by Zardon on 31/12/2009
Darksiders is a game which is going to appeal to a relatively large audience, comparisons have already been made with classic titles such as Castlevania, Shadow of the Colossus and God Of War so expectations are high.
|
by John Erikson on 12/12/2009
God Of War was one of my favourite franchises on the Playstation 2 as it combined epic battles with boss creatures and a very creative use of action based gameplay mechanics. When I heard they were remaking the first two games in High Definition for the Playstation 3 to say I was excited would have been a monumental understatement. I managed to get my hands on a review copy a while ago and if you own a Playstation 3 you will want to definitely not want to miss this.
|
by John Erikson on 11/12/2009
2009 has been a strong year for the Playstation Store (PSN) with a plethora of fun and enjoyable games being released month after month. Developer Q-Games released one of the most addictive 'tower defense' games a long time ago (PixelJunk Monsters) and they follow it up with our review title today - possibly one of the best games on the store.
|
by John Erikson on 04/12/2009
James Cameron has released some mega movies during his career - Aliens, The Terminator and Titanic spring to mind and he will go down in history as one of the most popular modern day movie directors. Avatar is his latest, much awaited '3D' movie due for release very soon and as expected today we review a game based on it.
|
by John Erikson on 02/12/2009
The Saboteur is a new third person action game by Pandemic Studios and focuses on the exploits of Sean Devlin, a moody Irishman who has to deal with the Nazi occupation of France. This is a revenge story set during World War II and is actually surprisingly good.
|
by John Erikson on 26/11/2009
Tony Hawk Pro Skater was a huge hit in the past and propelled the sport to a whole new gaming based audience. Activision have released the latest Tony Hawk game which instead of directly targeting EAs Skate is geared to add a new dimension to the franchise by including a fancy skateboard peripheral. We are all for immersive and realistic sports games but with an asking price of $120 it needs to offer a lot of game to be worth the cash.
|
by John Erikson on 22/11/2009
Assassins Creed II is the long awaited followup to the hugely successful 2007 Ubisoft romp which sold en masse and met with both critic and public approval. Sure, there were some issues but overall it was an entertaining and immersive game which ended up with a huge following. The sequel is set to address those issues while keeping the fantasy sci-fi stealth appeal which won over the hearts of many gamers.
|
by Asmoday on 10/11/2009
The Call Of Duty franchise has always been one of the pioneering war based first person shooters - with big budget movie style action packed game play. Infinity Ward were responsible for probably the best game in the Series - Modern Warfare. It is therefore without question that the followup was certain to receive huge levels of hype in the run up to its release - but the big question is, can it live up to our expectations?
|
by John Erikson on 27/10/2009
Have you got room in your house for another plastic instrument? If so then this might appeal to you because Activision have just released yet another 'hero' based game - DJ Hero. You forgo the guitar gymnastics for something which surprisingly ends up as one of the freshest games so far this year.
|
by John Erikson on 16/10/2009
We recently reviewed FIFA10 and we were blown away by the best football game yet in EA history. Pro Evolution Soccer 2010 has a tough task ahead of it to match the experience we enjoyed recently with EAs new shining star and today we will find out if Konami can reclaim their soccer crown.
|
by John Erikson on 15/10/2009
Tim Schafer isnt your everyday developer and he has been creating wacky and amusing games for many years, however finally he has been given some marketing push with his latest game Brutal Legend. We think you will be surprised that such an unusual concept is actually one of the most original and fun games we have played this year.
|
by John Erikson on 13/10/2009
Music games have taken the gaming world by storm, with Rock Band and Guitar Hero spawning a whole community of wannabee musicians. Searching Youtube, you can find videos of grandmothers and babies playing air guitar along to many a classic rock track. Activision, the guys behind a huge percentage of these music based titles are due to release another title for your pleasure, entitled Band Hero.
|
by John Erikson on 02/10/2009
We can categorically state that this is even better than the first game and is in fact probably one of the best console games ever made. This is going to be responsible for selling thousands of Playstation 3s before Christmas!
|
by John Erikson on 28/09/2009
Let's cut straight to the chase FIFA 10 is probably the most realistic football experience ever created on a console, with epic flowing action mirroring the real life game... the world's biggest sport. The most important point however is that FIFA 10 is an absolutely awesome game to play.
|
by John Erikson on 18/09/2009
With Activision and Blizzard merging recently some games got lost in the changeover and Wet was one of them ... however Bethesda Softworks came to the rescue and took over the reigns earlier this year. Developer A2M (Artificial Mind and Movement) have created a rather violent third person shooter title which unfortunately failed to impress this reviewer long term.
|
by John Erikson on 14/09/2009
If you have already uttered a groan due to seeing yet another Need For Speed game then take heart because Electronic Arts have passed the development to Slighty Mad Studios (the guys behind GTR) and ‘Shift is all the better for the fresh perspective. I would actually go as far to say that this is the best NFS game I can remember.
|
by John Erikson on 09/09/2009
The Beatles are the biggest band of all time and it seems long overdue that either a Rock Band or Guitar Hero game was made comprising all of their greatest songs. As we discussed in a prior preview on Gamingheaven, Harmonix has created not only a great game but perhaps one of the greatest tributes ever to the fab four.
|
by John Erikson on 06/09/2009
The Colin McRae rally franchise has been a huge seller over the years for Codemasters and with his recent and very unfortunate passing the latest release is somewhat of a homage to the great man himself. The end product certainly lives up to our expectations with a wonderful engine and beautifully designed tracks which will be sure to attract a new audience to this stellar racing series.
|
by John Erikson on 27/08/2009
Batman is one of the worlds most popular superheroes and Arkham Asylum from developer Rocksteady Studios has been getting a lot of hype both from the public and the press. Thankfully we are happy to say that they have met my expectations which has both surprised and pleased me!
|
by John Erikson on 20/08/2009
Tower Defense games have had a jump in popularity over the last year with the next generation consoles having several versions available via their respective stores. Today we look at one from Square Enix, a developer famous for their fantasy based role playing games.
|
by John Erikson on 18/08/2009
Wipeout HD Fury is an expansion pack to the successful HD Wipeout released a while ago for the Playstation 3. There are eight new tracks which run at the full 1080p, 13 new enhanced versions of the original ships as well as 5:1 sound and a plethora of new trophies.
|
by John Erikson on 11/08/2009
The biggest gaming sports event of the year is upon us - the new release of the ever successful Madden football game - dubbed ‘NFL 10 in its latest incarnation. The game hits the retail market on the 14th of August and now arrives with new modes, broadcast style presentation changes and new gameplay tweaks. On paper this looks to be one of the best in franchise history, today we find out if it really is.
|
by John Erikson on 06/08/2009
Are you a closet Freddie Mercury? Do you like to prance around your living room singing along to Queen songs? If so then this might just be right up your street. Granted you cant pick up the drum kit or guitar which might reduce the potential audience but surely this game offers something for music fans?
|
by Asmoday on 05/08/2009
For the last 3 days I have been playing with fat chicks online. Thats a hell of an opening line isnt it? Let me elaborate! Developer Titan Studios have released a downloadable game which is already attracting a growing online base - in which you have to kidnap overweight princesses and place them in your castle.
|
by Asmoday on 03/08/2009
One of the most successful movies this year is the Watchmen movie which is based on a critically acclaimed graphic novel by Alan Moore. Today we look at the obligatory video game tie in which is available in two parts as The End Is Nigh: Complete Edition on the Playstation 3.
|
by John Erikson on 22/07/2009
Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 is one of the most awaited games this year, especially since Tomonobu Itagaki left the Team Ninja roster in a very public manner. Much like the original Playstation 3 version Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 calls upon the Xbox influences to produce a game which looks to be exciting and dynamic. The core gameplay has not changed dramatically with the bizarre storyline, high octane action and sharp visuals setting the tone.
|
by John Erikson on 15/07/2009
The Bigs 2 is a baseball arcade game from 2k Sports which features insane stunts and a bewildering array of mini games which when combined with the new features mean it should be a good improvement over the original which was released in June of 2007.
|
by John Erikson on 14/07/2009
Battlefield 1943 is available for the Playstation 3 as a downloadable game and it is a great indication of just how far the store platform has progressed as a viable medium for purchasing fantastic indepth games rather than simple, basic puzzle games.
|
by John Erikson on 06/07/2009
Some of you may remember Harry Potter and the Order Of The Phoenix which amazingly was a decent movie tie in when it was released on the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3. With the latest Half Blood Prince Potter film due for release soon we have high hopes the follow up will repeat this success story.
|
by Asmoday on 25/06/2009
Overlord was released a couple of years ago and was a big seller for Codemasters (over 1 million copies sold). It would be fair to say that there were a few issues which made the experience slightly frustrating, but all in all it was an enjoyable fantasy romp as you controlled your evil minion hordes on the path to total domination. Today we look at the much awaited follow up from developer Triumph Studios.
|
by John Erikson on 24/06/2009
A while ago we had an early look at Fight Night Round 4 and at the time it was showing a lot of promise due to many subtle changes to the game play. EA Canada have taken over coding duties from EA Chicago and today we see if this much awaited title is worth your hard earned cash.
|
by John Erikson on 17/06/2009
Every year it seems we are given new versions of all the leading sports games and the latest title to jump on the cycle of updates is Segas Virtua Tennis. This time around developer Sega-AM3 have stepped aside to allow UK based Sumo Digital to handle the coding duties.
|
by John Erikson on 11/06/2009
Tiger Woods PGA Tour is a much awaited annual event for the golf playing gaming hordes and this years version brings a new challenge mode that replaces Tiger Challenge as well as some new online modes. Electronic Arts have also promised some gameplay refinements and on paper it looks to be the best incarnation yet. Does it deliver the goods?
|
by John Erikson on 10/06/2009
Most of us at one time or another would have loved to have a superpower and recent games such as the awesome Infamous have aimed to put us in exactly that position. With Prototype you take control of Alex Mercer, a guy with superhuman powers and the ability to shape shift and assume the appearance of other people.
|
by Asmoday on 09/06/2009
A portion of the audience reading this review will have seen the legendary Ghostbusters movie from 1984, even if you arent old enough to have been around when it was first released. The new game from Atari is damned good fun and is set to appeal to a huge cross section of the gaming audience - especially as it is based on a possible forthcoming third movie in the franchise.
|
by John Erikson on 08/06/2009
A few days ago Codemasters released a demo of Overlord II on Xbox live however if you havent had a chance to look at it then we had some hands on time at E3 with the demo code ourselves.
|
by John Erikson on 04/06/2009
GamingHeaven is over at E3 and we had some hands on time with a playable demo of Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2. This demo features Ayane, however the final version will also feature Rachel from the original Ninja Gaiden and Momiji from Ninja Gaiden Dragon Sword on the DS.
|
by John Erikson on 01/06/2009
Red Faction: Guerrilla takes place quite some time after the first title and the sinister Earth Defense Force (EDF) have control of Mars. You take control of Alec Mason, a new guy on the planet on the hunt for work, however you soon find yourself in the Red Faction resistance group fighting for control against the aggressive EDF.
|
by John Erikson on 29/05/2009
If you mention 'Terminator' it is likely the first thing that comes to mind is the recent outburst from actor Christian Bale towards a crew member during the filming of the new film. Terminator Salvation is the new shooter from GRIN/Halcyon based on the Terminator relaunch and unfortunately fails to impress in a number of ways.
|
by John Erikson on 14/05/2009
Call Of Juarez was released a few years ago and was quite the success in the gaming community. As a wild west style FPS with an impressive engine it was used in many cases as a benchmarking utility for new graphics cards at the time. The follow up Bound In Blood is due for release this year and again has the same two character mechanic. We recently spent some time with a few of the levels which we found out is actually a prequel to the first title.
|
by John Erikson on 14/05/2009
Due for release in the UK in a few weeks is developer Sucker Punchs new Infamous game. It is set to offer up an immersive, free roaming style of play for the control of your superhero. Is this possibly one of the finest Playstation 3 games released to date?
|
by John Erikson on 04/05/2009
Most experienced gamers dread the thought of a game based on a movie and with good reason because most of them are a suckfest of global proportions. You can imagine my amazement when I started playing our review copy of X-Men Origins: Wolverine - Uncaged Edition and it was actually really good!
|
by John Erikson on 01/05/2009
The Playstation network has been thriving recently with many a good title on the download list. Tower Defense games have been proving their popularity with gaes such as PixelJunk Monsters becoming huge selling titles. Comet Crash is slightly different because it mixes in the novel concept of being able to take the fight to the enemy!
|
by John Erikson on 13/04/2009
Guitar Hero has been a success that very few people could have imagined, selling tens of millions of copies worldwide. Hitting the UK shores next month is Guitar Hero: Metallica which brings with it a lot of hype.... after all Metallica are probably the biggest metal band in the world.
|
by John Erikson on 09/04/2009
We were recently invited by Sega to a hands on session with the forthcoming Virtua Tennis 2009 behind closed doors. Even with our limited time spent with the game I am already sure that this could very well be the best iteration of the game yet.
|
by John Erikson on 02/04/2009
The RTS genre in the console market has never been a success and most of the criticism is leveled at the control system which is just never indicative to a good gaming experience. The PC rules the roost with strategy games and it may very well always be like this. That said, developer Creative Assembly of Total War fame has implemented a new control system specifically for the console market. Is this set to revolutionise the genre?
|
by John Erikson on 18/03/2009
Developer Swordfish Studios have released 50 Cent: Blood On The Sand which is backed by the man himself and features an excessive use of foul language as well as a multitude of killings and explosions. Is the game as bad as it sounds?
|
by John Erikson on 08/03/2009
We had a quick look at Resident Evil 5 last month in our preview and today we play with the final release version and put it through its paces. The story? ... a power mad corporation are toying with evolution and have caused a biological disaster that turns people into brainless hosts for a military level parasitic infection.
|
by John Erikson on 06/03/2009
Tom Clancys HAWX is by developer Ubisoft Romania, the studio who brought us the Blazing Angels games. HAWX is a successor of sorts although as it is set in the future the array of hardware on offer is a much more exciting prospect.
|
by John Erikson on 04/03/2009
Silent Hill: Homecoming is the long awaited horror survival game from Konami which many have been hoping is a return to form. Unfortunately while the start is supernaturally intriguing the game ends up a pseudo gore experience reminiscent of Saw or Hostel.
|
by John Erikson on 17/02/2009
Raven Software have a busy 2009 ahead of them with big titles due for release such as X-Men Origins: Wolverine. One of the lesser known titles in their upcoming schedule is a game called Singularity which promises to differentiate itself from the crowd by offering a gun which can distort the time period of its targets. We spent some time with developer Raven Software and they were happy to show us some of the game code.
|
by John Erikson on 13/02/2009
Street Fighter IV makes it to the next gen console market and many arcade fanatics will already be salivating at the prospect of playing this in the comfort of their own bedrooms rather than popping quarters in their local arcades. The game ends up a wonderfully addictive fighting game which will not only appeal to the hard core Street Fighter fans but might even attract a new audience who previously only played Virtua Fighter and Soulcaliber.
|
by John Erikson on 07/02/2009
The Playstation store has been home to many addictive titles throughout the last year such as Wipeout HD and The Last Guy. FluffyLogic and Sony Computer Entertainment have released a title in the tower defense genre entitled Savage Moon. While this is similar in nature to PixelJunks Monsters there are some gameplay issues which somewhat ruin the strategic element of the game.
|
by John Erikson on 31/01/2009
Is this the game Playstation 3 owners have been waiting for to prove just how much of a difference the Cell processor can make when it comes to enhancing Artificial Intelligence? We think so....
|
by John Erikson on 22/01/2009
The original Skate was a phenomenal sporting game when it was released in 2007 and it sold twice as many copies when compared to its competitor Tony Hawk. This was in part due to the fresh approach it brought to the genre and also because of the Flickit control system which proved a massive hit with the gaming community. Today we take a look at the much awaited followup to see if it recaptures the magic of the first.
|
by John Erikson on 21/01/2009
Killzone 2 is out next month on the Playstation 3 and we had some time recently to sit with the final version, courtesy of Sony Entertainment. Sony have placed some restrictions on what we are allowed to detail in this preview, however we really dont want to spoil the game for everyone anyway so we are happy to present our preview today. Killzone 2 is released next month and we can tell you already that this game is shaping up to be a good reason to pick up a Playstation 3 if you havent already.
|
by John Erikson on 19/01/2009
Conquest is the latest title in the Lord Of The Rings franchise to be released by Electronic Arts. It is an unusual combination of their previous titles such as Return Of The King with aspects of developer Pandemics Battlefront series. Can it capture the positive aspects of both and combine them into a killer title?
|
by John Erikson on 13/01/2009
The Resident Evil 5 demo was released recently in Japan and while i was over speaking to Capcom I was fortunate enough to spend most of a weekend playing the two level demo on the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3. This demo gives us a good indication of how Capcoms latest and greatest is shaping up ahead of release in March.
|
by John Erikson on 31/12/2008
Crash Commando can be played against bots but the focus is certainly on the multiplayer side of the game and it features two teams battling on dual sided levels. The title is mainly 2D in design with the left analog stick controlling your soldier and the right taking control of the weapon. The environments are filled with platforms that you can use as cover and vehicles which you drive to run over your enemy as well as turrets that you can use to fire at the enemy.
|
by John Erikson on 23/12/2008
Quantum Of Solace puts you in control of James Bond as you dish out pain and punishment to everyone who stands in your way. It takes the Call of Duty 4 engine and adds a few extras to help it try and stand out from the crowd. Have we finally got a Bond game as good as the awesome Goldeneye of yesteryear?
|
by John Erikson on 09/12/2008
Dawn Of The Dragon is the third title in the Spyro series and the first to be developed by relative unknown Etranges Libellules. Today even though the game ships on the Wii, Playstation 2, Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 we are going to focus on the 360 & PS3 versions because there are numerous improvements, such as more advanced particle effects and higher resolution textures.
|
by John Erikson on 28/11/2008
The new Prince of Persia is a departure from the previous games in the series, the design philosophy has changed and he shares the story with a rather attractive female companion. Is this enough to freshen up this platform hopping franchise however?
|
by John Erikson on 26/11/2008
Midway games have just released one of the most unusual games of the year. It combines 22 characters from the Marvel and Mortal Kombat universe in a brutal slashfest .... if you ever fancied seeing who would win between Sub Zero and Superman then this might just be your thing.
|
by John Erikson on 15/11/2008
Mirror's Edge is a daring release from Electronic Arts as there has been nothing quite like it before. You take control of an acrobatic runner called Faith and it is her job to deliver important snippets of information to an underground network fighting for freedom in an oppressive and sinister city.
|
by John Erikson on 12/11/2008
Call Of Duty 4 was arguably one of the greatest first person shooter games of all time. It is with slight reservation that we look at World At War today because not only is it a different developer (Treyarch and not Infinity Ward), but it returns to the somewhat overused World War 2 setting.
|
by John Erikson on 11/11/2008
Real time strategy games do not work on consoles, I think every gamer out there reading this will be nodding their head in agreement already. Ubisoft are seemingly aware of this and they have decided to push the envelope a little with Tom Clancy's Endwar by invoking a voice activated control interface as well as a camera system designed specifically for the console platform.
|
by John Erikson on 31/10/2008
Few games matched the success of the original Motorstorm when the Playstation 3 launched. The gaming public loved the high adrenaline racing thrills as well as the mass destruction and chaotic damage model. It wasn't without flaws however as the loading times tested the patience of even the most laid back gamers. With Motorstorm: Pacific Rift can developer Evolution Studios push the boundaries further?
|
by John Erikson on 30/10/2008
Resistance: Fall of Man was one of the most successful Playstation 3 launch titles and developer Insomniac have been hard at work trying to recapture and improve on the original's great combination of addictive game play and fascinating sci-fi storyline.
|
by John Erikson on 29/10/2008
Fallout 3 is one of the most hyped games this year so it is with much anticipation that we finally have a review sample in our grubby little mitts. This sequel has been created by developers Bethesda who were responsible for the awesome Oblivion series. Fallout 3 is a standalone title so you won't need a knowledge of the franchise to play. Is the game creative or just an Oblivion clone set in a different time zone?
|
by John Erikson on 23/10/2008
This year NBA 09: The Inside has some new features as well as support for full high def 1080p graphics. The big question we have to answer today however is has the game actually improved any from last year's instalment?
|
by John Erikson on 19/10/2008
LittleBigPlanet has been the subject of much hype over the last year and rightly so, as the ambitious, almost revolutionary ideas of developer Media Molecule should propel this game into platform redefining territory.
|
by John Erikson on 17/10/2008
If you are a fan of the survival horror genre then Dead Space should immediately appeal. It combines elements from well known movies and games such as Resident Evil 4, Event Horizon, The Alien Series and John Carpenters The Thing. Developer EA Redwood Shore are certainly not afraid of tackling something epic, so is the game worth your money?
|
by John Erikson on 15/10/2008
With the recent release of the wonderful FIFA09 Konami have quite a task in front of them to topple one of the greatest football games ever. Last years Pro Evolution Soccer was a decent game but can they reclaim the footballing throne with the 2009 update?
|
by John Erikson on 14/10/2008
The original Saints Row was a successful release for THQ and while the comparisons with Grand Theft Auto 4 were sometimes unfavourable it was inevitable that a followup was forthcoming. Today we will see if the time passed has been well spent and if the game has more than just the obligatory prostitutes and gang mutilitations.
|
by John Erikson on 08/10/2008
Those of you who have been following the progress of Fracture will be aware that this 3rd person romp brings something new to the gaming world, you can raise or lower the terrain via devices in the game. Is this just a cool gimmick or are Lucasarts and Day 1 Studios actually breaking the mould?
|
by John Erikson on 01/10/2008
Yep it is that time again, the time for FIFA to be updated with the release of the 09 Edition. With the constant battle for the Number 1 football game, does this year's Electronic Arts title kick Pro Evolution Soccer into oblivion?
|
by John Erikson on 30/09/2008
Gearbox's latest Brothers In Arms game draws from the experiences of the 502nd Parachute Infantry, 101st Airborne Division from World War II. The storyline is sure to deviate from the usual run of the mill first person shooter, but can the game bring fresh gameplay elements to the table as well?
|
by John Erikson on 23/09/2008
Around a year ago a wonderful multiplayer game called Warhawk was released on the Playstation 3, this global warfare experience allowed players from around the globe to blow each other to pieces in a variety of different ways. It was a huge success and today we are taking a look at the third booster pack called Operation: Fallen Star.
|
by John Erikson on 22/09/2008
Everyone's favourite arcade racer has finally hit the Playstation 3 in gorgeous full High Definition. Granted it is a belated entrance however as we will see the wait has been worth it. Wipeout HD ends up a wonderful celebration of the genre and it reminds us all why this series has proved to be so popular over the years.
|
by John Erikson on 21/09/2008
Pure is the new game from Black Rock Studio and focuses on over the top racing action and back breaking stunts. The big question ... does it deliver something more enjoyable and worthwhile than their previous ATV offroad games?
|
by John Erikson on 17/09/2008
The Force Unleashed is a new title from LucasArts based on the immensely popular Star Wars franchise. There has been much hype around this game as it is based on Naturalmotions Euphoria engine and features technological highlights such as Digital Molecular Matter.
|
by John Erikson on 31/08/2008
Mercenaries 2: World In Flames is set to appeal to the destructive side of everyones nature. You can blow up buildings, destroy tanks and set things on fire. So far it sounds good, but can this game stand out from the pack and grab your attention, long term? We aim to find out.
|
by John Erikson on 13/08/2008
Madden, the video game, has been running, every year, for as long as I can remember and amazingly, the title still seems fresh and exciting. Throughout the 20 years of development the game has received numerous nip n' tucks which this year reaches the pinnacle of execution on the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360.
|
by John Erikson on 07/08/2008
The horror survival genre has always had a certain group of gamers following it, in fact you might even say it has a cult following (no pun intended!). After reviewing the abysmal Alone In The Dark recently I had hoped that Siren: Blood Curse might go some way to redeeming my faith in this somewhat stale sector of the gaming market.
|
by John Erikson on 04/08/2008
Q games are currently making some of the most addictive games on the Playstation 3 store with their Monsters game having led to many a late night gaming session. Eden is the third game in their release list and somewhat mirrors the subdued gameplay mechanic of thatgamecompany's flOw.
|
by John Erikson on 29/07/2008
Soulcalibur has been one of the most successful combat based franchises and finally it makes a debut on Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 platforms. IV offers the same style of fantastic weapons based 3d fighting with a wonderful and wacky list of characters which is sure to appeal to both casual gamers as well as dedicated fans of the series. The game isn't flawless as we will find out, but it should be shortlisted by any self respecting gamer.
|
by Asmoday on 23/07/2008
Eurocom and Sega are bringing one of the only Olympic style games to the console market with Beijing 2008. It features nearly 40 events, top quality presentation and on paper should satisfy even the most hard core sports fan. But does it actually deliver the goods?
|
by John Erikson on 18/07/2008
Not content to rest on their leather clad laurels Activision and developer Neversoft have unleashed an expansion for Guitar Hero III featuring one of the Americas most popular rock bands, Aerosmith. This time around you get to play a lot of their material and we are treated to some accurate renderings of all the band, including a huge set of Steven Tylers lips.
|
by John Erikson on 16/07/2008
Ferrari Challenge puts you in control of some of the worlds sexiest Italian cars. Historians amongst you may remember SEGAs F355 Challenge from 1999 ... can System 3 capture the excitement and adrenaline rush of Yu Suzukis original classic?
|
by John Erikson on 04/07/2008
The war-torn first person shootergenre is a popular one, and Battlefield has been one of the most successful and popular titles on the PC. Console owners have been excited about the release of the latest on their favourite platform and thankfully it has been justified as Bad Company is an excellent game which changes many of the staid formulas of the genre.
|
by John Erikson on 26/06/2008
The Top Spin series has been incredibly popular since its inception and with the latest release on the next generation consoles the success is sure to continue. 2K games with developer PAM have rather surprisingly totally overhauled the gameplay mechanic and while it is for the better, does it actually work?
|
by John Erikson on 26/06/2008
Dragon Ball Z finally hits the Playstation 3 with Burst Limit, a game featuring deep and easy to use fighting mechanics as well as a plethora of characters to choose from. Couple this with famous battles from the Z Chronicles as well as support for online play and surely developer DIMPS are onto a winner!?
|
by John Erikson on 23/06/2008
Electronic Arts, sole owner of the Nascar sports game licensing rights have released the latest incarnation of the popular racing series. Can the newest game successfully capture the exciting atmosphere of the real thing or is it just another rehash of last years game?
|
by John Erikson on 17/06/2008
Everyone wants to experience the life of a secret government agent, travelling to exotic locations and being the focal point for high octane missions all in the name of duty and justice. Now, thanks to High Moon Studios and Sierra you can with Robert Ludlums The Bourne Conspiracy. A great game or a sloppy movie tie in?, lets find out.
|
by John Erikson on 06/06/2008
It would be safe to say there isnt a shortage of racing games already out there. With Forza Motorsport 2 , Gran Turismo Prologue, DIRT, Burnout Paradise, SEGA Rally Revo and Project Gotham 4 to name a few, is there really a need for another? Developer of DIRT - Codemasters Racing Studio have released GRID as the title to cross over between tactical simulation and arcade racer. Just how good is it however?
|
by John Erikson on 29/05/2008
There has been much hype with the release of Haze on The Playstation 3. With popular development team Free Radical behind the game and with apparent delays for playtesting and additional development this game should be at the forefront of establishing the PS3 as the leading 'next generation' console. Well thats the theory anyway, but does it finally deliver the goods?
|
by John Erikson on 07/05/2008
Echochrome is a puzzle game, however it breaks the usual tried and tested mould by letting the gamer change and alter the in game perception to solve the puzzles. These optical illusions are rather unique within the puzzle world and the focus is entirely based on wireframe style graphics.
|
by John Erikson on 08/04/2008
Lost: the TV Series has a huge following, so it makes sense to make a port of the show for the PC. For those of you who don't already know, the plot is based around Oceanic Airlines flight 815 which crashed in a mystery location somewhere in the Pacific Ocean. The only difference between the game and the TV show as we will find out is the length and the addition of a new character.
|
by John Erikson on 01/04/2008
Dark Sector puts you in the role of Hayden Tenno, a government agent sent into Lasria to take care of a bad guy called Mezner. This dude has a hold of a toxin which mutates everyone into hideous monsters, so its up to you to put an end to his diabolical plans. Unfortunately you dont get off to a good start when your first confrontation with Mezner goes pear shaped and you end up being infected with the virus you have been sent to stop.
|
by John Erikson on 20/03/2008
Rainbow Six Vegas was released in November 2006 and was one of the Xbox 360's biggest selling games, alongside Gears Of War. Both of these fantastic games were powered by the Unreal 3 engine and had gamers foaming at the mouth.
|
by John Erikson on 15/03/2008
MLB 2K8 is back with a bang, offering new gameplay additions which promise to make this the best MLB yet. So 2K will have us believe anyway. I'll be checking out if it's a home run or a flop. Firstly lets discuss the major additions to the game play mechanic.
|
by John Erikson on 14/03/2008
This is the first title in the long standing Clap Hanz's franchise to hit the Playstation 3 console and many gamers will be expecting the same accessible yet deep gameplay the prior titles have delivered.
Out Of Bounds brings all the fun parts of the previous titles, yet introduces a new mechanic to play the game as well as obligatory high resolution graphics.
|
by John Erikson on 07/03/2008
Army Of Two has been getting huge amounts of hype since screenshots and videos of it emerged last year. The whole concept of the game is cooperative game play with a human or AI player, you take control of a two man task force who hire their military services to the highest bidder. It is another title in the ever growing Electronic Arts catalogue.
|
by John Erikson on 05/02/2008
With only a few great games released in January, it has been an arduous task reviewing substandard titles for the last month, so it was with great pleasure when I was asked to handle our review sample of Devil May Cry 4 on the Playstation 3.
Many eons ago when my young kids were in bed, I sat with my trusty Playstation 2 playing Devil May Cry by the firelight, and man this game just took action platforming to a whole new level. The incredible speed of combat and the pulsating action assured the game cult status and a true classic right up there with God Of War. Unfortunately however with the "next gen" consoles (lets drop this term already please, they have been out for years!) you are not instantly assured a next gen gaming experience. So it would be fair to say, that before I first popped the DVD into the shiny black monolith, I was concerned that somehow the feeling of the franchise would be lost behind the enhanced eye candy. Well I can assure you before I proceed any further, that the game rings true to the series and is a marvellous game to play, both for die hard fans of the series and for casual newcomers.
|
by John Erikson on 01/02/2008
With 2007 now over and a raft of high quality first person shooters in our wake (Halo 3, Bioshock, Crysis, Call Of Duty 4), it is going to take something special to grab our attention in 2008. With this in mind I was pleased to receive a copy of Turok for the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360. So do we start off 2008 with a bang, or merely a whimper?
|
by John Erikson on 20/01/2008
The burnout franchise has long been the leading arcade racer. Yes I am intentionally omitting the Need For Speed series because lately it sucks.
Burnout has been a success due to the great control system, sense of speed as well as the ball busting damage system. Criterion haven't sat on their asses however and have decided to tweak the new title to keep die hard fans interested as well as hopefully attracting a new crowd to the Burnout world. Burnout Paradise actually boasts some of the biggest changes to the franchise with almost everything in the game being tweaked or altered to some level. I can't say everything has changed for the better, but at least Criterion are taking some risks. It seems Axl and Slash are due to make yet more money as no one could have missed the ad campaign on TV recently for the game .... "Take me down to the Paradise city where the grass is green and the girls are pretty" yep, this is pretty much the games theme song courtesy of the long disbanded Guns N' Roses.
|
by WhO_KnOwS on 17/12/2007
Archeology, hardly an adrenaline packed occupation, wouldn't you agree? If you answered yes, you clearly don't watch TV very often or are too young to have seen one of the Indiana Jones movies as they came out. Yes, thanks to the rugged archeologist even a slow, boring and pretty much thrill-less job was suddenly on every guy’s mind. And while I highly doubt Tomb Raider had a similar effect on the female public, Lara Croft just reconfirmed that archeology can be more than just digging up fossils and dusting of urns. Now, can the newest gun wielding archeologist, Nathan Drake do the same, or is it time action hungry gamers got over archeologists.
|
by WhO_KnOwS on 13/12/2007
How many of you know how to play the guitar? I see a few hands raised across the room, so at least some of you know how to do it. Next question how many of you have performed on stage with a guitar before? One? Two of you? Ok, what about playing in a band? No one? Ok, a shy guy there in the back is raising his hand. How many of you would want to play in a band? Wow, hang on... Ok, its fair to say nearly everybody present would have a go at rock stardom. In all fairness, only a few of you actually have a chance at that. The rest, my humble self included will have to satisfy our strumming needs elsewhere. With Guitar Hero 3 for example!
|
by WhO_KnOwS on 16/11/2007
When Medal of Honour games started losing breath a few years ago the first Call of Duty game came out of nowhere and made a small revolution within the genre. For the first time players were able to fight alongside hundreds of allied soldiers (remember the Russian campaign?) instead of playing the lone wolf behind enemy lines. But much like its spiritual predecessor the CoD games started losing momentum with the third instalment. Is Modern Warfare another step down on the road to mediocrity or did the jump to modern times give it the needed boost to return to greatness?
|
by Zardon on 05/11/2007
Ask anyone right now which game they are most looking forward to playing and you can be assured that 9 in 10 people will have "Assassins Creed" in their top 3. Gaming Heaven was recently invited to the launch party in London for both Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 versions, and we walked away from the briefing with some lovely high quality game images as well as an 8 minute "gameplay" video.
|
by WhO_KnOwS on 16/10/2007
Warhawk has been on the radar of every (potential) PS3 owner since almost the very beginning of the PS3 saga. This now multiplayer-only shooter promised an innovative six-axis control scheme, huge battlefields and intensive action on foot, in ground vehicles and in the sky. While many features were cut during development, amongst others any kind of singleplayer (yup, not even bots are present) and the game was turned from a full-fledged release into a PSN release the end result still looks like it has all the necessary components to be a hit!
|
by WhO_KnOwS on 17/09/2007
When a game lets you run down ropes hung across huge canyons, slicing and dicing enemies as you land, there is a good chance somebody is trying to mimic God of War. And when the short but sweet demo throws the above scenario at you, coupled with a few dozen enemies who are just waiting to get impaled on your sword one can’t help but wonder if the game is nothing more than a God of War clone (Not that there is anything wrong with that!). Can Heavenly Sword be the killer title the Playstation 3 has been waiting for? Or is the game a huge disappointment, killing the last of the black console’s chances?
|
by WhO_KnOwS on 13/09/2007
Picture standing on top of a huge medieval fantasy bridge, staring at a sprawling metropolis underneath you. The sunshine is setting on the far west, ready to sink into the ocean and flocks of seagulls are dotting the horizon. As you watch a huge fleet of battleships sail towards the harbour you realize that the seagulls are surprisingly easy to spot for being so far away. Watching them makes you come to the sudden realization that the flying creatures you have been observing are not seagulls after all, but blood thirsty dragons on their way to torch the city and do their best to leave no survivors behind. This is the land of dragon raiders – this is Lair!
|
by WhO_KnOwS on 19/06/2007
Looking back to the days when the Mechwarrior series was in its prime, it’s not hard to see what the main appeal of the entire franchise was. Giant robots hold a special place in every gamer’s heart, so even the most obscure game will get some attention if it features these metallic beasts. Mobile Suit Gundam revolves entirely around huge humanoid machines, which is enough reason to give it a chance. Unfortunately, the robots are the only thing the game gets right.
|
by WhO_KnOwS on 21/05/2007
Throughout the years sports games evolved from the classic soccer and basketball simulations. While Pro Evolution Soccer and NBA Live still have the biggest player base, some of the more radical games still managed to break through. The SSX snowboarding series comes to mind, or the even more of the hook basketball arcade franchise NBA Street. What is the thing that all of these games have in common that separates them from their more serious cousins? Tricks. Leg-breaking, jaw-dropping, I-eat-1080s-for-breakfast tricks. And it was none other than Tony Hawk with his Pro Skater game that started this.
|
by WhO_KnOwS on 01/05/2007
Need for Speed games have always had a broad audience. Except for Porsche Unleashed which catered to a more serious and demanding crowd, all NFS games put speed and easily accessible racing before all else. The latest installments strayed from the original formula somewhat though – the influence of the movie Fast and Furious is apparent in all of them. The latest, Carbon, is no different. Illegal street racing in the middle of the night is the name of the game and it is up to you to take down various gangs by winning race after race!
|
by WhO_KnOwS on 23/04/2007
Street basketball is an entirely different beast than the ball dunking sport you might see on television. The rules are more relaxed and generally there are fewer players on the court. That doesnt mean the matches are any less adrenaline filled though. High speed passes, long range shots and loads of swearing are present every single time, as are some of the most impressive dunks ever performed on the face of earth. NBA Street Homecourt takes the essence of that and multiplies it by ten the end result being a basketball game like no other.
|
by WhO_KnOwS on 16/04/2007
Most fighting games look and play very similarly. Two fighters move around a semi 3d arena, doing their best to hit the opponents. The moves are usually limited to high and low punches of various styles and it’s near impossible to find a game where you can’t block in some way or another. At first glance someone might think Fight Night Round 3 is the same “old thing”. That someone couldn’t be more wrong though!
|
by WhO_KnOwS on 30/03/2007
Most Japanese console games have one thing in common – about 50% of the time spent on development is used up on character designing, modeling, animation and anything else that might be needed to make the protagonists more fleshed out. Because of that new character features usually appear first in games coming from the Far East – animated faces, clothes and other graphical features we take for granted today made their first appearance in eastern games. But what happens when developers spend too much time on the characters and the rest of the game suffers because of that?
|
by WhO_KnOwS on 26/03/2007
Back in the old SNES days there were only 2 noteworthy fighting games – Street Fighter and the more mass-friendly, yet oh so bloody Mortal Kombat. With the advent of 3D graphics things changed. Both Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat didn’t manage to stay afloat, no thanks to the sub-par 3D versions that came out. New franchises appeared trying to fill the void and 3 out of that bunch became especially popular. I’m of course talking about the Playstation crowd favorites Tekken and Virtua Fighter and the currently Xbox-based Dead or Alive series. And while both Tekken and Dead or Alive require much practice to truly master them, Virtua Fighter games have the reputation of being the most technically demanding of them all.
|
by WhO_KnOwS on 25/03/2007
Sony console launches go hand in hand with new releases of Ridge Racer. Although the series jumped platform a while ago and appeared on the 360 it is now back on its native turf, ready to drive the Playstation 3 into next-gen. And no, this is not the Riiiiiidge Racer Playstation’s father Ken Kutaragi was so enthusiastic about, which is definitely good in this case (for those of you who are unfamiliar with the incident, Kutaragi displayed an unprecedented level of enthusiasm when the original Ridge Racer was shown running on the PSP).
|
by WhO_KnOwS on 22/02/2007
Im sure that 4 out of 5 kids would love to be super heroes. Who could say no to incredible powers like invisibility or the strength of ten men? When weighed against them the fighting crime part sounds like a minor annoyance at most. Things go awry awfully fast when the villains start working together though, especially when they all have super powers just like you. This is the premise of Ultimate Alliance and its up to your team of heroes to stop a diabolical master plan that could have dire consequences.
|
by WhO_KnOwS on 14/02/2007
Usually when a new console begins its life cycle the games coming out for it are mediocre at best. This happened when the PS2 launched and the Xbox360 launch titles were not exactly diamonds either. Because of this fact of life no one expected the first PS3 games to be anything more than average. Sure, Sony tried to convince us that they were the best games ever, but sadly this was far from the truth. There is an exception though – Resistance: Fall of Man is a great game. In fact, it can be considered the first PS3 killer title. But is it just a gun in hand, dead wife with lover in bed killer or machine gun in one hand, grenade in the other, trail of dead people behind it killer?
|
by WhO_KnOwS on 09/02/2007
MotorStorm has been one of the most anticipated launch titles of Sony’s Playstation 3. Early trailers showed an almost photorealistic driving experience with crashes that rivaled those seen in Burnout, all of it taking place in Monument valley. At that time most of us were already skeptic about such trailers, but nevertheless the game showed promise. With most of the PS3 launch being focused on the hardware itself the release of MotorStorm was not advertised all that much. Still, the game quickly became a hit in Japan where it was exclusively released. While waiting for the Euro/US release which is currently slated for March we decided to take a look at the Japanese version to see what awaits us then.
|
by Zardon on 06/01/2007
With the UK launch of Sony' Playstation 3 in March, we got a hold of a console as well as an array of games to give the lowdown on how the console performs, via Infocus 5700 Screenplay projector 1080i 100" electric screen.
Has it been worth the year wait since the release of the Xbox 360?
|
