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Killzone 3 – The Review {Gaming}

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Shoot from behind cover? Check. Enter a battlefield laden with enemies whilst your captain screams orders at you? Check. Shoot from an armoured vehicle? Check. Spectacular set pieces? Check. Guns that look like middle-age cannons? Check.

Must be another First Person Shooter…

 

You can always tell when a fantastic game is about to hit the shelves because all the other games of that genre suddenly drop their prices to entice those players who might have missed on their game playing pleasures the first time round. In the case of Killzone 3, even the mighty Black Ops has reduced its hefty price tag and that has to be saying something.

But in all fairness, in this modern day of gaming First Person Shooters (FPS) are almost two a penny. Arguably, we are sitting in a saturated market full of big guns protruding into the screens facing even bigger enemies. On the very same day that Killzone 3 was released, the equally excellent Bulletstorm also arrived – and these are just two contenders to Halo and Call of Duty’s crowns. But does it have what it takes to last until the third round?

Killzone 3 has a lot going for it. Firstly, it is exclusive to the Playstation 3 and hence, has given game players a reason to cackle in retaliation at Xbox owners. Secondly, it has a strong pedigree, Developed by Guerrilla Games and published by Sony Computer Entertainment, it is the fourth installment of the much enjoyed Killzone series. Finally, it is technically advanced. It is the first game in the series to be presented in 3D and the first to include motion controls using the PlayStation Move. All of this means that in the ring Killzone 3 is no underdog, and the blows that it will rain down upon any opponent are going to hurt like hell.

For those of you uninitiated to the world of Killzone, it is all about a war between two factions of humans. Enter stage left, the IS. All round good guys that will do whatever it takes and destroy whatever it takes to get the job done, and bring the war to an end. Enter stage right, the Helghast. A fascist, humanoid, army race with a passion for vengeance and hardship. They were hell-bent on overpowering the rest of the universe. That is, until the ISA decided to take them down way back in the original Killzone.

Killzone 3 picks up right where the sequel left off, with you continuing in your role as Sev, an ISA soldier with a chequered past, struggling to survive after being effectively cut off and left on the hostile Helghan home world after taking out Emperor Scolar Visari. It’s a predictable storyline you wouldn’t wish on your worst enemy – or your worst movie – because like Black Ops, the spectacular set pieces and epic explosions ring ripples of movie blockbuster fantasy. And whilst you fight for survival as the protagonist, the game’s two antagonists, Orlock and Johann – played excellently by Ray Winstone and Malcolm McDowell – fight to step into the vacuum left by the deceased dictator.

As a single-player game I found Killzone 3 to be a largely exciting experience. The moral of modern day FPS is ‘don’t you dare rush in guns blazing thinking you are Rambo, if you do you will die’. This leads to understanding various cover techniques, and moving, outflanking and surprising your enemies in order to subdue them. Like Killzone and Killzone 2, your comrades scream orders at you, can revive you if you’re down and equally shout at you if they are about to die, need help or are pinned down enemy fire. This gives a sense of camaraderie which is nice to see. I also really liked the feeling of momentum in this game, that sense that you have to keep moving. And another key area which I think they got right was in the close up melee and hand to hand combat which is very satisfying.

On a technical level, this title is hugely impressive. The new environments look better and are a lot more colorful than its predecessor. The graphics are on par with the best titles of the genre, the guns, explosions and bosses just get bigger and bigger, and the levels are a lot more diverse than before. Most of the scenes, although linear, are well designed and so is the structure, breaking up standard missions with Call of Duty type breathtaking escapes and huge action set-pieces. There is always a lot happening on screen and a lot to keep your heart racing.

One thing I did like about this game is the fact you are not presented with wave after wave of enemies, and players of the previous two titles will immediately notice that the enemies are now smarter, able to cover more and react better to what you do. However, we all know the name of the game with this genre and that is basically shoot, shoot, shoot, duck and take orders – and that is it unfortunately. Like it or not, it does get repetitive after a while. I hoped that this title would have improved on Black Ops’ short completion time, however, I was wrong, it took me just over seven hours to complete which is abysmal. As for the last boss, well let’s just say it was over before it started.

I was quite concerned too by the number of cut-scenes in this game. Whilst not on the same soap opera level as say Metal Gear Solid, there is an awful lot of talking, and a fair amount of the game where action is taking place and you are left to just watch. Considering how short the game is, it would have been good to have had the hour or so movie part as actual game content.

Online play is what drives the lifespan forward after completion. Here the three modes on offer are all fun to play yet standard fare. You have the standard Death matches and more objective-driven options such as the new Operations Mode, where the highest-rated players get to see themselves in cut scenes between objectives which is all very good. I did notice though, occasional moments of slowdown in larger matches, which ruined my gaming pleasure, but will no doubt be resolved in future patches.

As previously mentioned, Killzone 3 was the first game to be completely made with both 3D and Playstation Move in mind. With regards to the Move, I am pleased report that it works beautifully well. Indeed, some would argue that this is precisely the type of game for which the Move was created for and in this aspect it is true. In play, it is very similar to the aiming mechanism seen in Resident Evil 5 and Time Crisis, manoeuvering with the controller, and aiming and firing using the trigger of the Move. You can also perform some neat actions such as twisting to reload and a stabbing motion to do the melee attack. Very nice indeed.

However, the 3D issue is another matter. Yes, stereoscopic 3D. Yes, it looks great and provides that extra level of immersion. For me, the thing I could not get tired of was using a sniper rifle. It just looks incredible. But on the other hand, I am very aware of this 3D fad and that some people sold their kidney for a decent HDTV, just so they could enjoy high definition gaming. In some ways it is just a tad too ambitious and outrageous to expect some players to go out and buy a 3D TV to experience the gaming delights here. So far for me, there has been insufficient 3D content out there to warrant buying one, but I am quite sure that for some gamers this will be the tipping factor where they will no doubt dash out and fork out over a grand to get one. But my honest advice with this is to just wait. Whilst it is good, it is really not ‘that good’.

So, the final verdict –

Killzone 3 is a contender that enters the ring punching way above its weight. The gameplay is solid, the action is intense and the Move functionality gives this game an extra edge. Though it can be repetitive for those tired of shoot-em-ups, those who enjoyed Killzone 2, Halo Reach and Call of Duty franchises will have a lot to look forward to with this title.

 

9.2/10

 

Killzone 3 is out on PS3 now

 

Marvel Vs Capcom 3

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The mother of all fighting games has arrived. No, seriously…

Street Fighter has been around for almost 30 years and in nearly every incarnation of game console and personal computer going back to the rubber-keyed Spectrum 48k. Yes, there have been clones, lookalikes and contenders for the fighting game crown – King of Fighters, World Heroes, Art of Fighting, even Virtua Fighter, but many gamers all over the world would agree that when it comes to finely tuned perfection, when it comes to vibrant, lovable characters and when it comes to balanced game play, while many may have come close, none have managed to take the crown away from Capcom.

There is just something about the furious technical finesse required to pull off the moves, I remember coming back from school and watching games players pour their money into the machine just so they could gain enough practice to get the characters on the screen to pull off special moves at will. With so much time needed to be invested, one wonders whether they would have been better learning the moves in real life.

After the ‘never-ending story’ of sequels that followed, and just when players started to get bored with the ‘just how many characters can you fit into a game mentality’ up popped X-Men and then Marvel vs Capcom – true indulgences of fighting pleasure.

Now you had an insane mix of the comic book world and the manga type Capcom world with key fighters of each staring each other down, and letting rip with ever more exaggerated moves. Forget fireballs the size of a football, now they were six foot high. Sparks would fly as you pummelled your opponent into submission and the rush was as effervescent as a hypochondriac’s vitamin cocktail. But then came Marvel vs Capcom 2 and many felt that it was a rushed, diluted effort with bland backgrounds, ho-hum special moves and…well, crap music.

And now, after nearly 10 years of waiting for chickens to come home to roost, Capcom have brought back the franchise, but is it worth getting into the ring for?

All that waiting has meant improvements both in a technical sense and in a developmental sense for Capcom. The past number of years has seen an renewed interest in the appeal of Marvel characters – think about the Spider-Man, Iron Man and X-Men films of late, coupled with the likes of Devil May Cry, Resident Evil and recent Street Fighter games and you realise that not only have there been technical improvements, but a restylization across the genre. Hence the timing of this game could not have been better. But it is more than that. In many ways this game is a ‘love letter’ to the many fans of both worlds.

First thing’s first. And the first thing that grabs your attention is the presentation. We all know that Capcom has a proven track record of high production values in fighting titles and this game is no exception. Graphically there is no denying that it is impressive, based around the pages of a comic book but including the kind of intros and cut scenes we have become accustomed to since the recent Super Street Fighter games. The game is, like Street Fighter, 2D, but has had a 3D visual makeover.

Marvel and Capcom characters have rarely ever needed to have a reason to have a scrap so there is no back story worth mentioning, except that that ‘big bad mother of a bad boy’ Galactus is once again eyeing up Earth as his appetiser, and only the combined might of the two worlds’ finest can hope to stop him from destroying us all. What this means for us is full on three-on-three battles with more add-ons and combos than a bargain bucket meal from KFC.

Gameplay is very similar to its predecessor. Basically, you choose a team of three characters and embark on a tour of destruction. During each bout you can instantly call in one of your two allies to either assist you and attack your enemy, swap places with you or – if you have accumulated enough of one of the many combo bars – join in with you for a super attack. This may sound complicated and that’s because it is meant to be. Fights can change direction and players can change at any second – the action is very frantic and intense. But the game is amazing. The transition smoother than a baby’s bum, fluid to play and thanks to the game’s new ‘simple mode’, newcomers who might never have played the game before can now initiate combos with single button presses.

Unlike Marvel vs. Capcom 2, which featured four attack buttons separated as two pairs of low and high-strength punches and kicks, Marvel vs. Capcom 3 uses a simplified, three-button control scheme of undefined light, medium, and hard attacks showcased in Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars. Capcom have said that they made this change because they wanted to make fighting games open to everyone. However, my friends and I have had some heated debates over this and whether the older system worked better in comparison. This is something you will have to decide for yourself, because in all fairness, if you are used to the older style, it does take some getting used to.

In a game full of enormous, flashy firework-like attacks and loads of characters, things could easily get boring and repetitive. But for me, it was the little details that consistently gave me the feeling that it was money well spent. A lot of attention has been put into character details. You would not be able to separate Chris Redfield from his likeness in this game and the likeness in Resident Evil 5 for example, and, typical of Capcom fighting games, they have that trash talk, stare-down before the fight which is very hard not to enjoy.

The backgrounds too are worth a mention with little touches to previous games such as Final Fight and X-Men realities with really nice details and this is so much better than its predecessor.

While the game isn’t quite as finely balanced as, say, Street Fighter VI, and not all characters are equal, it’s always enjoyable. Even if some fighters are blatantly overpowered, there is something about having a three-character tag team that just adds a dynamic to gameplay that is rare to see. There are so many intricacies of various combinations and it is rare to see them all. It will be interesting to see what online players come up with in the months ahead.

Talking of online play, I found this to be a little lacking. There’s ranked matches, player matches and, unfortunately that’s it. No tournament mode, no online play with a tag team consisting of different players, so individual fights are all you get and that is a real shame. Mind you, fights go on for a fair bit of time and I am sure there will be no shortage of people vying to get their hands on this game. Capcom have also said that they will be bringing out loads of downloadable content for this game which means that it might have an increased lifespan.

So my final verdict?

This is an incredible game to play, enjoy and return to. It’s only real fault lies in the fact that it might not be for everyone. While not perfect, it certainly provides some light-hearted relief, if not a button mashing one and for me it will certainly bide the time until the ‘father of all fighting games’ Streetfighter vs.Tekken comes out next year.

9/10

Marvel vs Capcom 3 is out now for Playstation 3 and Xbox 360

Nail’d Review by Junior Smart

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A jack of all trades but a master of none?

Racing games have come a long way haven’t they? I mean, does anyone out there remember Pole Position? The classic of its time, where all you needed to do was come first and avoid other cars on the road. I remember Super Hang On where the scenery changed for the first time.  I even remember Out Run which was the first game to change the flat landscape into an environment of hills, valleys and introduce multiple racing routes into the genre  – and where the sit down cabinet would try and give some kind of feeling of inertia to the whole sentiment of racing. Heck, you could even pick your favourite track off the radio and drive to it. Then there was Lotus Esprit Challenge which encouraged the actual need for braking and changing lanes and on completion of the game you could send off for a licence style certificate.

All of that changed. In no time at all we had Ridge Racer, Road Rash, Destruction Derby, the grand daddy of racing – Gran Turismo – and a whole host of other racing games which changed forever the nature of the genre. Unless you were driving round in the largest rims, customising your ride, maxing out your turbo, driving to the most bangin’ tracks, having the most spectacular crashes or catching the most amount of air in the biggest leaps – even if you were in a tank – you weren’t nothing but Pee-wee Herman in the racing stakes.

Nail’d hails from the ‘more you have is the more you need’ variety of extreme racing. The sort of experience where you can never get enough of a dangerous thing, and the type of game play which is akin to a funfair ride where you scream if you want to go faster and the little kid next to you either cries for mummy or throws up.

In Nail’d you get to race either an ATV or a motorbike and travel all over the world competing in extreme racing events. It takes great joy in providing hills, leaps, jumps, an insane rollercoaster type track and, oh yeah – obstacles – and throws these at you as fast as your retinas can possibly take it. In the background, unhinged verbaholic rock music is barely audible above the crackly and poorly sampled sound of your engine while you hit the boost button as much as you can and do all you can to stay on your vehicle long enough to come first. From the start you learn to forget about the common definition of a jump – this game provides some Evel Knievel thousand-foot leaps over chasms that will literally leave your heart in your mouth.

On the surface of it, this all sounds fun, and to start with Nail’d is exactly that – a thrilling, vivid experience. In truth, I have to commend software developers Techland for cramming in so many jaw-dropping leaps and incredible speed into this game. The action is incredibly fast, and the track design is ambitious, and at times excellent. Racing through valleys and leaping onto dams is impressively executed, utterly thrilling and disorientating, and like an amusement park ride of your wildest hallucination.

The biggest problem with this game though is that after a short time, cracks start to show in its presentation and in the game mechanics. It tries to be too much of everything without ever allowing itself to be committed to any real type of game play. As a result, it tragically falls flat and lacks any motivating factors to even play more than a couple of stages let alone a full tournament.

Most gamers know that motion blur – while being an effective way to emphasise speed – can also hide a multitude of sins. Once you see past it, the first thing you notice is the graphics. They are poorly rendered, dressed up with motion blur – ‘mutton dressed as lamb’.  Just like the colleague you regret snogging at that Christmas party. At a distance and with so much going on, it actually looked quite good, but up close and personal – and in this case after a crash – you can see it instantly for what it is.

Another area where this game comes short is with the physics engine. For some reason, gravity doesn’t exist here. Not only can you change direction in mid-air but you can also extend your jump by a few miles. I reckon that in the world of Nail’d you could literally take a jump in England and glide over to France and not break a sweat, just by pulling back on the analogue stick. The first couple of times you feel like it is actually a nice touch, but if I am honest, it isn’t actually the hardest thing to do. When every corner brings a new jump, repetitiveness sets in remarkably quickly and that’s when you feel that there isn’t enough of a challenge and you are just going through the motions.

Although there is a ‘boost’ function typical of racing games of this genre, it was appalling to find that it isn’t actually linked to anything. Unlike Pure for example you have no abilities to do stunts in mid-air, there is no drift, no oncoming traffic, no punch or kick buttons to knock other riders off their vehicles, so there are no redeemable ways to reward your racing skills other than when you land correctly after a jump. Boost increments are painfully limited to driving or flying through gates at key positions on the tracks. I kept thinking: “Is this all?’ Are you serious?” It is mind-boggling just how much of a wasted opportunity this is, and the simple inclusion of something, anything extra would have boosted this game’s playability no end.

My final gripe comes with the collision detection. It leaves so much to be desired. For example, it is possible to keep driving after a head-on collision with a train, only to clip the top of a branch on the next landing. It is incidents like these that make coming first more a matter of luck than of actual skill, and in some places, to my horror, I found it was more than adequate to race around the track without ever taking my finger off the gas at all – relegating the brake to no more than reverse. I ended up wondering whether the game was play tested at all.

So my final verdict? As if you really need to hear this. Well, Nail’d is one of those games that sounds great in principle, but falls on its face because it tries to do too much while failing to get the basics right. At its heart, there is a fun arcade racer in there somewhere, waiting to be let out, but it is a delusion of grandeur. Against the likes of other well known titles such as Pure, Motorstorm, and Split Second, this doesn’t even stand a chance of coming third across the line. There is so much more that they could have done with this. It is such a real shame that at the end of the day, it deserves to be left on the grid.

3/10

Dead Space 2: Game Reviews by Owun Birkett & Junior Smart

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*WARNING! These reviews contains spoilers!*

by Owun Birkett

Imagine yourself waking up wearing a straitjacket, with no recollection on what’s going on or where you are. A staff member is helping you, until a giant alien organism comes out of nowhere and punctures his forehead. Parts of his body begin to stretch and tear, unknown limbs take form and you kick him aside. You’re still bound to the straitjacket and your only option is to run! That’s roughly how Dead Space 2 begins. No build-ups – just straight into the horror action.

The Dead Space series is one of those rare survival horror games that both genuinely excites and scares you. Granted, some horror buffs may not be freaked out by the odd jump scares here and there, but it’s all about tension and atmosphere, rather than just showing you as much blood and gore as possible, and developers Visceral Games do it really well.

You play as Isaac Clarke (taken from well-known sci-fi authors Isaac Asimov and Arthur C. Clarke), an engineer who survived the previous game. Set three years later, Isaac is on a populated city called The Sprawl on Titan, one of Saturn’s moons, Ever since interracting with an ancient relic called the Marker, Isaac has become mentally ill, and starts having hallucinations of his dead girlfriend. He has no recollection of his memories since the first game and before the events that are taking place. It’s as you progress that you start to find out what exactly happened.

The new addition to this game (other than new armour and weapons) is Isaac has a voice. No longer the mute character who just made grunt noises (sort of like Gordon Freeman from Half-Life, though he oddly didn’t make any sound when he was getting shot!), it’s actually nice to hear he’s got a voice, and to hear his thoughts and dealings with the other characters.

When you eventually find a Store – found in certain parts of the game to buy ammo, health, weapons (technically tools, though I don’t see how a flamethrower would be seen as a tool) and buying new suits – anyone who who played the previous Dead Space adventure starts to get into familiar territory. For those who haven’t played the first game (I suggest you do so, in order to follow the story), a simple tutorial will tell you on how all the gameplay mechanics work.

Your Heads-Up Display (HUD) isn’t conventionally featured on the corners of your TV screen, but on Isaac’s armour. The lights down your spine is your health. When you receive damage, the bars disappear and change colour from green, to yellow, with red being critical. The controls are fluid and not too hard to remember once you get the hang of it.

When battling the Necromorphs, you cannot simply just shoot them, but have to dismember them. Again, this will be all familiar to Dead Space veterans. But this time,  instead of the awkward aim and leap Zero-G sections, you are given free movement with additional boosters on your suit.

The environments will look the same at times, but they certainly have an organic feel. You have a tour through a shopping centre, a day-care centre and even little humorous moments (I say that relatively lightly) where you see sets of balloons at a hospital saying “Get Well Soon!” Though there are disturbing moments aplenty when you venture into The Sprawl. You hear people screaming for their life in hotel rooms, a child yelling in agony inside a tumble dryer and even an abandoned infant crying his or her eyes out among the chaos.

The sound design is brilliant, hearing noises at every corner and even giving you false alarm scares when something like a shower hose goes off. The music should be recognised too, as it definitely brings tension when fighting the Necromorphs – both key elements in making a satisfying horror experience.

The Necromorphs themselves are actually quite terrifying and grotesque in design. They’re human corpses, but transformed and reanimated after an alien organism infects them. If you think the children and infants were spared, think again! There are creatures called the Swarm, where pale-looking children come out in packs and try to slash you to death. I can see this will spark controversy from the International Nanny Association (INA), as they did with Visceral Game’s previous game, Dante’s Inferno.

Dead Space 2 is a bit routine throughout the single-player campaign – meet new characters, fight your way through, fix some circuits and so on and so forth. The characters are either surprisingly tough or completely insane. Not much variation and the majority of them are just meat waiting to be torn up.

I can’t say much about the multiplayer other than what you may have heard or read elsewhere. Unfortunately, I can’t recommend the multiplayer as it really does feel tacked on and gets old really quickly after a game or two. Left 4 Dead is still the best multiplayer game of the similar type of matches.

Owun’s Verdict: If you’re a fan of science fiction and survival horror games, don’t hesitate to purchase this game. The single-player campaign has a strong enough story and enough re-playability to obtain all those Achievements/Trophies for all you hunters out there. For PlayStation 3 Move owners, I strongly suggest you play Dead Space: Extraction. A hugely fun addition to the Dead Space series.

Dead Space 2 is a visceral roller-coaster ride.

********

by Junior Smart

You wake up to see Isaac Clarke running towards you – do you:
A: Congratulate him – Dead Space revived the somewhat saggy and stale survival horror game genre?
B: Welcome him into Unitology religion?
C: Duck, because a NECROMORPH IS PROBABLY BEHIND YOU!

If Isaac Clarke were to be real then it is possible, just possible, that he would be one of the most unluckiest people in history. Perhaps almost unlucky as say, having a brother named Chris Redfield and an older sister named Ripley.

After the horrific events of Dead Space, our protagonist Clarke wakes up three years later to a worse situation than he left things. Roused from his sleep on a space station known as the ‘Sprawl’ with a new outfit; a firmly fitting straitjacket, Isaac finds that the place is besieged by the reanimated corpses known as Necromorphs – truly hideous creatures of every child’s worst nightmare.

That isn’t all. There is evidence that the ‘Marker’,  or at least ‘a Marker’ is what is behind the outbreak. Was it destroyed, was it rebuilt or was their another one? On top of that he is in real inner turmoil. I mean, he is seriously carrying ‘extra baggage’ at losing his girlfriend and memories of the utter horrors that he faced during the events of the first game are messing with his melon.

If I were him I would probably bury my face in my hands and cry. Either that or kill myself. Lucky for us he doesn’t, and that entire psychological trauma creates a compelling rollercoaster ride that inexplicably draws you in from the very first scene where he is literally fighting for his life.

Dead Space 2 offers just a few improvements over the original, but then as the saying goes ‘if it isn’t broke – don’t try and fix it.’

Here in the ‘let’s do it by the numbers’ territory synonymous with sequels, what we have is ‘bigger means better’. That equates to larger arenas to fight for your life in, more types of Necromorphs to take on and new variants of weapons to use.

In addition to the main single player campaign, you have an online multiplayer mode where the players are divided into Isaac-type workers and Necromorphs – an idea I am not entirely sure works as well as the developers hoped for. Also bundled in with the Limted and Collectors edition is the great on-rails shooter Dead Space Extraction which was previously a Wii exclusive.

If the devil is in the detail, then the first thing that grabs you about Dead Space 2 from the get-go is the details. The immaculate presentation of the game is very nicely done with a video you can watch from the first menu which narrates the story so far for new players and those who have not played the first game.

The in-game graphics are also very polished. The playing area this time is The Sprawl – a vast urban space station complete with hospitals, shopping centres, sleeping quarters, schools, and other locations all of which are vividly realised and help create that lingering kind of foreboding atmosphere that is different from the first game. Recorded announcements echo around you in the shopping centre and you can hear the screams of a Necromorph’s victim down dark corridors as you ready your weapon and prepare yourself to take on the forthcoming horror.

However, horrific action is what this game is all about and being more linear in its approach doesn’t take anything away from Dead Space 2 at all. True to his engineer profession, Isaac’s weapons are more modified tools, rather than out-and-out weapons. Still, taking on Necromorphs and blasting the limbs off the hideous creatures has never been better. All of the weapons from Dead Space return in this game, including the plasma cutter and line gun. Yep, there’s that ‘if it isn’t broke – don’t try and fix it’ mantra again.

Controversially, the program developers, Visceral Games, decided to give Isaac a voice in this sequel, a move which has divided gamers all over the world. While I sat firmly on the fence on this issue previously, I am pleased that they did this as it gives the central character a bit more to play with in the course of the proceedings.

To be honest, he’s a bit bland as a character, but it’s interesting how they play out his mental psyche. No matter what is going on for him, whatever problem he faces during the course of the game -repairing a lift, talking to an official – he never lets slip or tells anyone what is going on for him mentally. In that sense, he kind of reminds me of the television character ‘Dexter’, because as a player you know the real deal with what is happening for him and it is almost like a secret you share, which is a rare factor for games.

A new ‘big is better’ feature in Dead Space 2 is the dramatic ability in certain rooms to fire out a window. Due to being in space, this causes the area to decompress and suck everything – tables, chairs, Necromorphs and yes, you – out into the vacuum that is space. The only way to save yourself is to quickly shoot a sensor that brings a metallic emergency door down over the source of the decompression. It is risky, it is thrilling and yes , it is nothing but big bucks Hollywood, but I would be lying if I said I could grow tired of it as it brings some welcome relief to what is otherwise a dark and serious story.

Other set-pieces involve trains, a couple of a nice zero-G environments which allow for some nifty 360 degree movement, ‘Resident Evil’ style pursuits by massive Necromorphs and some real shocking flashback sequences that make you wonder whether poor Issac is going to break.

For the most part though, the rest is standard fare. Fix this elevator, repair a few drills, speak to this person, get to this or that location, save someone who has information or can guide you…. you get the picture. Unfortunately, none of this is terribly exciting and harks back to days of Resident Evil where you had to get a key and then go to a room to use it. There are the occasional simple puzzles you encounter and a basic hacking mini-game which you must frequently complete but that is it, for better or for worse,

Unfortunately, the dreaded camera angle issue from first game, although improved, remains to rear its ugly head and create frustration to games players who buy this title. Quite often I found that when you’re backed up against a wall and a Necromorph gets too close to you, the camera often won’t show you your assailant. This destroys your targeting unless you move around to get a decent angle. Meanwhile, you’re under attack and trust me, those Necromorphs won’t have pity. This means by the time you line up to deal out some ‘poetic justice’, your health will be halved. I found this happened quite a lot and shouldn’t be in a sequel of such quality.

The online multiplayer offers some replay value and some extension to the game’s 12+ hours to complete. Divided into humans and Necromorphs with up to four players on each side, the multiplayer gives the human team a series of objectives they need to complete within a time limit. As I said before, this doesn’t work as well as I guess the programmers hoped for because it seems like a last minute addition.

Although you can start new games and carry over all your purchased or upgraded equipment, it seems that they thought not much more could be done than in the main game. As a result, the objectives seem like crude takeaways of the main game, e.g. interacting with consoles, carrying items, destroying objects and well, it is boring. What’s more, team-based online play has been done before many times for example in ‘Aliens’ and with more or less every type of third and first person shooting game out there. It is a shame that with such a good storyline in the main game they didn’t come up with more than this for the multiplayer.

Dead Space Extraction? Well, this is the same great, story-driven on-rails shooter which was the Wii exclusive of 2009. It covers the story before the events of Dead Space and during the same time as the animated film Dead Space: Downfall.

Having played the original on the Wii, I was pleased that sufficent graphical enhancements were made. Looking smoother than ever in high-definition, Extraction’s story is played from the first person’s perspective and brings some strong characters into the storyline along with the Church of Unitology – the people who have an unhealthy interest in those trouble-causing Markers.

The action is as intense and white knuckle ride as you’d expect from a Dead Space game, and even two players can play at once. In the early stages, it plays with your psyche much the same way as it does with Isaac. The Wii version’s excellent controls have been transferred seamlessly to the PlayStation Move, using it to aim at enemies and twisting it to activate the weapon’s secondary firing mode. That’s the way this game should be played, though if you are a controller down and you want a friend along for the ride they can fumble through it with a DualShock, too.

Junior’s verdict: Well, Dead Space 2 doesn’t bring with it too many original features and does nothing to change the genre. It does have a few nagging faults, but it’s an outstanding game nonetheless, packed with enough details and terrifying stomach-churning scenarios to keep your heart racing. Having Dead Space Extraction flung into the mix for free makes this title great value for money. Let’s get this right – this game is gory, this game is in your face, this game is worth playing. However, after completion, I doubt you will stick around for too much longer in the multiplayer.

9/10

Best games of 2010 by Junior Smart. {Games}

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2010 came and went like an absolute storm, and in its wake left gamers with a handful of real gems across all gaming platforms. We’ve had the Kinect, the Move, The final chapter of Halo, Red Dead Redemption, Call of Duty, Dead Rising and seen the end of what seemed like the lifetime of waiting for the mighty Gran Turismo 5 to name just a few.

But just which ones were the best? I am sure each and every gamer will have their faves, and doing a run-down is bound to spark some kind of controversy; luckily I am not one to shy away from telling it how it is. Let me give you my full and final run down.

1.Heavy Rain (PS3)

A controversial first place I know, but if you rate games on their originality, if you rate games on their playability, if you rate games on how they can emotionally affect you, then you will rate Heavy Rain. Part game, part movie, this title has remarkable scenes and a storyline of incredible depth, not to mention the lingering and sometimes stomach churning after effect memories that it leaves you with. The control system is innovative and involving which is even more improved with the Playstation Move and without a doubt this was probably one of the most original titles to hit consoles during 2010.

2.Halo Reach (360)

I am going to place this as my number 2 as lets face it; the game play and storyline is far from original. Bidding a final farewell to the Halo universe was a never going to be easy, but somehow, just somehow software developers Bungie managed to do it. An epic (and occasionally moving) storyline drives a solid single-player campaign, and all this is backed up to the hilt by fantastic multiplayer options. The Halo franchise has always been an almost – but not quite good enough – reason to shell out for a 360 machine.

3.Mass Effect 2 (360, PC, PS3 next year)

Mass Effect 2 is the master class of RPG, an honour usually only reserved for the likes of Final Fantasy and World of Warcraft. Mass Effect features a truly memorable cast of characters each with their own unique personality and behaviour. Mass Effect 2 is exactly what many gamers hoped it would be, and with the PS3 version out next year and rumors of a third installment on its way Gamers all over the world may have to go into hibernation in order to counter-act the sleep deprivation they will face when the title hits the shelves.

4.Red Dead Redemption (Xbox 360, PlayStation 3)

An epic sandbox game in the dessert? Are you serious? Rockstar’s western showpiece is a marvel to play and enjoy, and regurgitates memories of playing Cowboys and Indians in the playground. The story of the main character John Marston is both fascinating and heart-wrenching, and the virtual western world where shoot-outs, train robbing, and fraternising with damsels in distress is beautifully imagined. Little wonder then that many games players woke up having lost 60 hours of their life to this title.

5.Super Mario Galaxy 2 (Wii)

A welcome return of the plumber and of the most clichéd and ridiculous plots of all time doesn’t stop Super Mario Galaxy 2 from entering my top ten. Nintendo went out of their way to cram in more content than a student study’s for their exams and it shows. Galaxy 2 is so much bigger, so much more challenging, and finally the long awaited Yoshi makes an entrance to the series. I like this game because it is a title that can be enjoyed by any gamer of any age, and features some of the most intelligent and innovative level designs I’ve seen in many a moon.

6.Gran Turismo 5 (PS3)

After endless waiting and waiting and erm, waiting after the Prologue, gaming developers Polyphony showed the world that waiting can, sometimes, just sometimes be a good thing. Despite being a game for racing purists only I just had to include this because of the sheer amount of effort invested into making this title, and indeed it shows. GT5 is something very, very special. Although perfection it is not (see my review in Frost Magazine’s very pages), this title raises the bar as far as driving simulators are concerned.

7.Donkey Kong Country (Wii)

I bet Wii owners rejoiced all over the world when this game came out and it is not difficult to see why. This game gives a solid spanking to games developers who think that graphics alone is what is required to make it in today’s gaming market. Bringing back two of perhaps the most loved characters in Nintendo’s history – who don’t speak Italian – was a mean feat and to surpass the efforts of the SNES required even more. Donkey Kong has beautifully designed levels and is fantastically fun to play.

8.Call of Duty: Black Ops (360, PS3, Wii, PC)

It would be absolute lunacy not to put this game in this list – yes the graphics are not totally amazing, yes the storyline is about as clichéd as Christmas dinner is to sage and onion stuffing but in all fairness Treyarch delivered on this title, when many people (including myself) thought that they wouldn’t be able to match the game play mechanics of Modern Warfare 2. With some solid online play and some great set pieces this game offers a fantastic experience. If you haven’t answered the call of duty see my review in Frost Magazine’s very pages to find out why you should.

9.Split second Velocity (360, PS3, Wii, PC)

I remember when one of my friends showed me a trailer for this game and I just kept saying wow – but in the back of my mind I kept saying I bet this game is crap. Well how wrong I was. Split second is every bit the insanely fast driving game it was purported to be. Developers Black Rock Studio created a world where every race is dominated by the massive explosions you can set off around the tracks in order to turn your competitors into smouldering wrecks. Immensely fun and infuriating in equal measures this game came 9th on my list because of its original approach to the racing genre.

10.God of War III (PS3)

Arguably the hottest contender for the title of best-looking game on the PlayStation 3 ever, God of War III exploded onto the system earlier this year leaving utter carnage in its wake. Immense boss battles that have to be seen to be believed, visceral blood-thirsty action and some of the finest level designs you’ll ever play await you in this game. God of War III is a graphical and technical achievement, and really shows what the power of the PS3 is capable of.

Battle of the heavy hitters – Top new games of 2011 {Gaming}

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After the clichéd games of 2010 and the somewhat slap-dash approach by developers to get games out in time for Christmas, 2011 is (hopefully) going to bring some big games to consoles and PC’s.

In my erm, crystal ball, I shooters – loads of shooters, I foresee sequels – tons of sequels, I foresee games that will open up the Kinect and Move to new levels and I see re-hashes of older games being brought up to date by the new hardware and increased player involvement.

2011 will be the battle of Heavy Hitters, but which ones should you be getting excited about? Which are the ones you should be placing on pre-order? Let’s take a look.

1.Dead Space 2 (PS3/Xbox 360)
When? February 2011

Dead Space was widely recognised as one of the most scariest experiences to behold a console since the likes of Resident Evil and Fear. Already available for pre-order with numerous collectors’ editions, the sequel promises some truly scary moments and an updated Move compatible version of the Wii’s Dead Space: Extraction thrown into the bargain for free. Nice!

2.Batman – Arkham City (PS3/Xbox 360)
When? August – December 2011

The sequel to Arkham Asylum is coming. Rocksteady Studios have been very tight lipped about releasing any information about this upcoming title, although what I have seen is a snapshot here, a snapshot there and the occasional trailer. What they show is action, gorgeous graphics and a Joker truly gone insane – something tells me that this is going to be a game well worth waiting for.

3.Marvel Vs Capcom 3 (PS3/Xbox 360)
When? 15th February 2011

Yes indeed, the mother of all fighting games is coming. After over a decade of waiting, the biggest names from the Marvel Universe will clash head on with the combined might of Capcom’s best known characters. This title promises to deliver the best ever match up of legendary fighters in fighting history. Get ready for action, Valentine’s Day will never be the same again.

4.Gears of War 3 (Xbox 360)
When? December 2011

Hailed as a conclusion to the franchise, Gears of War 3 promises to bring as many ways as possible to kill things back into fashion. A four-player co-op and of course big and even bigger guns ensures that 360 owners have a reason to say ‘size matters’ and of course rejoice after the mourning of Halo Reach.

5.Grand Slam Tennis (PS3/Xbox 360)
When?: January – March 2011

This title was available for Wii since last year and now an updated version reworked for both the PlayStation Move and Xbox 360 Kinect is apparently in development. It remains to be seen if the Kinect control can consistently keep up with rapid movement and this just might be the game that proves its proficiency. If it does it could provide that reason to accidentally slap your granny by mistake.

6.Twisted Metal (PS3)
When? July – September 2011

A rehash of a classic PlayStation title; many remember Twisted Metal for combining hi-octane driving with insane combat action on the freeway. Good news is that Sony is bringing this to the PS3. Twisted Metal will focus heavily on multiplayer motoring tear-ups, with a rumored online play of up to 16 players or a four on one telly split-screen mode. Destruction should be on a truly epic scale – and rage late into the wee early hours – probably.

7.L.A. Noire (PS3/Xbox 360)
When? April – June 2011

Whenever Rockstar start creating a game console owners start getting excited. Billed as their next blockbuster and set in L.A in the 1940’s it’s an action adventure game that sees you behind the badge of Cole Phelps as he attempts to unravel a series of murders. I am not sure what to expect, could it be a sandbox game like Red Dead Redemption or a plot driven story like Grand Theft? One thing is for sure – Rockstar rarely fail to deliver.

8.Max Payne 3 (PC/PS3/Xbox 360)
When? Late 2011

After the crap, crap movie that had me demanding my money back. I am somewhat pleased that we are going to have a return of the game that started it all. Max Payne the police detective that brought matrix style gun-fights to the PC years ago is back – although this time he’s looks more like a mix of Mitch Pileggi and Bruce Willis. I have seen scenes where he is wielding a pair of Mac 10s and taking on enemies from all corners. Guess what? He still looks angry after all these years and guess what? I don’t think those painkillers he was taking in the first game have helped him one bit.

9.Mortal Kombat 9
When? Unknown (PC/Mac/PS3/Xbox 360)

At first I was very dubious over this title, and then I saw the game play. MK9 promises a return to the original style of Mortal Kombat and a welcome return of the original character list that we knew and loved make this well worth a look. Apparently there is a storyline which involves Rayden going back in time to the original Mortal Kombat tournament to right some wrong that changed history later on. Cue fatalities that will make your eyes water and those immortal words ‘Finish him!’

10.Portal 2
When? April 2011 (PC/Mac/PS3/Xbox 360)

I am really pleased that we will have a puzzler and a decent puzzler at that on the way. Portal was almost universally loved and brilliantly designed. So expect more of the same – creating portals that let you negotiate obstacles and overcome various puzzles. The sequel promises to bring a new co-operative two-player mode that allows two sets of portals to be created simultaneously. How this plays out remains to be seen – but let’s face it, it is bound to be interesting.

Frost Magazine’s Writer of the Year 2010

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It’s been an amazing three quarters of a year and we couldn’t have done it without the passion and hard work of the people that write for us. They each contribute something to Frost Magazine, not only articles but also their personality. The sheer variety of backgrounds, specialisms and styles made it incredibly difficult for us to judge who to award the title of ‘Frost Magazine’s Writer of the Year 2010’ to, however, after much ‘uhhm-ing and ahh-ing’ and analysing of stats we have come to a decision.

We chose the winner based on a combination of statistics and feedback from readers. Our writer of the year showed they had the uncanny ability to consistently pick winning stories. Of the ten most popular posts, four of them were written by our Writer of the Year. With a friendly and very informative writing style it’s clear why their articles are so popular.

So…drumroll please…the Frost Magazine Writer of the Year 2010 is….Junior Smart

Well done to Junior Smart from the entire Frost Team.

Playstation Phone – Truth or Fiction? {Technology}

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I always get a bit worried when too much hype surrounds forthcoming products. However the rumour mill has been churning for some months now around a Playstation Phone and I have to admit it’s getting hard to sit still, especially when, over the past few days, a couple of videos have hit YouTube showing off the gaming phone and its Android interface.

Check out the videos below, and decide for yourself whether they are the real deal ‘happy meal’ or nothing but ‘fan made’ fantasia.

According to sources it will have 512 MB of RAM, a 1GHz Snapdragon processor and a touchpad designed for gaming. Its biggest feature though is that will run Google’s Android OS, as well as Playstation games.
With all fairness though, as many techno heads know, most phones can run PSP type games albeit at lower resolution through things like emulators etc. Another thing that concerns me is the amount of RAM. Being in mind it will have to run your entire phone’s apps and games, is 512 MB really going to be enough? Sony are going to do something about the size as it looks like a brick and let hope they do something about that control pad too – it looks nasty! One thing is for sure – Sony are keeping it on a ‘real down low’ for now and saying nothing on whether it actually exists. However if it does, a Playstation phone could be one of the most innovative pieces of hardware of 2011 and a real contender to other touch screen phone rivals on the market – you all know who you are!