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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.
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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.
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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.
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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 – SteelSeries 5XB Spectrum Headset

Whether you’re listening out for the blood curdling shrieks of your enemies as you bludgeon them with a herring, or taking in the sights and sounds of the bustling virtual metropolis that surrounds you, audio is king.

Great sound production can create immersion the likes of which no amount of graphical polish could ever produce, and only a decent sound system can offer you the best experience.

SteelSeries have come to the rescue with their 5XB Spectrum, a headset offering on the fly balance adjustment between voice and game, a retractable mic, and a wonderfully lightweight design targeted solely at Xbox 360 gamers.

First impressions are positive; the headset is crafted beautifully in black gloss plastic with lime green trim, screaming X360 fanboi from the off. The fit and feel is that of a well designed product, but the weight of the headset will leave you in two minds. The light-weight construction makes for comfortable gaming sessions into the very early hours of the morning, but the gloss plastic combined with this incredibly light structure leaves a niggling doubt about the build quality.
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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.
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Review – The First Templar

Strategy developer Haemimont Games have made the brave move of switching to an action/adventure/RPG hack-fest with their latest release, The First Templar.

Reversing the role from similar-yet-not-quite-ripped-off franchise Assassin’s Creed, The First Templar has you playing, you guessed it: Garfield. Only kidding, you’re a crusader in the olden times when massacring for religion was a jolly pastime, putting you at the forefront as a Knight’s Templar on a quest for the Holy Grail.

Note now that I’m going to try my damnedest to refrain from Monty Python references for the rest of the review.

So it’s the late 13th century and you’re French; what else are you going to do than swan off to find some ancient doohicky? You play as Celian, a young knight who has undertaken this quest but soon finds he is on the cusp of a full-scale conspiracy within the Order of the Knight’s Templar itself. Celian teams up with foxy heretic Marie to unveil the conspiracy and avoid the Inquisition in the process.
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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.
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