Imperium Romanum
Published by Kalypso Media
Available for PC
You know, it's about time someone made a strategy game about the fascinating period of history dominated by the Roman Empire. It would be great to build up cities, conquer the barbarian hordes and spread civilization from the comfort of your computer.
What's that you say? There are a vast number of games that do this? From the wonderful Rome Total War to the eminent Caesar franchise? So why in the name of Jupiter would you buy this instead of one of the? Why indeed.
Imperium Romanum is a lacklustre game dominated by bugs and a thorough lack of thoroughness in areas like historical accuracy, design and even spelling.
The gameplay takes the form of tedious old-fashioned city building. The player builds stables barracks, taverns, farms etc. while gathering resources and occasionally seeing off invaders with a stunningly shallow combat mechanic.
It's hampered by shonky AI as well. Citizens will moan about stuff even after you've provided them with what they need, inciting an astonishing amount of frustration. Imperium Romanum is not challenging but combative, unfairly beating you around the head like an enraged gladiator when you try to beat it's yawn-inducing yet irritating scenarios.
By all means not an abysmal game, but it’s just a bit boring, irritatingly poorly constructed and it has all been done before.
2/5
Sam Webb
Call of Duty: World at War
Published by Activision
Available for PS3, PS2, Xbox 360, Wii, DS and PC
With Call of Duty 4:Modern Warfare winning four categories at this years Golden Joystick awards, the sequel Call of Duty:World at War is under intense scrutiny to see if it can match the success of its predecessor.
Going back to the WWII setting of CoD1, 2 and 3, the battles featured are based on real life conflicts, including the Makin Island Raid, the Battle of Peleliu and the Battle of Berlin.
The first person perspective ensures that you are complicite in the horror of war, and privy to horrific scenes - one scenario has you lying amongst the dead and dying as Nazi soldiers execute your wounded colleagues. Absolutely terrifying.
Graphically, the game is rich with detail, from the beach front warzone of Makin Island to the rubble strewn terrain of Berlin. Atmosphere is in excess here. Soldiers emerge through smoke filled, war torn streets, marching on to fulfill their grim role.
World at War is a gritty, brutal onslaught. And while I feel that CoD4 still has the edge, the harrowing visuals and immersive gameplay still pack a mean punch, that will remain with you long after you switch it off.
4/5
Matt Barron
Need for Speed Undercover
Published by EA
Available for PS3, PS2, PSP, Xbox 360, Wii, Nintendo DS and PC
The Need for Speed franchise has been around for years, perenially providing high speed thrills for the video game boy racer. With this latest edition you are thrown out onto the tarmac to prove your skills as a wheelman and get in with the criminal fraternity, reporting back to the police as their man on the inside.
The game is not too dissimilar to Burnout Paradise (also from EA). Given an open world environment to explore, you can happily just potter around sightseeing or select one of the assorted missions to fight for road supremacy. Missions available range from sprint (point A to point B), highway battle (stay ahead of your rival for a set distance) and many more, including some only available online. More than enough to keep your tyres warm. And you'll need more than just speed to progress. With the Police always one step behind, you better have some evasive manoeuvres in the bag.
Need for Speed Undercover is a competent racer which, while being more than just torque, pales in comparison to the spectacular Burnout Paradise. And a relaxed difficulty curve may limit it's longevity for some eager racers.
3/5
Matt Barron
Tom Clancy's Endwar
Published by Ubisoft
Available for PS3, Xbox 360, DS and PSP
This next generation real-time strategy game has had some real thought put into it. Where previous war sims have relied on a point and click approach, Endgame utilises voice control, allowing you to command your troops from afar as they engage in WWIII. Battles are fought with straightforward commands "who", "what" and "where" while the move from top-down to third-person view allows for a full vista across the battlefield. Highly addictive solo play is backed up by another quality Clancy storyline, proposing a series of events that follow a third global battle. But the game comes into its own with the multiplayer online Theatre of War. This great feature pits you against human opponents, with territories being fought over in day-long encounters, and your performance affecting the next time you play.
This realtime game is a welcome addition to the consoles. Innovative and entertaining, Ubisoft and Tom Clancy have once again delivered the goods.
4/5
Gary Simpkins
Red Alert 3
Published by EA
Available for Xbox 360 and PC
Red Alert 3 is the first RTS game to take the genre in a new direction since the excellent Sins of a Solar Empire and succeeds a lot more than it fails.
This time around there is a new faction joining the Soviets and the Allies: The Empire of the Rising Sun, who utilise robots and high-tech to overcome their foes.
The style is deliriously camp and silly, especially the units. The Soviets have armoured bears and an amphibious truck that fires men across the map in a circus stylee, the allies have attack dolphins looming warships while the Japanese have huge transforming Samurai robots and super-powered psychic school girls.
A welcome addition to the game is less of an emphasis on the tech tree, so naval and air units come into play earlier on, allowing different styles of warfare. This is further emphasised by the wide variety of units and special abilities, particularly the impressive orbital drop.
The story is good fun as well, and the traditional live action cutscenes feature stars like Jenny McCarthy as a hardcore commando, Tim Curry as the Soviet supremo and our very own Gemma Atkinson as a British commander.
The single player campaign is a bit limited, but has the additional and innovative feature of coop multiplayer, a first for the genre. Crushing your enemies with a colleague is a satisfying and nuanced experience.
Fast, frenetic but deceptively deep, RA 3 is a bold yet familiar new direction for real-time strategy fans.
4/5
Sam Webb
NBA Live 09
Published by EA
Available for Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, PS2 and PSP
It won't surprise you to know that with NBA Live 09, EA have once again produced a quality, well-researched sports sim. They're renowned for it. Slick graphics and a competent stat system (courtesy of NBA Live 365 - updating game stats based on the performances of their real-life counterparts) ensure that realism plays a major part.
As an inductee of the NBA Academy, you are free to dribble your way around the court, learning your plays and getting comfortable with the controls. Once you feel you've got your skills down, it's time to test your mettle against other teams. It's not long before you find yourself pump-faking your opponent on course for a slam dunk.
A nice addition to EA's title is the pick and roll control. Hold down one of your buttons and one of your team mates will break forward to assist. Depending on how long you hold down the button determines what your colleague will do, be it shoot for the basket, break through defense or act as decoy. It may take a few practices but once you've got it, you can engineer some great plays.
NBA Live 09 is an impressive game, if rather complicated for those who are new to the sport (something I've noticed about previous EA Sports titles). There's absolutely no doubt that it knows its stuff and competently translates it onto the game format, although it would do well to consider an optional simpler mode for those who need to build up their sporting confidance.
4/5
Matt Barron
Far Cry 2
Published by Ubisoft
Available for PS3, Xbox 360, and PC
From the very outset, it's immediately clear to see that Far Cry 2 has not scrimped on the amount of detail gone into the graphics. An introductory taxi journey through civil war-torn Africa - a useful trip setting up the backdrop for the rest of the game - makes it clear that a game with such minute attention to detail is going to be anything but immense.
One game tutorial later, the action hots up and it becomes evident exactly how immense. With a vast expanse of Africa to explore, there is plenty to keep you busy. Side missions, searching for hidden diamonds and unlocking safe houses, all while on the hunt for 'The Jackal', the elusive arms dealer responsible for the conflict, mean you're never at a loss for something to do.
A game this size demands a good chunk of your playing time, this isn't something you can bash out in a couple of sessions. Admittedly there are parts which get slightly repetitive, but it's easy to get drawn in by the engrossing storyline and high quality gameplay. And, while bearing little relation to the original Far Cry, the whole game feels more complete, almost like a reboot of the series.
FC2 is a detailed, solid action/shooter which draws you in and keeps you hooked until the bullet-ridden end. Provided you've got the time to dedicate to it, it is definately to be recommended.
4/5
Matt Barron
Disney Sing It!
Published by Disney
Available for Xbox 360, Wii, PS3, PS2 and PC
Those who are familiar with the Disney channel will recognise a few of the faces, and voices, featured in this game. Hannah Montana and Miley Cyrus (yes, I know they're the same person) are just two of the pop poppets lending songs to a roster of 35, as well as Miley's dad, Billy Ray Cyrus - although sadly not singing about his achy breaky heart.
Plugging in your microphone allows you to loosen up your vocal chords and belt out the hits yourself. While singing alongside the cast of High School Musical isn't really my thing, my little girl loved it, despite not being familiar with half the songs. Thankfully in true karaoke style, the words are all onscreen. All you have to do is stick as close to the correct pitch as possible, and hopefully rack up the points.
Essentially, Disney Sing It is Singstar for teenagers. It's good, innoffensive family fun and, although it obviously helps if you have some knowledge of Camp Rock, the Cheetah Girls and the like, you can pretty much have a blast with it, even if your best attempts sound like a strangled cat.
Also available is Disney Sing it! High School Musical 3 on Wii, PS3 and PS2.
4/5
Darren Parkin
Football Manager 2009
Published by SEGA
Available for PC and Mac
Armchair Mourinhos rejoice! FM is back and it's business as usual. Apart from a few tweaks and improvements the winning formula stays the same and that's certainly no bad thing.
To kick off (do you see what I did there!) the control system is cleaner and an easy to navigate than previous versions. The layout is simple and intuitive yet effective and in-depth.
Another welcome substitution (stop me I'm on fire!) is that transfer rumours and speculation have been ramped up. Tabloid gossip and tittle-tattle now play a major role in actual transfer business - exploit the rumourmongers but be sure to keep an eye on your dastardly opponents!
The recent slew of foreigners buying clubs, and the resultant PR blitz that comes with it, has obviously influenced the developers. As a result communication with fans, the board and players has been vastly improved, and with it with an even greater understanding of what makes your side tick.
One Titus Bramble-esque howler is the 2-D gameplay engine, which is creaky to say the least. However that's not a major problem, as matches can be reverted to the classic "dots on a green background" at the click of a button. If it ain't broke....
This is still the leading football management sim on the market, rising head and shoulders above the rest of the competition to bury the ball in the net (sorry, this review nearly all over), FM 09 offers the most realistic taste of the mad, bad crazy world of football management. Be prepared to once again to jettison your friends, blank the missus (or fella, soccerettes) and stay up all night chasing that elusive title.
5/5
Sam Webb
High School Musical 3: Senior Year
Published by Disney
Available for Xbox 360, Wii, Nintendo DS, PS2 and PC
It wasn’t too long ago I reviewed HSM 2 for the DS but within the space of what feels like two months they have another film out, which can only mean another set of buy-ins aimed at excited youngsters and their weary parents.
It’s the same gang of Wildcats from East High – but this time they’re in senior year! Clearly this calls for a new set of annoyingly upbeat songs and dances from the beautiful Americans.
But while it is easy to be cynical this game actually isn’t that bad – and it’s a whole lot better than the HSM 2 game. You have two levels you can play the game at (the lower one is aimed at junior players) and you have to complete quizzes and games in order to get your East High yearbook filled with the right pictures and quotes of your favourite high school gang.
By answering the quizzes differently you get different rewards and you need them all in order to fill the yearbook up completely, which gives it some longevity. The games themselves are cleverly set to the music and dances from the film and involve you moving, taping and taking pictures at various points to complete your challenges.
I have to admit I wasn’t looking forward to reviewing this but the quizzes and games are in small enough chunks to keep younger players entertained for a good length of time. And the songs are annoyingly catchy!
Also available is High School Musical 3: Senior Year DANCE! on Wii and PS2.
4/5
Imogen Styles
Guiness World Records
Published by Warner Bros.
Available for Wii and Nintendo DS
I got my first Guiness Book of World Records this year and I thought that was amazing - then I played this game.
The game is based on real world records and gives players the chance to become world record holders.
Whatever you want to be the best and fastest at - throwing washing machines, eating jumbo jets or growing the longest fingernails – you get to experience it.
You don’t just find out about what the world record was but you get to try it yourself and get a feeling of how much effort is put in by the record holders.
I thought this game would be easy but some parts were actually quite hard. It’s not easy trying to be the greatest human cannonball or smashing 40 watermelons with your head in one minute.
There wasn’t a part of this game I didn’t like. It is fun and great to play with all your friends, and is definitely one of the best Wii games I have played this year.
There is even a promise of getting your name in the next Guiness Book of World Records if you do well.
That’s enough to keep me playing!
5/5
Charan Shoker (aged 9)
Tomb Raider: Underworld
Published by Eidos
Available for PS3, PS2, Xbox 360, Wii, Nintendo DS and PC
Stunning scenery and some brand new moves signals Lara's back for a brand new adventure.
Tomb Raider: Underworld kicks off with Lara seeming to blow up her childhood home Croft Manor before jumping backwards in time for the player to play through the events that lead up to this bizarre action.
Essentially it is the same mix of fights and puzzles but the graphics are beautiful and there are some cool new moves including rock climbing up walls.
Personally although I enjoy the Tomb Raider games I would not describe myself as a fully paid up gamer and as a result I still find controlling the camera difficult, which can make trying to figure out your next move difficult.
And while there is no doubt that the graphics on the PS3 are fantastic, the one down side is that it makes it hard to spot the difference between ledges you can grab onto and those you cannot.
The level size seems to be creeping up as well which is annoying when you realise you have wasted 30 minutes swimming/climbing/jumping in the completely wrong area.
Basically it is the same combination of fun and frustration you come to expect (and love) from a Tomb Raider game (plus Lara has some typically tight outfits that male gamers are bound to enjoy).
4/5
Imogen Styles
WWE Smackdown vs Raw 2009
Published by THQ
Available for PS3, PS2, PSP, Xbox 360, Wii and DS
By rights, WWE Smackdown vs Raw 2009 should be the best wrestling game this year. It arguably has the bigger reputation over other wrestling leagues and as a result, the bigger stars (certainly as far as my limited knowledge of the sport goes). So why exactly is it such a lumbering ox of a game?
Stepping into the ring as your chosen grappler, the optional tutorial highlights what does what. Time spent learning the moves is pointless, since the whole movement is so sluggish that you constantly feel as if you're three steps ahead of what's happening onscreen. The controls themselves seem unsure of themselves - approach a downed opponent with the intention to drag and chances are you inadvertantly go for the pin. That's no way to play a game.
Credit where it's due, the graphics are a strong point. Good textures on the characters mean they really do resemble their spandex clad counterparts. And options? Yeah, plenty to keep fans busy. But ultimately, it lacks heart and the fun quotient is next to nil. Compared to TNA iMPACT!, WWE 09 seems like a cumudgeonly old timer. A real disappointment.
2/5
Matt Barron
Disney Fairies: Tinker Bell
Published by Disney
Available for Nintendo DS
I really like watching Peter Pan and Tinker Bell is one of my favourite Disney characters. I like the way she flies around and looks after Peter. In this game she has to fly around Pixie Hollow, helping friends like Fawn and Silvermist so that the seasons can change. To do this you have to play adventures and win items.
My favourite bit is when you dress up Tinker Bell in lots of costumes. You can look at loads of outfits and pick the prettiest one for her to wear. When you've chosen the best one you can go and talk with all your fairy friends.
I really like this game but I wish there was more Peter in it. I'm really hoping to get the film for Christmas.
Jennifer Styles (aged 6)
Popstar Guitar
Published by Midway and XS Games
Available for Wii and PS2
Ok, I'm gonna come right out and say it. When I first saw Popstar Guitar, I thought "Oh oh, Guitar Hero 3 rip-off"! To say the least I was expecting a sub-par pseudo rock sim crying out to cash in on the success of the afforementioned game. This soon proved to be a bit harsh.
So, with GH firmly in mind for comparison, let's explore the game. The premise? Pick up your chosen peripheral (the AirG in this case - a four button fret board to snap onto your Wii controller) and strum away like the clappers (or Claptons if you will). Hit the notes in good time and feel like a proper musician, regardless of any genuine musical talent. No major differences there!
Where Guitar Hero gave us Santana, Alice Cooper and Rage Against the Machine, Popstar Guitar is considerable more poptastic (although the name make no pretentions otherwise). Sure there's some Fall Out Boy and some Blink 182 on board but beware, Miley Cyrus, Jonas Brothers and Maroon 5 will soon bring you back to Earth. And it's while playing these poppy, family friendly songs on your AirG that you realise, Popstar Guitar is Guitar Hero 3 for children. That's it, no more, no less. Guitar Hero lite.
When taking this fact into account, it's hard to be too harsh with PG. It's not original, that's for sure, and the controller is a bit fiddly, but the kids will have fun. Ultimately, I consider it to be stabilisers until they're good enough for GH. A training wheel for the rockstar excesses of tomorrow!
3/5
Matt Barron
Mirror's Edge
Published by EA
Available for PS3, Xbox 360 and PC
In a world full of first-person shooting and fighting games, Mirror's Edge breaks the precedent and offers up a first-person free running sim.
Set in a totalitarian future where all information is monitored, your character Faith is a parkour trained courier delivering vital messages across the city, away from the watchful glare of Big Brother. Sprint across rooftops, scale vertigo-inducing scaffolding and make death-defying leaps of faith to complete your mission and evade the government corruption that's always a step behind.
To my knowledge, Mirror's Edge is unique. I don't think I've ever played a free-running game before. The speed and motion give you a real sense of freedom, despite your course being mapped out for you in 'Runner vision'. Deviate from the course and you could push your boundaries too far, plummetting from high and landing with an unpleaseant, fleshy thud. But the gameplay is engaging and the stylised graphics will wow you, almost like ragdoll Manga with a simpler colour pallette. The only irritating thing is the combat system. Aimed more towards disarming than out-and-out battle, your timing needs to be spot-on. Thankfully this only plays a small part of the game.
Mirror's Edge is stylish, smooth and supercool. A standout title which dares to be different.
4/5
Matt Barron
Bioshock
Published by 2K Games
Available for PS3, Xbox 360 and PC
Preceeded by a slew of awards and plaudits, Bioshock finally arrives onto the PS3. And thank God it did! We humble Sony owners can finally experience first hand the sublime terror of a perfect society gone mad.
As a newcomer to Rapture - the sprawling art-deco paradise, built as a sub-Atlantic utopia away from the warring superpowers of the surface - your character must dissect the secrets of this broken nirvana, a result of power struggle and elitism, and populated mostly by 'Splicers' - insane shadows of decadence driven mad by genetic abuse and the misplaced perception of perfection.
Those with a good aim and a sturdy moral compass must navigate Rapture's labyrinthine corridors in search of the creator Andrew Ryan, encountering 'Big Daddies' and 'Little Sisters' along the way. It is a game of contradictions - the gentle Bobby Darrin soundtrack belies the insipid terrors you face. And with an atmosphere which makes use of long shadows and silhouettes, it feels like German horror films of the 1920's - think of the enduring image of Nosferatu ascending the stairwell and you'll know where I'm coming from.
With elements of role-playing combined with its survival horror theme, Bioshock is a must for over-18 gamers. This BAFTA winning title sets a extremely high bar for others to follow.
5/5
Matt Barron
Manhunt 2
Published by Rockstar
Available on Wii, PS2 and PSP
Rockstar are no strangers to controversy. Their dalliance with the popular GTA series ensures that they've built up quite a bedfellowship over the years. And Manhunt 2 is no exception, with a plot that involves performing stealth kills on all manner of homicidal deviants coupled with the Wii's motion sensor controls ensuring extra immersion into the grotty world of the protagonist. Mary Whitehouse would be having a coronary.
Gone are the exploits of the original's James Earl Cash, having been replaced by the amnesiac Dr Danny Lamb's quest for his memory and reason for incarceration. In the search for the truth, the good doctor needs to keep his wits (and a sturdy blade) about him. A lesser person might say something about a Lamb to the slaughter - thankfully I wouldn't be so crass.
It's not surprising that the censors had a field day with this. Subject matter aside, Wii owners are invited to put themselves in the position of Lamb as he murders his stalkers. Want him to stab someone? Simply stab your wiimote toward the screen. We are talking homicidally immersive gameplay. Thankfully the screen blurs to hide the worst of the carnage and an 18 certificate keeps impressionable youngsters away.
This may seem tasteless to some people, and they may be right. But it's rare that such an entertaining game comes along. It has downright eerie moments - oppressive atmosphere, whispered threats - and hilarious too - kicking stalkers in the crotch is always good fun. But there's often a downside. Too much emphasis on the A button means that you find yourself about to put the boot in, only to bend down to pick something up by accident, rendering the boot very much on the other face.
Manhunt 2 is good fun but flawed, mostly by its annoying A button emphasis. But when ofset against its hands-on Wiimote control, you find it to be gruesome fun, for those who know where to draw the line.
3/5
Matt Barron
Fallout 3
Published by Bethesda
Available for PC, PS3 and Xbox 360
It's been a good year for people whose tastes run to first person shooters with roleplay elements set in brutal dystopian alternate timelines. First we had the breathtakingly eery Bioshock and now the makers of the critical and commercial smash Oblivion have resurrected one of the best loved sci-fi roleplay games of all time – Fallout.At the risk of hyperbole, Fallout 3 is astounding and nothing short of one of the best games ever created.Set in an a 1950s-themed futuristic America that was torn to pieces in a nuclear war, you play as a lucky vault dweller, who was raised in the safety of a vast nuclear shelter. After an innovative opening sequence that uses childhood events to shape the character you want to play, you are cast out into the wilderness in the clothes you wear, a few health packs and a 9mm pistol. Here is where the real joy of Fallout 3 begins. You are effectively a blank canvas thrust into a vast gaming area with a breathtaking amount of characters, quests, monsters and choice. Feel like being a sneaky thief or assassin, who routinely murders, burgles, hacks, robs, exploits and even occasionally sells children into slavery (yep, you read that)? Well you can (you sick monster). Alternatively you can be a noble hero bravely wading into combat against wasteland raiders and the corrupt remnants of the US government. Or even a morally ambiguous character anywhere in between. The weapons are superb fun, including your bare fists, knives, swords, power fists, rifles, shotguns, chain guns and a rocket launcher that fires nuclear weapons! A cool addition to the gun play is a bullet-time style targeting system where you stop the combat and choose to target body parts – shoot a leg enough your unlucky opponent can't move very fast. Shoot it enough you'll tear it off in a glorious slo-mo spray of gore. Fun! There's even more to rave about, from the plot to the graphics to voice acting to the atmosphere but there's just not space.
Fallout 3 is superbly-crafted game that is strong evidence to the games-as-art argument.
5/5
Sam Webb
Dead Space
Published by EA
Available on PS3, Xbox 360 and PC
If pushed to describe Dead Space in one word, my choice would be simple and immediate - TERRIFYING!
The space setting may seem familiar but EA have taken atmosphere to a whole new level. The mining ship you find yourself on has such an intrinsic sense of dread and malevolence that it's almost a character in itself. Flickering lights and cold steel pipes create such an insipidly sinister setting, you just know that every nook holds a cache of terrors.
The story (which will inevitably made into a film someday) has you playing engineer Isaac Clarke (a nod to sci-fi fans). Summoned to a troubled deep-space mining ship to fix some kind of electrical problem, you find the ship populated by its crew - though sadly not your average dust-stained overalls style miner, more of a twisted abomination of a long-dead corpse infested by an alien parasite scenario. And the only solution to this body-horror batalion? Yep, dismemberment. Heads will roll.
While the game presents a mix and match of great horror films - The Thing, Alien and Event Horizon all seem to have lent some dreadful element or other - it has a gruesome quality which forces you to play whilst similtaneously knowing you should probably load up LEGO Batman or something equally inoffensive. The 18 age certificate is well justified, there are scenes that ensure brightly lit bedrooms for any errant children observing them.
Dead Space is a gripping adventure. Both engrossing and gross, you will love playing it, so long as the lights stay on.
5/5
Matt Barron
Spider-Man: Web of Shadows
Published by Activision
Avaailable for PS3, Xbox 360, Wii, PS2, PSP, Nintendo DS, PC
Fans of the comic book will know, as superheroes go, when it comes to luck, you can always rely on Spidey to get the thin end of the wedge. On top of all his usual relationship troubles comes a new, slightly more significant threat - the invasion of the entire New York City by intergalactic black snot. It'll take more than a massive hanky to clear this up!
Stepping into the primary-coloured pants of our eponymous arachnid hero, you take on the challenge of getting to the bottom of this parasitic problem. As New Yorkers mutate into an army of feral fiends, it's up to you swing, slam and subdue the enemy, although whether you act good or bad is up to you. Make full use of your agile red/blue costume for speed and flexibility, or instantly mutate into the infamous black suit to mete out symbiote justice. You might even make some friends along the way!
I really enjoyed the Spider-Man 3 game from a couple of years back, and I'm pleased to see that this has built on that template and made it its own. The graphics are 100% better and the whole game feels slicker and faster. You can spend ages just swinging through the New York streets happily collecting spidey icons, let alone the missions themselves.
All good so far but there are a couple of points which sadly knock a star off. The game does suffer from slowdown when there's a lot going on onscreen. I acknowledge that there's some slow-mo bits for dramatic purposes, but this is considerably slower and has a tendancy to break up the flow of the action somewhat, though thankfully not too often. Furthermore, the actor voicing Spidey is incredibly whiney and actually makes you skip sections of dialogue. This may be a cosmetic thing but it's still very annoying!
Hang-ups aside, Spider-Man: Web of Shadows is a great way to while away these winter nights. If you'll pardon the cliche, it proves itself to be king of the swingers.
4/5
Matt Barron
Legend - Hand of God
Published by dtp
Available for PC
It’s difficult to understand why people ever play bad games. With the tiniest bit of research you can uncover the gems in every genre and invest wisely. Even if you’ve played all the critically-acclaimed games in a chosen genre you can normally find something with a pretty good review to tide you over until the next big release.
The fantasy RPG genre is probably the best example. Even if you’ve finished Oblivion and Neverwinter Nights 2 and are desperate for something to tide you over until Diablo 3 there are games like The Witcher or Mount and Blade.
So with that in mind, gamers who plough through this have no one to blame but themselves. Everything about it is clichéd and repetitive. You play a handsome and stoic hero (why is it never a whiny obnoxious ugly bloke?) who has to rid his realm of demons using a sacred artifact blah blah blah. Dull combat, five years out-of-date graphics, teeth-grinding voice acting and the combat is a monotonous slog.
A great thing about other fantasy RPGs is the attraction of creating a character that matches your style of play, such as sneaky archer, bold knight, mage or a combination of the above. The character customisation in Legend doesn’t really make much difference to gameplay, as you still hack and slash at waves of cut out monsters and the outcome is determined by the speed at which you can gulp down healing potions. When you look at the the variety of gameplay opportunities presented by games like Oblivion, a two-year old game, it’s simply unacceptable.
All in all, there’s a credit crunch on. Invest your money elsewhere.
2/5
Sam Webb
My Pet Dolphin 2
Published by 505 Games
Available for Nintendo DS
Another installment from Nintendos popular Your Pet...series. In this game you take a trip to an exotic island where you help your dolphin buddy explore the surroundings, collect tokens, take pictures and play some games.
This is definitely one for the younger gamers. You can pick the name (and colour) of your dolphin and then set about exploring the seas.
The graphics are ok but the soundtrack is so annoyingly repetitive that you quickly tire of it.
And unfortunately the game in itself does not have enough about it to distract.
Although there are some sweet, quirky features like being able to play ball with your pet and use the touch mode to stroke it, the missions are boring and underwater the dolphins are not that easy to control.
Obviously marketed to appeal to those tweenagers who get interested in dolphins just after unicorns (surely the next Your Pet game they are working on) I am sure it would be interesting enough to keep them entertained for any length of time.
2/5
Imogen Styles |
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