Batman - Arkham Asylum: Review

Lets be honest, there hasn't been a good Batman game since...well, since never. This is the first good Batman game, in fact its not good, it's great!

The game begins with Batman driving towards Arkham Asylum with Joker in hand, an easy catch, one would say a little too easy. From there we see the Joker escaping the clutches of the prison guards and raising hell from within the Aylum.

It's up to you, Batman to save the day and restore order once again.

From the get go you can see that a lot of love has gone into this title. From the stunning visuals to the fantastic voice work of all characters, especially the Joker who is voiced by none other than Mark Hamill from the animated series.

An action adveture sees Batman fighting, exploring and investigating his way through some of the most interesting environments I have seen since Bioshock. The Bioshockness does not end there, infact the whole game has that feel to it and I loved it from start to finish.

The fighting mechanics, building up combo's and defeating foes with slow mo counter attacks has never been so much fun. It doesn't just throw fights your way for the sake of it.

By the end of this 10 to 12 hour adventure you will feel as though you have explored the island to its fullest, the main campaign makes sure of it. I immediately jumped right back in to find the remainder of the riddler's riddles.

This is the first contender for game of the year in my books and I can safely recommend it as a must have game for 2009.

Gameplay = 8.8
Visuals = 9.1
Sound = 9.0
Game Now Score = 8.9/10

Review Round Up

Watchmen - The End Is Nigh Parts 1 & 2: I really wanted this game to be good, however the really lose controls and repetition just drive this game (both parts) to the ground. What we have here is a generic beat em up that fails to delivery on any front. 4/10

Infernal Hells Vengeance: Quite possibly the worst xbox 360 game to date, there is nothing positive to say about this game, stay well clear 2/10

Call Of Juarez 2 - Bound In Blood: When the original Call of Juarez hit the 360 a few years back it was faced with mixed reviews but the general consensus was that the game had issues. Call Of Juarez 2 has also split the gaming community. Some people had a blast playing it and others like myself found it a painful experience. Apparently the game gets better as you get into it but I did not stick around long enough to find out. If I have to play a game for 2 hours just to see it start to take shape then you can count me out. A game should start off strong from the moment you press START. 6/10

The Death Of Single Player Gaming?

There is a general trend I am noticing with every game that is being released in recent times. It's the "lets make sure we have some sort of multiplayer or co-op component in our game".

Don't get me wrong, I like it when developers include multiplayer that is done correctly, however I am getting increasingly annoyed that multiplayer is the new focus on many of these games. Take Uncharted 2 on the PS3 for example. Why anyone would want to play multiplayer or co-op uncharted 2 is beyond me. Why does every game need to have a multiplayer or co-op component. Why not focus your energy in actually making the game GOOD!

I know for a fact that there is a big team over at Naughty Dog (the people behind uncharted) that is working soley on the multiplayer/co-op component of the game. Let's hope it doesn't take away from the single player experience.

Even our faithful BIOSHOCK 2 has fallen into the multiplayer trap. I mean do we really need to see Bioshock multiplayer? really?

I would like to see developers focusing on what makes their games great and if that is the single player experience then lets get that part right. Don't feel pressured into wacking on a multiplayer game and have it be a throwaway thing as we have seen in most cases over the last year or so.

Is single player gaming dead? I certainly hope not.

At the 4th Hour -- Red Faction Guerilla

OMG -- I believe we have a sleeper here, Red Faction Guerrilla is a game that will creep slowly on the store shelf, and it is worth a look.
The back story here is all about the colonisation of the planet Mars, you are a demolition expert turned resistance fighter against the usual large corporation goons. From the start you notice that Red Faction, do things differently.

Lets start with the game play, I have the mention the destructive environment, armed with a sledge hammer and explosive, you can level entire buildings. The detail on the demolition when you swing your sledge hammer, will make you go wow. This game takes driving a vehicle through a building to another level. Then to the driving, you feel every bump and jump it is so much fun. As I am only 4 hours into the game, I was able to take control of a large walking construction vehicle, again so much fun. They have nailed all aspect of the game play here, this includes the ability to set multiple charges (so far I can set 5). Shooting is fun and I have to mention that the difficulty is quite hard on normal, which takes the game to another level.

The level design is something different again, driving around on the planet Mars, is different and amazing. Ohh did I mention that this is a sandbox environment. You can go and do what you like.
The detail in the destruction is so hard to describe, you have to see it for yourself.

The sound, is very good, speech is a little soft, but you can it the wind howling and the enemy talk about you being your back, as you seek in for the swing away kill.

Overall this game needs to be seen to believe, I can see myself playing this for a long time. The open world, the destructibility and the mission selection makes my top 5 list for 2009 so far.

Gameplay = 9.1
Visuals = 8.9
Sound = 8.6
Game Now Score = 8.8/10

At the 4th Hour -- Bionic Commando

This is a new segment, where we review a game after playing for it 4 hours. After 4 hours of game play, we feel that you can understand the basic mechanics and direction the game is taking.

Today, we are talking about Bionic Commando. You start out as Nathan Spencer, an ex government operative, those services are required again, by the government that had imprisoned him. A bomb has been detonated in Ascension City, and Nathan need to find the cause.

The gameplay is actually quite good, with you bionic arm, you can traverse great lengths, and it actually feels good to chain a few of these together. The game isn't an open sandbox as first thought, you move from point to point. The shooting aspect isn't the main focus, and this shows when you use the automatic weapons, the heavy weapons are impressive. The main focus is your arm, which you can use as a weapon.

The level design, is well detailed and very impressive. You traverse through a city, sewer, forest and building structures.

The sound is great, with the voice acting of Mike Patton, (The Darkness -- Jackie Estacado). The sound affects are also good, this includes the bionic arm.

Overall the game, is well worth the play, just be prepared for loading screens, it is a must to install this to you 360, as the load screens become very annoying, between areas and when you die.

I will be finishing the game

Gameplay = 7.8
Visuals = 7.9
Sound = 7.5
Game Now Score = 7.7/10

X-Men Origins: Wolverine - Review

The usual trend these days, is an action or kids movie comes out, out comes a game. Wolverine can stand with it's head held high, as it rises above the standard movie game, released in the last few years.

Wolverine has delivered with an ultra violent fight scenes, and excellent game play. There is also a great variety of the enemy's and bosses to fight. The usual weak and strong attack combo's are here and well as a nice block/counter system, gives you a chance to see more ultra violent "quick kills". A very nice feature is the lunge attack, allows to move turn the fight on it's head. Then there is the special moves, once you build rage. All very nice ideas.

The level details are very good, from the jungle to the sentinel factory. You will need to hop/climb/push and fight your way through. There are sometimes clipping issues, and camera problems, but they quickly forgotten, when you come up against a fully functioning sentinel.

The sound is a problem here, often I would need to turn the volume up, during the voice acting. I also enjoyed that Hugh provided the voice acting for his own character.

Wolverine is great, if you are looking for a game which you can pick up and play. The entire game took me about 10 hours to play, but it may make it back into my console, to be completed on hard.

Gameplay = 8.5
Visuals = 8
Sound = 7
Game Now Score = 7.8/10

Motorstorm: Pacific Rift - Review

When the PS3 first launched a few years back, Motorstorm was a title that really showed the potential of the PS3 hardware. Although the game was drop dead gorgeous, to me it really just played like a tech demo and wasn't much of a game at all.

How things have changed with Pacific Rift! This game was released in November of 2008 and somehow got lost amongst some of the AAA titles that hit during that month. I blame developers and publishers for releasing everything during November, makes it very hard for the end consumer. Enough with my little rant.

Motorstorm Pacific Rift fixed all of the issues with the original game. You have double the tracks(16 unique) more cars, even better graphics, you will be pressed to find a better off road racer period. The races in Pacific Rift are spread accross some of the most beatiful rendered environments you have ever seen in a racer or in any game.

The original Motorstorm was also a hard game with many frustrating races to be found. This has also been addressed in Pacific Rift with a feeling of "yes, I can still win this race eventhough I have crashed twice" to it.

Overall I had a great time with Pacific Rift and highly recomend it.

Gameplay = 8.5
Visuals = 9
Sound = 8
Game Now Score = 8.5/10

Assassins Creed 2 - New Hero

Char name: Ezio Auditore de Firenze
(click on image for larger view)

The Godfather II - Review

After a short delay in it's release date Godfather II is taking over stores today. Godfather II follows events from the great film of the same name, released in 1974. It tells of a mob war amongst several families and is played out in 3 locations. New York City, Florida and Cuba.

Based on the source material, Godfather 2 has an interesting story to tell but whether or not you will stick around to hear it is another thing.

What Godfather 2 has to offer is a very satisfying sense of control of your entire mob family and introduces a very cool way to interact with the world called "Don's View". You as the Don of the family can bring up a map of the current city and target rival family business and made men. So this game is one part action shooter and one part crime strategy. Combined together you have a fairly satisfying experience, but the game isn't without its problems.

A few issues I had with the game revolved around the game world and how you interacted with it or lack off interaction in this case. The fact that I could not jump over a barrel or even up onto a gutter kinda take you out of the experience. I have no idea why these limitations are in the game besides the fact that they would need to animate that movement. This simple issue really bothered me whilst playing the game.

If you are into micro managing units, in this case mob members then you might find Godfather II entertaining, however after 3 to 4 hours of the same type of mission structure, it tends to get old fast. Godfather II had me super excited to begin with but the more I played it the more I started to really dislike it and find it hard to recommend.

Gameplay = 6.5
Visuals = 7
Sound = 7
Game Now Score = 6.8/10

The Dishwasher: Dead Samurai - Review

The Dishwasher: Dead Samurai is the creation from Ska Studio's James Silva. It is a 2D side scrolling beat em up with loads of flair. The Dishwasher was the winner of Microsoft's initial Dream-Build-Play game development contest in 2007. Silva received $10,000 and an Xbox Live Arcade publishing contract.

Over 2 years in the making, The Dishwasher finally hit XBLA last week. Let me start by suggesting that you play this game on the 'easy' difficulty to start with. The game will beat your ass on 'normal' and above. Once you finish the story on 'easy' you get to keep all your cool weapons and items for consecutive playthroughs on the harder difficulties.

You play as an under appreciated dishwasher fighting through waves of various enemy's until the final boss battle at the end of each level. Your not going to play The Dishwasher for its story but more for its brutally fun gameplay. You are equipped with 2 weapons to start with but have the ability to unlock some great additions to your arsenal such as a chainsaw and automatic riffle and shotgun. You can only equip 2 of these weapons at once but can swap between them pretty much on the fly.

The visual design in The Dishwasher is fantastic, with edgy, highly stylised graphics that make the whole world feel just perfect. Sound design also deserves much credit from its simple but cool 'guitar solo's' to the excellent song selections during some of the boss battles.

Besides the story mode, you have other cool modes to explore. Dish Challenge involves you surviving waves of enemy attacks while attempting to score combos for points. There is also Arcade mode which are single screen areas that change the criteria and weapon layout at the start of each level.

A lot of credit needs to be given to James Silva for creating a game that gamers will love to play. It is also a testament to the power of XNA and will hopefully inspire other develpers to stop making crap and rushing games to market. At only 800 Microsoft space bucks, do yourself a favour and the independent gaming at large, pick this one up you will not regret it.

Gameplay = 8.4
Visuals = 8
Sound = 7.5
Game Now Score = 7.9/10

Review Round Up

Wanted - Weapons of Fate: This game reminded me of Dark Sector and 50 Cent Blood on the Sand. Only thing is, the new fiddy game is more entertaining. Frustrating action sequences, gritty cut scenes and generic gameplay all lead to a pretty ordinary release. 4.6/10

Wheelman: This game is really trying to be GTA but falling way way short. You may think this game is pretty cool 30 minutes in but just keep playing it and you will be tempted to through your controller out the window. Total disappointment in my opinion, give it a miss. 5.0/10

Call Of Duty World At War: Major improvement from Trearch's attempt and failure in Call of Duty 3. This game actually uses the majority of the assets from Modern Warfare and is a good game in its own right. I for one am sick of the WW2 shooters so found it a little hard to play through, but I finished it and its pretty good. Nazi Zombie mode is the highlight here also props go out to the multiplayer component of the game. 7.7/10

Afro Samurai: The game's artistic design is fantastic and the in game music is brilliant. Too bad the game does it's utmost to make sure you hate it. Frustrating camera, boss fights and having to backpedal quite a bit, bring this game down. It's a shame. 6.2/10

Seemed Like a Good Idea - Episode 1

RESIDENT EVIL 5 - Unable to Shoot while moving

Welcome to the first episode of SLAGI, in slagi we look at what we think are pretty ordinary decisions made by game developers. We will be looking at mostly newish games and we begin with RE5. We are all aware that Resident Evil is the grandfather of survival horror games and that much respect goes out to the franchise for what it did many years ago.

The fact that the core gameplay hasn't changed is a little concerning. RE5 is essentially a action shooter with enemies coming from left right and center and in many cases are right up in your face. We are stuck with having to run away from an enemy do a quick turn(thank god that made it into the game) and then start shooting.

Not being able to run and shoot in RE5 is a total let down for many gamers. Lets make this clear, if this wasn't a Resident Evil game no one would stand for such a bad decision. To make things worse the developers were talking about the ability to be able to run and gun but had to pull it from the game late in its development.

RE5 is still a great game but you can bet your bottom dollar that RE6 will not have 1990's controls :)

Modern Warfare 2 - November 10th 2009

Infinity Ward have announced that the next chapter in the modern warfare series will be hitting shelves on the 10th November of this year. They also released a short teaser trailer which many people don't think much of, I personally like it.

We all remember how good the single player campaign was in the first game, it did things that have never been seen before in a FPS. November seems to be getting crowded already. All we need now is an Alan Wake announcement...I Wish

Rockstar Announces Max Payne 3

Rockstar have just announced that Max Payne 3 will be heading our way this holiday season (Nov/Dec 09) From the early details just coming through this morning, the game will be a fresh start for the series. By the looks of things, Rockstar is making this game even darker than the previous ones. I for one am extremely excited about this news, bring on the Payne!

WWE Legends of Wrestlemania - Review

From the creators that brought you the Smackdown vs Raw series, legends of Wrestlemania is a simplified brutal adventure down memory lane. Gone are the complicated control schemes, they have been replaced with a fairly simple yet clunky controls.

Legends of Wrestlemania allows to to relive many of Wrestlemanias big fights over the last 25 years. From Bundy vs Hogan to Honky Tonk Man vs Brutus the Barber Beefcake, all the big fights are there. You can either relive, re-create history of those big fights, in other words you can also play as Bundy and win against Hogan to redefine the fight.

All fights have an owesome video feature that is about 2 minutes long that shows you the events that lead up to the big fight. In typical WWE style, these videos are the highlight of the game as they are over produced and very well edited, fans will love them.

Were Legends of Wrestlemania falls short is in the visuals, sound and gameplay. The review so far has been quite possitive, however the core fundamentals of the game leave a little to be desired. Although the controls have been simplyfied they are not simple enought. I would have loved it if they made this a true arcade game like wrestlemania was back in the day. Instead it feels a little clunky and is a bit of a let down.

The character models are a bit of a hit and miss, some look ok and others look pretty bad. Hogan for example is way too buffed and his model isn't really an indication of what he looked like back in the day. The graphics in general are just ok. The crowd looks terrible as per usual.

Sound is ok with comentary comparable with any other wrestling game out there. There is a cool feature to import all wrestlers from your WWE Smackdown Vs Raw 2009 game. As long as you have a savegame you will be able to import all wrestlers.

Overall WWE Legends of Wrestlemania is an average wrestling game which will please the hardcore fans of the series. It fails to fix the playabilty issues that have plaugued the series for many years. Bring back Wrestlemania: The Arcade Game I say!











Gameplay = 6.5
Visuals = 7
Sound = 6
Game Now Score = 6.5/10

Resident Evil 5 - Review

After playing that dreadful RE5 demo that was released a few months back, I wasn't expecting too much going into RE5. Well to my delight, that demo really isn't an indication of what RE5 is like, yes that part of the game is still a pain in the ass but the game is so much more.

RE5 is not a survival horror game which may disappoint some fans of previous RE games. It is an action/adventure/shooter that hits on many targets.

Visually you will struggle to find a better looking game out there with some of the most beautiful rendered environments and character models ever seen. The story of RE5 is ok, you play as Chris Redfield and you have been sent to Africa on assignment to investigate in incident that's occurred in the area. You meet up with your new 'partner" Sheva and from there things get interesting. Let's just say that your old partner 'Jill' plays a part in RE5 and fans of the series will like the story, those that havent played previous games might feel a little lost in parts.

The game is heavily focused on co-op gameplay but the game lends itself well to playing single player with the console doing a fine job of controlling Sheva.

The game is broken up into a total of 6 chapters, each chapter consisting of 2 to 3 parts. The game overall isn't that long and on the normal difficulty can be completed in roughly 8 hours.

Many people will find the fact that you can't shoot and run a little annoying especially as the game has gone into the action adventure rout and steers a little away for survival horror. This is a small issue however as soon as you accept that you cant shoot and run and adapt, the sooner you will be having fun with RE5.

This is a must play for all hardcore gamers, excellent level design, great sound and breathtaking visuals, RE5 is a heap of fun.

Gameplay = 7.5
Visuals = 9.5
Sound = 8
Game Now Score = 8.3/10

Eat Lead: The Return Of Matt Hazard - Review

Eat Lead is one of those games that flew under the radar of most peoples "games for 2009" list. I for one didn't even realise it was due for release. So I popped it into my 360 and had a look, what I found was a fun game that made me laugh throughout the entire campaign.

Eat Lead is a story about Matt Hazard, a "retro gaming hero of 25 years" that is back after a 6 year break from making games. This is Matt's first next gen game but there is a twist. The CEO of the gaming company has completely taken over the game world and is manipulating it on the fly trying to get you killed. It's a great idea that works well. So instead of fighting new enemies in this 'next gen' game you will be facing old enemies from your 25 year carrier in video games.

It's actually very funny when you have to fight 8 bit sprites and enemies that use water pistols as weapens from a game you did 10 years ago titled "get soaked".

Eat Lead pokes fun at all gaming genres including Mario, WOW, JAP RPG and Wolfenstein.

The gameplay is simple and also a lot of fun. The CEO is out to get you so he will mix things up mid level to through you off, I found this very entertaining.

The graphics in Eat Lead are good with some nice touches on character models in particular. The music does not hold up as well.

If your a fan of Duke Nuke'Em then you will have a blast with Eat Lead. I finished the game in around 7.5 hours so its not that long, however those 7.5 hours were a lot of fun.

Gameplay = 6.5
Visuals = 7.5
Sound = 6
Game Now Score = 6.6/10

Halo Wars - Review

Let me start by saying that Halo Wars is not your typical Real Time Strategy (RTS) game. When I say typical I mean slow paced, complex and massive battles that you have come to expect from such a game.

Halo Wars is all about small but highly entertaining levels jam packed with interesting objectives and firefights. It is a shame that this is the last we will see of Ensemble Studios since they have packed up shop a few months ago. It is also a shame as they have created a very entertaining and approachable game for the 360.

The presentation in Halo Wars is fantastic and Halo fans will love the respect they have given to the Halo brand and its story. The cut scenes are of the highest quality and the game engine runs smooth with no noticeable slowdown.

Sound design is also great and is on the lines of what you would hear whilst playing Halo 3.

The only negative thing that can be really be said about Halo Wars is that it's fairly easy and it's single player campaign is not that long. Around 6 to 7 hours of gameplay.

Halo Wars can only be described as an action RTS game that has been custom built to be played on a console. I had a lot of fun playing it and I think you will too.

Gameplay = 8
Visuals = 8
Sound = 8.5
Game Now Score = 8.2/10

GTAIV: Lost and Damned - Review

In arguably the best downloadable addon to a game on the 360, is the Lost and Damned everything we have come to expect from Rockstar or does it fall flat on its face.

Well after completing the new campaign in just over 10 hours I can assure you this is a great addition to an already brilliant game. What you have in TLAD is a brand new character by the name of Johnny and his story of a power battle within a biker gang. It all leads up to very heated and very memorable characters in typical Rockstar fashion, TLAD doesn't disappoint.

TLAD is a whole new campaign although its packed with many surprising tie ins to the original game and Nicko Belic appears quite a few times to my delight.

The missions are simular to what we had in GTAIV however they are more gang focused and you will often find yourself rolling with your gang on your way to target other rival gangs. That along side the internal gang power struggle makes this content very satisfying.

There is no need to go into who the game looks and sounds as we are all aware that Liberty City feels so alive and is a real achievement on the part of Rockstar.

So if your into GTA you need to play the Lost And Damned, plain and simple.

I am looking forward to the next chapter which will hopefully be out towards November.

Gameplay = 8
Visuals = 9
Sound = 9.5
Game Now Score = 8.8/10

F.E.A.R 2: Project Origin - Review

What a ride!, from hi-tech weapons, to armored mec's and lets not forget to mention the slow-mo button for added effect. F.E.A.R 2 is a great FPS. As the story unfolds, you realize that Alma is back and she is pissed. The story is an excellent continuation on where it finished from the first installment

Visually the game is very good, and the level of detail is something to be impressed with. I have to make special note, of how it looks while you are in the mec, and the level of devastation as you play through. The sound is also very impressive, I run all my games through my Denon Amp and Aaron speakers, and to hear the comments from the super soldier and the gun fire, makes you want to pump it up.

Gameplay, the movement and slow down button, makes for an enjoyable experience. The game excels, when it switches modes, from fighting super soldier, to ghosts, and watching cut scenes, repetition is far from your mind.

This game is very linear, so don't expect a large amount of exploring.

Overall this is an excellent game, and I enjoyed playing it.

Gameplay = 7.9
Visuals = 8.5
Sound = 8.5
Game Now Score = 8.3/10

50 Cent - Blood on the Sand - Review

50 Cent - Blood on the Sand is a surprisingly good game. Yes I know I can’t believe it either. In all honesty we were not expecting big things from this game as 50’s previous game was terrible. So terrible that I’m not even going to mention the title of it. All you need to know is that 50 is back with an action shooter that is fun on many levels.

The game starts off with 50 performing a concert somewhere in the Middle East. After the show 50 goes to collect his cash however the promoter doesn’t have the funds. He offers 50 something far greater than money, something that is priceless. A diamond encrusted female skull! Yeah ok, I know the story sound shocking but trust me it works. Anyway 50 leaves with his skull however doesn’t get far as he is ambushed and the skull is taken away from him. You spend the majority of the game trying to get your prize back.

The action in Blood on the Sand is great. The shooting feels spot on and the game looks great on the unreal 3 engine. Its basically Gears of War just not as polished. Its got similar cover mechanics like Gears and again it doesn’t feel as responsive, still a heap of fun to play.

The sound is great with tracks from 50 playing in the background as you go about your business of blowing people into pieces. Blood on the Sand is a relatively short game however short does not mean bad, in fact this game is a fun arcade feel shooter that is sure to please all that play it.

Gameplay = 7.5
Visuals = 8
Sound = 7.5
Game Now Score = 7.6/10

Street Fighter IV - Review

When it comes to fighting games, no one does it better than Capcom. Street Fighter 2 set the benchmark many years ago and since then other fighting games have tried and failed to capture the true essence of fighting. Don't get me wrong, Virtua Fighter and Tekken are both great games but they ain't no Street Fighter.

Street Fighter IV is here and is breathtaking in every way. The visuals need to be seen to be believed, with a very unique artistic style. Character models look great and the attention to detail is very impressive.

You have all you standard modes you come to expect from SF but a nice touch is the ability for other players to challenge you whilst you are playing the single player Arcade mode. So you will find yourself fighting through the various stages of the single player game and all of a sudden, you will get challenged by someone over XBL or PSN. A great touch which really brings the feel of the arcade to your home. The game is extremely polished and plays perfectly. Multiplayer games play surprisingly smooth without much lag to report at all.

There are a bunch of hidden characters to unlcok as well as videos, photos and more. A very comprehensive package which I can recomend not only to the fighting fan but to all xbox and playstation owners. Street Fighter IV has raised the bar when it comes to fighting games and I dont see it being challenged for a little while yet.

Gameplay = 10
Visuals = 9.0
Sound = 8.0
Game Now Score = 9/10

Burnout Paradise - 1 Year on!

When Criterion Games released Burnout Paradise in January of 2008 the game was a huge success. It received great reviews and for good reason, the game is brilliant.

Since the release over 1 year ago we have seen a lot of FREE content added to the game, with motorbikes, weather effects, day/night cycle plus more, all added free of charge. The latest update 1.6 adds improved visuals, vehicle dynamics overhaul and refined gameplay. All this adds up to a very polished game that still plays perfectly and at a blistering pace.

Paradise City is a pleasure to drive around in and I personally cant wait for future updates like "The Fuzz" which will bring cops to Paradise City.

If you haven't checked out Burnout Paradise in a while do yourself a favor, step back into Paradise City were the grass is green and the girls are pretty :)

Skate 2 -- Review

After playing Skate for many hours, this has been on my watch list for many months. I would have to say that EA Black Box, has delivered a much improved game.

The basic story is, you are out of jail, and looking to Skate, in the New San Van, constantly looking over your shoulder for security guards.

The game play has been ramped up (sorry for the pun), with more tricks and movable objects to finger flip over. You seem to have more control to perform tricks and rail slides, I handed the controller to my wife, and she commented "It is easier for do tricks". If you are into Party play, this is the big improver on previous version, by adding your points in a line, rather than stuck with 1 trick.
Here are other area's of improvement, better view (your legs are not taking half the screen) Peds jump out of your way, as the game states "we have learnt how to walk" and detail has been added to the Hall of Meat"

Concerning the graphics and sounds, it all looks smooth and well detailed, and you do get pumped when you are flying down a ramp to Ozzie Osbourne.

This game is an improvement on the previous version, and I will enjoy playing this game, if you enjoyed SKATE, you will love this. You will enjoy seeing new locations and visiting old haunts. In a short pace of time, you will get back into the zone.

Oh BTW, Teleport to an event gets my thumbs up

Gameplay = 8.9
Visuals = 8.0
Sound = 8.0
Game Now Score = 8.3/10

Killzone 2 - Halo killer?

2008 was a great year to be a xbox 360 gamer, however the PS3 had its fair share of exlusives to keep it in the hunt. There is no doubt that the 360 had better content overall however will 2009 be the year of the PS3?

Many are suggesting that if the PS3 is to make any ground on the 360 this year, Killzone 2 will be one of the games that will make a difference. From what we have seen so far Killzone 2 will feature jaw dropping visuals and brilliant sound and lighting effects.

Lets hope that the story is also worthy and that Sony get the multiplayer right from day one. This should not be a problem with the recent Resistance 2 doing very well on the multiplayer front.

Is it a Halo killer? Well they talked about Killzone 1 being the Halo killer many years ago and that didn't go down to well, that and also the fact that Killzone 1 was a terrible game.

With some interesting content heading to the PS3 this year, we could see the next gen war heat up - bring it on I say.

Top 5 iPhone/iTouch Games

Over the last few months we have seen an influx of quality games on the iPhone/iTouch. Developers are embracing the iphone/itouch as a legitimate gaming platform and with games such as Rolando and Fieldrunners you can definitely see why.

Here are my picks for the 5 best iphone/itouch games available at the moment.

1. Rolando (ngmoco) - Rocoloco type game with great visuals
2. Fieldrunners (Subatomic Studios) - Addictive tower defense type game, very well made.
3. Bejeweled 2 (Pop Cap) - The classic gem puzzle game, perfected on the iphone/itouch
4. Dropship (ngmoco) - addictive choplifter type game built from the ground up for iphone/itouch
5. Dr. Awesome (ngmoco) - brilliant use of your personal contact list, save them while you can

It is fair to say that developers ngmoco are leading the way with iphone game development and purchasing any of their 5 games is a safe bet. Check out their web site for further information - http://www.ngmoco.com/games.php