Dead Space

Overview

Title: Dead Space
Release Date: October 14, 2008 (US) October 24, 2008 (EU) October 23, 2008 (AU)
Developer/Publisher: EA Redwood Shores Studio/Electronic Arts
Genre: Survival Horror
Platform[s]: Pc, Playstation 3, Xbox360

Storyline

Set many hundreds of years into the future Dead Space, the new survival horror game for EA Redwood Shores, it’s a time in which the earth has run out of all of it’s own resources. To stop the human race from dying out completely companies were formed to find these much needed supplies, and the only place left to find these minerals and metals, is in deep space,  rather than use old time mining,  they do it by ripping planets apart and mining the remaining chunks of ex planet. This is were the USG Ishimura fits in, which will be your new home for the length of the game, it is nick named a ‘planet cracker’.

Before the planet crack can be ‘cracked’ a planet a small team of miners are sent to the planet in advance of the ships arrival to prepare the planet, and to see if they find life signs, normally there’s nothing of note on these dead planets. But this time… both the mining team on the planet and the crew of the USG Ishimura fail to report in, and a repair crew is sent to investigate the communications blackout

If you want an insight as to just what happens on the planet and what was found – watching the Dead Space Animated comics on the Xbox Market Place will fill you in on the details (believe me, they are well worth a watch).

When you first start the game – you play the part of Isaac Clarke, just a normal run of the mill Engineer, on a repair mission, simply there to repair a radio array and a few lights… turns out you also hope  meet up with your girlfriend Nicole who was a crew member on the USG Ishimura. You have with you a small team including  Kendra Daniels, a technology expert and Zach Hammond, the senior security officer.

After coming out of hyper-space you find the planet has already been ‘Cracked’ -  and the USG Ishimura is running dark – no signs of lights or life, apart from a few garbled radio messages, after you finally make it on board you find there is something much worse than a few faulty lights…

It appears when the planet was ‘Cracked’ something got loose… some kind of Alien virus capable of re-animating dead tissue, these are the Nero-Morphs who you will come into very close contact with onboard the USG Ishimura!

Gameplay

From the outset it’s familiar territory for anyone who has played the Resident Evil series, more so  number 4, the over the shoulder view point works well for this type of game, making aiming and more importantly running easy to do in the confines of the mining ship.

You main duties in the game are to repair and restart the various ship systems, some are easy – just flicking a switch will do it, others have simple puzzles to solve and all are to try and get the USG Ishimura back online and get home in one piece. This along with the combat is the core of the game, and as such does get a little predicable, since you know if you fix one system, something else will brake – but you are an engineer, so like Bob the Builder in space – you have to fix it!,

There’s also a lot of backtracking through the same areas,  however these do look slightly different depending on when you do it, and new hazards can and do get placed in your way. Both lack of Air and Zero-G in certain areas not only add to the urgency but also add some mini puzzles into the game, the lack of air can be combated  either by using a can of air, either found or brought from the store, or using Air recharge points that are scattered in some areas. The Zero-G areas are great fun to navigate and add new gameplay dynamics to the normal steady walking, or running found in other areas of the game.

The Necro-Morphs, which you will have to fight from the outset of the game come in many shapes and sizes and all have one thing in common, they all want you dead. To stop this from happening, you will need to ‘kill’ them first, I say kill, but since they are already dead, seems a little confusing… you can either waste ammo by simply shooting them repeatedly or  by using the games ’Strategic Dismemberment’ system – which is a more effective way of dealing with them, you can  remove various limbs and appendages’ to stop them in their tracks, but don’t think that just cutting their legs off will stop them, it wont.  They also have a nack of using the ships ventilation duct system to great effect, darting into to one in front of you, only to re-appear sometime later when you least expect it.

To help combat these monsters you have the tools of the trade, be that a simple curb stomp move, melee or choosing from a range of simple, yet effective tools, plasma cutter – to force guns, and even a few military weapons,  like the pulse rifle and flame thrower. Weapons are not picked up, apart from the starting tool the plasma cutter, you buy weapons from the stores that are scattered around the ship, after finding the schematic for it first, so you can’t simply buy the most powerful weapons, you have to find the schematic as well. The weapons / tools and your suit can all be upgraded – but only a ‘benches’ – work stationed in certain areas on the ships levels, you also need to  find the upgrade nodes to action the upgrades… so the hunt for those should be a major concern.

You will also get a few ’tricks of the trade’ as you progress though the first few levels – Stasis which will allow you to freeze items in space and time, also works very well on the Nero-Morphs allowing you to pick the part of it you wish to remove but it does have a limited amount of ’ammo’, which has to be carefully monitored. The other ability is Kinetic which allows you to pick up items and move them from a distance, Kinetic also doubles as puzzle solver and a weapon, since you can pick up items and fire them at the approaching monsters.

Ammo, money and first aid kits are either in glowing crates, boxes, and lockers or dropped by defeated Nerco-Morphs, since as you will find out from the various audio logs and vidio logs scattered about, the Necro-Morphs are what is left of the crew.  Ammo does get a little shot in supply depending how far into the game you get.

Save points are also scattered about the ship and levels, and thankfully these allow you to save as often as you like, something you will learn to do on the later levels is save, and save often!

Replay value could be a sticking point for some, the AI is very good and they never react the same, but since the puzzles remain the same, but the hunt for audio logs and upgrades could push you back into the game. One point to note, you can’t restart the game on a different difficulty level from the one you complete it in, and keep your weapons and upgrades. This is the only disappointment.

Graphics

Right from the introduction, the graphics are upto the high standards already set by other games, such as Bioshock, and in some respects they are similar, but are also original at the same time. There’s a realness to the places and items you find and see, they are all built with outstanding attention to detail, from drinks cans to logos on dead crew members jackets, everything is there for a reason.

The over all design for the ship has it’s roots in gothic design, and also has hints of HR Geiger,  famous for the Alien Designs, and as such, the ship takes on it’s own personality one which is just as eerie and unsettling as the Nero-Morphs. There are also some very nice lighting effects, and strobes along with steam and haze effects in the many corridors and room that the game take place in, and  these remind you to keep checking the corners and vents for monsters. There are several moments that are really visually outstanding, and you do get a few seconds to take them in, before the action starts up again in earnest.

Speaking of monsters – the Necro – Morphs come in many types, and all are very well rendered, from the smaller ones to the largest, they all have a slimly look to them, and you can tell that some of these things were once the crew. You will catch sight of a human eye, as it comes racing towards you, but you still have to deal with them. When you dismember one, there’s a very graphic display of blood and gloop – and you will also catch sight of squirming tentacles from the wound, which shows there’s some thing inside driving them on. The animation on the creatures, is well done and to see them try and crawl there way towards you after you have removed their legs is quite amusing the first few time, after that – you learn to quickly finish them off.

Any pick up you find or stumble across will flash up on screen showing off the Hologram in game displays – this is a great addition to the game, since all the menus, video displays, maps, and even your ammo count hang in mid air in front of you,  and you still have complete control of the game,  so can still make a run for it at anytime!

The first time you rotate the camera and see the back of the menu system, or incoming video transmission you will wonder why it has took so long to integrate such a system, but that is yet another game play element that makes Dead Space unique.

Sound

Voice acting in this game are of a very high standard, even if the players character, has a lot in common with Gordon Freeman, in that he remains mute for the game, the other people you stumble across and the audio logs are also very well done, adding to the whole experience

The musical sound track to this game is really hard to describe, it does have music, but the environmental sounds, and other effects mix into a sound scape that’s completely original and eerie to say the least.

It uses the best Hollywood scare tricks from the outset, from jets of steam to disembodied whispers, the overall effect is never less than disturbing especially when you then mix in the sounds of the Necro-morphs and the tell tale audio ‘stings’ used to jar your senses when one attacks, the over all sound is quite similar to the TV series Lost – but not a direct copy. There is off key strings, screams and voices, which all mix into an outstanding sound track.

Weapons have a solid sound to them, the reload sounds also have a nice cluck to them and you always feel satisfied letting a few rounds off into a Necro-Morph and hearing them scream in pain, and death gurgle.

 This is one game you need to turn the 5.1 up and enjoy it

Overall Score & Replayability

I was expecting a great looking, scary game, and Dead Space delivered.  It’s hard for a new series to get a foot hold, after the classic RE series etc, but EA have done it.

It plays well, looks great and has amazingly atmospheric sounds and music. The only downside to me is the lack of any co-op or online play, and the fact you can’t play the game again on a higher difficulty level and keep your inventory.

The game as a whole plays like a mix of resident evil 4 meets doom 3 with hints of classic sci-fi horror films like the Alien series, in fact the fist time you hear the female computers voice, you get an uneasy sense of familiarity. The fixing the ship plot can seem a little mundane, but the journey is so exciting

From the first level to the last -  the plot expands with cut scenes and audio log into a very moving one, and one that I hope continues. The scares come fast and strong, even if you think your not easily scared, I would suggest you at least rent this game.

Fight Night, Round 4

Overview

Title: Figh Night, Round 4
Release Date: June 23, 2008 (US) June 26, 2009 (EU) July 2, 2009 (AU)
Developer/Publisher: EA Canada/Electronic Arts
Genre: Sports
Platform[s]: Playstation 3, Xbox360

Storyline

The follow up to the ‘smash’ hit, Fight Night Round 3, Round 4 follows the impressive prequels basic game plan, which sees your low ranking fighter climb the ladder of success and become a World champion. Building not only on the success of the previous game, the latest installment, improves on just about every feature, and also there’s some fundamental changes ahead for the die hard FN3 fans.

Fans of boxing should relish in playing and fighting some of histories greatest fighters, from the cover stars Ali and Tyson to some not so well known contenders there’s almost certainly someone in the game you may have heard of, failing that download a friends or make your own – with the new and improved creation features.

Gameplay

The basic gameplay of FN3 remains  – two men slug it out to see who will drop to the mat first, or win on points – winning on points can be the only option in some later fights, so blocking is nothing to be ashamed of.

In the all new Legacy mode – which is FN4’s main single player campaign – see’s you starting out as a young hopeful preset boxer or a boxing legend (who is yet to rise to stardom)  or a custom created one with special mention to the addition of the Live Vision camera – so now at last you can map your own face onto your boxer – some results can be slightly scary same as in other face mapping titles, but considering boxers are not really supposed to look ‘too good looking’ we can live with that. You can also use your own music for your entrance to the ring, so get thinking about what your boxer would use – please no Britney.

The basic goal of the game is to try and get your lowly boxer who dreams of greatness, to the heights of glory, Your ranking is from  ‘Bum’ to the ‘Greatest of all time’ which can seem slightly odd playing as Mike Tyson, who looks just like he does at his current age and having to fight his way to greatness, but it is still a long process and enjoyable process.

To help you achieve this, your AI trainer will help you plot out your ‘Fight Calendar’ and build your speed and strength with one of the rather enjoyable mini games and sparring fights until your ready to fight the bigger names. The training and sparring matches do add a lot to the game, helping you feel as if your really shaping your fighter – and after training / fights your boxer now has to have ‘recovery time’ so once again another realistic addition, but you can always simulate them if you would rather skip through to the action.

Speaking of action the controls this time are purely with the analogue sticks -the ‘Total Punch Control’ system has dropped any button bashing for this fighter. The removal of the button controls, may be a problem for a few FN3 players, but the sticks are responsive and the boxer reacts with realistic weight behind each of the different types of attack – both sticks are used to control the movement and attacks of your boxer, along with the triggers and bumpers to mix up attacks and defensive moves. This can be confusing at first, but once you get the hang of it, you will be ducking and swaying out of the way of incoming punches with ease, ready to land a powerful counter- attack.

Countering moves, is an important skill to learn – since a counter punch can stun a opponent and leave them totally open to a knock out punch. In fact with a few powerful counter punches – a fight can be over very quickly – but doing so relies on very good timing.. so it’s an important skill to master.

When your fighter take’s a bashing – after the round and you return to your corner, your able to patch him up a little – or allow the AI to do it for you – it’s important to remember even a battered fighter can win a match if he is able to get a knock out or two – so it’s important not to underestimate your foe.

The whole game play has a more ‘instant’ feel thanks to the new and improved controls – and even the addition of onscreen displays of stamina and health – so you can see how much damage your punches land – adds to the feeling of playing as a one man fighting machine.

The Legacy Mode is a great step forward – from FN3’s somewhat disappointing single player campaign, and should add a lot more to the offline game, and make it more of a worthwhile buy.

Along with the normal player matches – which are easy to set up and play, which is the norm for most games,  there’s a whole host of updated features, not only is there an online world championship – where players compete to be the best in the world but your also able to download other peoples boxers and fight replays. Downloading boxers alone can be hours of fun – seeing some of the freaky designs people use.

Online is smooth and lag free for the most part – and can extend the life of the game somewhat – the online championship alone should keep avid boxing fans busy for months.

Graphics

The first game set a bench mark for boxing games, one that has been hard pushed to be beaten – the sequel however appears to have done so.

The boxers are animated in a very realistic manor, using it would appear,  a psychics based system to animate the swing of the punches, so they connect or deflect in a totally believable way. Beads of sweat run down their faces and explode into the air when a hit connects – and skin textures, as always, look totally convincing even in close up.

Special mention must go once again to the replays when you finally get a knock out – these are very well done.. seeing your glove hit someone’s face and the ripples wave out across it, all in slow motion, is a joy to see.. and almost cinematic in quality – plus you can watch the knock down again and again with different angles.

Crowd scenes and the bigger venues are well rendered, with decent animations, but the fighters should as always be your main focal point, and apart from the odd looking head / face on one or two – they all look like their real life counter parts and all look as if they could flatten a cow.

Sound

Any one familiar with EA games knows that EA love to mix games and music together - FN4 is no different. The EA Trax on this game is an interesting mix of hip hop / RnB / rap and most of the tracks are enjoyable, if that style of music appeals to you – they do not tend to repeat  too much, which is a bonus. The commentaries and advice from your trainer is done well, if a little repetitive at times, while they do not detract from the experience, they can grate after a while.

The sound of the crowd, the entrance music and the whole sound scape of the game just works, from the sound of a killer punch landing, which varies depending on the type and amount it hits – to the stunned and dazed effects, there is really nothing to complain about – unless you really dislike the taste of music used – in which case, as always, you can just use a custom sound track – I expect Eye of the Tiger on repeat will be many peoples first choice.

Overall Score & Replayability

For many Xbox 360 boxing fans, FN3 was the bench mark by which other boxing games are judged, so I am happy to say FN4 builds on the gameplay of the original and expands on it in a few ways. From the longer more involved single player campaign, which was FN3‘s minor flaw, to the custom boxer sharing and design, there should be something to keep die hard boxing fans happy for months. That along with the almost never ending fights on Xbox live, the game is a great game for fans.

The only downside I can see is that the Controls may turn into a stumbling point for fans of FN3 – but give it time and with practice you should be right at home with the ‘tweaked’ version of ‘Total Punch Control’.

If your a fan of boxing and want a game to play for many months to come, you can do a lot worse than picking this up. For others, boxing games can seem a little basic, but once you peer deeper you soon realise that it’s not about button bashing to win..  The gameplay  has just the right amount of trickiness to begin with, but give it time and learn the basics and you may soon be the greatest fighter of all time, if only on the Xbox 360.

Call Of Duty: World at War

Overview

Title: Call of Duty: World at War
Release Date: November 11, 2008 (US) November 14, 2008 (EU) November 12, 2008 (AU)
Developer/Publisher: Treyarch/Activision
Genre: FPS
Platform[s]: PC, PS2, PS3, Nintendo DS, Xbox360, Wii

Storyline

In Treyarch’s newest addition to the Call of Duty franchise, it may seem as if they have been watching ‘back to the future‘, since where as Call of Duty 4 placed you  squarely in the boots of a modern day solider, in the latest game, we travel back in time to World War 2.

The single player/co-op story is based both in the Pacific, fighting the Japanese army and across Eastern Europe, fighting the Nazi’s and both story lines encompass the gritty real life feeling of war, unlike any other WWII game has managed before.

From the tropical jungles of the island of Makin, to the rainy streets of Berlin, you will visit many varied places, each reflecting a real life battle, that has made the history books..

Now it’s your turn to step into that history, and make a difference.

Gameplay

Using the game engine from the award winning Call of Duty 4 : Modern Combat, Treyarch has been given a great starting point, but they have not just ‘re-skinned’ the older game. There are many advancements in not only game play but graphics, from the new dismemberment of enemy troops with either weapons or grenades, to the campaign co-op mode, which has been increased  from two to four players, it has also has been built from the ground up for this release, featuring not only normal game play, but also a new completive mode, which each player getting their own XP points for kills and objectives, these points also count towards your online ranking.

The basic game play remains unchanged in the series from day one, your role in the game is to complete objectives, killing the enemy in the process, and helping your troops move closer to winning the war. During this, you will play the normal ’ run and gun’ style levels as the Americans, or more a few more stealthy levels as a Russian sniper, in scenes similar to the film ’Enemy at the Gates’ – these sniper missions help break up the very intense close quarter battles, since now in the Pacific you face a new type of enemy, one that will try and kill you at any cost.. Even their own lives.

You also have the chance to not only ride on tanks, but also control them, in several sections you are either in control of or in a vehicle of some kind, ranging from driving a tank, to manning guns of a flying boat for a level.

The vehicle sections do make a change from the very intense fighting, and even though your AI friendly troops will appear to help you out, your mostly left to shoot the majority of the enemy yourself,  which can be a little over whelming on certain levels, so remember to use cover and grenades to your advantage.

On completion of the single player campaign, you will unlock a hidden bonus mode, called ‘Nacht Der Untoten’ or Night of the Undead.. Which places up to 4 players (via Xbox live co-op) up against a seemingly never ending waves of Nazi zombies.

The basic gameplay is to hold the building you start in, and defend it for as long as possible – with a short amount of time to rebuild defences, and rearm between waves – it plays like a horror versions of Gears of War 2’s hoard mode, but with the added need to bar windows and doors, to stop the Zombies from entering the building.

Online multiplayer remains mainly unchanged from the basic’s of Call of Duty 4, but with a few WWII twists…  First thing you will notice is the player limit has risen to 18 players on certain modes, and the weapons and perks have also been altered to fit the era, so while you may at first be unfamiliar with them, most are almost identical to modern combats sets, just the names are slightly different, and as always practice will reap rewards.

Prestige mode also makes a return, with the levels capping at 65 this time, and 10 prestige levels will keep many players going for months. Also different this time is the award of one extra custom slot for your weapon load out each time you prestige and the award of a gamer picture on second and tenth prestige levels.

Weapons and perks unlock as you play the online modes, as before, or via the new competitive co-op mode,  but when you first start, you also have a small selection of game types to play, so time needs to be invested in the game to rank up to a level that allows you to play some of the more advanced game types, such as hard core and search and destroy.

New additions to online game modes and making a welcome return from CoD 3, are tanks, which though powerful, can be blown to pieces with a little team work. Although they do not appear on all maps, these tanks are very much needed on some of the new maps – there are some simply huge maps, ranging from the battered streets of Berlin, to lush farm lands – each with plenty of hiding spots for snipers, or tunnels for tunnel rats.

Kill streak perks also return, but with the added WWII spice, 3 kills in a row will grant you an ‘Recon Plane’ which when activated, will highlight enemy positions using the on screen mini map (providing they are not using certain perks) – 5 kills in a row will allow you to launch a pinpoint artillery strike on any place on the map, so choose with care, or after a Recon Plane. And finally maybe the most debated perk..

The dogs.

7 kills in a row, will allow you to call in the attack dogs, which will proceed to hunt down and kill the enemy for you, or if you like you can follow them and pick off a few easy kills, while the unfortunate enemies battle the dogs. While this addition may at first seem odd, while playing the single player campaign, you will learn that dogs where used a lot during the war for many roles, so having them in the multiplayer is a welcome addition, to some.

Graphics

From lush jungles to the gritty streets of war torn Berlin, the graphics are never less than impressive, there is a slight loss of texture detail, compared with other games, but the over all scale and visual style remain very, very good.

Only a few times was there noticeable slow down, but this is mainly when large explosions are happening, or several peoples limbs fly off in different directions, yes limbs…

New to the series is the feature of dismemberment when you score direct hits with grenades and some of the more powerful weapons in the game, sniper rifles can remove arms, legs etc and grenades, if placed correctly, can produce a blood fountain, with limbs flying off into the distance..

New fire effects are also put to good use not only in the backgrounds, but also in some of the weapons, such as the flame thrower – which in single player is as lethal for the user, as the people getting hosed with it – due to the explosive nature of the gas tanks, a well placed shot will detonate the tanks, and the resulting explosion of flames and blood will be one of the moments you remember from the game, yes it’s gory, but in keeping with real life.

All of the new visual effects merge with the ones we expect from the CoD4 engine, such as shards of light, with floating specks of dust catching the light.. Models are detailed, yet textures seem slightly lower than in CoD4 – maybe due to the size of the levels, but at no point does the game look anything less than impressive in single player.

Online multiplayer , the graphics still looks very good, with slightly lower texture detail than the previous game, but only very slightly but considering the size of the levels and amount of detail, they can not be faulted, indeed some maps seem twice the size of the largest maps from CoD4, when you include the tunnels etc.

Special mention should go to Nacht Der Untoten with the Zombie Nazi’s looking very impressive, not only can you blow limbs off them , and they continue to drag themselves towards you,  but you can also see internal organs etc with repeated hits to the chest. It may only be a small bonus game, but the graphics on it have still been given a lot of care.

There where a few minor glitches with textures etc, and arms / legs coming through walls, but none that really could be said as game breaking.

Sound

From the roar of planes over head – to the famous actors voicing some of the major characters you will run across during the game, sound effects and voice acting is second to none, with stars such as Kiefer Sutherland and Gary Oldman staring as major support roles.

The score is also very well done, there is some slightly strange fusions of styles, with rock guitars punching their way though some of the more traditional themes, but the mix is very well done, if a little rock heavy but adds a breath of fresh air to the genre.

As you battle your way through the game, your AI comrades will shout out enemy positions and smack talk as you battle your way to victory. The enemy troops also are very vocal, and early in the game, you will fear hearing certain things from the hidden Japanese troops.. Such as ‘ banzai!’
Shots ring out with a great sense of power, especially the sniper rifles, which reverb around the surroundings, bullet hits on flesh and walls are also convincingly done, in fact your never in much doubt of when you obtain a headshot – since the sound of it is quite distinctive. The audio in the game all mixes into a very impressive 5.1 sound track, with enemy weapon fire easy to pin point, if like previously said, a little heavy on the electric guitar, considering the time scale.

Overall Score & Replayability

If you’re a fan of WWII games, from the moment the game starts – from the first slice to the final gunshot, you are in for a thrill ride, since this one of the finest games to show the conflict and scale of one of the most brutal wars. The new blood and dismemberment can seem a little over the top at times, but the general look and feel of the game is one of a top class title, Call of Duty: World at War – is one of , if not the best WWII first person shooter on the market at present. The warning about containing graphic war footage, one would assume also refers to the many bits of news reel footage used in the level intro’s which set the scene for the battle ahead, these scenes can be very graphic, but not more so than any War Documentary seen on TV.

The new pacific setting, and the Japanese troops who will run past soldiers to bayonet you, add a new dimension to the normal run of the mill game play, never again can you simply rush though open sections, since many times the enemy are waiting.

The single player campaign is a worthy successor to the other Call of Duty games, with two very interesting story lines, which this time, do not intertwine. It can seem a little short as a single player game at the lower skill levels, however veteran skill level returns and is as frustrating as ever on later levels, and will give a few hours more should you need it. Online co-op also adds to the fun, with not only competitive campaign, but Zombie Nazis to shoot, what’s not to like?

As with the previous games – there are some really stunning set pieces through out the game, and some truly amazing moments, which are equal to if not surpassing the previous games in both scale and drama.

Multiplayer is as good as ever, as long as you can make the backward leap from the modern combat of the previous game. The online game is equally as good to play as single player with  weapons and perks as rewarding as they are powerful.

The many online game modes and maps will have fans of WWII returning week after week, how many fans of CoD4 move to the older setting remains to be seen, however for some the gameplay of World at War may suit you more, since the mix of weapons, large maps,  perks and tanks is  a winning formula.

CellFactor: PsychoKinetic Wars

Overview

Title: CellFactor: PsychoKinetic Wars
Release Date: 3^rd June 2009
Developer/Publisher: Ubisoft
Genre: Shooter
Platform[s]: Xbox Live Arcade, PlayStation Network

I’ve never been a big fan of First Person Shooters, except maybe Duke Nukem 3D, Goldeneye and BioShock – but saying that you’re an FPS aficionado because you played any of those games is like saying you’re into Hip-Hop because you bought the track Puff Daddy released after Biggie Smalls got shot – so I was slightly surprised when the opportunity to review CellFactor: Psychokinetic Wars came up and I found myself grabbing the bull with both horns, and even more surprised when I realised I’d lost a good couple of hours to online deathmatch, even though I didn’t get any higher than second from last in the any of the match rankings (which is unsurprising, as it was my first on-line FPS dalliance).

Gameplay

CellFactor started life as a tech demo on the PC which then grew into a full (free) game. With that in mind you can certainly see where the games’ origins are, as there is no story whatsoever – no interstellar war being raged between good and evil, and no key characters to fall in (or out) of love with. For the standard FPS gamer, this can only be viewed as a good thing as it rids you of any alliance or emotion, and concentrates on cold, hard death and destruction. To that end, you could say that CellFactor was designed with the multiplayer deathmatch in mind, but there is quite a sturdy single player game hidden underneath all that online bravado.

There are three different classes of character (which we’ll come to later) to choose from, each offering different strengths and weaknesses that need to be learned and invested in if you wish to progress to the later levels or indeed, take your game online. The single player game is based around different challenges and team games which start off fairly easy and get progressively harder as you continue, teaching you the finer points of each character’s pros and cons…and although this in itself is pretty damn enjoyable, you can’t help but feel that it’s just some beefed up training module for the kind of bad-asses you will encounter in the online world. In a fairly bold move Ubisoft has given its characters “Psi” abilities alongside the usual pistol/shotgun/pulse rifle/rocket launcher armoury, obviously attempting to set the game apart from the rest of the FPS genre – and it works quite well, adding another dimension to the carnage and drastically changing your in-game tactics..

Each character has different levels of Psi/Weapon ability, which leads us nicely into the introduction of the aforementioned character types. First up: Bishop (no, not him off Aliens) – she’s a cyborg with large robotic mammaries and prefers using her Psi abilities over her weapons – shooting out blue beams and such in place of bullets & missiles etc. She can also fly for a short while as well, which is quite handy for getting out of trouble quickly. The Blackops character is the only humanoid out of the three, and is a good all rounder – he uses his Psi abilities in the same way as Telekinesis in BioShock, picking up random objects and firing them at targets using the power of his mind. He can also teleport quickly from one spot to another, but you can only move to close-ish places and shouldn’t be relied on as an escape technique. The Guardian reminds me of the X-Men’s Sentinels, favouring brute force and the ability to dual wield his weapons, and instead only really using the Psi abilities to run quicker (barging any hapless opponents in the way) and leap, Hulk-like, into the air.

The games themselves range from Team Deathmatch to CTF, to Assault – personally the most enjoyable – where you must capture a “hacker” hidden on the map, take it to your opponent’s base and wait for it to upload without getting blown away. Things can get particularly mental at times, especially if you have a full house of Live players who know what they’re doing, but it always remains enjoyable and lends itself very well to “one more go” syndrome.

Graphics

Unfortunately, the graphics are all very last-gen, using similar palettes and shades as the original Halo – and several of the maps have a similar, Halo-esque feel to them. Saying that, the maps are many and varied – each with their own distinct look and feel – and it’s easy to remember exactly where you are on each. There are no cut scenes to speak of, and providing you remind yourself that CellFactor was borne from a Tech Demo it’s easy to forgive its lack of graphical flair. One small bonus is the ability to “pimp” your character with a variety of colours and accessories, earnt as you progress through the single player campaigns. It adds an air of individuality, and is quite a nice addition.

Audio

Again, the sound is very last-gen – doing nothing new in the way of clicks, pops, whizzes or bangs – sticking to the usual tried and tested pistol/shotgun/machine gun noises, and slightly grainy yells of pain, mid death. There is a female voice over during the team games, letting you know when flags have been taken and dropped etc, and during particularly frantic sessions this can be quite annoying.

Overall Score & Replayability

All in all, CellFactor is a very enjoyable game, helping to fill a section of XBLA that is sorely lacking in decent shooters – if you can look over the last-gen graphics and sound, you will find a highly addictive game that ticks both online and offline boxes and although it is by no means a Halo or COD beater, it will certainly keep you coming back for more for quite a while.

Overlord II

Overview

Title: Overlord II
Release Date: 26/06/2009
Developer/Publisher: Triumph Studios/Codemasters
Genre: RPG
Platform[s]: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Nintendo DS, Nintendo Wii (Note: I am reviewing the Xbox 360 version)

Storyline

Overlord 2 is a game about domination, and not the kinky gimp mask kind either. The original was darkly humorous and became an underground cult smash which was missed by a lot gamers, which is a shame because it was a good game – albeit a slightly flawed and glitchy one. It was instantly likeable though, and offered something new in the form of The Minions, a rick-raggedy band of Gremlin-esque creatures you could send off to do your bidding on all manner of people, places and cutesy animals (mainly sheep). The new sequel sets out to address those flaws and glitches, expand on the dark humour and mythos of the franchise and (hopefully) entice some new gamers into the cold, oppressive arms of the Overlord…and The Minions.

Cast as the original Overlord’s offspring (Overlord 2 is set some years after the end of the first game’s last round of DLC), you set off to follow in your father’s footsteps and take revenge on the town of Nordberg after they cast you out as a weird, glowy-eyed youngster. The first level serves as a mini-tutorial where you play as the toddler version of the man himself, wrecking havoc on your similarly aged chums as they attempt to pelt you with snowballs. It also introduces you to some of the mechanics and humour of the game and the mischievous but destructive nature of The Minions.

Gameplay

Those familiar with the demo (out now on Xbox Live) or the original game won’t find the controls too hard to pickup, although Overlord virgins may struggle with the Camera/Minion control to begin with, as they’re both allocated to the right stick. Nudging the stick forwards before making any further moves puts you in control of your Minions, although in several places the computer appears to select either the camera or Minions for you, regardless of which way you nudge the stick. You can move the camera by holding LB and rotating the right stick however, which is a far easier option – and can be done while moving the Overlord himself, who attacks using A and casts magic using X. So, the real stars of the show are the Minions – as mentioned previously, you can control them specifically as a group with the right stick (also known as “sweeping”) in which case they will attack anything in their paths, be it parts of the environment, your enemies, or (as in the previous game) cutesy animals…in this case, Baby Seals. And although you may feel slightly dirty at watching your Minions club a batch of the fluffy white blighters to begin with, once you begin reaping the rewards (glowing orbs known as lifeforce, which gives you more Minions) it will all become part of the Overlording process.

Minions can also be “sent” in a particular direction to do their own thing by a tap of RT to individually send Minions, or the whole group can be sent by holding it down until they have all scurried off. In this case, they will usually carry out whichever task they think is best – be it attacking/killing, picking up dropped items from the enemy (to use as weapons for themselves) or moving key items to their relevant locations. Triumph studios has made a point of trying to improve the AI of your rabble, and 99.9% of the time they do what they expect you to do, although in the case of some areas where there is more than one key item to control/pick up, you may find yourself calling them back to you (by holding the B button) in frustration as you watch them try to leg it off with a keystone when you were actually trying to get them to turn a wheel.

There are four main Minion types on offer in the game, each unlocked as you progress further and each offering strengths and weaknesses to help you overcome enemies and tasks. The first and most common type are the Browns, which are your typical grunt type Minion – able to take a fair bit of damage, are good in melee combat and the only type able to wield dropped items as weapons. The Reds are fairly weak and tend to die quickly in hand to hand, but they are able to shoot fireballs and can suck up fire (if something in your way is ablaze and you can’t get past, send the Reds in) as well. The Greens are your Stealth option, able to blend in with a lush, green environment and if left standing for a short period of time they will become invisible – good for infiltration missions. The Blues are your Mystics, the only type able to cross expanses of water and can reanimate dead Minions lost in the field – but they are tremendously weak. All the types work well together, and you will find yourself sending the Browns in to start a fight off while you station the Reds on a high plateau to rain fireballs down on an enemy at the same time while the Greens sneak in to steal a key item, and for the most part it is quite a satisfying tactical addition to the gameplay.

Frustrations arise in sending the wrong Minion for the job, or losing a complete Army of tooled up cretins to a particularly annoying Boss character and then dying yourself, which can be a regular occurrence in Overlord 2. Much the same as the bosses in the first game, some (but not all, mind) of the bosses in Overlord 2 are all too easy and predictable – most usually a case of finding their weak spot, working out the right Minions to send into the fray and then taking advantage and chipping away at them with your Axe/Spiked Bat etc until they die. And there is an alarming amount of this in the game as well. One other minor quibble is that the maps are big, but also fairly linear- a sandbox version of Overlord would be awesome, however…and with an RPG element built in (a la Fable 2) it would be a serious force to be reckoned with – and you do get the feeling of being hemmed in at points. Triumph have attempted to offset this by improving the draw distance and some of the vistas are quite impressive, but more on that in a bit.

One of the original games major flaws was the complete absence of a map (and by Lennart Sas’ own admission, he has no idea why they didn’t put one in), which led to a good amount of time lost running round in circles while you searched for your next objective – and this is thankfully one of the problems that has been addressed in the sequel, and by god it’s a welcome addition. The map is a godsend, but also hard to read at some points, whereas the road you should be taking is not immediately obvious to you, leading to some retreading, and retreading, and retreading of steps – followed by kicking of one’s self for not finding the path in the first place. Also worth mentioning are the different Mounts available to your Minions, starting off with Wolves (as per the demo) and progressing up to other nasty creatures for each type of Minion as the game goes on.

Graphics

As mentioned earlier, the draw distance has been greatly improved and it really shows – some of the settings (although not up to Fable 2 standard, for example) are great, and the tone and feel of each level is perfect, and fits in nicely with the Overlord universe. New to this game is the ability to travel to different lands and countries (by boat), offering up some really nice stuff to look at. The Minions are well animated, but in places the Overlord can look a bit wooden, and some of the animations where he is jumping from area to area in his lair are wholly unnecessary. Some of the bosses are simply awful, too. The smaller enemies are great and look the part, however – and if you’re an Arachnophobe then watch out for the Everlight Temple level! Ultimately though, when compared to something like Dead Space or even Assassin’s Creed, Overlord is left looking like a slightly unattractive cousin that doesn’t use the 360’s processor power to its full capacity.

Audio

The sound in Overlord 2 is superb – the incessant chatter of the Minions in the battlefield is a constant source of amusement as they smash their way around the place, and even though the Overlord himself is silent the rest of the cast more than make up for it. The dark humour of the game is present throughout, and some of the voiceovers and jokes are well placed and raise a giggle or two. The music has also been well scored, and in places (particularly the Overlord’s private quarters) is quite beautiful – and it’s one of the main factors that make the game feel “right” and in context.

Overall Score & Replayability

The Overlord idea is a great concept, and despite a shaky start in the first offering, Overlord 2 redresses the balance with about 95% of niggles from the first game tightened up this time around. Despite a few minor quibbles here and there, none of them are particularly game-breaking and the new features will please the Overlord fans out there as well as offering a bit more bang for the newcomer’s buck – so if you were unfortunate enough to miss out on the first game, I would wholeheartedly recommend you head to your nearest game Shoppe on the 26th of June and purchase. If you don’t, I’m sending my Minions around…

OutRun Online Arcade

Overview

Title: Outrun Online Arcade
Release Date: 15/04/2009 (XBLA), 16/04/2009 (PSN)Developer/Publisher: SUMO Digital / Sega-Europe Ltd
Genre: DrivingPlatform[s]: Xbox Live Arcade, Playstation Network (Note: I am reviewing the XBLA version)

If you’re old enough to remember the original OutRun coin-op from the early 80’s, then chances are the memories are fond ones. Zipping around the brightly coloured landscapes in your Ferrari Testarossa, blonde bimbo at your side and Magical Sound Shower on the stereo…those halcyon days of gaming when Nintendo was the top dog (or plumber) and Sony were still making CD Players. Younger gamers and OutRun aficionado’s may remember the OutRun 2 coin-op, released in 2003 and ported over to the Xbox in October 2004 – brighter, beefier and mooted as a better game, and although the title of this XBLA update might suggest it’s a rehash of the original, look closely and you will find more than a hint of the sequel about Sega’s latest (cracking) addition to it’s Live Arcade resume.

Gameplay

Following closely in the footsteps of OutRun 2, OOA offers up several modes of play, and a rather spiffing multiplayer option as well. Alongside the normal Outrun mode (beat 5 stages in the quickest time possible) you get Time Attack modes (self explanatory), Heart Attack mode (complete tasks set by your girlfriend within the time limit) and the thoroughly compelling (and utterly frustrating!)15 Track Continuous course mode. The idea is simple, choose a car, choose a mode and get from point A to B in the quickest time possible – using drift (hard to master but an essential part of the game) and slipstreaming to earn extra points and add a bit of boost behind your bonnet. The cars are all fully licensed Ferrari beasts, ranging from the F50 to the Dino 246 GTS – and despite the odd top speed, they all handle more or less the same…meaning vehicle choice really just boils down to aesthetics and personal preferences. This really adds to the Arcade vibe, giving you the option to dip and dip out of the game using different motors as and when, without having to learn simulation-like nuances of the cars on offer. Tuned versions of each vehicle are on offer in the online multiplayer modes, but translated into gaming terms it just means their top speed is increased and they’re slightly twitchier to handle. Multiplayer is a joy as well, either enjoying a quick cruise round 5 stages with your buds or across all 15 is nothing less than awesome – although with no ranked matches or leaderboards on offer the only incentive is to beat your (and your friends) times to reach the top of the pack…just like in the Coin-Op days!!

Graphics

The first thing that strikes you about OutRun Online Arcade is just how shiny everything is – from the menu screens to the car themselves, the graphics just ooze the wonderful HD sheen we’ve come to expect from our beloved console. The stages themselves are lush, plentiful and exciting, and the feel of speed is quite authentic, albeit in a cartoony arcade fashion. Your on-screen girlfriend waves her hands in the air (like she just don’t care) if you do well, and – despite a pretty crap looking flip out if you manage to hit something with great enough force – collisions feel suitably painful. Birds and hot air balloons soar overheard in the transition between stages, and it really feels like no expense has been spared in bringing the graphics up to date in the best way possible. Each stage is different, and range from Las Vegas style Casino towns to Jungles, Mountain tops and a breathtaking Cape Canaveral after-dark stage.

Audio

Not only have the graphics been revamped, but the musical score has been given a complete rerub as well – all your favourite tracks from the original game have been polished up and remixed (while still sounding as retro as you remember them), giving proceedings an air of total OutRun authenticity. Incidental sound effects (vehicle noises etc) all sound as they should, and your girlfriend’s excited whoops and comments add to the feel of hacking that Testarossa around.

Overall Score & Replayability

OutRun Online Arcade could be your new best friend; once you’ve learnt the fine art of when and where to drift. It’s a game you can dip into for a quick single player blast or a monster multiplayer session between you and your friends and it has some real long-term replay value, providing arcade-y style trips down racing memory lane are your bag.

Street Fighter IV

Overview

Title: Street Fighter IV
Release Date: February 17, 2009 (US), February 20, 2009 (EU), February 19, 2009 (AU)
Developer/Publisher: Capcom
Genre: Fighting
Platform[s]: PC, Playstation 3, Xbox 360

Storyline

Street Fighter needs no introduction.  It’s fighting at its highest calibre or it was… after Street Fighter II the series never really hit the same levels of success, that’s not to say the games didn’t sell because they did but the sequels thereafter never met the expectations of old-school fans. 

Obviously story was always a minimal affair – as you’d expect and SFIV is no exception.  Arcade mode might start and finish with an animated cutscene but to be honest these are weak at best.  This is not a game about story!     

Gameplay

This is Street Fighter and long-term fans will know there’s more than one way to play.  Each character is different; some focus more on normal attacks, others on special and a few have both focused perfectly.  With all this in-mind it has to be said that not every character is equally balanced much like previous entries in the series.  To compensate for this some players choose button mashing – throwing out random combos in the hope that they land.  Others will strategically blend low kicks, high punches and special moves with focus attacks whilst commanding a full understanding of SFIV’s Super and Ultra Meters (leading to Super and Ultra Combos).  The beauty is that with practice both approaches work and there are twenty-five playable characters to practise with!

The multiplayer aspect is simple enough; it’s the same as the singleplayer but with more unlockables, more achievements, psychological tactics and the usual XBL advantages.  Everything is well rounded and great fun!          

Graphics

Core gameplay graphics are visually stylized 3D character models upon 2D backgrounds.  These look amazing; it’s an effort to bring Street Fighter II into the next generation which without a doubt has paid off.  It’s all very anime but with an ounce of oo-la-la.

Sound

Excellent music coupled with voiceovers available in English and Japanese as well as all those traditional sound effects we know and love.  It’s all brilliantly executed.   

Overall Score & Replayability

There are a few bugs, not many though and Street Fighter IV isn’t quite its predecessor twice passed but it is a great game which offers everything the genre should.  Some say Fighting games are a dying breed, I say this is the second coming.

Devil May Cry 4

Overview

Title: Devil May Cry 4
Release Date: January 21, 2008 (JA) February 5, 2008 (US) February 8, 2008 (EU), February 7, 2008 (AU)
Developer/Publisher: Capcom/Capcom Production Studio 1
Genre: Action
Platform[s]:  PC, Playstation 3, Xbox 360

 

Storyline

Without giving too much away DMC4 is based around a young knight called Nero and his mission to kill the legendary son of Sparda and series protagonist, Dante.  This is a story of love, faith and the epic struggle of good vs. evil.  So expect heaps of attitude, epic fights and the occasional twist which fans of the series will know is what defines Devil May Cry. 

On that note its fans of the series that’ll be most affected by the fact that newcomer Nero takes the lead in this chapter, with series veteran Dante in more of a supporting role.  Some will like it, some wont but rest assured that Dante is playable and does have a part in the story much similar to the way that Solid Snake was still playable in Metal Gear Solid 2 despite Raiden being the leading man.

Gameplay

Anyone who knows their history of DMC or indeed Capcom will know that the origins of the series lie within the Resident Evil and Onimusha franchises.  What ended up being the first game was initially designed to be Resident Evil 4.  However the game ended up departing so heavily from the original concept that it was made its own project and after witnessing a development glitch within Onimusha: Warlords, Hideki Kamiya found the inspiration for what ended up being Devil May Cry’s signature stylish combat system.  Many games copied but very few have mastered and we all know the format by now: timed button bashing and extreme combos all of which ranked based on performance both during and at the end of each level.  There we have it, the series has stayed true to it’s predecessors as DMC4 also follows the same system.  Why not though?  After all: if it ain’t broken, don’t fix it!  This time round players have two characters to play each with different fighting styles, Devil Arms (weapons) and Devil Triggers (demonic transformations) – most notable among DMC4’s various features though is Nero and his demononic arm the ‘Devil Bringer’ which lets the player toss enemies around effortlessly.  Oh and let’s not forget the big epic bosses, on the easier difficulties these can be taken down with little strategy but on the harder there’s a specific knack for each one.   Of course, Devil May Cry 4 isn’t all about the combat there are a few simple puzzles in the mix too!    

All of these gameplay elements are blended together and divided into missions, beginning and ending with a cutscene which propels the story forward as well as ranking the player according to deaths, items used, speed and style.  Meaning the better you play, the better you rank and those truly talented will of course find themselves on Leaderboard to compare mission rankings of both friends and the world alike.  Other features include a Theatre (for cutscene), a gallery (for game art and character models), a game library and eventually “the Bloody Palace”; your typically difficult Capcom style survivor mode.

Gripes players may have with the gameplay will usually revolve around three key factors; the camera system which can at times be uncooperative, the backtracking which can be boring and unimaginative and finally the key component of the game – the combat which some people will find repetitive.  For the most part the gameplay is solid and a lot of gamers wont find the above an issue.  

Graphics

Graphically the game is solid, it’s designed to push the 360 hard and most of the time it does.  Cutscenes are beautiful; the graphics are of very high quality.  Gameplay almost always keeps above 60FPS and the backdrops are designed with common sense as well as imagination (if something is supposed to be bright it is, if something is supposed to be gloomy and dull it is). 

There are however a couple of graphical glitches in the game but for the most part they’re so insignificant that they wouldn’t be noticed.

Sound

The voice acting is well delivered apart from a couple of one-liners which are presented much weaker than the rest.  Acoustically the real strength of Devil May Cry as a series is the blend of electric, rock, classical and choir music (yes, choir – though very little), DMC4 continues the trend and delivers in a brilliant way which in my opinion aids the gothic theme present throughout.  

Overall Score & Replayability

So… what’s my conclusion then?  Devil May Cry 4 will definitely appeal to series fans in terms of gameplay, though some might question story elements in light of the focus on Nero.  For those who haven’t played previous DMC titles you’d have to ask yourself what you look for in a game before buying this one.  Do you like fighting hordes of bad guys, timing your attacks and cocky, sarcastic, yet lovable characters?  If so, this will appeal to you.  It’s a well designed game targeted for a certain audience and I can say for certain that I consider myself among that audience.

The Lord of the Rings: Conquest

Overview

Title: The Lord of the Rings: Conquest
Release Date: January 13, 2009 (US), January 16, 2009 (EU), January 15, 2009 (AU)
Developer/Publisher: Pandemic Studios/Electronic Arts
Genre: Action
Platform[s]: Nintendo DS, PC, Playstation 3, Xbox 360

Storyline

By now we all know the plot of LoTR, even those who haven’t explored the books or seen the epic movies must have a general idea and let’s face it Peter Jackson owes us more than he knows.  Why?  Well, since the release of the first film we gamers have been drowned in tie-ins related to his vision of the franchise.  Conquest is basically a game which borrows heavily from the films’ most epic battles, plot-wise there’s nothing new to be seen as each level begins and ends with movie footage accompanied by narration from Hugo Weaving.  So, to sum-up – no true storyline exists but rather recycled footage conveniently tacked on with a familiar celebrity narrative as an overlay.            

Gameplay

Those who’ve played the Star Wars: Battlefront games will notice a lot of familiarity in both the single-player and multiplayer of LoTRC.  This is unsurprising considering the developer yet somewhat disappointing too.

 In campaign mode there are two campaigns, this is something we’ve come to expect particularly after Lord of the Rings: Battle for Middle Earth.  As I’m sure you’ve guessed one is focused on the forces of good and the other evil.  Both sides essentially have the same gameplay which is just repetitive battering of the same sequence of buttons but split across four classes (Warrior, Archer, Mage and Scout).  There are minor variations between each but nothing significant.  Then there’s the game’s biggest selling point, the heroes which are nothing but the previously mentioned classes with boosted statistics and familiar faces of which Aragorn, Gimli, Legolas, Frodo, Sauron, the Balrog, the Ringwraiths and Saruman are but a few to name.  Character models are ugly and often distracting (much on-par with the PS2 version of The Two Towers) and combat is for lack of a better word ‘clunky’, which isn’t helped by enemies who just adore running into your attacks then finally there are the character movements which are well… very poorly animated to say the least.  General gameplay is far below the standard set by other big hitters in the genre, if it’s a taste of Middle Earth you’re after then I’d suggest LoTR: the Return of the King which was designed and executed in a much better way than Conquest, shame.

 It is often a sign when a game is built with such simplicity that multiplayer is the focus, thus justifying less animations etc because it decreases the rate data transfers over the servers, theoretically nullifying lag.  I believe that in development Pandemic Studios probably had this in mind especially considering LoTR Conquest’s immediate connection with Star Wars: Battleground.  However, despite the multiplayer being the best feature of the game it fails to offer anything truly redeeming.  The idea is that sixteen players (eight-per-side) battle it out through Team Deathmatch, Capture the One Ring and Conquest modes.  We all know how TDM works and it takes little (if any) imagination to guess what Capture the One Ring is all about but its Conquest mode where any real fun can be found!  Basically there are points in each map where players must capture to increase score and earn heroes; it’s a little bit like Call of Duty’s domination only with a tad more variety and perks.         

Graphics

In terms of film location and the like, LoTRC is spot on visually and an absolute pleasure to see but as mentioned earlier, character models and animations are hideous – sometimes on par with early Playstation 2 titles even.

Sound

The soundtrack is borrowed from the movies so obviously it’s the same fantastic score we know and love however voice acting from the heroes is terrible, as are the grunts heard during attacks and such – Hugo Weaving (though mostly brilliant) even sounds bored on occasion as he voices the familiar Elf Elrond.

Overall Score & Replayability

Experienced gamers will have conquered the game in well under nine hours and apart from a scenario where the player gets to kill Gimli in the Mines of Moria there really isn’t much in the way of originality – it’s hardly worth playing the game once let alone again afterwards.  Multiplayer is sure to keep young people entertained as is it likely to keep some busy during a dull weekend at home but beyond that there isn’t really much to offer.  Fans may find a great rental, that’s all – I’m sorry guys this just isn’t a keeper!

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

Overview

Title: Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
Release Date: June 23^rd 2009
Developer/Publisher: Luxoflux/Activision
Genre: Action/Adventure
Platform[s]: Games For Windows, Xbox 360, PlayStation 2 & 3, PSP, Wii, Nintendo DS (I am reviewing the Xbox 360 version of this game)

Storyline

Based on the movie of the same name, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen attempts to recreate Michael Bay’s blockbusting take on the classic kids franchise of yore and turn it into a sturdy third person next-gen action/adventurer. Running adjacent to the storyline of the film but avoiding any major spoilers, the game sees the Decepticons attempting to find and resurrect Megatron after his supposed demise in the first film, while the Autobots, sworn enemy of the Decepticons and all-round good guys, are tasked with protecting the inhabitants of planet Earth. In gaming terms this means you get to play through a series of skirmishes masquerading as epic battles in poorly designed cities, with the two factions dukeing it out in a giant robot battle royale.

Gameplay

As exciting as a giant robot battle royale sounds, any thoughts of a wrestling game based on the classic franchise (now THAT’S an idea for a game) should be banished as Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen barely ever lifts itself out of the third person action/adventure doldrums. You can choose to play a campaign as either the Autobots or Decepticons, and in some cases (in fact, nearly all of them) it’s far more satisfying to play as the bad guys because not only can you get away with smashing seven shades out of whatever identikit city you may be trouncing today without feeling too guilty about it, but the characters feel weightier and handle more as you’d expect a giant killer robot to.

The overall narrative remains the same throughout the game, but depending on which side you choose will affect the outcome of each skirmish, and ultimately the closing movie at the end of the game – but it is interesting to see both sides of the coin, and again, bashing seven shades out the Autobots is far more enjoyable.

Control of your chosen ‘bot is fairly simple, with the left and right sticks controlling movement and camera respectively, while the face buttons are assigned to jumping, attacking and pulling off your character’s special move. LT puts you in weapon mode and RT (while in weapon mode) fires. Unfortunately, the one area that Luxoflux has really let itself down on is the one area of the game (and indeed, the franchise) fans will be most disappointed in and that’s the Transformation mechanic. Pressing RT puts your character into it’s vehicular state, but in order to keep him there you have to hold RT down THE WHOLE TIME – meaning that while the Transformation animations look and sound the part (more on that later), you will never really feel like a robot in disguise, as invariably you will lose control of the vehicle (the pressure you apply to RT translates to the speed of the character), drive into something or get RSI. However you are able to pull off advanced attack manoeuvres whilst transforming back into a robot, so it is quite handy from an offensive point of view – but these special attacks only serve as a way to dispatch your enemies quicker than usual, as it really is impossible to employ any sort of tactics or strategy when tackling your foe.

Nine times out of ten, battles descend into frantic button bashing anyway - and the severe lack of moves can be frustrating, as you are completely limited to a three hit combo by repeatedly tapping the X button. Yes, you have your weapon systems but up close you rarely get time to target your opponent before he’s kicked you in the ass and run off laughing. In this respect, the enemy AI appears to be quite snappy – they do attempt to adapt to your position to get a clear shot on you, climbing buildings etc to get an advantage, but in some cases you are still able to stand just out of your enemies line of fire (just behind a wall or at the bottom of a building, for example) and defeat them with your weapons. Thankfully though, fights are usually so frantic that you don’t get many chances to employ this tactic.

Boss fights are equally disappointing and cumbersome, relying on the age old tactic of learning predictable attack patterns and nipping in quick to do a small amount of damage before retreating and waiting for your next opportunity and so on and so forth. Although (and here’s a radical idea) it is actually possible to never die as your bot’s energy is regenerative: once you’re in the red (so to speak) you simply transform back into a vehicle and scoot about a bit until your health returns. So essentially, if you get bored of the ten minute boss fights you can just steam in with all guns blazing until your health dwindles, nip off to heal and then return. It’s a very crude way to fight, but if you can’t be bothered to do it “properly” it serves as a healthy alternative.

The missions themselves mainly involve smashing seven shades out of your opponents, but from time to time you will be charged with protecting NPCs from the film (Megan Fox etc) or reactivating comms towers within a set time limit, but mainly it’s a whole heap of metallic butt kicking that never really seems to get off the ground, storywise. Fair play to Luxoflux for attempting to follow the film without giving too much away, but this only serves to make each mission feel completely disjointed from the next and on no discernible timeline.

Between missions you are returned back to your bot HQ, where your colleagues summarise the outcome and comment on your performance. This is quite satisfying as a Decepticon, because it’s absolutely impossible to get through a mission without causing massive damage to the environment and the little human vehicles trolling about during a fight, and as an interstellar badass it’s in your best interests to destroy everything in your path. As an Autobot, however, it can be quite soul destroying hearing Optimus Prime whine for the umpteenth time about causing more damage than you prevented.

Each mission is timed, and you earn Platinum, Gold, Silver and Bronze medals depending on how quickly you complete them. You can also upgrade your team by earning Energon (a bit like Galactic Credits) during a mission, and then spending them on maxing out your health or improving your melee strength (among other things) - although none of these improvements seem to make much difference.

One of the most satisfying aspects of the game though, is the way you can unlock old G1 episodes of the original cartoon series once you hit certain targets within the game (use a particular character’s special power enough times etc), and there’s also a heap of easily achievable gamerpoints on offer during the opening stages of the game.

Graphics

Visually, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen is a bit of a mixed bag – the opening sequences of each new area you unlock and the cutscenes stay true to the films, and although they’re anything but lifelike it’s hard not to be impressed as they look gorgeous in HD.

In-game is an entirely different matter though, your enemies and the environments you fight in are thoroughly last-gen and we even encountered some pretty major slow down when things got a bit hectic on screen. Once you’re in control of a character though, you can see a lot of care has gone into recreating them faithfully and they do justice to the subject matter as well. The Transformation animations are particularly enjoyable and detailed, even down to Bumblebee’s doors appearing and then slamming down shut as he changes into the yellow Chimera from the films. Things explode when you collide with them, and it’s quite satisfying to watch your ‘bot slide down the side of a wall trying to catch hold to scale the side, causing damage to the building with their hands and feet as they do so.

One very confusing aspect of your controllable characters is that they appear to be larger than pretty much anyone else on screen. Your enemies (apart from the bosses) appear tiny next to them, and other vehicles just seem out of proportion next to your beastly motors. Maybe it’s the camera angle, an intentional feature (why?) or just a plain old oversight, but either way we found it really annoying.

Audio

Sound-wise, Revenge of the Fallen has a lot to offer – the musical score appears to be lifted straight from the film, mirroring the action quite well with fast paced backing tracks scurrying along underneath on screen battles and the like. The Transformation effects are pretty nice as well, at times sounding like the original cartoons and others like the new fangled films – all are satisfying and go some way to putting you into your favourite bot’s boots. The other, sundry effects (bangs, guns etc) fit in nicely as well. The voice acting is also pretty spot on, with Peter Cullen voicing Optimus Prime, and all the other Autobots and Decepticons sounding as they do in the films. At the time of writing we couldn’t tell you if Shia Labeouf or Megan Fox lent vocal duties to their respective characters but whoever did manages a pretty good impression of both and it adds to the “blockbuster” feel this game aims for but falls down on in so many other areas.

Overall Score & Replayability

Reading back through this review we’ve focused so much on the negative aspects of the game that we’ve forgotten to mention that if you can overlook these points (as we managed to do on several occasions) Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen is a very enjoyable little game. Yes, it would benefit from revised controls, an improved combat system and more of a next-gen sheen, but with a second cinematic sequel practically a dead-cert these are factors that could be amended for Transformers 3 – providing Luxoflux are at the helm again, of course.

We’d suggest a weekend’s rental or a bargain bin purchase at best; as unfortunately there aren’t enough good points about the game to warrant the £44.99 price tag. Achievement junkies and Transformers fans will find a small amount of replay value in the main game in order to complete both campaigns, but only true completionists will continue to grind to unlock all the G1 cartoons.

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