for that opener, let us explain. Ask someone to list the key elements of a ‘man movie’ and they’ll no doubt tell you guns, explosions, fast cars and a thumping soundtrack are all essential ingredients. Sony’s MotorStorm Apocalypse is packing these man movie ingredients in abundance, stitching them together to produce an insanely fun racer that showcases the kind of beefy, all out testosterone-fuelled carnage that even Chuck Norris’s beard would applaud.

Apocalypse is the third instalment in the PS3-exclusive “MotorStorm” racing franchise, and ranks as the best so far. If the quality and speed of the first MotorStorm blew you away, you’ll want to strap yourself to the sofa and hold on tight for this one.
Read The Full Article