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.

Dual Zone

Score: 10/13

Written by Kieran McSherry

Combat is basic and easy to grasp, based around colour recognition and reaction speed. Ram the correct ship into the correct enemy and you gain points to progress. If your ships collide with each other, or the wrong enemy type, expect to lose a life.
It’s a pretty standard and straightforward set up reminiscent of popular arcade titles from the 1980’s.
Dual Zone is challenging too, forcing you to use both the left and right hemispheres of the brain. The idea is to encourage inter-brain communication and cooperation, which will actually improve a players cognitive cerebral functions and reaction times. Think of an arcade brain trainer. Mental rewards aside, Dual Zone’s steep learning curve is a tiresome and infuriating obstruction, squatting just beyond the single-player start line.
Cooperative play is far more forgiving and generates a much more tactical and social experience. Dual Zone’s “Panic” game type works very well with two players, where you simply have to survive against endless waves of enemies. As the names suggest, there will be a moment in every survival attempt where you and your wingman descend into spluttering, disorganised incoherence. Terror and alarm will ensue just before your ships are overwhelmed. The title ‘Panic’ is certainly suitable.

Visually Dual Zone is impressive, especially by most indie standards. Explosions are well animated and ships are defined to a high-standard, with many of the larger foes creating an epic sense of urgency.


Read More in Issue 23

About the game

Dual Zone, a co-operative action arcade title developed by the Spanish indie developer, Ninja Fever, has players players work together piloting two space craft in a coliseum styled environment.
Various enemies and obstacles appear in waves and you must survive to complete each battle. Every one of the fifty single-or-multi-player missions also contain assorted victory conditions, which incrementally increase in difficulty as you progress. These conditions are usually simple to understand instructions, like ‘blue ship is strong against blue enemies’, and are used to increase Dual Zone’s difficulty setting.

Alien Breed

Score: 11.5/13

Written by Scott Malthouse

Voices ring out in the halls of gaming greats once more, as the indestructible Team 17 give us a revamp of their critically acclaimed Amiga shooter: Alien Breed. This time, “Alien Breed Evolution” delivers intense top-down gunning action with a lick of current-gen graphics, creating an atmospheric and frantic experience that’s a blast to play, even if originality is sorely lacking.
It’s quite a surprise that Alien Breed Evolution has finally been released considering its history. Planned for release in the 90s, an update of Alien Breed has been through a series of unfortunate events, with publishers refusing to produce the game for one reason or another. So it’s been a long time coming for those fans who have been licking their lips in anticipation for the next instalment.
The first episode in the series is currently available on Xbox Live Arcade for download and is slated for a Playstation, PC and Wiiware release this year. In the game you take on the role of a typical machine gun toting space marine character, who is travelling on a ship that suddenly collides with a mysterious vessel full of alien bug beasties with a craving for human flesh. It’s an extremely derivative story that blends Starship Troopers and Alien with a dash of Dead Space, but do not be deterred fair gamer. Your aim is to follow on-screen commands to make your way through the ship and investigate the damage.


Read More in Issue 23

About the game

After more than 20 years the Team 17 classic Alien Breed is back to download on Xbox Live Arcade. Updated with shiny graphics and online co-op Alien Breed Evolution sees you take on an army of bug-like aliens who have taken over your spaceship. Armed with a selection of devastating weapons you will make your way through the gloomy corridors with only a torch as your companion, rattling off rounds into any creature that dares cross your path.

Mass Effect 2

Score: 12.5/13

Written by Johnny Clapham

Mass Effect 2 just might be Bioware’s greatest title yet, and if you look at their previous games that’s not a statement that should be made lightly.
Mass Effect 2 is comparable to Assassin’s Creed 2, in that it has improved on almost every facet to create a much more satisfying experience for both new and returning players. The back story is never overwhelming for newbies to the series, and veterans will enjoy the developments that occur throughout the game; especially those who have ported their save game from the original over to the sequel, with decisions made in the first having an effect over events in this sequel.
The only problem with the plot is it’s pacing. After the excitement of the opening it fizzles out for a while before picking up the pace again, and there are a mind-boggling amount of side-missions and tasks to accomplish, not all of them particularly compelling and ultimately distracting from the narrative. To be honest this is easy to look past as the whole game is otherwise completely engrossing, from character design and rich environments, to the encyclopaedic level of detail that Bioware has put into the planets and peoples of Mass Effect 2.

Veterans of the first game will be pleased to see that the whole experience has been refined. No more clunky driving sections in the Mako, or annoying loading sequences disguised as rides in elevators.
The ammo system has also thankfully improved. There is no longer any wait for the weapon to cool down, it’s simply a matter of ejecting the clip and reloading. These may seem like minor changes, but it’s combat where the real substantial changes have been made. The gun-play feels like it has a lot more weight to it and it’s certainly more brutal than the original. This time, enemies actually react when they are shot, even falling to the floor and pulling themselves back up while they cling to their last bit of health.
The sequel’s cover system; one of the few frustrating things about the first game, has been changed to something that resembles the system found in Gears of War. It’s gun-play will never be classed as one of the all time greats, but it is one of the many improvements brought to the sequel that shows Bioware are not the kind of developers who, when on to a good thing, just repeat the formula for the follow-up.


Read More in Issue 23

About the game

Two years after Commander Shepard repelled invading Reapers hell-bent on the destruction of organic life, a mysterious new enemy has emerged. On the fringes of known space, something is silently abducting entire human colonies. Now Shepard must work with Cerberus, a ruthless organization devoted to human survival at any cost, to stop the most terrifying threat mankind has ever faced. To even attempt this perilous mission, Shepard must assemble the galaxy’s most elite team and command the most powerful ship ever built. Even then, they say it would be suicide. Commander Shepard intends to prove them wrong.

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…

Zeno Clash

Score: 10.5/13

Written by Scott Malthouse

The story takes place in Zenozoik, a colourful world dubbed by the developer, ACE Team, as “punk fantasy”. You play as Ghat, who is being hunted by his vengeful siblings for killing their Father-mother (which is exactly what you think) with a bomb. Did you doubt the wackiness of this game? Ghat is joined by his friend Deadra, whose hair is larger than most mammals, as they travel across the forbidden desert towards the end of the world. As the game progresses we are told about Ghat’s life through flashbacks, revealing what possessed him to kill his Father-mother. It’s a strange tale that gets odder and more confusing the further you get. Seriously, this one is difficult to follow, as the out-there dialogue raises more questions than answers, and the flashbacks are equally as puzzling. But at least it’s a fresh and interesting narrative, not falling into the tired beat-em up tradition of bog-standard revenge stories or quests to become the best warrior ever.
But it’s the setting that really carries Zeno Clash: the twisted trees, warped carvings and weird architecture combine to create a place that’s unforgettable. The outstanding visuals are a treat for the eyes and the art is second to none. There’s no doubt that this is a beautiful game. It’s quite an experience travelling from one locale to the next, gawping at the environments as you journey through Zenozoik.
All this prettiness is well and good, but this is a beat-em up, and we’re here to bash things rather than stare at them in wonderment. Combat is simple – perhaps a little too simple. You pull off light punches by holding the left mouse button, and right-click to bring on the pain with a heavy punch. The space bar is used to block and dodge enemy assaults, whilst the ‘E’ key locks onto your assailant so you can circle them and give them the old ‘one-two’. You’re going to be dodging a lot, so get used to hitting the space bar and moving the mouse on a regular basis. Whilst most of the combat is melee, you can pick up an array of funky boomsticks to pick off enemies from afar.
You begin with picking up a couple of weak pistols, but as the game progresses you get access to more powerful weapons, like the skull crossbow and musket. The problem with weapons is that they get smacked out of your hands easily when someone gets too close, so you just resort to fisticuffs once more. As a result, you’ll be relying far more on your hands and feet than bullets.
Although you can pull off a couple of other fun moves, like grabbing someone when they’re stunned and punching them to kingdom come, there isn’t a heck of a lot of variation in combat, which eventually results in lots of mouse-mashing.


Read More in Issue 21

About the game

Zeno Clash is downright bizarre. There aren’t many games out there where a tutorial consists of a guy, sounding like he smokes 60 a day, mentoring you on the intricacies of taking pot-shots at headless chickens running around a freaky alternate plane of existence. This first-person brawler is as entertaining as it is pant-wettingly surreal, with a gorgeously rendered world and some memorable characters to meet. However, the unintelligible story and often monotonous combat mechanics prevents Zeno Clash from being a true classic fighting game.

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.

Battlestations: Pacific

Score: 12/13

Written by Scott Malthouse

Pacific doesn’t have a story to it, but instead you are plunged into a series of impressive battles as a fighter plane, ship or submarine. You are given objectives before the mission, which could include destroying a specific ship via a bombing run or mowing down a squadron of planes, and there is also a secret objective to unlock in each mission for those war heroes who want their game to last that bit longer.
Battles are visually stunning as you weave your plane through the bullet-ravaged sky or gun down enemies from a hulking warship. The camera is automatically fixed on the back of your vehicle but it can be locked onto targets to make it easier to shoot accurately in the fray. This also adds a cinematic feel to skirmishes, especially when the camera follows your torpedo as it speeds through the water and destroys a warship, which is a deeply satisfying moment to watch…
Read More in Issue 15

About the game

Relive some of the grandest and most critical naval battles of recent history and for the first time, choose to lead your fleet to a completely different ending to the war. With both strategy and action at your command, you can truly anticipate your opponent’s every move and turn the tide of war.

Battlestations Pacific sees you carrying out some of the most famous naval battles of the Second World War, putting you in control of over 100 air, sea and undersea units. You can play from both the Japanese and the American perspectives, from the attacks on Pearl Harbour in 1941 to the Battle of Okinawa in 1945.

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.