ASSASSIN'S CREED REVELATIONS REVIEW

This is now the third year in succession that we've seen a new Assassin's Creed game. Much to everyone's surprise last years entry, Brotherhood was a fantastic game and was a personal highlight. I enjoyed every minute of it's well written narrative, gorgeously designed world and of course Ezio himself. Revelations tries to build on Brotherhood and the foundations set before it in Assassin's Creed II.

Revelations sees the end of the Ezio Auditore trilogy while also closing the chapter of the first assassin, Altair Ib'In lhad. Ezio is getting on a bit for his age and for his final mission he has travelled to Constantinople in order to recover five keys left by Altair. The keys unlock a historic area in Masayf - the setting for the first game in the series.

At certain points during the game you will travel back to the time of Altair. You don't play as Altair often but his parts are key to the story in expanding the overall narrative. Altair's missions though do feel a little tacked on and even (dare I say it) a bit of a rush job. One mission in particular saw me following an ally trying to avoid combat, but while following, my ally would randomly go too far ahead of me and I would de-sync. It sounds like I just wasn't following closely enough but it really wasn't. I just got the impression it was a bit broken and I know I'm not the only one this has happened too. Another one of Altair's missions doesn't work well but any details from that would be a big spoiler so I"ll refrain. If you can overlook this small problem then Altair's role is a nice change of pace all be it a far too frequent one.

Despite Altair's short sections, 95% of the game is taken up by Italian protagonist and AC mainstay Ezio Auditore Da Firenze, to give him his full title. Like AC2 and ACB he steals the show. Despite being a lot older, Ezio is still the charming charismatic showmen we all know and love but this time he comes with an added touch of humility. The development of his romantic interest, Sofia, is handled well throughout and for those wanting more, Ubisoft have put out an animated short called Assassin's Creed: Embers which I highly recommend watching.

Along the way Ezio learns a few new tricks most notably the Hookblade. While climbing in AC games has always been a breeze this new gameplay mechanic allows the player to climb walls quicker, add new combo moves and more interestingly zipline across the city. While the ziplining idea looks good on paper, it wasn't really used enough and just finding a zipline itself while hopping across the city was a rare occurrence. It certainly was a welcome addition to climbing, but the 'clank' sound it makes as you go up a wall takes a little bit out of the moment of being an assassin. But luckily enemies don't seem to hear you 'clanking' near them, as long as your out of sight.

But what of Ezio's newly found home? Constantinople. While the switch from Italy to Turkey should have seen some changes in the landscape you'd be hard pushed to really find any. With just a casual glance at both Rome (in ACB) and Constantinople the only difference seems to be an orange hew which glazes over the Turkish capital. I would've liked to of seen a different approach in the environment but the development team have still managed to capture the same sort of NPC community that made me want to be apart of Rome and now Constantinople. The only other loss in the environment are ACB's horses who proudly strode around Roma. Being replaced by sparse ziplines and boats that connect the two parts of Constantinople.

But my biggest problem with ACR wasn't the age of Ezio or indeed the predictable nature of the game itself as it follows a similar path to the previous two titles. Revelations didn't have a character anywhere near the likes of the Borgias in Brotherhood and that was a real shame. I didn't feel like there was an urge for me to continue the story for the first two thirds of the game. The last third ramps it up a bit but not to the highs of Brotherhood or even AC2.

Unfortunately, Revelations fails to live up to the high standard set by Brotherhood and the AC engine, like Ezio, is starting to show its age. It was hard coming from Uncharted to play ACR, the difference in animation and graphics are like night and day. But while an overhaul is needed, ACR does what Assassin's Creed games do best and drag you into its world. A world that ultimately you end up falling in love with. We know Assassin's Creed 3 and a conclusion to this intricate story are forthcoming, I just hope we have an up to date game to really do the finale justice.

8.5

SONIC GENERATIONS REVIEW

Sonic isn't back.  Contrary to what all the other review sites tell you, we won't pity your knowledge of the blue blur by 'welcoming' him back.  To those with a keen eye on everything Sega he never really went away.

Last year was the start of the Sonic comeback with the brilliant Sonic 4 and excellent Wii exclusive Sonic Colours.  This year though Sega have gone one better by giving the world Sonic's best game since Sonic Adventure 2 on the Dreamcast back in 2002.

Generations sees the inclusion of not one but two Sonics.  Some crazy time eater monster has decided to mess with time and space in Sonic's world and this mad plot twist has seen both the rounder and cuter classic Sonic and the more modern slimline Sonic appear in the same game.

All nine levels are split up into two acts, the first one is for Classic Sonic and features 2D gameplay that all fans of the Genesis/Mega Drive era will love and remember fondly.  While Act 2 see's Modern Sonic take the lead roll in all his homing attack, break neck pace loving self.

Both versions play brilliantly and could so easily have made two separate games.  At first switching between the two Sonic's is kind of awkward, I initially kept attempting homing attacks and boosts with Classic Sonic but after a while of adjustment it seamlessly fits together.

But it's not the notion of having two Sonic's that steals the show here but the level design themselves.  Every stage is based off one from a previous Sonic game.  All main Sonic titles are represented by one level except Sonic 3.  This gives us nine stages but it does feel a little short.  I'm well aware that one Sonic level takes an age to create due to the speed you go through it but it only took me just over four hours to complete the story.  I would have liked at least another three stages.  We might see some extra as DLC but I am a bit miffed at the lack of Lava Reef and Ice Cap from Sonic 3 and Knuckles.

All the levels are fantastic, the only bad one of the bunch would have to be Planet Wisp but even that level looks wonderful and has some interesting all be it frustrating ideas at times.  One of my personal favourites would have to be the 2D Crisis City.  To run to the goal post and actually see it fly away from me was a real eye opener.

Apart from the usual nine stages Sonic Generations gives so much more, it really is a Sonic fans wet dream.  After collecting hidden red rings in the normal stages and completing some of the 100 challenges on offer you'll unlock a whole treasure trove of stuff.  Artwork, music, videos and even character trophies it's a wonderful nod to Sonic's worldwide fan base.

Is this the greatest Sonic game of all time?  No it's not, that title still belongs to Sonic 3 in my opinion and I don't think it's even the best of modern times with both Dreamcast iterations fighting for that title.  But it is the best Sonic game since 2002, not that there's been too much competition.

Even if you have a passing interest in Sonic it's well worth picking up and if you look hard enough you can easily find 20 plus hours of gameplay trying to better your own times over and over again.  Now to get my Green Hill Act 1 time to under a minute for that damn trophy.

8.5/10

UNCHARTED 3: DRAKE'S DECEPTION REVIEW

Let's get this out the way first.  Uncharted 3 isn't perfect, in fact it's far from perfect.  But there is nothing in the history of mankind that has ever been or will ever be perfect.  I would have loved nothing more than to come onto this review and tell you Uncharted 3 has no negatives.  But it does, so let's get them out the way then.

The shooting in Uncharted 3 is slightly different to 2 and takes a little bit to get used to.  The aiming feels more heavy and the way bullets fly has changed since its predecessor.  But after a few hours play it becomes second nature.  One of the Uncharted series big flaws has been the slightly iffy controls when it comes to climbing.  Initially it's slightly awkward when trying to get Drake to jump in a specific direction, depending on where and what your hanging off.  But like the issues with the shooting, a few hours of gameplay remedies this and its not long before your flinging Drake from one death defying situation to the next.  And lastly, the pace of the game lulls just before the last few chapters but I can forgive it for knowing what came before.

That's the negatives out the way, time to wax lyrical.  Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception is dangerously close to being the greatest game I've ever played.  The game follows our budding hero Nathan Drake on a voyage to beat token bad guy Kathrine Marlowe and her henchmen to discovering the Pillars of Ubar.  An ancient lost city in the heart of the Rub'Al Khali desert.  The story seems familiar for veterans of the first two games but it takes a completely different path.

Uncharted 2 was a great game, but at times I felt like I had done it in the first game.  The character that turned?  Saw it coming.  The supernatural end game, expected it.  But Uncharted 3 takes everything you know about the series, flips it upside down, puts it in a mixer and spews it all over the floor.  Throughout the whole game I was questioning the relationship between more than a few characters.  I was curious about new additions Cutter and Talbot, just what exactly was their end game in all of this?  The game takes a massive twist as I was left gob smacked when I realised just what was happening in Chapter 2.  Without spoiling it, I can say I was not disappointed in the story.

But Uncharted 3 isn't only great for its story telling, its also a technical marvel.  I've played the famous boat and plane scenes from all the trailers.  They play ten times better than they look, my jaw fell to the floor on more than one occasion as the tanker was swept from side to side as I struggled to help Nate escape the sinking ship.  But to be honest, I enjoyed some of the smaller scale set pieces the most.  The frustrating thing is that I can't tell you for fear of spoilers but rest assured you will not be disappointed.

It's not just the hollywood moments that appeal, something as simple as Drake brushing his hand past a wall looks fantastic and just adds to the realism.  The way Drake acts in cover as well is brilliant.  If there isn't any guards around Drake acts relaxed but as soon as he senses something you can just see Nate react accordingly by moving his hands or just tensing his body up.  Its this sort of attention to detail that really sets Naughty Dog apart from the crowd.

The main gameplay mechanic that has had a real overhaul from Uncharted 2 though is the melee combat.  Naughty Dog have given an obvious nod to the folks over at Rocksteady and the combat is now very similar to Batman: Arkham Asylum/City.  Drake can take on multiple opponents and in some ways it exceeds the Batman games but the countering system unfortunately isn't perfect but it does make for some good brawls throughout the game starting right at Chapter 1.

So is Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception the best game this generation?  Obviously everyones opinion is different but right now I would have to say yes it is.  This is the benchmark that is now set for everyone and I can't possibly see how Naughty Dog can top this.  But I'm sure there already well on their way to proving me wrong.

10/10

BATMAN: ARKHAM CITY REVIEW

After the surprise hit that was Arkham Asylum back in 2009 we knew that Arkham City wouldn't catch us off guard again.  I'm very happy to report that if you loved Arkham Asylum, Arkham City will not disappoint you.

Arkham City's story revolves mainly around the mad scientist Hugo Strange and the Joker.  Both are in Batman's face for most of the story and are without a doubt the main villains along with one other antagonist that I won't reveal for spoiler reasons.  I enjoyed the story but felt that way too many characters were shoe-horned in just for the sake of it.  A few like Mr Freeze really came out well in the overall arc but a few others were made to look like bit part players.  I would of preferred if some characters were merely referenced and not just made to look like they aren't even a real threat to Batman which is what happened here.

Rocksteady tread quite closely to Arkham Asylum's plot line, revisiting many parts of the original including the Scarecrow sequences.  While the Scarecrow doesn't make it in this game, Rocksteady tried to replicate the wonderful hallucination sequences but unfortunately missed the mark here.  While they are good in their own right nothing had me close to a 'wow' moment like the original did time and time again.

The combat system has been slightly refined and still remains the best hand to hand combat in gaming.  The counter and melee combo's still work well but thrown into the mix are different counter actions for knifes, riot shields and even different enemy types.  It really keeps you on guard at all times and makes getting a higher combo tougher than in the original.  But once you get the hang of things there really is nothing quite like the satisfaction of taking out ten guys with a 40 hit combo.

While we were told that Batman would have a sprawling world to cover it's not quite 100% true.  Yes it is free roam but it's the same type of free roam we had in the first game.  The world is open to you from the start but unless you have certain abilities you won't be able to explore very far.  I"m perfectly fine with this, the pacing in visiting new areas was good and it shouldn't upset unless you wanted GTA Batman.  Arkham City is bigger than Arkham Asylum but in some places it's more difficult to navigate and the map doesn't really help in some situations, especially when searching for Riddler trophies (of which there are 440).  Batman's main way of moving quickly is via his grappling gun and of course his cape.  Both work well and you can easily make your way from one end of the map to the other in about two minutes.  It doesn't sound long but it's really down to how quick your able to move.

I enjoyed Arkham City but I have to admit I didn't enjoy it as much as the first game.  When you make a game that comes from left field and is amazing it's even more difficult to follow it up.  I love the way Arkham City is a love letter to the Batman universe and I have learned so much more about it all by playing but it just didn't grab me all the way through like Arkham Asylum did.

The story was so-so and it didn't really give me the urgency I needed to want to carry on, the ending was slightly flat although it does finish with a controversial moment.  The side missions were well done and felt just as important as some of the main missions but there just weren't as many as I'd hoped for.

All in all Batman: Arkham City is a well polished game that is certainly one of my gaming highlights this year so far.  It should be on all of your playlists but just don't expect an Arkham Asylum beater, it came close, but not close enough.

8.5

inFamous: Festival Of Blood Review

Commonly mistakened for DLC, inFamous: Festival of Blood is actually a standalone PSN game exclusive to Sony's console just like the first two games.  Developed by Sucker Punch to take advantage of the lucrative Halloween market, this game see's Cole McGrath turn his electric powers on the creatures of the night and vampires.

The game starts off with Cole's best friend and one of the highlight characters of the franchise Zeke impressing a big boomed chick in a far by telling her a tale of vampires in inFamous 2's setting of New Marais.  That's where you as Cole McGrath come in.  As Zeke tells the tale you act out his story, it's quite a nice idea and does come together quite nicely at the end.  The story see's Cole turn into a vampire, he must kill the head of the vampire's 'Bloody Mary' before the night's out or forever be a creature of the night.

One thing I must point out is that this is unmistakenly inFamous 2 with vampires.  The slick controls and all Cole's moves are there for the most part.  Some of the moves are dressed up a bit to match the tone of the story, like Cole's melee weapon the Amp being replaced by a cross but all in all this is inFamous in all it's glory.

The major criticism that I have about the game is length.  I beat the game in a bit an hour and a half and had received every single trophy within three hours.  While it was short, I must say I really digged getting back into inFamous, even if it was for a short while.  It gave me a taste of playing the sequel this summer and reminded me just how fun the world of inFamous is.

If you love inFamous downloading this is a no brainer.  But even if you haven't entered the world of Cole and Zeke perhaps this small download will give you a decent amount of time to decide if you want to go back and sample the main games.

7.5

DEUS EX: HUMAN REVELOUTION REVIEW

In a lot of ways Deus Ex: Human Revolution snuck up on me, many of us were looking far ahead at the gaming delights that await us this winter (Batman and Uncharted to name just two). But as summer tailed away and autumn decided to rear it's ugly head along came DE:HR's Adam Jensen to take us into it's wonderful world and cyberpunk charm.

A prequel of the first two that were major hits on PC early on last decade, Deus EX: HR it a lovingly crafted first person RPG that borrows heavily from a lot of games. Fallout, Metal Gear and even elements from Mass Effect are all used here and fit lovingly well.

The game predominately takes place in Detroit and Hengsha but a few other locations do come into it further into the plot. The atmosphere is loving crafted and is clearly inspired by cyberpunk flicks of the 80s combined with a hint of culture form the Italian Renaissance mixed with a yellow tinge to create a really unique and most importantly, believable world that you'll want to explore.

One of my big complaints about RPGs and even Mass Effect to a certain extent is that you can clearly see the difference between side missions and the main story. Of course the main plot missions should take precedence but I have to tip my hat off to some of the brilliant side story missions contained in DE:HR that could so easily have fooled any player they were part of the main missions.

The main draw for the third in the series is the way you can approach any obstacle from a number of angles. You have the obvious options of going in head first guns blazing to take everyone out. Or perhaps sneaking through the area using distraction tactics and stealth camoflauge to out manouveur your enemies appeal. Air vents? You'll be seeing a lot of these as they provide Adam Jensen unique routes that sometimes take you in the other direction of your enemies.

But don't get ahead of yourself, this isn't a first person shooter, if you go in guns blazing you are likely to die, a lot. The emphasis is heavily on stealth as shown by Adam's augmentations. 'Augs' allow you to mold Jensen into the character you want him to be, by earning 'Praxis Points' through the game you can buy certain moves to aid you through the game. All Augs are mainly helpful for stealth players, there is really only one that helps with a full on assualt. Unlike other RPG's that follow a similar level-up system, each time you spend a Praxis Point you really do think about how will upgrade. The upgrade system works so well and is so brilliantly balanced that every single augment will aid you, but not enough to make any of them game breaking.

While there are no glaring glitches or faults like similar titles released at a similar time (Dead Island I'm looking at you!). Deus Ex: Human Revolution does suffer from a tiny bit of blandness. That sounds a lot harsher than it is in reality for lack of a better word but it feels like I've done all this before. Hiding round corners ala Metal Gear, using a multi-choice conversation system ala Mass Effect and an FPS RPG in a similar style to Fallout.

That's not to say you shouldn't pick up Deus Ex: HR it is a wonderful game and should be on most peoples to buy list. It's certainly a contender for Game of the Year and that is reason enough to get involved in the shady world of Deus Ex.

9/10

RESISTANCE 3 REVIEW

War is tough, especially when its against an alien civilisation that have flattened you and surviving is all that matters. This is where Resistance steps in, 90% of the Earth's population have been flattened by the Chimera and survival is your only hope. You take the role of Joseph Capelli, a dishonoured service man who killed R1 and R2's protagonist Nathan Hale as he failed to win his battle against the Chimerean virus.

Despite being with his family in hiding, Resistance stalwart Dr Malikov comes for Capelli's help to take down the Chimera once and for all. He wants the two to travel from Oklamhoma to the Alien tower in New York to save humanity in what will be humanities final attempt at salvation before the planet is terra-formed into a cold and chilly world not fit for human survival. Despite initially wanting to stay with his wife and son, Capelli's wife convinces him to go and thus the journey to New York begins.

Resistance is Sony's second first-person shooter this year following Killzone 3 and while there is Resistance: Falling Skies for Vita next year, this game ends the trilogy on home consoles.

Resistance 3's focus is on single player, it's clear as the sky at night is dark that Insomniac really honed in on a brilliant single player campaign bringing with it set-pieces galore and a variety of gameplay elements that keep the game flowing. The strongest point of which, is a variety in weapons. I really had a lot of fun with the choice it gave you, the Auger being a particular standout. It allows you to see enemies through walls and shoot them without ever having to come out of cover. Luckily bullets are limited so it must be used tactically and its a theme that runs for all weapons. There were times when the Atomizer (which sucks numerous enemies to a specific spot and finishes them) was the perfect weapon and allowed me to gain an advantage but other times it was pointless. The 12 weapons are so varied that none feel tacked on or useless and all have their advantages. I guarantee you will use every weapon during your playthrough for a considerable amount of time.

The other change to the gameplay is the health system. Remember in a time before Halo where your health didn't recharge? Well it's back in Resistance 3 and it's a welcome change. No longer is it a case of hiding for a few seconds before going head first into combat again, you are now taking cover at every opportunity and towards the end of a battle scavenging for health in every corner of the map. It really adds a new (or old) variant to the standard first person shooter and it's a move I'd love to see more developers take.

Resistance isn't everyones cup of tea however, it's graphically appealing but has no where near the graphical fidelity of Killzone or Uncharted which stand head and shoulders above everything else this generation. It's multiplayer is also lacking with just your standard run of the mill situations but it's not really meant for the multiplayer gamer.

Resistance succeeds in being a brilliant single player campaign but fails on keeping the appeal after the initial playthrough although the alur of trophies will no doubt encourage others for three or four single player run throughs.

8/10

Castle Crashers, PSN Review.

This may seem a bit strange to people as Castle Crashers has been out for some time now, but for all you Playstation Plus members who have never played this game and are wondering if its worth there time, then stick around and I will tell you! To clarify, Castle Crashers is FREE on the PSN, marked down from $10.99. This is an absolute steal and I can't recommend getting this enough. If you ever liked the old school arcade games in the arcade where you play, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, you have an analogue stick and two buttons. Castle Crashers is like that in so many ways, but with a ton of extras.

The plot of Castle Crashers is based around your specific character/characters coming over epic battles and enemies, whilst trying to rescue the four princesses that have been taken prisoner by some strange warlock looking dude, his name is never said. You are recruited by the king to rescue his daughters. I don't want to talk to much about what goes on in the story because some of the scenes are hilarious, but let me tell you this story is brilliant, its simple, no talking, the music kicks ass and you just happily enjoy running through the maps killing bad guys. You fight a whole array of enemies and some pretty sweet boss fights to say the least.The sound and music in this game are amazing, its very comical but at the same time intense. Every so often I felt like I was playing Mortal Kombat or The Matrix, its awesome. It will keep you very entertained.

You chose your character at the begging of a game, there are four colors to chose from at the beginning, nothing is said about the characters although can clearly see that orange is fire and green is poison and so on. There are some unlockable characters that you receive from playing through the story. Your characters can be specified to how you want to play, there is Strength, Magic, Shield and Agility. You can level these up and receive new moves as you do. You must also collect coins for potions etc and you also can receive pets that help you in battle.

As most always are wondering, what are the graphics like? Great. It is extremely colorful, there is usually a ton of action on the screen and you can see everything interacting very smoothly. It runs like a dream and for such a simple game its amazing. The game is extremely imaginative and impresses across the board.

I can't end this review without talking about the coop option. Not only can you battle your friends in the arena and play beach volleyball... You can quest along side up to three extra players, locally or online. Which is amazing because where the hell are all the four player coop games these days? Well here is one, its a load of fun with a few friends, you all are trying to level your characters and save the princess, because you have to think, when you have defeated a boss and the princess is free, which one of you is going to get the princess? Let me tell you its a hell of a lot of fun. Me and my buddy spent half hour on a single dual in the arena and I kid you not, I haven't had that much of a rush in a long time.

I literally can't say anything bad about this game, its fun, its simple, you can play with your friends and well its free. PSPlus users get on this deal and if you aren't a Playstation Plus member, then now is a great time to give it a go.

9/10

SEGA Rally Online Arcade Review

This game immediately brings me back to the days where SEGA fought head to head with the giant's of this fine industry.  Now the Saturn wasn't the best system, in fact it was one of Sega's worst in terms of support.  But one launch game will live long in the memory, SEGA Rally.  Despite the fact it only had a few courses and two cars it was the best racer on the system.

So what does this update have to offer?  After a full retail edition which scored highly I'm happy to report that the downloadable title is of a very high standard.  Everything you love about arcade racing is here, short bursts of total fun.  We have the usual fair of modes here for racing games, Championship, Quick Race, Online and Time Attack.  Each mode is pretty self explanatory and all very solid affairs.

But how does it race?  This of course, is the crucial part for a racing game.  The answer is overwhelmingly positive.  Sliding round dirt corners and seeing your pristine white Celica receive a torrent of abuse from the wet mud that clings to your car is a welcome sight.  The handling of the cars really is perfect and the AI of the cars is pretty much spot on.  Providing a challenge without becoming difficult.

So if your looking for a fun arcade racer look no further than Sega Rally, a fun game for a little over £6 from the PSN and Xbox Live.  It's one of my picks of the summer.

9/10

2011 So Far - Number 1 - inFamous 2 9/10

And so we arrive to our number one pick so far of 2011...inFamous 2.  The Sony exclusive has only been out a matter of weeks but that's long enough to tantalise our tastebuds and leave us wanting more.  Our two editors' express their love for inFamous 2 and why it fought off such strong competition in the first half of the year and can it stave off the big hitters coming this winter to land game of the year?

Craig John Shields: Obviously I reviewed the game so I'll try not to retread old ground but I loved inFamous 2. I enjoyed the original but the sequel improved on the first so much that it moved the franchise from good to great. The setting of New Marais and the development of Cole's and Zeike's relationship really stood out to me and appealed to me more than just on a gameplay level.

If I had to play only one game from the first half of the year it would undoubtedly be inFamous 2, there's just so much to do and even if your feeling lazy jumping off the highest point and slamming into the ground never gets old.

It has a massive task on it's hand if it's to win game of the year with Skyrim, Assassin's Creed Revelations and it's own PS3 rival Uncharted 3, but it certainly has it's place amoung 2011's greatest.

Alex Sodhi: Well what more can we say about Infamous 2? I was late to the franchise in the first place, I enjoyed Infamous 1 although it did take me a while to get used to. The idea of being a super hero with electrical powers sounds amazing without even needing to play the game! Unlike in many games, you are not held back by anything really, you can pretty much go anywhere you want to go, do anything you want to do.

Being able to chose between two different stories, based on the actions you take in the game is very cool. You feel like you just get a bit more for your money than just the standerd story. Infamous 2 is a deserving winner for the first half of the year. As Craig mentioned, will it be able to take on the likes of some of the huge games coming out this fall? It will be a challenge but only time will tell.

2011 So Far - Number 2 - Portal 2 9/10

If there was one game this year that took me by surprise it was Portal 2. I wasn't a huge fan of the first game, not that I didn't like it just I never really played it, you wouldn't believe my surprise when I first played portal 2.

Portal 2 does what so many games these days fails to do. It provides an extremely fun and creative way to play a game, you shoot portals around giant rooms to solve puzzles, believe me it's a lot more fun that it sounds. The story is one of the enjoyable and memorable storys I have ever played through, with Steven Merchant staring as Wheatley's voice, you fall in love with him! He is goofy, stupid but so lovable.

Along with a kick ass story, Portal 2 comes with a completely separate coop mode which is playable online and locally. Having to solve these puzzles as a pair can be challenging, but my partner in crime and fellow colleague; Craig Shields, had a great time Platinuming Portal 2. Not only that but on the PS3 version you get Portal 2 on steam for free! What a steal, earn your trophies on your local Mac or PC! Truly one of the best games I have played, not only this year but all time.

Portal 2 reaches number 2 in our game of the year.. So far list, being beaten not by necessarily a better game, but a deserving winner.

2011 So Far - Number 3 - Mortal Kombat 8.5/10

There's no doubting that the Mortal Kombat theme tune from the movies is one of the best soundtracks to have ever existed and perhaps if it was included in the game we may have scored it higher (probably not) but despite that injustice the Mortal Kombat reboot was a shock to us all, after poor games of the last few years.

Armageddon and Dark Alliance have been vanished to bargain bins and we've lovingly taken the new Mortal Kombat into our hearts and through our bowels to a gruesome fatality. All the characters you loved from the old Arcade games are here along with fatalities, babalities and so much more. Mortal Kombat packed in the modes to keep us busy from standard Ladder Mode to Story and of course the aptly named Challenge Tower which can take a good chunk of your time.

A lot of publishers would be wise to take a good look at what Neatherrealm and Warner Bros have done with Mortal Kombat. The fat has been stripped off from the lacklustre games of recent years it has been taken right back to basics with a lick of HD paint and it works wonders because of it.

Mortal Kombat is a great fighting game and will keep you entertained for hours, it's certainly our front runner for fighting game of the year and also enjoys third spot on our game of 2011..so far.

BY CRAIG JOHN SHIELDS

2011 So Far - Number 4 - The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 9.5/10

Everyone knows that, Ocarina of Time was and still is one of the greatest games ever made. With a re-release on the Nintendo 3DS, people are finally able to play Ocarina of Time once again. The question was always going to be, is there any point? Of corse there is, not only is the 3D outstanding, it also shows off what the 3DS can do. I have personally completed Ocarina of Time more times than I can remember, but after picking up a copy on the 3DS last week, I couldn't be happier.

Nintendo had no reason to change anything about Ocarina of Time, from the day it released in November 1998, Ocarina of time was one of the perfect games and it still is. The dungeons and quests that you have to go through are still challenging and entertaining and at times still very difficult.

The whole point in this game however is to show off the 3DS and what it can do and Zelda certainly doesn't disappoint.  The 3D is extremely good, although this is the first 3DS game where you actually need to turn the 3D down or it can strain your eyes, it all depends on yourself. Obviously Zelda cannot win the game of the year this year, but it can't be left off our list because it is simply one of the best games ever made. This is why this classic re-make makes it to number 4 on our list.

2011 So Far - Number 5 - L.A. Noire 8/10

We start our countdown with listing Rockstar's 'third column' in their franchise hit list behind the GTA and Red Dead series L.A Noire. The ambitious project brought together by Team Bondi used real actors to give the player a brand new way of interacting with characters. While the game itself has so far proved less popular sales wise than there other two franchises. Rockstar are quietly pleased with the result with talk of a sequel high up the agenda.

While we fell in love with the accurately re-created 1940's Los Angeles and the Truth, Doubt, Lie detective system it fell short to becoming a true great due to some of the repetitive nature of the cases and some plot holes in the story.

There is no doubt L.A Noire is a game to be remembered in history more for what it tried to accomplish rather than what it did, but hopefully the guys at Team Bondi can build upon solid foundations and a rather enjoyable game and that's why it makes our top 5 games of 2011...so far.

BY CRAIG JOHN SHIELDS

The Top Games of 2011...So Far...

Hey there and welcome to DCR's first ever awards section. With all the great titles that we've already had this year the guy's at DCR thought we should highlight some of this year's hit games by ranking them from five to one.

We've had a plethora of great games this year starting with early runners LittleBigPlanet 2 and Killzone 3. We moved into March and April with Mortal Kombat and Valve's brilliant Portal 2. We put on our Detective Suit in May with L.A Noire and moved into the Summer with Cole McGrath in inFamous 2 and a little known sleeper hit from Nintendo, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time for the 3DS.

This feature will start next week with number five being revealed on Monday all the way down to our number one game of 2011...so far being revealed on Friday!

inFamous 2 Review

Almost a year to the day I travelled to my local game store to purchase a game to take my time up. I wanted something that was good, I needed something that would take my mind off real life for a while, something I could get lost in. It was a difficult time in my personal life, my girlfriend and newborn son having both been admitted to hospital a few hundred miles away, I was moving house and of course had full-time work getting in the way of everything. Eventually I settled on inFamous at £9.99 which after playing the first in the series to death was a bargain. I think due to my emotional attachment at the time thanks to my personal circumstances and the fact that any free time I did have was devoted to infamous 1, had I of reviewed it it certainly would have got a higher score than it deserved. That's not to say this review of the sequel, cunningly named inFamous 2 will be reviewed incorrectly. It perhaps means that I expect more than I usually would from a sequel, infamous one captivated it's audience and turned Sucker Punch Productions from Sly creators and Banjo-Kazooie wannabe's into a real player in the industry, behind Uncharted, inFamous is now arguably the second biggest Playstation brand, overtaking, Resistance, Ratchet and perhaps even Killzone and they've cemented their position within the Playstation family here.

inFamous 2 see's the return of Cole McGrath, just an average courier boy who get's caught up in an explosion and gains electrical super powers, the premise is simple but the execution is superb. This time Cole has travelled south to New Marais as he's being chased by 'the beast' an almighty being revealed at the end of the original, Cole's goal is to grow strong enough to defeat him by finding blast cores in New Marais and continues the excellent story building blocks from the first game. Thankfully inFamous 2 doesn't pull a 'God of War' and take all your powers away from the first game, you keep all you earned and learn new more powerful moves, imagine summoning an electrical hurricane, you can do that here.

A new gameplay addition is 'the amp' a metal electrical rod that Cole wields for melee combat. A few quick taps of the Square button hits the opponent and a hit of the Triangle is the cue for one of the sweet finishers that end your opponent. The melee naturally fits into the game and changes the gameplay enough from the first one where it could be accused that holding L1 and mashing R1 to fire lightning bolts was enough to get through most troubles, but not here, the combat is varied enough from powers to melee where you'll want to switch it up, plus there's nothing more satisfying than jumping off a 4 storey building and slamming to the ground causing an electrical shockwave that kills four guys at once.

If you've never played inFamous one don't fear, you can jump right into the sequel without playing the first (although I highly recommend you to try it). The first game's story is beautifully told the minute you hit start with a loving crafted comic strip style cut scene, these comic strips were littered throughout the original but unfortunately take a bit of a back seat in the sequel. There is no doubt the biggest difference between the original and the sequel is the set-pieces. Dramatic helicopter fights and large explosion's really deliver a Hollywood feel and I've not even told you half the story (and I won't for fear of spoilers). Uncharted 2's train and building set-pieces have gone down as folk-lore at Sony and have set a new industry standard in the video games. The boys and gals at Sucker Punch have taken note and have 'Unchartedised' inFamous 2. Copying off Uncharted 2 isn't a bad thing as the core comic-book super hero gameplay style still reigns supreme but taking tips off Naughty Dog has definitely upped their game. The in-game explosions, even when your just walking around New Marais can be spectacular, needless to say the set-pieces included in the story can be breath-taking, unfortunately nothing to match Uncharted 2, but very few can.

Missions in inFamous 2 are varied enough, more so than the original which tended to repeat some situations over and over but there's enough variety and more importantly fun missions to keep you going through the campaign and onto the side missions which can be completed at any time. The addition of user-generated content was a slightly left-field decision for a game that isn't LittleBigPlanet but it's certainly a welcome one. Some of the early UGC missions I've played were interesting enough without being amazing, but this is down to the lack of time after launch rather than the tools. The UGC interface is quite awkward to create with no real manual but as a starting point for future releases it's certainly a solid platform to build upon.

However it's not all plain sailing for the sequel, during amp and explosion sequences the camera can somewhat go awol. There was a situation with an early boss I encountered who grabbed me by the tongue and tried to pull me in, the idea to get out of this is to shoot inside his mouth to get him to let go, but because I was running away at the time he grabbed me, the camera showed the view behind me and away from the monster so there was no way to save myself. This can be annoying especially when trying to combo melee moves from one guy to another but it's a small annoyance and really shouldn't spoil your enjoyment of this game too much.

Sequel's are supposed to be bigger and better in everyway, inFamous 2 ticks both these boxes with flying colours and stands out in an industry with a lot of wannabe's. It falls short of being on a par with an Uncharted or Mass Effect but it's certainly worthy of it's place as a big gaming franchise, Sucker Punch, welcome to the big time, I'm sure you'll be here to stay.

9/10

Mortal Kombat Review

Well we waited an eternity for Mortal Kombat and we waited even longer for this review, but it's here now! If you haven't already got this game, stop reading and go get it. Right now.

Okay still need convincing well here we go, as always just going to talk about the story mode without trying to spoil anything. First thing is first, the story is great, its a lot of fun and for all you new to Mortal Kombat it starts from the very beginning then eventually going off into the newer story. It doesn't take a whole lot of time to complete which I think is really good seeing as all you want to do is play as every character and see some damn fatalities. There are some parts that are very challenging and at the same time a lot of time. Whilst we are talking about the story we can't help but talk about the voice acting, in essence its great even with the slightly cheesy and stupid moments, notably Jonny Cage. Also there are some moments when you feel a fight just starts over literally the dumbest things. Saying that its still a lot of fun.

The graphics are amazing in my opinion, I am fresh from playing Marvel vs Capcom so I had a good chance to compare the two and the styles are very different of course, but I feel Mortal Kombat does an extremely good job, notably the little things like how you can see your characters damage getting worse and worse with insane amount of blood, torn skin and im some parts you can see the brain. It's brilliant, the attention to detail is better than words can describe. I am going to talk about fatalities later on and we will return to this topic.

I can't really write a proper review without talking about the sound of the game. It is unbelievable how good the sounds are, you feel every punch or every fire ball hitting your character. Literally feeling all the pain they go through! One of the sounds that I notice more than any other is when you uppercut one of the mechanical characters, I can't even describe it but when you next play just pay attention and it will blow your mind.

Other game types include the classic ladder mode, tag ladder, test your luck, test your might etc which are all pretty fun. My favorite game type, Test your Luck. Honestly genius, anyone can pick up a controller and fight against someone who has a ton of experience and win. If you haven't heard about this game type, basically all it is, is a simple fight between two people however, there are between 4 and 7 slot reels that you spin before the fight, based on what lands you can have things added to the maps such as meteor showers and earth quakes. The maps can be altered, flipped upside down or go black for periodical periods of time. Things can be added to the health and powers bars, along with extra health or SP dropping from the sky. Then the fun begins when things are added or taken from players, you could end up as a zombie with no arms or head, you can't block or jump whilst your opponent has the power of a vampire, turbo speed and basically has a hell of a time owning you!

The Challenge Tower, you son of a b***h. 300 events in this tower, you want that platinum trophy  or achievement, better get working right now. Although I can't moan because its truly awesome, starting of simply with little mini games and fights, to fighting 3 Goros at a time, because 1 isn't a pain as it is.. Also a fight where you play as Sub Zero and Scorpion but can only damage your opponent based on what color he is, coordinating with the colors of your characters. There are 300 challenges, do I really need to say more?

Now we arrive at the characters. I don't think anyone can be disappointed here, we have pretty much even character that there is to think off and of corse with time will come DLC characters. I am kinda pissed you don't get to play as Goro others than in the challenge tower. The costumes look amazing for everyone and again with time will come old school costumes, I would love to test out some of the character costume codes that I have but I can't, thank you again Sony. Talking Sony I think you have to buy this game on this console, simply due to the fact that you get an exclusive character, Kratos, when the Xbox gets nothing. He fits perfectly into the game and has an interesting story in the Tower mode. No characters seem to over powered when you know what you are doing. There are obviously some slight combo glitches which need to be patched and sorted out, Night Wolf and his stupid shoulder charge is very frustrating when someone online knows that one combo and that is it!

Finally lets talk about online. Even though we had to wait god knows how long to actually go online with the PSN going down, now that we are there what is it like? Well its okay, when you have a match, ranked or unranked its fun. The king of the hill mode is a good laugh too, even just spectating! Having a crowed score your match out of 10 is always interesting! The issue is lag. Lag and getting a game.. Sometimes it can take forever to get just a single ranked match! Then when you do the lag is bad! Not all of the time, 70% of the time its fine, but it does need to be fixed.

What more can I say, the game is amazing! A lot of content for your money and it is easily the best fighting game on the market right now! A solid;



8.5/10

E3: NINTENDO PREDICTIONS

After last week's predictions about Sony's e3, we here at DC Reviews boldly said that Starhawk would be announced at e3, well a couple of weeks before e3 and it has been! Score one for team DC! So today we look fondly over in Nintendo's direction, what can we expect? Read on to find out...

Project Cafe is actually called the Nintendo Stream

Yep, that's right folks, start your Wii Stream jokes because we believe here at DC that Nintendo's next console will be called the Stream. Not due to Ninty loving jokes but the fact that the basis of the new console will be on streaming. Streaming old games to be able to play them, streaming to the new controller with a touch screen, so a very apt name we feel.

Finally an online system worth using!

After the disaster attempt at online using the Wii, Nintendo will finally give us all a decent online system. While not directly copying Sony's or Microsoft's online plan, perhaps we will see something in the middle. Something similar to Netflix's pay monthly use everything system could be established, except from being allowed to watch movies it could be the Virtual Console, let's say you pay £4.99 a month and in return get to play any game off the Virtual Console as it's streamed to your system. Maybe a long shot but would certainly tie into the idea of the 'stream' idea.

A lot of Zelda stuff...

The release of Skyward Sword and re-release of Ocarina of Time won't be all we hear of Zelda this year, I expect hints of future Zelda's for Stream/Cafe and 3DS, brand new adventures not re-releases. Also, Skyward Sword will not be moved to the new console ala Twilight Princess but could perhaps be delayed until early 2012.

3DS WILL get Gamezzzz!

With all this talk of of the next home console, let's not forget Ninty's new handheld was only just released mere months ago. While the shortcoming's of the 3DS aren't hard to workout (I don't want Pilotwings!) e3 should give us all 3DS gamer's something to shout about. Mario 3DS will get an in-depth showing, a new fully original 3DS Zelda will probably be hinted at and some major third party showings should boost up the catalogue a bit. Metal Gear, Resident Evil and Sonic Generations are all expected to show up with confirmed release dates to stop the 3DS from collecting dust.

Project Cafe/Stream unveiling

While already confirmed to be announced at e3, just what exactly will Nintendo tell us? While a release of 2012 has been confirmed Nintendo should shorten that timespan to first quarter 2012, a simultaneous worldwide release seems unrealistic at this stage so expect Japan first followed by America and Europe a few months later. March for Japan and May for the rest of us wouldn't be the worst guess in the world. Those hoping for a price announcement will be upset, why would Ninty announce a price nearly a whole year in advance? There's no advantage they could get by doing it this early, expect that announcement early next year.

As with the confirmation of a sketchy release window don't expect a full launch line up either. Games will be announced of course but we have to remember these will be in quite early stages of development, expect a playable form on the show floor anything more than that is unexpected.

Overall a positive show from Nintendo this e3, they're best in quite a while, they will win this show. Only a total balls up from the new console would mean they won't win, everyone loves a new console after all! Mario and Zelda in HD? Welcome to the 21st century Nintendo, we've missed ya!

E3 PREDICTIONS: SONY

After a year of waiting the games industries biggest and loudest event, e3 will finally be with us on June 7th. Until that date we here at DC Reviews will bring you our predictions for the three big companies starting today with Sony.

Whisper it quietly but at the time of writing this the PSN is still down, by the time e3 rolls around next month it will be back up in some capacity I'm sure which leads me onto my first prediciton

AN APOLOGY

Yep, I have a feeling at some part during the conference the PSN outage will come up and Sony will humbly apologise, there won't be any Kevin Butler jokes because the whole debacle is serious, I mean, your personal data has been stolen and now 70 million people are in danger of being hit by fraud. This isn't the most shocking of prediction's but it does lead onto the fact that the rewards programme for consumers will be discussed. Europe is already confirmed to be getting an Identity Theft Protection scheme, 30 days of Playstation Plus and two free PS3 games and two free PSP games if you own that system, but what about everyone else?

GOD OF WAR IV

God of War III came out in March 2010 to some fantastic reviews and is currently a 91 on meteoritic. Kratos' story arc is supposedly over but the franchise is certainly not. Will we see another Kratos prequel for the PS3 like the PSP outings of the history's angriest man or will we be thrown a curve ball and be angry in someone's else's Greek boots? Who knows, but I will be pretty shocked if the series doesn't make some sort of appearance at E3.

NGP Full Reveal

Sony's new baby the NGP will be there of course and after it's early reveal in February expect Sony to really blow the lid open this time. We expect a release date for all territories, a semi-reveal of launch line-up but I don't think price will be announced. Revealing the price this early could harm sales and put consumers off unless the price is super low, even then it would probably have more impact on the lead-up to Christmas. A completed demonstration of the OS will be shown live and perhaps announce a revamp of the PS3 XMB to follow in it's new baby brothers' footsteps. Uncharted NGP will get a full showing and will be confirmed to launch with the system. The actual name of the NGP will be announced and I expect Sony to steer clear of the Playstation Portable name, it seem's that name conjures up a lot of stigma much like the Wii, no games etc etc

Warhawk Sequel Announced

2007 game Warhawk, which has a rather large loyal following will finally get a sequel, probably called Starhawk if you believe all the rumours. The multi-player only game will see a release at the end of 2012 and possibly join God of War IV as PS3's big hitters for next holiday.

And The Rest...

And that'll be about it for major news from Sony. A quiet E3 for the Playstation machine yes, but you could argue they have bigger things to worry about right now. All their major franchises are coming to the system, Uncharted 3, InFamous 2, Ratchet and Clank, Resistance 3 etc so barring a totally unexpected Killzone 4 announcement I can't see anything other than God of War or Warhawk sequel in terms of games as mentioned above. The only other thing that could happen that's not NGP related is a totally re-vamped PSN which has been rumoured for months now, even before the hack. Cross game chat will happen and this may very well be the year where Sony finally gets their house in order with the PSN. Sony may jump into bed with EA again and get some exclusive Battlefield 3 deal in terms of maps or something else like they did with Medal of Honour to try and combat the Call of Duty/360 partnership.

A solid E3 from Sony without being a spectacular one in my opinion. They won't win E3, it'll be either Microsoft or Nintendo. One without any games and the other with Zelda. Look out for Nintendo's E3 chatter next on the site!

You can follow Craig Shields on twitter @craigshields9

PORTAL 2 REVIEW

*due to the PSN being down the following review is solely based on single player*

When I sit down and finish a game I usually take in all of what's happened in the final scene and my whole journey through the game, watch the credits then move onto the next game vying for my attention on my shelf. Not with Portal 2. Don't get me wrong I would love nothing more than to blurt out what happens in the end, it really is something special and in a way the surprise you get really awards the player for playing the game without actually giving you anything other than a lasting impression that set's Portal 2 out from the crowd.

For those not familiar with Portal, it was a mini-game of sorts released in Valve's Orange Box which included Half-Life 2. Seen as an indie game of sorts the 3 hour 'extra' soon become a cult classic. You play as a female character stuck in a factory of science, where the centre is being run by an evil machine called GLaDOS, one of gaming's great villains. The idea is to move from room to room solving puzzle's by using a portal gun, fire one portal on the wall next to you and another across the room and walk through one portal and come out of the other simple!

Portal 2 takes the simplicity and complexity of some of the puzzle's of the first one and ramps the little 3 hour title into a fully fledged and fully realised 6 to 8 hour retail game without making it feel tired and used. It really is a great achievement by Valve to keep Portal 2's puzzle elements feel fresh every chapter. You start off going from chamber to chamber and jumping through GLaDOS' (yes she's back) hoops like in the first game but not too far in the landscape of Aperture Science drastically changes and the chamber to chamber formula shifts to really keep you on your toes. The companion cube also makes a comeback to help you solve puzzles, move box from point A to point B to progress but new additions are light tunnel's and two types of gel. One that makes you bounce and one that makes you run really fast. All the new elements fit right in and don't feel at all out of place. The main concern I had coming into Portal 2 was difficulty, I'm not the best at solving puzzle's and thought I would struggle with a few but the game does a great job of coaching you through some of the puzzle's and giving subtle hints to help you along. I wasn't stuck at a puzzle for any longer than twenty minutes and there's no better feeling than when everything *clicks* into place and you continue on.

Like any sequel some new characters have been introduced with Stephen Merchant taking the voice acting role of new robot Wheatley in a role he performs fantastically in and is easily the best voice acting I've heard in a long long time. His constant quips back and forth with GLaDOS are memorable throughout and gave me more than a few truly laugh out loud moment's. Portal's humour really sets it apart as it doesn't need to resort to your stereotypical jokes that often cloud video games, it doesn't have anything relating to sex, drugs, drink or anything seedy like that, apart from one fat joke but we can accept it.

Portal 2 truly is a wonderfully crafted piece of work rather than just a lot of the mindless games we get nowadays, don't get me wrong I love a bit of Mortal Kombat but Portal 2 is something we haven't had in a long time and just adds to the argument that games truly are pieces of art, we're lucky in the fact that Portal 2 is a masterpiece.

9/10

Super Monkey Ball 3D Review

Our first 3DS review isn't the immediate pick on everyone's 'must have' 3DS list when purchasing the console but perhaps you should reconsider? Upon poping in the little white 3DS cartridge and seeing monkey's in ball's happily rolling around the stage I'm reminded of Super Monkey Ball's original debut on the Gamecube and the fun I had when playing it.

If your not used to Super Monkey Ball where have you been? It's a delightful little puzzle game where the object is simple, guide your monkey in a ball to the goal within a minute. A simple premise at first when your tasked with rolling the ball down a simple slant in a straight line, but the further into the game you get the more testing the stages become. Rolling the ball around a swirl with no walls and with springs which fling you off into the distance is not an easy task at all! But Super Monkey Ball 3DS somehow manages to not make you get frustrated, perhaps it's the colours or the loveable monkey's themselves but I never found myself getting annoyed because I couldn't do a level.

The advantage of having a 3D screen helps this game immensely, especially on the latter level's when evading obstacles such as the spring's I mentioned earlier is crucial and the added perception you get really helps. The controls for this game are simple enough, you have the option of using the control stick or the gyroscope in the 3DS itself to control the ball. If you do opt for the gyroscope though make sure you turn 3D off, as moving the system all over the place to control your monkey makes you lose the sweet spot of the 3D very easily and makes viewing a nightmare.

Like every Super Monkey Ball game there are the additional mini-games, not so much this time though. We have Monkey Racing, a delightful Donkey Style kart racer and Monkey Fight which kind of feels like Super Smash Bros, but with monkeys. Each mini-game does a solid if unspectacular job and can take up some of your time but both pale in comparison to puzzle mode which undoubtedly steals the show and it's easy to see where the develops spent the most time perfecting the game.

Super Monkey Ball 3D is a great little starter game for you brand new handheld before some of the more bigger names come to fruition in the summer (who said Zelda?), for now, Super Monkey Ball will delightfully fill your time and provide with a few hours of 3D fun.

7.5

Crysis 2 Review

First person shooter's these days are a dime a dozen, mostly generic war shooters that occasionally may or may not involve space nazi alien's that are planning to take over the country/world/universe (delete as applicable). Crysis 2 is no different, story wise it's about alien's coming up from the ground trying to take over the planet while a government conspiracy is happening and you, the man with 'the' suit, is the only one who can stop it.

So the plot of Crysis 2 is very much well trodden and doesn't really set it apart from other shooters. So what does make this a worthy addition to your game collection? Unlike most first person shooters, it won't be the gun that saves you the most, it'll be the suit. It allows for varying gaming mechanics to aid you in your fight against evil, there's armour mode which allows you an additional few ounces of armour to help you stay alive just that little bit longer or run through fire and pretty much feel untouchable. Stealth camouflage gives you the Predator's very own invisibility, in fact any self respecting Predator fan can see the little nod's to the 1987 classic film throughout Crysis 2. The suit also gives you increased athleticism so jumping higher and running faster is a given, you can also slide on the floor, use thermal vision and of course, grab ledges. While many other shooters can offer some of these things, Crysis make's everything seem very fluid, spiriting, sliding, jumping, grabbing and camouflage can be done one after the other within seconds. To stop you using all these abilities all the time however is a suit meter which counts down from 100 to 0. Depending on what ability you use decides how quickly it depletes, running while being in camouflage drains the meter massively, crawling while camouflage drains the meter much more slowly making stealth kills easier.

As you would expect from a FPS there is a decent amount of variety in weapons but unfortunately not much variety in weapons. Expect to take on the same looking private army and then only three different types of Ceph (the alien species in the game). While the Ceph are interesting enough I can't help but feel like there just rehash's of Elite's and Hunter's from the Halo series with added tentacles. Even right down to shooting in the gaps of their armour to take them down easy, it just feels like not much effort was put into the Ceph at all.

The levels are varied enough and despite the whole game being set in New York the developers have given us plenty of changes in scenery to not make the game feel the same throughout. One of Crysis 2's major plus points are the graphics, make no mistake, this is a beautiful looking game. I personally would still put Killzone 3 ahead but this takes a very close second. Some of the set pieces in the level's are outstanding though, seeing building's collapse, helicopter's crashing three feet in front of you and walking along a collapsing bridge are just some of the set piece highlight's that will give you a wow factor every time you play it. The length of single player mode is lengthy and will take you a decent 12 to 15 hours to complete depending on your skill level. It's a nice change from the 6 or 7 hour campaign now go play multiplayer feel that most shooters tend to have. Speaking of multiplayer, it is here in Crysis 2 of course and like my complaint with Killzone 3's multiplayer, it's good without being anything special, there is nothing that set's it apart from the rest and I have my doubts as to the long term community that will evolve from Crysis 2.

During my play through I did notice some quite alarming graphical errors that really shouldn't of happened. On numerous occasions after a cutscene my gun wouldn't be there, in fact one time I could see Alcatraz's (the lead character) hands grip a 'gun' but the actual gun wasn't there. What makes things worse is that I couldn't fire! So I had to let myself die or restart the chapters to be able to shoot. Pop up is also there, while it doesn't affect the actual gameplay it can be annoying and it is such a shame as the rest of Crysis 2 is beautiful but these few graphical errors I encountered really do spoil the experience a little bit.

Crysis 2 is a good game, it falls short on being great because it does feel like I've been here and done it before. It takes the Call of Duty style of gunplay and modern setting with a Halo feel in terms of plot and enemies. On paper it's potentially a great combination but it can just feel like they tried too hard to focus on making the suit spectacular instead of innovating the gameplay to really challenge the suit.

7.5

Mass Effect 2: Arrival DLC Review

If your finishing something, you usually would like to go out with a bang rather than a whimper.  I'm sure this probably wasn't the thinking behind the last piece of DLC for last year's game of the year Mass Effect 2.  This add-on titled 'Arrival' started off with Bioware promising to bridge the story between 2 and the upcoming Mass Effect 3.  But sadly it doesn't.

Arrival starts as any other mission with a "message at your private terminal" there you are given a mission by Admiral Hackett to rescue Dr Amanda Kenson from a fleet of Batarian's holding her captive, apparently she has information on the Reapers.  Hackett gives the excuse that Shepard will have to go in alone as to not attract attention and cause a full scale Batarian-Human war.  It's basically Bioware trying to cover up the fact they wanted us to not have our squad for this mission, I don't really know why this decision was made but I'm not happy about it.  All those hours you put into Mass Effect to build-up your squad and you can't take them on the last mission with you, they even rub salt into the wounds by still having dialogue from Shepard saying thing's like "We've been spotted" No, we haven't been spotted just you Shepard.

Without doubt one of Mass Effect's greatest parts is the conversation system and the idea of choice.  A choice made is one of the ways that your Shepard is 'your' Shepard, you define him by your decisions made in the previous games.  I won't spoil anything, but there looks to be a big decision to be made in Arrival but the choice is taken completely out of your hands.  I was expecting to make the decision and was weighing up both options but then Shepard just decided to 'do' it without me deciding, the control was taken out of my hands.

If you enjoyed shooting things in Mass Effect 2 then you'll like Arrival, as narrow corridors and many shootable enemies is what we get, just foot soldiers, nothing spectacular just loads and loads of bodies to kill.  I think Bioware have let us and Mass Effect 2 down, to let a game this good bow out with DLC that really adds nothing at all is a real shame.  The Reapers are coming, we know that, now let's get Mass Effect 3 out so we can forget about this 'Arrival'.

4/10

RetroView: SEGA Dreamcast Part Two

Welcome back to our second foray into the world of the Dreamcast. After last weeks look at the console itself and the launch titles, let's now take a more detailed look at what made Sega's White beauty special, the games.

Shenmue is a game which is synomonus with the system, both for it's ground breaking production at the time and how it's cost was one of the many major factors of Sega's demise. While the early reports were putting the game at $70 million, game creator Yu Suzuki recently clarified it was only a mere $46 million. A huge risk for Sega and one that in the long run didn't pay off.

But let's not get down in the dumps, for me and many others Shenmue was the pinnacle of the last generation with graphics that weren't surpassed by anything on PS2, Xbox or Gamecube. A story that to this day still enriches people's imagination, admittedly this is partly fuelled by the fact the story isn't finished, as the main character Ryo is currently stuck in a cave at the end of the sequel which also appeared on the Dreamcast and later on Xbox.

This is still my highlight of playing games

Shenmue is the first and only game to create it's own genre. The F.R.E.E (full reactive eyes entertainment) is in it's simplest form a mix between a TV series, RPG and Virtua Fighter. Shenmue was the first game where you could truly go wherever you wanted and do what you wanted. While the overall goal of the game was to find the man who killed your father you could've wasted all of Ryo's days playing Space Harrier in the arcade by morning, rummaging through strangers draws and cupboards in the afternoon and playing pool with drunk sailor's at night. You could even look after your own cat as well, if that was your thing. A game that merely started out as a Virtua Fighter RPG turned out to be the high point of the system and to this day deserves either a sequel or re-make to let those that missed it fully appreciate a true classic.


Did the high cost of Shenmue and massive gamble by Sega to have put all their money shaped eggs into one basket backfire? Sort of. There is no doubting the failure of Shenmue to make a profit added a nail to the Dreamcast's coffin, but for Shenmue to break even it is reported every Dreamcast owner would have had to buy the game twice, something that was never going to happen. I find it's best to look at Shenmue as a labour of love from Sega. They knew profit was impossible but wanted to leave us with a fantastic and engrossing experience that nothing has matched since.

Going to another type of true classic now I'll move onto possibly the strangest, quirkiest game ever made on God's green Earth called Seaman. Unfortunately the game is not about trying to become a failed England goalkeeper with a ponytail and is more to do with talking fish. Say wha....???

"I used to play for Arsenal and England, who am I"

Seaman was the first game where you talk to fish! Well fish with a human head, it was the sort of game that could only have come from Japan. They started off life as an egg and grew and by talking into the Dreamcast microphone you could communicate with them and help them develop their talkative nature by teaching them new words and phrases. Amazingly Seaman was a ripple of success and even earned itself a sequel, unlike the massive petition demanding a Shenmue III there is no plans by Sega at this moment in time to produce a fishy sequel, sad face.


For the Dreamcast to fail so early was an absolute crime, all those great games that came out in it's short life span was truly remarkable. From Shenmue to Sonic Adventure, Soul Calibur to Soul Reaver and even to ones I haven't mentioned yet, Skies of Arcadia, Phantasy Star Online, Jet Set Radio and Crazy Taxi. The real depressing thing is that Sega pulled out of the hardware race, they had almost got it spot on with the Dreamcast but the Playstation brand name was just too strong to overcome at a time in the nineties and noughties where video gaming was Playstation. Will we ever see Sega back in the race? I highly doubt it. Will they continue to produce high quality titles such as Yakuza, Sonic Colours, Bayonetta and Vanquish? Of course, because to be this good takes ageS.

Yakuza 4 Review

Yakuza is very close to establishing itself as an annual franchise. Similar to your Sports title's and Call of Duty type, one a year formula games. This is the second Yakuza game to hit these shores in as many years following on from the mild success of the first two to hit the Playstation 2. After much fan badgering Sega finally decided to release Yakuza 3 last year, they 'westernised' the game by taking out much of the quirky Japanese tastes (hostess bars, massage parlours etc) that made the first two unique. But thanks to solid sales and an unhappiness at what was left out in Yakuza 3 the sequel arrived fully intact with all Japanese shenanigan's and without the need for a brisk internet campaign from loyal fans.

So now that it's here what makes Yakuza 4 different from previous iterations of the series? Well to be truthful not a lot really. It's still the same Kamurocho town that we've been to in the last three games, still the same random battles in the street's and still the same convoluted plot story with massive twists and murder 24/7. But just because it's the same doesn't mean that goes in the negative column. Yakuza 4 differs itself by taking control away from series protagonist Kiryu Kazuma for most of it.

Instead you control four different characters from different backgrounds. Akiyama, a loan shark, Saejima a convict, Det. Takimura a rookie cop and finally everyone's favourite ex-Yakuza turned orphanage owner Kiryu Kazuma. Each individual story starts at different time periods throughout the games setting of March 2010 while at first I was extremely sceptical as to how all of these individual stories would link up in the end, they eventually came together quite spectacularly. At time's the story in the middle of the game seems to get very complicated with enough threads to knit a wooly jumper. By taking control of the other three characters we see Kazuma as the true legend that he is in Kamourocho. Much like what Kojima did in Metal Gear Solid 2 with Raiden and Snake. By taking control away from the player of Kazuma it really let's his character develop in a way that you couldn't by controlling him.

While of course a good story is Yakuza's main selling point the fighting comes a close second. Now don't get me wrong the fighting in Yakuza is good, it's the exact same as 3 save for a few new moves for the new characters. All the heat mode finishing moves are identical to what we see in 3. The finishers are still as fun and brutal as ever but I feel it was just sheer laziness to leave the exact same mechanics in. Do we really need to see these again, I must have hit someone round the head with a baseball bat about 70 times in Yakuza 3 and it's the exact same now for 4. The fighting system will probably need a bit of refreshing when the inevitable Yakuza 5 comes round (I'm ignoring Yakuza: Of The End) as it's the only bit of the game that feels old. The lock-system doesn't quite work all the time and blocking can be a bit hit or miss but smashing someone's head into the wall never gets old, ever.

In summing up Yakuza 4 it does feel a bit dated at times, especially if you're right up to date with the series. But being dated isn't always a bad things, the thing's Yakuza 4 does well it does fantastically and kept me hooked right up until the finish. There are hundreds of hours you could lose with many many side-quest's including running a hostess bar, training up rookie karate kid's and even playing in a Sega arcade. If you haven't delved into a Yakuza game before I would start with 3 to learn a bit about the back story, if you enjoyed 3 then I see no reason why you shouldn't come back. Look past the ageing fighting system and you'll find yourself a great game and a great world to be in.

8/10

Pokemon White/Black

Well it's about that time again, a new Pokemon on the shelves. Baring in mind this will be the first time I have played a Pokemon game since 1996, Pokemon Blue obviously, I am interested to see what Pokemon White has so offer! What has changed in 15 years? Well lets find out.

Pokemon White has an interesting story to say the least! Unlike the original Pokemon games where the objective is simply to get all 8 Badges and beat whoever else is in your path. Pokemon white has a more structured story, battling Team Plasma who's goal in the world is to free all Pokemon from their owners. I understand this sounds strange, but you begin to understand how this is wrong! Like always you still need to compete for badges and progress the same old way, but it is certainly nice to have a bit more of a story to play with.

The first thing you will notice is how the games presentation hasn't changed much, but why would it? The original Pokemon Red and Blue was very basic, but simply brilliant. I played Pokemon White and I am very happy with how it all looks, I was interested to see what Nintendo would do with the Dual screens and they did not disappoint! The top screen is your main screen like in most DS games, when walking the tall grass of Unova and also where you get to watch your favorite Pokemon battle it out! The bottom screen is used when fighting, it serves as your command center, you can chose your moves, items, switch Pokemon and the choice to Run here. You can either tap the screen which is a nice touch or simply direct the icon with the D-pad. When you are free roaming the bottom screen is only used for looking at items or if you have Online mode on, you can chose multiple options here.

The scenery is nicely done, with a few little effects whilst roaming, however the game does feel slightly out of date. In such a long time you would feel they may have changed it up a bit, a different camera angle or something.. Just to spice it up a little. Also when the Pokemon fight it seems very basic, a few Pokemon have some sweet effects but again it would have been nice to see a little more physical action between Pokemon.

I was always a fan of the Pokemon music, especially when you first turn the game on or when you get your first Poke battle, feeling like a kid again! And yet again Pokemon have done very well in providing a simple soundtrack, but for the most part I just had the sound off. Most of the sounds are very basic and can get a bit annoying, the option to play without sound is very nice.

The gameplay is nice as always with Pokemon, its very simple but highly addictive at the same time. You begin to play and even though all of these new Pokemon who you have never seen before, you want to see them grow as always! It was really nice to see them evolve because you had literally no idea what was coming! I do miss the original guys, Charizard and Blastoise.. Don't fear however, because you can get up to over 650 Pokemon in this game! Insane I know! You aren't able to get any of the older Pokemon until you have got or met all the new ones. I do want to stress one thing however, getting the old Pokemon is not easy in anyway. You can meet most of them, however a lot of the original Pokemon have to be traded from other games such as Soul Silver and Heart Gold, lame. I finished the game last night and all I wanted was my Charmander, but no. Now I am looking for a way to get him! As I have not played the previous game on the DS I don't know if this new 3 vs 3 battle is new or not, but its pretty cool.

The burning question is how long does it all last? Put it this way, the main story line takes around 40 hours to complete, seeing as the final battle is very hard and you end up having to go back and level up! Not only that, when you finish the game you can go back on with almost half the world left to explore and then you can fight the Elite four again, getting to level 100 when you only need to be around 50 to beat the game. There are a few Legendary Pokemon for you to get, obviously the Dragons on the covers, along with 5/6 more. There are also some Fossil Pokemon and exclusive Pokemon! They have to be traded over Black and White to 'Catch em all'. So you are looking at hundreds of hours easily! Well worth your money.

Before we end I know everyone who doesn't have the game already, wants to know.. What Color? Well a tough question, just like 15 years ago when you had to chose between Red and Blue the choice is here again. I went for white, why? I have no idea.. I liked the look of the cover? To be honest there isn't much difference, simply the final fight and a few Pokemon here and there, but nothing drastic. I say just chose which looks cooler to you at the time and wing it that way.

So lets recap. Pokemon yet again delivers in every way. Yes its still the same old Pokemon with a dash of color, but that isn't a bad thing! If you have ever been a Pokemon fan you will like this game. Even if it's not 'cool' anymore, I challenge anyone to play this for more than an hour and not enjoy it. If you are looking for a good game to burn some time into, have a relaxed time then this is for you. Well actually, I say relaxed, but I tell you.. There is nothing more frustrating than having an epic battle with this damn wild Pokemon who you, paralyze, put to sleep, confuse, basically everything under the sun.. Leave him with almost no HP and then after all of that..  the little Pokeball shakes 3 times.. Pauses then damn well breaks out!!! The rage does begin to flow, but it's is all part of the fun! As its a DS game the price tag isn't like buying a 360 game or a PS3 game. I am struggling to find anything wrong with this game at all, but simply because it isn't a huge leap forward I can't score it perfectly. Giving Pokemon White a...

9/10