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