Well trained, well armed and now well voiced to boot!

EA are developing quite the reputation for pulling out the big guns for voicing duties on their games.

The latest title to feature this oral dedication is Starbreeze’s new Syndicate reboot.

Skipping straight over the C-list celeb ranks we can look forward to the dulcet tones of not only Rosario Dawson (Grindhouse & Sin City) and Michael Wincott (The Crow, Halo 2 & Darksiders 2) but perhaps most excitingly the legend that is Brian “I’ll get you Bourne! Oh and Wolverine!” Cox. Getting someone like Sir Brian of Cox is quite the coup, the man has bullet-proof credentials across multiple genres in addition to major voicing credits for all 3 installments of the Killzone series as the less than helpful Scolar Visari.

This sort of news continues to build expectation for what is looking more and more like a crackerjack of a game…

- Richard “Rax” Burley
@Raxous

How romantic!

Stay tuned for more news as and when we get it

360: http://www.tescoentertainment.com/store/games/microsoft-xbox-360-mass-effect-3/8:774372/

PS3: http://www.tescoentertainment.com/store/games/-mass-effect-3/8:774363/

- Rax

Game:

Victoria 2: A House Divided, is an expansion pack for Victoria 2 (2009) a game we didn’t have the pleasure to review, and thus, since it’s quite difficult to talk about the expansion without talking about the game itself, I will do right now.

Victoria 2 is a grand strategy game set between 1836 and 1936 that, appropriately, comprehends the Victorian age of the world (and some of the Edwardian one) and many of the world defining changes that that time brought us.

In Victoria 2 you select a nation that existed in that era, and when I say any nation I MEAN any nation, from the mighty UK to the lonely kingdom of Madagascar, Mongolia or some small or unadvanced country. I cannot really stress this enough, the amount of detail and playable nations is downright breathtaking, it has to be seen to be believed. Obviously this is kinda imbalanced, but it’s supposed to be, the joy of the game is that there are no objectives, no goals or overarching campaigns, you just choose a nation and try to make your way into the world, for better or worse.

The scope of the game is indeed “grand” as the “grand strategy game” tag supposes. In Victoria 2 you not only have to care about troops, invasions and other military what-not as most strategy games, but economy, politics and civilian matters, though the depth on which you can delve into each of this aspects depends a bit on the others.

Time for an explanation of why. You see, the “party” in power in your nation limits your power over it depending on it’s political or civil ideology or plans. For instance a party with a liberal “laissez-faire” outlook will make the building and running of industry in your country cheap and simple for your countrymen, but it will also stop you from building your own state-owned or invested companies, while a communist oriented party will do just the opposite, nobody in your nation will be able to open any kind of industry without state imput.

You can choose to play as any country in the world, but beware the country's political standing will influence your decisions

It will also limit how can you spend your budget or what tactic can you use to get said budget, many parties impose a limit on how high can you tax certain sectors of the population, while other will limit how high tariffs on products from abroad can be.

This is all put into motion also by the economic side of the game, population is classified in POPs, which are “family units” surrounding a determinate profession or social class. This POPs have needs that go from basic to luxury, and all of them have their own “budget” that they can use to purchase this products. This budget is dependent on how much money they get paid in their jobs which are classified as RGO (Resource Gathering Operations), industry, state assigned salaries (bureaucrats and clergy) and Capitalist and Aristocrats, which get money depending on how good their owned factories and RGO are doing, though the latter don’t really invest their money and build more industry with the profits, they just spend it.

As very few nations are able to produce in enough quantities everything their POPs need, this will be one of many issues of tension, and the main reason World Powers will embark con colonization and imperialistic streaks.

Military wise the game is comparatively simple, military units are separated on brigades of 3000 men, made up of infantry, cavalry or artillery. Technological improvements add modifiers to combat, as do different terrain features and weather, though it’s quite difficult to keep track of everything so you’ll probably try and pick your battles when you know you have the advantage. Attrition and supply also play a big part in combat, provinces can  only supply so many troops and your soldiers will start to die like mayflies if you stack them in a province that cannot simply supply them all. Troops also need a constant supply of military equipment that will of course impact yours and other countries economies.

During the course of the game you will also face political movement that will demand further political freedom, or further social security. This changes from country to country and is somewhat randomized because of your POP movements, so how this will affect your game is anyone’s guess.

I’m leaving many things unexplained here, but this is a huge game and I do need to get to the expansion and what it adds, as those of you only interested on it will be already tapping with your feet waiting for me to mention it.

With limited resources to go round you will need to keep tabs on the goings on around the world

The expansion adds several features and changes many mechanics to make the game more cohesive and fluid. On the technical side, it now supports multi-core processors and supposedly it has been optimized so it’s not so sluggish on the later years of the game. Unfortunately, I cannot really say I’ve noticed a difference… in fact, it seems to run even slower from the beginning!

A new start year, 1861, has been added with all the historical accuracy that Paradox has us accustomed for, allowing us to play during the time of the American Civil war right at the star of the game. Not much to say about this, but it was missed by some in the original game, so here it is!

Politics and diplomacy has been overhauled, now you cannot simply go to war with anyone at anytime, even for an infamy penalty, you need a reason for war and if you don’t have one, don’t worry! You can manufacture it. The problem is that manufacturing reasons takes time, and also, if you are discovered you take an infamy penalty. The Sphere of Influence mechanic, by which World Powers make other nations dependent on them economically and thus create a pseudo-nonpolitical-empire (really), has been overhauled too. Now you can also influence other nations by making foreign investments on them, by doing so your influence becomes more entrenched and difficult to remove, protecting your sphere. Unfortunately how much or even if you can invest is determined by the economic outlook of your party in power, giving ”laissez-faire” groups even less to do, economics wise.

The National Focus mechanic has been also fleshed out, allowing you to influence your country of multiple points other than POP progression. Now you can affect party loyalty, and you can move them around without having to disengage them first.

Politics have also been overhauled, now your citizens will start lobbying for reforms they want and the bigger the group is, the bigger the percentage of your Upper House will vote for that reform (or counter-reform). This political movement can also be violent or become violent if their demands are not heard. If so, they will become revolutionaries unless you suppress them in time. Thankfully, you can now automate armies to hunt for rebels in case you’re plagued with small but inconsequential rebellions.

Very few cosmetic changes have been made with this expansion

A miscellaneous change, but that affect game a great deal, is the addition sub-states, which are basically nations that “officially” are part of a bigger one. At the point of launch the only one with this mechanic is China, so you cannot “sphere” it at the begging of the game and have a huge economic benefit for the rest of it.

Finally, there’s been multiple improvement to the UI, with more maps to visualize resources, spheres of influence and plenty of other interesting information.

Graphics and sound remain completely unchanged, and it’s a pity, some new tunes would have spiced up a bit the game, they are good, but I’m tired of the same tunes playing over and over.

Review Round-Up

Graphics: 3/5 – Very nice for an strategy game! But keep in mind, it’s basically just maps with some extra animation for troops, but then again, you don’t need much else!

Sound: 3/5 – Sounds and music are very well done but unchanged from the original game. Nothing really that will stay with you after the game is done, though.

Gameplay: 4/5 – As with all Paradox grand strategy games, gameplay is a bit schizophrenic. Depending on your nation and your random events and personal decisions you could have a very involving and epic game or simply just looking at the in-game clock moving forward with almost no change or imput. However this is intentional in design, and you do really need to learn to play the game to squeeze the most fun out of it.

Longevity: 5/5 – Hundreds of nations and ways of playing them, sure, most will be quite long and boring games, but the amount of weird stuff you can see on the world map during a game makes the game interesting in itself. If it really clicks with you you’re in for hours and hours of fun.

Overall: 4.5 out of 5

If in following patches Paradox stabilizes the game further, improves performance and fixes some of the economic imbalances, I see myself wasting (even more of) my life with the game. Highly recommended if you’re not afraid of difficult strategy games, but be prepared to dump hours here, this is a huge game!

- Jose Luis Perez Zapata

Game:

In 2005 THQ published one of the most brutal games ever made based on Marvel Comics’ The Punisher. Featuring the vocal work of Tom Jane, the then star of The Punisher movie, the script takes basic elements of Garth Ennis’ seminal Welcome Back Frank comic, (using characters like Detective Soap, Joan the mouse, and The Russian) and pits our brutal hero against the Mafia, the Yakuza, and even a couple of super villains.

The game opens with Frank Castle, the Punisher, in police custody on Ryker’s Island, the fictional Marvel Universe prison in New York.  Detectives Van Richtofen and Soap interrogate Frank about a recent massacre he was involved in, and what follows is the Punisher’s account of the events leading up to his arrest.

As The Punisher you can essentially manhandle pretty much anyone you come across, at least during the first half of the game anyway. Whenever you get close to an enemy you are given the option of either grabbing them, turning them into a human shield, or performing a brutal quick kill, such as slashing their throat with your knife, or stuffing a grenade in their mouth and pushing them towards their friends.

As far as third person shooting games go The Punisher is fairly generic. When shooting at enemies it doesn’t ever really feel like your shots are connecting with them – you’re simply shooting at targets until they fall down. However it has one unique selling point that no other game has managed to match to date, and that is the sheer level of violence. This is particularly evident in the game’s interrogation/torture mechanic.

The Punisher is an equal opportunities murderer

Whenever you grab an enemy you can drag them around the environment as a human shield, or take them to interactive sections to initiate the interrogation/torture mechanic. Interactive areas are marked white icons, indicating the best places to interrogate your hostage, while gold icons indicate unique instant kill locations. The aim of the torture is to get information or force an enemy to co-operate with you. For instance, in the first level you can slam a punk’s head against a window in order to persuade him to go in to the next room and get his friends to surrender.

When torturing an enemy an orange meter appears on screen that indicates how much punishment they can take before they will die. The aim is to apply enough pressure for a short amount of time without breaking them. If you push them too far they will either refuse to co-operate with you, or they will die in a gruesome way. The size of the sweet spot that you need to hit varies from enemy to enemy, leading to some genuinely surprising accidental murders on your part. If it weren’t so much fun then it might actually be frustrating.

In the case of the punk with the window, the frame shatters and the broken glass slices his throat open, leading to the Punisher having to fight off a room full of armed punks. Whenever these gruesome deaths occur the camera fades to black and white in order to mask some of the violence. Apparently this was done in order for the game to pass as a mature rated game, rather than receive the kiss of death known as the adults only rating.

The Punisher uses every day objects, such as this wood chipper, to get hilarious results

The sheer level of variety of torture options is staggering, with every subsequent execution being more grisly and hilarious than the last. Every level has dozens of unique torture methods, ranging from dipping an enemy face first in to a piranha pool at the zoo, to using a high tech laser at Stark Industries to slice off limbs. There is something really quite compelling about finding every possible means of torture in each level.

Performing interrogations, and successfully killing enemies earns you points, with your final score determining an overall medal ranking at the end of each level. The more medals you earn the more bonus content you unlock, such as character art and new weapons. It is a nice idea, but overall the challenges aren’t especially compelling, and the extra content isn’t really that vital to the overall experience. Still, it’s nice that they gave enthusiastic players more content to experience.

Towards the end of the game you fight far tougher enemies, including armored soldiers and even a boss in a stolen Iron Man costume, and it is at this point that things start to feel like a chore. The simple fact of the matter is that the Punisher is only really any fun to play as when he is facing foes that are weaker than him. The moment you face stronger foes with better weapons, and you are forced to rely on the clunky gun combat, the whole game falls apart. Having said that, at its best, when tormenting dozens of hapless thugs, The Punisher really is very enjoyable.

It may not be the greatest game ever made, but the point still stands that the interrogation system is fantastic fun and I’m genuinely surprised to see that it hasn’t been used more frequently in other games. Fortunately this is one of the few original Xbox titles that you can play on your Xbox 360. If you happen to come across a cheap copy then I heartily recommend it, if only for the thrill of seeing a gangster being slowly fed through a wood chipper.

- Luke Mears

From the official press release:

Sleeping Dogs catapults players into the role of undercover cop Wei Shen, tasked with taking down one of the world’s most fearsome criminal organisations from the inside… the Hong Kong Triads. As players explore the bustling and crowded Hong Kong island, through its neon-lit side streets and sprawling street markets, an incredible story unfolds of loyalty and betrayal, where Wei begins to question his own motives as he is sucked in deeper than he could ever imagine.

“From the moment you pick up the controller and experience the blend of driving, close combat and shooting you know you’re playing something fresh and a bit special,” said Lee Singleton, General Manager of Square Enix London Studios. “Sleeping Dogs has one of the best melee combat systems out there – it’s super brutal with devastating takedown moves, and when added to UFG’s proven heritage in driving games, a first class story and the vibrant backdrop of the Hong Kong underworld we get a fiery recipe with fun written all over it.”

“Working on Sleeping Dogs has been such a huge passion for the team at United Front Games and we’re really pleased to be working with Square Enix London Studios,” said Stephen Van Der Mescht, Executive Producer at United Front Games. “The extensive experience both our studios have in creating compelling openworld gameplay and rich and rewarding combat makes for a perfect partnership. Working together we can make sure that Sleeping Dogs is the most intense and immersive experience it can be.”

Offering players an island packed with action, every street corner, market stall, harbour dock or city skyscraper can become an opportunity for intense shoot-outs, adrenaline-fuelled street races and intense, brutal martial arts combat. Featuring one of the most intuitive and imaginative combat systems, Sleeping Dogs empowers players to perform an extensive set of martial arts moves, singlehandedly taking on numerous opponents. Players perform bone-crunching kicks and combos, vicious counters and a cinematic set of environmental takedowns making use of countless real-world items from circular saws to phone booths, incinerators to refrigerator doors.

Sleeping Dogs is due to be released on Xbox 360, PS3, and PC in the later part of 2012. We’ll be sure to bring you more news as soon as we get it.

Well, following much debate with many a fellow fan, I’ve decided I should assemble all the thoughts we’ve come up with in regard to any such sequel into one article for the enjoyment, flaming and derision of fellow “Elder Scrollsites”. Obviously what follows is not only highly speculative, but also contains lots of personal opinions, concepts and theories which are likely never to have any connection to any Elder Scrolls games whatsoever! You have been warned.

Beware! For there be dragons in this here... erm... fantastical fiction?

Bethesda have a long history of really delivering when it comes to truly open world RPG. They also have a track record of not quite delivering to their full potential in similar fields. For every Fallout 3 & Skyrim there is a RAGE & Hunted: The Demon’s Forge. (NOTE: I actually quite liked RAGE for what it was… a very linear shooter with fun mini-games).

But, credit where credit is due, over the last decade Bethesda have unfailingly delivered quality in the open world RPG field (Although we might want to avoid looking too hard at New Vegas). Furthermore, having “Elder Scrolls” on the box has, so far, guaranteed pure gaming quality.

But what now, where now? How can you top a game as good as Skyrim? Well, let’s remember that Bethesda have done this twice this millenia, improving on both the exceptional Morrowind and then on the really very good Oblivion.

If you chart the evolution of the “modern” Elder Scrolls games on the current gaming platforms you can see that we get a new Elder Scrolls installment delivered roughly every 4 to 5 years.  This, even before we start thinking about features and feel, puts the next Elder Scrolls game into the next generation of gaming hardware. By 2015 we will have new consoles from at least Sony & Microsoft, with the prospect of Nintendo joining them with a Wii U successor increasingly likely. This obviously has a huge impact on what will be possible for Bethesda to include in The Elder Scrolls 6. (For more musings on the future of gaming technology, check out our dedicated analysis on that very topic coming soon!)

What? This doesn't look so bad considering it was advertised as "Oblivion"!

So “The Elder Scrolls 6: Skirrovion” is going to be an even bigger beast of a game than it’s pre-decessors, with more of everything available to power it on the shiny new hardware.

How will this change the experience? What can we expect to gain as gamers?

Control

In addition to the obvious graphical improvements we can be fairly certain that we will also be seeing changes in control schema. For instance we can expect to be dancing round our collective living rooms, twirling our huge virtual weaponry to satisfying effect as we shout instructions to our merry band of misfit NPC followers… expect plenty of motion control and copious amounts of speech recognition to be the primary additions to your trusty wireless controller…

Audio

So what will we be able to do with all this additional control we have over our role in The Elder Scrolls game world? Well, beyond simply inhabiting a bigger game world, with more of… well… basically everything… There are some perhaps less obvious benefits of ongoing technological improvements in this domain. The Elder Scrolls 6 would be exactly the kind of game that could benefit hugely from full speech synthesis;

Morrowind; 2-3 actors voicing a few hundred lines of dialog.
Oblivion; 14 voice actors voicing over 37,000 lines of dialog.
Skyrim; 70 voice actors voicing over 60,000 lines of dialog.
Elder Scrolls 6; 100+ voice actors voicing over 100,000 lines of dialog?

How much easier would it be if Bethesda’s writers could just write the dialog and have the game generate the speech / audio for this on the fly. The huge cost of pre-recording, editing and packaging evey line of dialog and the massive limits this puts on a game’s development could be hugely reduced, we are on the threashold of this approach providing sufficient realism to work practically in a game world.

Lydia's sister Tracy loved to go on and on about her beautiful house... sigh...

AI, Movement and Grouping

Progress in the AI field continues a apace and The Elder Scrolls 6 will be well able to take great advantage of this. Everything from combat to pathing to tactics, and who knows, even dialog could benefit! In The Elder Scrolls universe we can expect to see far more sophisticated strategy employed by opponents, with flanking, cover and “mobbing” far more frequent and effective. It’s is rare in Skyrim that you are attacked on mass, or ambushed, expect far more of this as now possibilities emerge in the AI & group behaviour fields.

Additionally computational power will allow for true freedom of movement, with greatly improved “camera” reaction to this. scrambling up and down slopes will look and feel far more realistic, and I still believe proper climbing would hugely benefit the Elder Scrolls experience.

Increased party size is another big possibility. With the surplus computing power we could see Bethesda go down the BioWare path of increasing the number of characters you can actively manage live. But this will not simply add to your fire power, it will also enable much larger and more complex encounters. No longer limited to only supporting 2 characters on your “team” we could see the 4 or 5 members of your team defending an area from perhaps 40 or 50 foes, imagine the excitement, as you yell out commands to them and content with the improved enemy AI!

“Radiant AI” will be improved and will support far more complex and flexible “decisions” about the game world. Better understanding of where you have and have not been, smoother movement of quest characters within new, current and future quests, better integration with the increased complexity of NPC emotional life and faction based factors, etc.

Politics

In the wider game world of Elder Scrolls 6 these improvements will also lead to far more dynamic “faction” based changes to the political landscape. Expect to be both loved and loathed by different peoples but also that outposts, villages and towns will change hands as rival factions fight it out. But most importantly expect to have a more realistic & subtle impact on this; forge treaties, make alliances and establish preferential trade with each group separately, the opportunity for intrigue and deception is huge.

A bigger role. Your effect on the game-world will be stepped up. Expect to make tough decisions about the band / outpost / village / town / kingdom you are responsible for. With each bigger responsibility built on what you learnt from the one before.

Ultimately you will need to decide if you will “manage” a kingdom as it’s ruler, champion a kingdom as it’s… well… champion, or give it all up for a humble family life in an estate you must care for and with a family you must nurture and defend.

Careful if you decide to sneak up on a horse, both hooves and... other stuff... can prove uninviting...

Relationships and Characters

Deeper customisation is bound to feature and I expect to see this extend to your companions. An optional feature to tailor and manage your companion’s skills, load-outs and tactics (which can optionally be set to “auto-evolve”) only adds to your investment in them, but again, this will not be all about making your life easier. Expect to have to manage your new found band’s wants and needs and balance them against your own.

Relationships with characters will hold more meaning and be far more important. They will not simply follow you around, but rather engage in ongoing debate about your actions and make decisions about their involvement with you in the short, medium and long term. I can definitely see you starting as a member of someone else’s band, following them around and at some stage deciding to split form them, perhaps taking some hard won friends with you when you go. It will no longer be a simple case of “picking” who you would like to befriend or romance, they will also have to “pick” you. How far will you go to win someone’s favour / love?

Know your weakness. In almost every game you are the “ultimate weapon” for any task which needs completing. In The Elder Scrolls 6 you will need to understand and use the strengths and weaknesses of companions, factions, races and classes. It may be that a task that needs completing is best assigned to a group of companions which does not include you. Do you dispatch them and wait for their return? Or do you take control of one of them for the duration of the task? Will you have a choice? Bethesda it’s over to you!

Environment and Fauna

Environmental impact will be more obvious and impactful. You will have the opportunity to do things like break dams to flood areas and drain others. Build bridges and temporary / permanent structures. Improvise defenses and use things like fire more pro-actively. Place traps and push boulders, destroy walls and who knows maybe even “undermine” (in the original sense of the word) opposing defenses… in a tribute to the game that has inspired these approaches! (Go Notch!)

Animal interaction will be more integrated. From pets to mounts you will be able to tame and provoke animals to great effect. A trusty war dog yes, but a bear as a steed? A friendly troll bodyguard? And of course my much beloved dragon riding. My personal favourite here would be the ability to imbue animals with higher intelligence so they can function as a party member. Will this happen? It’s certainly technically possible…

Crafting

In a continued move towards more MMO like crafting approaches, and based on the success of other games in this regard, we can expect an increase in crafting options. Expect the ability to break items & equipment down into constituent parts and, in addition to “enchanting” and “sharpening”, more complex recipe like functionality for a wider range of consumables and equipment. Looking at the ability to create a “Blessed Flaming Ebony Sword of Swiftness”, etc. To further enrich this we could see a move towards item specific experience / “leveling” leading to something like a “Venerable Deadly Blessed Flaming Ebony Sword of Swiftness”… luckily we can also very much expect to retain the ability to rename all equipment and armour!

Oi! You! Wanna fight?! I'll mace ya from here to... (wait)... Oblivion!

Combat and Magic

Combat will be moved on to the next level. Beyond the huge progress being made game to game already in this regard there exists the possibility for a step change here. The concept that you can be a master with a one handed sword but an idiot with a two handed one just makes no sense. Expect skills and abilities to be more closely and subtly intertwined. But with the new more varied behaviour of opponent’s AI you’ll need it. Not only that but expect “per item” skill progression as you “learn” each individual weapon. Did people swap weapons at will or keep their trusted blade in times gone by? Of course they kept their favourite weapon and became all the more adept with it. Yes they can use other weapons, but it’s never quite the same. The balance between “your weapon” and all others will be tweaked. Add to this motion control options and things get really exciting. defense and attack can be clearly communicated in so many ways the only limit is the flexibility of the combat engine, which will, of course, be improved significantly.

Magic will also see a revamp. Here is the single largest opportunity to do something really special with motion control. No more “A+B+X+Y+A+A” to freeze your opponent. In The Elder Scrolls 6 you can expect to get them in your sights and then blow on them strongly… or perhaps stamp on the ground to cause an earthquake, or push strongly towards them to knock them back with a gust of wind… and breathing fire? Well, expect that to be by intuitively breathing fire! The possibilities here are endless and allow for a massively improved sense of cause and effect. You will “feel” like you really are deploying your skills all the more directly.

Summary

Of course this is only a tiny flavour of what we might be seeing in The Elder Scrolls 6, some of the possible ways Bethesda could go, so what would you like to see? What have you been longing to do in the world of The Elder Scrolls?

- Richard “Rax” Burley
@Raxous

The novel’s narrative revolves around the Horsemen of the Apocalypse (beings charged with maintaining the Balance between the forces of Heaven and Hell) who have uncovered a plot to resurrect ancient weapons of unimaginable power. Death, with the help of his compatriot War, must track down and neutralize the mysterious individuals behind the scheme before the entire universe is plunged into a devastating conflict.

We only have a rough May 2012 release date for the novel, but we’ll bring you more details as and when we get them.

Did any of you happen to spot any London City Impostors today?

The war between the two camps has also spread to twitter. To support the Bats simply tweet ‘I will bring order to the city #GothamBats’ or join the Jokerz and tweet ‘Chaos rules #GothamJokerz’

Gotham City Impostors is available right now to buy on your preferred digital store. We’ll bring you more coverage as soon as we hear anything.

From many of the creative minds behind Nintendo’s Pikmin, Army Corps of Hell puts you in the role of an evil tyrant that once ruled the world. After having been defeated you summon an army of goblins to wage war on your enemies and reclaim your throne.

Stay tuned to newbreview.com for more as and when we hear it.

With five dynamic modes – Jedi Destiny: Dark Side Rising, Podracing, Rancor Rampage, Galactic Dance Off and Duels of Fate – “Kinect Star Wars” makes it possible for Star Wars fans of all ages to delve into immersive Star Wars experiences. In addition to the previously announced Jedi, Podracing and Rancor modes, Xbox 360 and LucasArts have today unveiled new additions to the game, including:

·         New experiences within Jedi Destiny Mode, including:

o   Space battles: As you travel the Galaxy to face an evil that threatens to undermine the fabric of the Republic, you’ll engage with forces of the Empire in intense space battles

o   Speeder Bikes and Landspeeders: Pilot iconic Speeder Bikes and Landspeeders on your epic journey 

o   New duels: Battle opponents like Count Dooku and Darth Vader on your journey to become a Jedi

·         New Duels of Fate mode, a battle-by-battle experience to sharpen your Jedi skills against the Dark Side.

·         New Galactic Dance Off mode loaded with Star Wars-themed pop tunes where those still honing their Jedi skills can take a break to battle Darth Vader on the dance floor or bust a move “Solo style.”

Additionally, the Xbox 360 Limited Edition “Kinect Star Wars” console bundle will feature an exclusive C-3PO unlockable for Dance Mode. With these new reveals and the ability to play in 3D, “Kinect Star Wars” adds to the growing popularity of the family-friendly gaming portfolio for Kinect for Xbox 360.

Microsoft have also sent over a heap of new screenshots showing you exactly what to expect from the game

Stay tuned for more news as and when we get it.

This downloadable Coliseum Battle allows players to pit their wits against Lieutenant Amodar, a member of Cocoon’s specialist military division called the Guardian Corps; and Lightning, heroine of FINAL FANTASY XIII and previously a member of the same unit. Players are provided a rare opportunity to battle the duo, where defeating them also allows the player to add both characters to their party.

More well-known characters and monsters from past FINAL FANTASY titles will be making an appearance soon, so watch this space.

The bow weapon for Serah called “Azrael” created through collaboration between Square Enix and Microsoft, will also be available exclusively for the Xbox 360 from today, for 80 Microsoft Points.

Game:

A long time ago, in a time called “The 90s”, there was a genre of games that, while not immensely prosperous, had an amazing list of fantastic games. Elite, Wing Commander, X-Wing, Freespace and the less well know as I-War, were games of this genre, the Space Sim, and boy were those good games (and still are!)

However after Freespace 2 bombed by selling a meager 27,000 copies (something completely inexplicable after the massive success of Freespace 1) the space sim genre died a quick and horrible death. While some titles like Evochron and the X Saga have kept enthusiasts busy, we are still waiting for a game that picks up the legacy of that decade. Sol: Exodus, the latest space sim, is… not that game unfortunately. While the game is definitely a big effort by a small developer, the game is somewhat lacking in several regards…

But first, many of you are probably asking yourselves, “what’s this space sim thing?, how do you play Sol: Exodus?”, ah! good question my dear readers!

In Sol: Exodus you jump into the cockpit of a space fighter, a la the X-Wing and TIE-Fighter from the Star Wars franchise. In this game Newtonian physics go on vacation to Menorca and the aforementioned space battles are full of WW-II style dogfighting, minus that pesky “land” thing that invariably led to you crashing or air-currents that could “stall” your craft.

Your Space Fighter can be controlled with a pad, mouse + keyboard and a joystick. I personally tried the game with an Xbox 360 pad and keyboard and mouse, since I no longer have a joystick, and found it more comfortable with the pad, although the controls felt a bit slippery. Your Space Fighter is quite maneuverable, but it doesn’t really have “tight” controls.

Space Dogfights are the name of the game

As there’s only one fighter that you can pilot in the game’s brief single player campaign you’ll have to just get used to the way it handles. After each mission you get one or two points to improve it (depending on how well you perform) but improvements are really straight forward and don’t change the gameplay at all, being limited to more firepower, more armor or more afterburner for instance.

Mission variety is not that great either, most missions are  escort missions, in which you desperately try to protect your pretty useless capital ship or some transports or some other thing from an onslaught of enemy fighters and frigates.

To spice things up, Sol: Exodus implements an innovative mechanic to all the dogfighting, hacking. When a Capital Ship threatens your mission, instead of the usual torpedo run in other games, in Sol: Exodus you get in range of hacking and some numbers and letters start popping up in a corner of your HUD. The idea is for you to memorize those letters and numbers and seconds later you get to choose from several codes that appear on screen, only one of which has all the letters and numbers that popped up before.

On paper, it’s not a bad mechanic, the results from your hacking are from turning the ship’s turrets friendly, to highlighting it’s weak spots. However, the action does not stop while you’re hacking, thus, making it extremely uncomfortable to check and memorize letters and numbers in the middle of a dogfight while dodging turret fire from the enemy. The fact that you have to do this with every single Capital Ship you fight turns it from a nuisance to really annoying.

Having the hacking minigame take place during dogfights can be a bit annoying

But what about the story? Well, it’s somewhat interesting, but really serves only as an excuse to tie the missions together. It’s THE FUTURE! (duh) and our star is going nova way earlier than expected. A group of explorers have gone beyond the Solar system to find a new home for mankind, but, in the decades it takes them to find it, a group of religious zealots that have formed something of a death-cult have taken over the Sol system, abusing the desperation of its inhabitants. Out protagonist comes back home to tell everyone of their findings and tries to convince them to leave Sol behind, something the aforementioned religious zealots will simply not tolerate.

The story is told in brief cut-scenes and the banter between the characters during missions. It really could be quite cool… but feels rather shallow and disjointed.

Graphics and sound wise, you can really see the game’s indy roots. While the graphics themselves are quite good, they are rather simplistic for an space combat game, and the lack of variety in the models and ships really does get boring after a little while. In terms of sound design the game is competent, but there are only one or two tunes that play during a dogfight, with both featuring a primal drum-based beat, and they get grating really fast.

Review Round-Up

Graphics: 3/5 – While well done, the lack of variety is noticed quite fast.

Sound: 2/5 – The sounds are well done, but the music is almost non-existent and what is there gets grating quite fast.

Gameplay: 3/5 – The dogfighting in the game is the game’s strongest point and is really engaging, but you are frequently tasked with breaking off to protect your capital ship and other escortees. While escort missions are a staple of the space sim, the game is basically a very long one, and it gets really annoying really fast.

Longevity: 1/5 – There are only about 10 missions in the game, and they all feel kinda the same. This will not remaining in your hard-disk for a long time.

Overall: 2 out of 5

I really wish I could give Sol: Exodus a higher score. It’s heart is in the right place, and it’s trying to bring back one of my favorite game genres, but it misses the mark in so many areas that it’s impossible for me to be kind to it. What’s with the space sim that’s so difficult to actually make a good one?

- Jose Luis Perez Zapata

No official release date has been confirmed yet, beyond a vague 2012 date, but we’ll be sure to update you as soon as we get confirmation.

Game:

The Resident Evil series has generated a lot of flack in recent years as the franchise has moved away from its survival horror beginnings and ventured into the realm of action horror. For many gamers this was not an issue, but the hardcore fans that have been playing since the days of the PlayStation One have been very vocal about their displeasure with the series’ direction.

Capcom’s latest game, Resident Evil Revelations, looks to address fan concerns by taking the survival horror gameplay of the early Resident Evil titles and peppering it with short action packed sequences. In Revelations you predominantly play as Jill Valentine as she investigates a seemingly deserted Cruise Liner that has links to a bio-terrorist organization. After a few minutes of exploring the vessel  it turns out that, quelle surprise, it is filled with all sorts of horrible creatures that are out for your blood.

The game’s story mode is broken up in to 12 chapters, with each chapter having at least two stages.  A number of stages put you in the role of side characters, such as Chris Redfield and newcomer Parker Luciani. These stages are more action oriented, usually focusing on you facing off against dozens of enemies in a mad rush to get to set location.

The sections in which you control Jill are far more like the Resident Evil games of old. There are fewer enemies – you’ll rarely find yourself facing more than two or three enemies at a time – and your resources are far more limited. In short it feels very much like the Resident Evil games of old, but with a more modern control scheme and less of a focus on contrived puzzles.

Jill and Parker face a far smaller number of enemies on the Cruise Liner

Of course it is not a pure old school game in ever sense; there have been some changes made to make the game more player friendly. The first significant change is the ability to shoot and move at the same time. Resident Evil Revelations is the first 3DS game to be compatible with the new 3DS Circle Pad Pro, a peripheral that gives the 3DS a second analogue stick. As you might expect, this allows you to control your character as you would in any other game, with the left stick controlling movement, while the right stick is used to aim.

Those without the Circle Pad Pro need not fear as the game plays perfectly well without it. As we discussed in our Circle Pad Pro review, the only real selling point of the Circle Pad Pro is that it makes playing the 3DS for long periods of time that much more comfortable for those with big hands. If you don’t want to buy the add-on then you can move and shoot by simply holding the left trigger once your short is lined up. This then locks your shot in place and allows you to strafe.

While there are far fewer pickups available there is a way to get around the lack of equipment. Jill is armed with a scanning device that can find hidden objects in the environment, such as health and ammo. The scanner is also used to collect data on enemies, which, when enough data is collected, rewards you with a health pick up.  While scanning you cannot use any other weapons, and as such, if you’re not careful, you run the risk of being seriously injured when scanning.

When the scanning bar reaches 100% you are awarded with a health pick up

The only real issue with Revelations is that the main objectives tend to be incredibly conventional. For the most part you will be taking part in basic fetch quests – usually revolving around finding a missing component, or obtaining a specific key, then moving on the next area where the whole process starts over again – with very little in the way of challenging puzzles. When there are puzzles the solutions are all very straightforward, usually with the answer staring you right in the face. That isn’t to say that they’re bad by any means, it’s just a shame that they’re so pedestrian.

As this is a portable game, and the 3DS’ fairly short battery life runs the risk of cutting gaming sessions short, Capcom have included a series of recap cut scenes that detail the important events of previous chapters. This is incredibly handy for reminding players of the key plot points, but it is a little annoying that they play automatically at the start of every chapter, even if you haven’t taken a break. This invariably results in you being reminded of things that happened mere moments ago, which gets a little tiresome during long play sessions.

Hidden on the ship are dozens of custom weapon parts that can be used to upgrade the weapons in your arsenal. These range from your standard stat boosts to more inventive upgrades, such as the ability to daze enemies with every successful hit. You can only carry three main weapons at a time, and each weapon type has a different number of available upgrade slots. In Story Mode any discarded weapon automatically transfers over to the storage box, which makes some potentially tough choices far easier.

Hunters make their triumphant return in this game

Capcom have included optional side missions, such as scanning every type of enemy or defeating certain enemies, which award additional content upon completion. These include upgrades and weapons to use in the single player, and characters and costumes to use in the multiplayer Raid Mode.

Rather than using the well-established Mercenaries formula (in which you must kill as many enemies as possible within a set time limit) Resident Evil Revelations has an entirely new take on the score based multiplayer match. Raid Mode has you running through areas from the main game with the aim of killing every enemy you come across. Where this differs from The Mercenaries is that it is not timed and there is a set number of enemies per level. As well as your standard creatures there are super powered enemies, for instance the giant enemy or the enemy that is more damage resilient, which adds a certain level of variety to the combat.

Completing story chapters and Raid missions awards you with points which can be used to buy upgrades and new weapons from the in-game store. These can also be purchased with 3DS Play Coins, which are earned by walking with the 3DS in sleep mode, if you find that you’re a little lacking in the points department.

There is something really quite compelling about collecting upgrades and applying them to your various weapons, basically transforming a humble pistol into an astonishing death dealer capable of felling fearsome enemies with a single shot. Adding a leveling up system, which grants you access to more powerful variants of existing weapons, is another genius move from Capcom that will likely ensure that players keep playing Raid Mode months after they have finished the story.

In Raid Mode an enemy's health bar is clearly visible

Raid Mode is playable both online and locally through wireless communications. The online games that we have played have all been stable with no noticeable lag, although results will obviously vary depending on your Internet connection. The game also uses StreetPass to allow players to share supplies between each other, which can be used in your single player game, giving those that are struggling to find resources an added incentive for going out and trying to find other 3DS owners that have played the game.

There are a few niggling technical issues with the game – when exiting lifts and opening large doors the game dramatically slows down as it loads up the next part of the map, and for some reason you can only go through doors one at a time – but overall the game is technically very impressive.

Review Round-Up

Graphics: 5/5 – A strong spooky aesthetic mixed with some brilliant looking character models. One of the 3DS’ best looking games to date.

Sound: 4/5 – Aside from Kieth and Quint, who have some of the most annoying voices in all of gaming, the voice acting is very strong, and the game’s score is suitably atmospheric.

Gameplay: 4/5 – Some will lament the lack of challenging puzzles, but for the most part the shift from short action themed stages to more lengthy traditional survival horror works really well. Raid Mode is the real star, with its addictive leveling up and upgrade system.

Longevity: 4/5 – The story mode consists of 12 chapters and will take around eight hours to finish, although this may vary depending on how much you explore. Raid Mode has about 50 missions, all of which are playable in co-op online and offline, potentially keeping the cartridge in your handheld for weeks to come.

Overall: 4 out of 5

Resident Evil Revelations manages to do the seemingly impossible, cater to fans of the old games while also serving as a fantastic starting place for gamers new to the series. By mixing old fashioned survival horror gameplay with a splash of action Capcom have made a really fun and compelling title that brings the large scale feel of the Resident Evil console games to Nintendo’s portable device.

- Luke Mears

Joining him at his humble abode is Kieran, Adam, Jose and the ever polite Luke.

Together they talk about what they’ve been up to AND this week also sees the return of the show’s new segment, ‘I’m no Michael Pachter butt..’

ENJOY DA LULZ.

MP3 Download / iTunes / RSS Feed

We thought a great deal of the PC original version of The Withcer 2 (read our full review here), so we have high hopes for the Xbox 360 adaptation.

From the official press release:

In The Simpsons™ Arcade Game, play as your favorite Simpsons character as you chase down Smithers and Mr. Burns on an epic quest to save Maggie. Featuring four-player online and offline cooperative play as well as eight classic Springfield locations, players can participate in several different game modes for varied gameplay experiences. Quarters Mode recreates the feeling of the original coin-op classic for a more challenging experience. Survival Mode tests players’ skills with only one life at their disposal. Finally, Free Play Mode provides players with unlimited Continues for a more casual experience. Also included is the Japanese version of The Simpsons™ Arcade Game, which features new weapons, higher scoring and a slightly different ending. This version of the game has never been released outside of Japan and is a different take on the beloved classic. As an added bonus, fans can view classic flyers and posters specifically made for the game back in 1991.

“KONAMI is dedicated to reviving retro titles that gamers have grown to love, and it doesn’t get any better than The Simpsons™ Arcade Game,” said Shinji Hirano, President of Konami Digital Entertainment GmbH. “The Simpsons is a global phenomenon with a loyal fan base, and we are thrilled to re-launch the arcade game in the downloadable sector, introducing fans to a beloved classic on an entirely new platform.”

“Of all The Simpsons video games, this demented classic is my favourite,” said Matt Groening, The Simpsons Creator and Executive Producer.

Developed by Backbone Entertainment, The Simpsons™ Arcade Game is now available for download on the Xbox LIVE Marketplace for Xbox 360 for 800 Microsoft Points, and will be available on February 8th for the PlayStation®Network for £7.99.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/feature.html/ref=amb_link_162864207_3?ie=UTF8&docId=1000613683&pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_s=auto-sparkle&pf_rd_r=67CC1466ACDE41B38EBF&pf_rd_t=301&pf_rd_p=280597787&pf_rd_i=vita

Looks pretty intense doesn’t it! Ghost Recon: Future Soldier is due to be released on 25th May 2012.

The user interface is sleek, easy to navigate and quite dynamic with a very cool looking Emmit Graves (the protagonist) chilling against a rock giving the game a strong sci-fi western atmosphere. Joining an Online game couldn’t be simpler with the matchmaking system. Although there were some teething problems at first, thankfully there are server lists to choose from as well, which is something I know the gaming community loves. Using this method worked perfectly every time and it actually seems a lot easier to just pick and choose the matches you want to join, and helps you identify the matches that are more tailored to your style.

Once you’re in a game you’ll notice that matches begin almost instantly with players excitingly dropping out of space in their drop pods, smashing into the ground with enthusiasm and busting the thing open with glee. During the course of a match you can even use these respawn pods as weapons, landing on top of people or vehicles is pretty much an instant kill. At times I thought it was a little cheap but I suppose it acts as a deterrent from hanging around in enemy territory for too long.

Lightbox Interactive have done an amazing job with the combat, the controls are intuitive and visceral, it’s easy to figure out what buttons do what but mastering the technique in live combat proves to be a challenge. What is immediately evident is the fact that you can’t really “lone wolf” in this game, for starters the maps are absolutely huge, even the “Small” maps are about as small as planet earth so you’ll need a vehicle to get around.

The Build and Battle system is clearly the star of the show

That’s where Starhawk’s most fun feature steps in, the “Build and Battle” system. When an online match begins all players will start with a small amount of “Rift Energy” which can be used to summon Razorback Garages (cars), Sniper Towers, Gun Turrets and Supply Outposts. Gaining kills, blowing up stuff and working as a team player will earn you more Rift Energy as will camping the allied base or. The cheapest of all these buildings, which magically drop out of orbit, are the walls. Each wall costs  one Rift Energy bar, and once purchased they will drop out of the sky onto your chosen template. The real fun begins when you factor in other players on your team who can attach their walls to yours. Another cool feature is the ability to upgrade any wall and turn it in to a large door that only allies can pass through. It’s hard to emphasise how important these walls are, or how enjoyable it is when everyone’s building a base together.

Unlike most online shooters there is a strong sense of teamwork online, especially in capture the flag. When players have dropped out of orbit you’ll notice that rather than running off into the breach all guns blazing, ready to get as many kills as possible, they’ll stay behind using their Rift Energy to build an impenetrable fortress around the Flag. It can be incredibly annoying when your team doesn’t do this, making it a piece of cake for the enemy to just waltz in, nab the flag and run back to their  maze of walls and turrets, with transforming Mechs (called Hawks) patrolling the skies. These Hawks, despite having their name in the title of the game, aren’t really the main attraction of the game – Build’a'Battle clearly is – but even so while online there are lots of players out their who just don’t do anything else but fly around in them.

The game’s guns are all a joy but not as easy to use as something from Gears of War or Call of Duty. You’ll be able to choose from Space Shotguns, Space Grenades, Space Sniper Rifles and of course your default Space Machine Gun. Personally I found the shotgun to be most favourable but if you do run out of ammo or get to cosy with the opposing team your can also Melee with your Space Machete, which is usually an instant kill, by clicking the right analogue stick (R3). This technique works perfectly and is a lot of fun provided you can get close enough.

The large open environments are filled with all sorts of technological nasties

The beta has already been updated at least 10 times so far, balancing out the amount of starting Rift energy and tweaking with weapons, which is a great sign. However, despite the regular tweaks, the game still feels unbalanced. I can’t help feeling it could damage sales a little but if not rectified fully.  The biggest problem as I see it is the fact that players who do well, such as capturing a flag, will gain a huge rift energy bonus which allows them to build almost anything they like, straightening the team and subsequently leading to more flag captures. This wouldn’t really be a problem if it weren’t for the fact that invariably the opposite team is left with almost no hope of catching up.  It just seems a little short sighted that after one flag is captured, the team capturing has pretty much secured a win for the entire match.

Team Deathmatch and Deathmatch are obviously a lot different, since there’s little emphasis on building an impenetrable fortress. You simply run around killing things with your guns, Hawks and Razorbacks. The deathmatches are more fast paced and maps are smaller. This leads to the matches feeling far more intense and very exciting, It’s a lot more accessible to people who just want to jump on and play. One ingredient that is missing from all online modes is being able to hide up against a chest high wall and fire from cover like in other games such as Gears of War or Uncharted. You can’t take cover behind any surfaces at all in the multiplayer, which seems strange when you consider how prominent taking cover is in the single player campaign. This missing element doesn’t sour the experience at all but it is surprising how much you miss being able to do it when your getting bullets shot through your head.

At the moment the first team to capture the flag gets an unfair advantage

The public beta has given us a more in depth look at the medals and leveling up system. So far there doesn’t seem to be a gratifying reward for getting the medals, except for bragging rights and a small rift bonus. Leveling up is a different matter entirely. Each time you level up you earn one skill point which can be used to unlock new skills. Examples of these skills are: Enhanced Pilot, which allows you to fly faster in the hawk, and Architect Skill, which improves your buildings’ stats.

All in all Starhawk is evolving into a very unpredictable game. You never really know whats going to happen with the ability to build bases and outposts almost anywhere in some really big maps. Fans of the game;s predecessor, Warhawk, will feel right at home, picking it up with ease, but newbies to the series like me may find it to be an uphill struggle. One thing is clear from my time with the game, co-operation is key. Unfortunately I didn’t always feel like I was getting the help I needed from other players. Because of this I think that it could be an amazing game so long as you can get all your friends involved. As things stand my time playing with strangers has mostly been a bit frustrating. Still, we still have a little while until the game is released, and this is exactly what Betas are designed for, finding and fixing balancing issues.

More than anything else this Beta has piqued my interest in the game’s single player campaign. I will be very interested in seeing just how this multiplayer-focused game can translate to a satisfying single player experience. Starhawk is due to be released exclusively on Playstation 3 in May this year.

- Adam Radcliffe

Now with even more modern... warfare... maps... on PS3...finally...

PS3 Modern Warfare 3rs will finally get their hands on “Liberation” and “Piazza” on February the 28th.

So PS3 “Elite” subscribers are precicely 1 month less Elite than their 360 cousins… interesting…

Whilst this release is welcome news of course, it’s also further confirmation of the PlayStation’s ailing status in the world of online multiplayer.

Looks increasingly like you’re either enjoying the latest online multiplayer or your watching a Bluray… but not both…

- Richard “Rax” Burley
@Raxous

FAR better late than never!

One of the big games of 2011 has arrived on Mac, courtesy of the App Store.

Perhaps unsurprisingly it’s lacking any form of multi-player, but to be fair Mac players aren’t missing much as RAGE’s multi-player was… well… extremely limited… Furthermore it does include the cool former exclusives to the Anarchy Edition…

Anyway, if you’re stuck on a Mac for your gaming this is good news, it’s even not unreasonably priced… shock horror… at a mere £28!

- Richard “Rax” Burley
@Raxous

Battlefield 3 News of some News!...

Sometimes just the news of… well… some news is enough to get us all excited!

EA insiders have leaked the prospect of a DLC announcement for Battlefield 3 in an event to be held next week.

What will it be? Release date? Content? Price?

Who knows, but keep ‘um peeled next week for more!

- Richard “Rax” Burley
@Raxous

Alan Wake, finding the release date for his PC release! Finally!

After MUCH whispering and flashlights in the dark Alan Wake finally makes it to PC on February the 16th.

In addition to multiple improvements to the graphics engine the PC version will also support 3D.

Our recommendation is to grab it via Origin or Steam as this already strong title ends up a great deal once you include both DLCs into the bargain.

Not only is this a great game, now only 2 weeks away, but we also already know it’s going to include both “The Writer” and “The Signal” DLCs right off the bat for no extra cost! Deal!

- Richard “Rax” Burley
@Raxous

“With a large number of new playable fighters, access to historic fights and options for advanced player progression, UFC Undisputed 3 marks our largest offering of downloadable content to date for the franchise,” said Danny Bilson, Executive Vice President, Core Games, THQ.  “In addition, the Season Pass Program offers a great value proposition for those looking to enhance their experience with a variety of great content.”

“UFC Undisputed 3 is offering an unbelievable downloadable content offering to our fans around the world,” UFC President Dana White said. “They will be able to play as many of UFC’s rising stars, as well as have the opportunity to relive a number of amazing fights in UFC history.”

The UFC Undisputed 3 downloadable content program is currently scheduled to include the following items for purchase:

Fighter Packs

• Fight of the Night Pack

o   Featuring UFC fighters renowned for having the most exciting fights of the night – Joe Lauzon, Rory MacDonald, Charles Oliveira and Sam Stout, along with former UFC fighter Anthony Johnson – the Fight of the Night Pack will be available for a suggested purchase cost of 400 Microsoft Points for Xbox 360 or £3.19 GBP via PlayStation Network in March 2012.

• International Pack

o   Featuring UFC fighters “The Korean Zombie” Jung Chan-Sung, England’s John Hathaway, Germany’s Pascal Kraus, Australia’s Kyle Noke and Italian Alessio Sakara, the International Pack will be available for a suggested purchase cost of 400 Microsoft Points for Xbox 360 or £3.19 GBP via PlayStation Network in April 2012.

Some DLC will be free of charge, like this classic fight

Ultimate Fights Collections

• Ultimate Submissions

o   The Ultimate Submissions collection, currently scheduled for release at launch and available free of charge on both videogame platforms, will include:

-  UFC 109: Mike Swick vs. Paulo Thiago

-  UFC 115: Mirko Cro Cop vs. Pat Barry

-  UFC 116: Brock Lesnar vs. Shane Carwin

-  UFC Fight Night 19: Nate Diaz vs. Melvin Guillard

-  UFC Fight Night 21: Kenny Florian vs. Takanori Gomi

• Ultimate Rivals

o   The Ultimate Rivals collection, currently scheduled for release at launch and available free of charge on both videogame platforms, will include:

- UFC 92: Quinton “Rampage” Jackson vs. Wanderlei Silva

-  UFC 111: Georges St-Pierre vs. Dan Hardy

-  UFC 114: Quinton “Rampage” Jackson vs. Rashad Evans

-  UFC 117: Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen

-  The Ultimate Fighter^® Season 9: Diego Sanchez vs. Clay Guida

• Ultimate Upsets

o   The Ultimate Upsets collection, currently scheduled for release in March 2012 at a suggested purchase cost of 400 Microsoft Points for Xbox 360 or £3.19 GBP via PlayStation Network, will include:

-  UFC 92: Frank Mir vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira

-  UFC 109: Chael Sonnen vs. Nate Marquardt

-  UFC 112: Frankie Edgar vs. BJ Penn

-  UFC 116: Chris Leben vs. Yoshihiro Akiyama

-  UFC 121: Cain Velasquez vs. Brock Lesnar

• Mixed Bag

o   The Mixed Bag collection, currently scheduled for release in April 2012 at a suggested purchase cost of 400 Microsoft Points for Xbox 360 or £3.19 GBP via PlayStation Network, will include:

-  Best of PRIDE^® – Final Conflict 2003: Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira vs. Mirko Cro Cop

-  Submissions – UFC 125: Takanori Gomi vs. Clay Guida

-  Upsets – UFC 110: Joe Stevenson vs. George Sotiropoulos

-  Rivals – UFC 124: Stefan Struve vs. Sean McCorkle

-  Knockouts – UFC 120: Dan Hardy vs. Carlos Condit

Alistair Overeem

• UFC Heavyweight Championship contender Alistair Overeem will be available at launch for consumers who participated in the limited time promotional offer on facebook.com/UFCUndisputed, the official Facebook page for UFC Undisputed 3.  In addition, In addition, “The Reem” will be available for a suggested purchase cost of 80 Microsoft Points for Xbox 360 or £0.59 GBP via PlayStation Network in March 2012.

Create-a-Fighter Boost

• Enabling players to acquire additional points for created fighter development and save an estimated 8-10 hours of gameplay, the Create-a-Fighter Boost will be available at launch for a suggested purchase cost of 240 Microsoft Points for Xbox 360 or £1.59 GBP via PlayStation Network.

All Unlockables

• The All Unlockables offering will be available at launch for a suggested purchase cost of 160 Microsoft Points for Xbox 360 or £1.19 GBP via PlayStation Network.

THQ and the UFC organization also announced today the ability to pre-purchase select downloadable content at a reduced price point through the UFC Undisputed 3 Season Pass Program.  For a one-time purchase cost of 1360 Microsoft Points for Xbox 360 or £11.99 GBP via PlayStation Network, consumers will receive the following items:

• Fighter Packs – Fight of the Night Pack and International Pack
• Ultimate Fights Packs – Ultimate Upsets and Mixed Bag
• UFC Heavyweight Championship contender Alistair Overeem
• All Unlockables

Sounds like a pretty extensive offering from THQ!

The game makers describe Soulcalibur V as tougher than anything that has gone before it – and have cut the two characters into the Earth to prove it.

“Everyone knows the Soulcalibur characters are among the hardest fighters in gaming – so we’ve decided to immortalise them in granite for thousands of years” says Lee Kirton, marketing director, Namco Bandai.

“These characters have only ever existed digitally, so it’s brilliant to record them permanently in a format which remain visible until the end of time.”

Master Stone Engraver Göran Andersson from nearby Hunnebostrand performed the engraving. He is the last remaining stone engraver on the Swedish west coast who performs engravings out in nature and has done engravings for notabilities such as movie star Ingrid Berman and the kings of Norway and Sweden.

“This is the by far most complex and detailed engraving I have ever performed”, Göran Andersson. “But it was very fun to do.”

Namco Bandai enlisted the help of SavedInStone, who have engraved the characters on their mountain close to a UNESCO World Heritage Site filled with Bronze Age stone carvings.

This move has completely put to shame the idea I had of carving “I Heart Soul Calibur” on the tree in my back garden… Check out our gallery below for proof of the deed.

Created by Shu Takumi, the father of the critically acclaimed Ace Attorney series, Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective combines his signature style of quirky humor, logic puzzles and an intriguing story wrapped in a unique art style. Players take on the role of Sissel, the ghost of a murder victim who has lost his memory and must solve the mystery of his suspicious demise. Gamers guide his blue-flamed soul through dynamic environments, possessing and manipulating inanimate objects found in the world to solve the captivating puzzles he encounters.

The Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective App is available for free from the App Store on iPad, iPhone and iPod touch. The first two chapters are free with the download of the game. Subsequent chapters will be available in three different packs for £2.99/€3.99 each or £6.99/€7.99 for all chapters through In-App Purchase.

As it costs nothing to try it out we recommend that you give it a shot.

Capcom have sent over a new trailer for their squad based shooter Resident Evil Operation Raccoon City that spotlights the members of the two teams you will be playing as in the online Multiplayer modes.

As revealed last month, players will be able to choose their side in three online competitive multiplayer modes: Biohazard, Survivor and Team Attack. In a brutal four versus four player team battle choose you character and their unique set of skills and abilities that will help make you part of the winning team and escape the terrifying madness that’s been unleashed on the streets of Raccoon City. In an evil twist that could only be possible in the world of Resident Evil players should expect complete chaos as a third force of zombies and B.O.W.’s, adds to the mayhem.

All roads will lead to hell when Resident Evil Operation Raccoon City launches across Europe on March 23rd  for PS3 and Xbox 360 with the PC version to follow. Expect our full review shortly after the game’s release.

As such they felt they had to address this situation by releasing a new peripheral that would bring with it a second analogue stick. Nintendo’s solution, entitled the Circle Pad Pro, has launched in the UK alongside Resident Evil Revelations and we have spent a number of hours testing it out in order to bring you our final verdict.

First things first, this is a clumsy and ugly attempt at resolving a minor design issue with the 3DS. We say this is a minor issues as the Circle Pad Pro compatible games all play perfectly well without the Circle Pad making this anything but an essential purchase.  Secondly it substantially increases the size of the 3DS making it just large enough to be awkward to carry around in your pocket.

However, that’s not to say that it is without merits. If you find that the 3DS is too small for your hands, or that you really can’t get on playing games like Resident Evil without a second analogue stick, then this may be the device for you.

Upon closer inspection you will see that the Circle Pad Pro also brings with it two new shoulder buttons, essentially making the 3DS become the Wii U controller’s ugly half brother. Those that have spent a long time imaging what Nintendo’s next console’s controller will be like can certainly get a good idea of what to expect by sampling the 3DS with the Circle Pad Pro – just imagine that it has one big touch screen instead of a two screens and you’ll pretty much there.

As for the Circle Pad itself, it feels light yet solid, although it does have a child’s toy-like quality to it thanks to the smooth edges and plain plastic used in its construction When coupled with black 3DS it almost looks acceptable, but when paired with the sleek and shiny blue 3DS it looks bad.

In terms of functionality the Circle Pad attaches to the 3DS firmly and can easily be removed, which we are thankful for as it manages to cover both the stylus and game slots. This means that if you wanted to change games or start using the stylus you will need to separate the 3DS from the Circle Pad. This isn’t a massive inconvenience, but it is annoying enough to be worth mentioning.

Those concerned about the 3DS’ short battery life taking a hit when using the Circle Pad need not worry as it runs off its own AAA battery. The battery slot is accessible by unscrewing a hatch, which winds up being covered by the 3DS when it is in use. This lack of accessibility shouldn’t be a problem as one battery can reportedly last for over 400 hours. While we haven’t been able to test this Nintendo aren’t exactly known for hyperbole, so we’ll take it as gospel for now.

Those expecting to be able to use the Circle Pro pad with all of their 3DS games may be disappointed. The Circle Pad doesn’t work with every single game, only with compatible titles. UK titles that work with it, at the time of writing, include Resident Evil Revelations and… well, that’s it. However Nintendo are clearly committed to the add on as Metal Gear Solid Snake Eater 3D, Kid Icarus Uprising, and Monster Hunter will be compatible with it when they are released later this year. When playing Resident Evil Revelations you are asked at the main menu if you want to start using the Circle Pad, even if you don’t own one, and the 3DS recognizes the add on without any issues. So in terms of useability it works well and set up is almost non-existent.

For me the major benefit is that the increase in size of the device makes it more comfortable for those with big hands. Playing Resident Evil Revelations for a few hours nonstop without the Circle Pad resulted in some discomfort in my right thumb, while playing with the Circle Pad has been perfectly comfortable.

In summation there are a lot of things to dislike about the Circle Pad Pro, but considering the low cost (£14.99 on its own, or as part of a limited edition bundle with Resident Evil Revelations for about £45) and ease of use Nintendo have produced a perfectly functional solution to their problem. The only real issue is that the problem they’re trying to solve isn’t as serious as people make out. As such you could probably live without the Circle Pad Pro, but at least Nintendo are giving 3DS owners an inexpensive option should they feel the need to use it.

- Luke Mears

Never heard of Word Off! before? Allow us to enlighten you:

Word Off! is a competitive word game with strategy elements. You’ll need to plan a strategy carefully in the 15 turns given for each game. Spell incredible words to gain the most points and territory on the hexagon based gameboards or strategically expand your reach to capture your opponent’s home base for a quick and decisive win. Essentially it is a mix of the classic boardgames Boggle and Risk, but on your phones.

“Word Off! is a true cross-platform experience,” said Evan Gilbert, Lead Programmer on Word Off!. “No matter where you login from, you are playing the same game with your friends no matter what device they use.”

Word Off! was created using the latest HTML5 technologies available. HTML5 allows seamless transitioning between devices and opens the door for friends to play together without having to worry about having the same kind of phone, tablet or computer. Never before has a turn-based game been so easy to play with so few barriers to let the words fly between you and friends.

“With the turn-based, cross-platform gameplay, we can finally put some age old feuds to rest,” said Christian Arca, Studio Director. “Android versus iOS, Kindle versus NOOK, Chrome versus Internet Explorer and others can finally be decided with words.”

As players submit words and plot a strategy, they can use in-game boosts that can aid them in that cause.

Word Off! will be free-to-play and available on iOS, Android, Kindle Fire, Nook Color and Tablet plus HTML5 compatible web browsers.

Stay tuned to newbreview.com for more details as and when we get them.

Meet Zed, he writes songs about fluffy kittens and sugar clouds...

While Juliet is hacking and slashing her way through boss fights, Jimmy’s insane music will accompany every gory chainsaw swipe– making this game a true combination of sex, blood and over-the-top rock n’ roll.  And if that doesn’t make your spine quiver, don’t forget the previously confirmed news that original music from Akira Yamaoka (the composer responsible for Silent Hill’s amazing soundtrack as well as Suda 51′s other recent release Shadows of the Damned) will be on tap through the game, along with some familiar tunes from throughout the annals of music history.

Available later this year, Lollipop Chainsaw is the ‘un-deadly’ story of sweet but killer zombie-hunter Juliet Starling and her quest to uncover the root of a colossal zombie outbreak. With her wickedly awesome chainsaw in hand, Juliet slices, dices and splits her way through hordes of the undead, but soon realises the horde is only the opening act to a festival of zombie rock lords determined to kill the chainsaw-wielding cheerleader.

Stay tuned to newbreview.com for more details as and when we get them.

We’ve also been treated to a heap of new screenshots. Check them out below:

Our review of NeverDead went live earlier this week. Spoilers… We f***ing love it.

Gotham City Impostors is an original first-person shooter where up to 12 players battle for control of an unhinged Gotham City overrun by impostors inspired by the DC Comics characters Batman and The Joker.  Players can engage in deliriously fast paced, uniquely vertical, and completely unconventional urban warfare where progress supports leveling up and access to a mind-boggling array of customization options.  Fans can unlock new Bats or Jokerz  Impostor costumes and build their own specific load-out from a huge assortment of traditional and homebrew weaponry, equipment, and perks. Gadgets such as the Glider Rig, Grappling Hook, and Spring Boots give gamers unprecedented mobility options, while support items like the Bear Trap, Boomerang, and Body Armor open up new tactical options.  The game will feature maps and modes inspired by DC Comics’ Batman license.

Could we be nearing the end of the GAME?

It has emerged, today, that one of the leading game retailers in the UK, GAME, has had it’s credit insurance with a number of agencies withdrawn.

This follows a series of store closures in recent years and well document instability in high-street game sales generally.

The immediate impact of this is that when the next round of games / hardware release from publishers & manufacturers in a few weeks time, GAME may find it hard to find a seller they can buy from in bulk.

With rumours circulating concerning Mass Effect 3 pre-orders being rejected and certain products being removed from their website fuelling further concern for the daddy of game UK retail these are worrying times.

Without credit insurance GAME will be forced to buy all their games, up front, in cash, like the rest of us. This would be a huge problem for their cash flow and likely mean they will have to order less of fewer games as they seek to steady the ship and regain their insurances…

All in all concerning times for a retailer, which for many, including yours truly, holds not only dear memories but also provides a Saturday shopping excursion haven…

- Richard “Rax” Burley
@Raxous

PS3: http://www.play.com/Games/PlayStation3/4-/20462980/The-Sims-3-Pets/Product.html

360: http://www.play.com/Games/Xbox360/4-/20462976/The-Sims-3-Pets/Product.html

- Rax

360: http://www.zavvi.com/games/platforms/xbox-360/warhammer-40-000-space-marine/10215583.html

PS3: http://www.thehut.com/games/platforms/ps3/warhammer-40-000-space-marine/10215584.html

- Rax

Now regular readers will know I’ve been somewhat of a Syndicate bore over the last few months since I came across it late last year. I said it would be awesome, I was right, let’s move on.

What you may not know is that I’m considering pre-recording my explanation of how Syndicate 2012 should not be compared with Syndicate 1993 directly so that I can play it back instead of actually speaking the words for the 268th time… sigh…

Syndicate 1993 was an isometric RTS, it had mind-control, it was set in a cool game-world, it had research, it had bloody shootouts, it had a great soundtrack, it was awesome. Now believe it or not ALL these things are true of Syndicate 2012, except the very first statement. Syndicate 2012 is NOT an Isometric RTS. It is a Tactical FPS.

Right, so no more on this frankly silly discussion, two very different games, set in what is very clearly the same “world” but taking completely different approaches to how to deliver game-play in it. Personally I strongly recommend playing them both. They are both very different, but also both extremely good games.

3 may be company... but 4 is most definately a crowd... in a good way...

The way everyone SHOULD be thinking about Syndicate 2012 is; “What an awesome FPS, it’s like Deus Ex: Human Revolution except much better!” or maybe “Wow, this is the best 4-player co-op FPS ever!” or what about “What an incredible way to incorporate research into a co-op game!” or maybe “This is the next generation of FPS”.

OK, now we can get on with looking at Syndicate’s co-op elements. We know the graphics are fantastic. We know the sound is excellent. We know these things. They are known. Done.

So what about the gameplay itself? After all, that is what the co-op experience actually boils down to.

Well, it’s basically awesome, except I promised myself I wouldn’t use the word “awesome” again as I’m teetering dangerously on the edge of becoming an inarticulate fanboy, and the word is now boring even me. Instead, I’m going to say that Syndicate 2012 is… scintillating.  Yup. That’s right. If you’re not quite sure what “scintillating” means, well, play Syndicate 2012 co-op and you’ll find out!

scin·til·late  (sntl-t)
v. scin·til·lat·ed, scin·til·lat·ing, scin·til·lates v.intr.
1. To throw off sparks.
2. To sparkle or shine.
3. To be animated and brilliant.

Good, that’s my preview done! Beat that! A one word preview!

Syndicate (2012) = Scintillating

But, how is it scintillating I hear you ask, so, in the immortal words of Uncle Bryn, “I’ll tell you for why”;

Syndicate co-op is a separate game mode, and storyline, from Syndicate single player. Yes, it’s two for the price of one friends!

Following “Wulf Western”, a new Syndicate, as it rises to dominance over 9 missions, the co-op not only supports up to 4 players of 3 classes and myriad research and character progression avenues, but also provides a complex and competitive scoring and rating system. Of course you must play as team, supporting each other, but you can also compete within this team for “chiprips”: hi-scores and bragging rights at the end of the mission. With a choice of difficulties and randomised opposition spawns throw into the mix, this makes for a thrilling and satisfying experience.

At this preview event we had access to one of these 9 missions on both 360 and PS3. Now I am not a man who replays games, so you can already divine what I made of the game when I tell you I finished it with 2 different teams, on both available difficulties (Normal and Hard) on both platforms, playing different classes, before the day was out. Not only that, but I still went back for more, even resorting to playing the 4-player co-op on my own just to get some more hands on time!

Beyond simply 4 people shooting their way through a bunch of enemies, Syndicate requires a higher level of focus. You don’t just equip 2 weapons, but also multiple skills, contend with a sophisticated and 3 dimensional level layout, random enemy deployments / spawns, multiple objectives and tough bosses. Cover, suppression, environmental manipulation, cross-fire, friendly-fire, flanking, invisibility, armour, healing, support, buffs, de-buffs, ammo management, multiple fire modes, emplacements and more all factor into how the mission plays out, and how successful you and your team are.

And I haven’t even mentioned “Breaching”.

Yup, you guessed it, they're going to need breaching...

“Breaching” is one of the biggest USPs of Syndicate. “Basically in addition to all your normal andp1ckw1ck14 well polished shooter mechanics, Syndicate asks you to also, simultaneously, “hack” and well as “fire” to gain the upperhand in you firefight.

The concept is probably best explained by way of an example, or two.

Particularly memorable moments in the demo included such situations as;

• “Rebooting” (resurrecting) a downed teammate whilst simultaneously holding off two attacking opposition sergeants.
• Suppressing a group of opposition guards whilst simultaneously healing a teammate they had cornered.
• Grenading entrenched soldiers whilst simultaneously breaching, and crystallising, an opposing sergeants liquid armour.
• Healing a teammate whilst simultaneously switching weapons and reloading on the run.
• Breaching the roof to close it and protect us from enemy snipers whilst simultaneously shot-gunning a near invisible enemy.

And let me clarify that by “simultaneous” I do actually mean “executing both activities in parallel”. This isn’t “shoot him then help her” it’s “press one button to help her and the other to shoot him, at exactly the same time”. So alien is this to most games that I feel the need to further clarify. Over the course of 10 seconds of Syndicate Co-op where we are working as a pair;

• Second 1: Start “rebooting” downed team mate.
• Second 2: Continue rebooting team mate whilst coming under attack.
• Second 3: Continue rebooting team mate whilst taking cover and returning fire.
• Second 4: Continue rebooting teammate whilst attacker takes cover.
• Second 5: Continue rebooting teammate whilst switching to grenade.
• Second 6: Continue rebooting teammate whilst grenade in flight.
• Second 7: Teammate back up and begins healing me whilst grenade kills attacker.
• Second 8: I attack new target whilst being healed by team mate who is now moving to flank same target.
• Second 9: I breach the target’s armour whilst firing on him whilst being healed by the teammate who is now also firing on him.
• Second 10: With target’s armour breached, and myself fully healed, I switch to healing team mate and they breach target causing him to backfire whilst we both fire on him. He falls.

So, in Syndicate, twice as much actively happens is one second of game-play as it can in almost any other game. This has the effect of making every second potentially twice as exciting. And with 4 players the number of combinations of events is truly staggering.

I would like to talk at length about the clever way the “research” in the co-op game progresses based on how much you score in missions, the weapons and upgrades you can unlock in doing this, “challenges” and how they add to game-play, the “abilities” progression matrix, chip-ripping, difficulty modes, environmental interaction (Want to add or remove cover? Find an alternate route? Do so! Breach it!) methods and practices for effective team-play, etc, but I’m well over my self-imposed “I haven’t got all day to read this I’ve got games to play!” word count, so this will have to wait for my next Syndicate based exposition!

I’m going to close this out not with more technical details, any spoilers, or with pithy summing up, but rather with a simple recommendation, nay, commendation, that you grab this game (or at least the demo; 31st January (360) and 1st February (PS3)) right now! You will not regret it, but you will also forget to thank me, which I don’t actually mind, as I’ll also be playing endless hours of of co-op on top of running the single player through… again…

- Richard “Rax” Burley
@Raxous

“The planned content includes Coliseum Battles that pit the player against friends and foes from previous FINAL FANTASY titles, that, when defeated can be recruited into the player’s party. The Coliseum battle entitled ‘Lightning & Amodar’ will be available for Xbox 360 on 7^th February via Xbox LIVE Marketplace and on 8^th February for PlayStation 3 via PlayStation Network. In addition, there will be opportunity to explore the game’s secrets through story episodes for some of the key characters, such as Lightning which complement the narrative of FINAL FANTASY XIII-2. Full details on each piece of content will be revealed at a later date.”

So what do you reckon newbs? Will you be picking up Final Fantasy XIII-2 and its DLC?

Retail versions of Dragon’s Dogma will contain a redeemable token that will allow owners to download the Resident Evil 6 demo. Purchasers of the Xbox 360 version of Dragon’s Dogma will be able to redeem this token and download the Resident Evil 6 demo globally on the Xbox LIVE^® Marketplace for Xbox 360 60 days earlier than any other platform beginning July 3. The demo for owners of the PlayStation 3 version of Dragon’s Dogma will go live on the PlayStation®Store on September 4 in North America and Japan and September 5 in Europe. 

So there we have it, Xbox 360 owners that buy Dragon’s Dogma will get their hands on Resident Evil 6 nearly two months before the Playstation 3 owners. We don’t know about you but we’re already eying up a preorder for Dragon’s Dogma…

An exciting new franchise which redefines the action genre, Dragon’s Dogma is from the team that produced some of Capcom’s greatest action games. Set in a huge open world, Dragon’s Dogma offers an exhilarating and fulfilling action combat game with the freedom to explore and interact in a rich, living and breathing world.

Dragon’s Dogma introduces an innovative team system to the genre. Known as Pawns, these three AI partners fight independently, demonstrating prowess and ability they have developed based on traits learned over time from the player and their actions. By utilising the Xbox LIVE online entertainment network or PlayStation Network players will journey to the Rift where they can share their own Pawns with friends and be rewarded with treasure, knowledge of the world and strategies for taking down enemies. Conversely, players can borrow friends’ Pawns with the specific skills or experience required to tackle a particular quest.  In addition, Dragon’s Dogma will ship with thousands of ready-made Pawns for players to pick their allies offline.

For those wishing to reserve their day one copy of Dragon’s Dogma the following pre-order initiatives will be available:

The ‘Pawn Upgrade Pack’ will give players additional Rift Crystals allowing them to rent higher level experience Pawns from the outset. The ‘Armour Upgrade Pack’ and ‘Weapon Upgrade Pack’ deliver higher level armour and weapons respectively giving players a real advantage when tackling the toughest of enemies.  Please check local retailers for details.

Furthermore, Capcom will be supporting Dragon’s Dogma post launch with a comprehensive suite of downloadable content including additional quests as well as weapon and armour upgrades.

Capcom is also pleased to confirm that B’z, Japan’s foremost rock band, will be creating a brand new track with English lyrics to feature in Dragon’s Dogma.

Game:

Sometimes a game just seems to come out of nowhere and completely blows you away. This can be attributed to your own general ignorance, but sometimes a game just doesn’t get the coverage it deserves. Konami’s latest effort, from the director of the Metal Gear Acid series and UK developer Rebellion, is such a game.

It’s probably the best Japanese game to ever be made outside of Japan. With the sea of sequels (and threequels) released over the past two years, each recycling the same stale ideas over and over again, you can understand why some in the gaming industry feel that innovation is dead. To those that feel this way I present Neverdead and ask you to think again.

At its roots NeverDead is a third person hack and slash/shooting game that owes a lot to Capcom’s Devil May Cry series. Your character can freely switch between guns and blades with the touch of a button. Shooting is handled by pulling the triggers, while slicing with your blade is performed by pushing and pulling on the right analogue stick.

Combat is fast paced and frantic, with dozens of explosive objects and destructible parts of the environment all creating a palpable sense of chaos as you go about destroying the demon legions. There is something really satisfying about entering the beautiful environments and smashing them to pieces, all in the name of killing demons.

You play as Bryce Boltzmann, an demon hunter whose ability to die was taken from him after being defeated by the Demon King over 500 years ago. Since then Bryce has wandered the earth as a demon hunting gun for hire. Now finding himself in the employ of a paranormal agency, and partnered with sassy lady partner Arcadia, Bryce is tasked with getting to the bottom of a recent surge in demon activity that seems to centre around a teenage pop star.

Having your head torn off is nothing to get worked up over

The game’s script is a little convoluted – what do you expect from one of the co-writers of the Metal Gear Solid games? – but it has some genuinely funny moments in it. Similarly the voice acting has a hokey quality to it, but it is performed with enough enthusiasm to make it a real highlight. Occasionally you will hear the odd sound clip repeat itself, usually when Bryce looses a limb, but overall the quality of the sound design is pretty good. Did I mention that heavy metal band Megadeath perform the game’s main song? No? Well, they do, and it is great.

Where NeverDead really shines is through its innovative dismemberment gameplay mechanic. Where in other games if you were to loose your head it would result in a game over screen, in NeverDead getting decapitated is merely an inconvenience. As Bryce is immortal he cannot be killed. Ever. Should you find yourself taking a great deal of damage then you may see your limbs fall off. This is not the end of the world, as all you need to do is dive close to your limbs in order to reattach them. You also have a regenesis bar at the bottom right of the screen which, when filled, allows you to regenerate your missing limbs.

However during each mission you are joined by your human partner, Arcadia, and she is very mortal. If she takes too much damage, be it from the enemies attacking or your overly enthusiastic sword swipes, she will collapse and will require reviving. It is fortunate then that Arcadia is generally quite tough and is able to take care of herself for the most part. You will just need to keep an eye on her and make sure that she doesn’t get overwhelmed.

Of course that’s not to say that there aren’t any threats to Bryce’s safety at all. There are a number of annoying little critters that love to swallow your severed body parts roaming around each level. These creatures are able to consume your missing limbs, which can quite the inconvenience. Should they manage to catch your severed head, and you fail to escape their clutches, you will be digested in their guts for the rest of eternity, and as such will have to restart from the last checkpoint. This can lead to some frustrating moments when you can see those creatures coming but are unable to get away quick enough. Fortunately, save for a few moments towards the end of the game, the checkpoints are frequent, meaning that you’ll never have to replay too much to get back to where you were.

The ability to fling your severed arm at enemies, with gun still in hand, is a real highlight

Between battles it is sometimes beneficial to remove your own head and have a little explore. Along the way you may find a number of hidden collectible objects, supplies, or extra experience points. Each level features many navigational puzzles that can only be solved by removing your head and rolling through tight gaps, or puzzles that require you to make good use of your immortality. While rarely being particularly challenging these serve as a nice respite from the chaos of the demon fighting.

One of the most interesting features of the game is the way that natural hazards, such as fire and electricity, which would cause you damage in other games, essentially become power ups, allowing you to inflict extra damage on enemies. Similarly in one level in the sewers, there are no lights and in order to navigate your way through the dark tunnels you need to repeatedly set yourself on fire.

The interesting gameplay mechanics are also present in the game’s boss fights. One boss battles takes place inside the stomach of a hideous monster, who turns his body to alter your perspective on the landscape, making up suddenly become down, while another has you shooting through magical portals, and charging your blade with mystical energy. It is clear that they have put a lot of thought in to the boss battles, and for the most part, they have come up with some very interesting fights.

Defeating enemies earns you experience points, which can be spent on purchasing upgrades for Bryce improving his basic abilities – weapon power, jumping height, that sort of thing – and you can also unlock some more extravagant powers. A personal favourite of mine is the ability to rip your own arm off, with gun still in hand, and throw it at a crowd of enemies and pelt them with a hail of bullets. One thing to keep in mind is the fact that you only have a limited number of upgrade slots, with the more useful upgrades taking up to four slots each. What this means is that you will be required to switch your upgrades on the fly as you face different challenges.

In the heat of battle fire can be your greatest friend

You can also earn experience through the game’s online multiplayer challenges. These range from co-operative missions, in which you have to defeat wave after wave of enemies, to competitive challenges, like the egg hunts, where you have to find hidden eggs and return them to your base. As of writing the game’s online mode was unavailable for testing, so we cannot attest to how it performs. However if they have put as much effort in to the online component as they have everything else then they are on to a winner. Konami are clearly dedicated to the online challenge mode as they have already confirmed that they will be providing more missions as DLC at a later date, and I look forward to playing the multiplayer when the game is released.

In summation NeverDead is one of the first big surprises of the year; an original game, full of charm and character, and innovative gameplay. Why we didn’t have this game rammed down our collective throats leading up to its release I’ll never understand.

Review Round-Up

Graphics: 4/5 – A strong clear visual design, with impressive destructible scenery.

Sound: 5/5 – The voice acting may be a little hokey, but it is performed with enthusiasm. The rock soundtrack provided by Megadeath really sets the tone well. Also, anyone that doesn’t smile at the game’s cheesy pop music that plays during the credits has no soul.

Gameplay: 4.5/5 – Although a little frustrating at times, the dismemberment system is a revelation. There aren’t many games out there these days that manage to pull off something so unique.

Longevity: 4/5 – Although the main story mode lasts about 8 hours, you are encouraged to replay it in order to earn enough experience to buy all of the upgrades. There are over a dozen online multiplayer challenges to play through, although at the time of writing we were unable to sample this mode.

Overall 4.5 out 5

Refreshing, innovative, and fun. NeverDead is a great fusion of East and West making it the first must have title of the year for console owners. If you’re fed up of repetitive sequels then you could do much worse than give this game a try.

 - Luke Mears

As far as fighting games go I think it is fair to say that the Soul Calibur series has never quite reached the levels of its competitors Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat. That’s not to say that they are bad games, or that nobody likes them, but they have lacked that certain je ne sais qoui that propelled some of their rivals to super stardom.

This may well explain why almost every Soul Calibur game has had some sort of guest character from other games. From The Legend of Zelda’s Link and Todd McFarlane’s Spawn to Star Wars’ Yoda and Darth Vader, the Soul Calibur franchise has opened its doors to any weapon wielding character no matter how far fetched it may seem. The latest addition to their ranks is Assassin’s Creed’s Ezio Auditore, a seemingly perfect choice for this franchise, after all he is from a similar time period and is renowned for his ability to stab people.

The inclusion of Ezio seems to reflect a willingness from developer Project Soul to make decisions that make sense, bringing about sensible changes that add to the experience without taking anything away from what makes Soul Calibur special. In fact a lot of the changes brought about are not massively different from what we have seen before, but they are just different enough to make the game feel fresh.

The most obvious addition to the franchise is the inclusion of a new super move system that takes its influence from Street Fighter IV. The inclusion of a soul energy metre allows you to perform more powerful versions of your regular special moves called Brave Edges and devastating super moves called Critical Edges. This metre is gradually filled when you take damage or when the enemy blocks your attacks, creating a delicate balancing act of risk vs reward.

Assassin's Creed's Ezio is a a good all round character, with both strong close up attacks and long range weapons

Similarly your armour can be destroyed if you take too much abuse and your weapons can be weakened by blocking too frequently. This dramatically ups the tension in each round as there is no on-screen metre that lets you know how close your equipment is to breaking point. One thing is clear, the key to victory is to be bold and vigorously strike at your enemy.

Another change, which is perhaps more subtle, is the move away from a dedicated parrying system. In its place they have implemented Advanced Guards, a special move that can deflect any blockable attack in exchange for a small segment of your soul energy. This move in particular adds a tangible tactical element to the game, as it is the most effective way of breaking an opponent’s combo, granting you the opportunity to inflict serious damage on your enemy. Of course if you mistime the move it leaves you open to being brutalised.

The roster has also seen a significant change, with a lot of old favourites being discarded in exchange for some new blood. That’s not to say that every old character has been removed, Siegfried, Mitsurugi, and Ivy, to name but a few, make the cut, but a good half of the roster is entirely new. The vast majority of these are little more than re-skins of established characters from earlier games, which is a little disappointing, but there are some interesting new additions such as Z.W.E.I whose main weapon, apart from his blade, is a ethereal werewolf.

As for what you’ll be doing with these new characters, there are three main offline modes, Story Mode, Quick Battle, and Arcade mode. Story mode focuses on the adventures of Patroklos and Pyrrha, the children of Soul Calibur veteran Sophitia. Consisting of about 25 battles, each fight is followed by a storyboard style cut scene that furthers the narrative, which revolves around the fight between the wielders of the evil Soul Edge and the virtuous Soul Calibur. For the most part the story mode is fairly decent, even if the narrative is a bit convoluted. However only a handful of the game’s roster actually appear in Story Mode, which creates a kind of tacked on feeling for characters that are left out such as Cervantes and Mitsurugi.

Patroklos, son of Sophitia, is the main star of the Story Mode

Arcade Mode is your standard arcade battle mode in which you must defeat six characters as quickly as possible. There are four main arcade routes to play through, Standard, Europe, Asia, and Leaderboards. The continental themed routes have you fighting against characters from that respective region, while the leaderboard route has you fighting at a set difficulty against the clock with your final time being posted online.

Quick Battle mode is the replacement for the previous games’ mission modes. It is disappointing that there is no mission mode of any sort, but the Quick Battle mode does have its own merits. Rather than facing off against a series of varying challenges you must fight over 150 custom made characters of varying skill. Each character has a letter and number rating which indicates their skill level. Defeating these characters earns you an online title which can be associated with your profile, advertising exactly what sort of player you are.

Speaking of unlockable content, winning matches earns you experience points which contribute to your overall ranking. Every time you level up you earn custom parts for using in the character creation mode. This mode allows you to create pretty much anything you could possibly imagine. You want to make a pirate Reindeer armed with a 6ft long sword? You can do it. How about an Arabic dwarf dressed in nothing but a loin cloth and armed with nunchucks? If you can think of it then you can probably do it. If you find that the parts you desire are not available then the chances are that you just haven’t unlocked it yet.

Another great way to earn experience is through the online modes. There are currently three main ways of playing online, Ranked matches, Player matches, and the innovative Global Collesseo.

Ranked battles are your standard one on one versus matches. You cannot edit any of the match details, nor can you choose your opponent. In fact every choice the other player makes is hidden from you, so it remains a surprise as to who you will face right up until the match starts loading. This is done to create the fairest possible matches, as each character has their own strengths and weaknesses. Anyone that has played Street Fighter online will know that when other players can see who you are choosing they frequently switch characters in order to attempt to get the upper hand.

The Soul Calibur series is renowned for its... striking character designs

Player matches offer up lobbies of six players in your standard winner stays on tournament. Other players are cast as spectators and are able to watch the matches play out in real time. The benefit of the player match is that you can customise the number of rounds required to win, and the length of the rounds. It also gives you a chance to study your opponents and learn their tactics. You can also use the built in text chat system to speak to other players if they don’t have a headset. However one downside is that if the host of the matches quits then all players are booted out to the main menu.

Global Collesseo is the online mode with the most potential. Essentially it offers up a number of gigantic lobbies which are sorted by continent and then by cities, and  they allow an infinite number of players to gather and play against other players in quick succession. Fancy testing your mettle against the citizens of Barcelona? Head to the European lobby and find the Barcelona sub menu. Similarly if you’re looking for local players this is probably the easiest way to find them.  As well as offering your basic online matches it will also host regular tournaments, potentially crowning the greatest player of your specific region.

As of writing the game’s online modes are stable, with very minimal levels of lag. When searching for other players you can choose to filter the results by their signal strength, which is a good way of avoiding players whose internet connection is not as stable as you need. Of course this may change once the game is released and the servers take a battering from thousands of players trying to connect all at once, but at the moment we can see that the healthy online mode could potentially add a great deal of longevity to this game’s life.

Review Round-Up

Graphics: 4/5 – There is a fantastic sheen to the characters, with some beautiful environments to battle in. Soul Calibur games have always looked good, and Sould Calibur V is no different.

Sound: 3/5 – Genuinely pleasant music and strong sound effects are let down slightly by some wonky, but enthusiastic voice acting.

Gameplay: 4/5 – The new risk vs reward super move system adds a tactical depth to the game. It feels as if more attention has been paid to the game’s online mode, as that is where the most innovation takes place.

Longevity: 4/5 – The story and arcade modes are fairly short, and there is a painful lack of any mission mode, but the game has a great selection of online modes. The inclusion of Quick Battle mode, with its reward of new titles to associate with your online profile was a cunning move. Keep an eye on the Global Collesseo for future tournaments!

Overall 4 out of 5

Soul Calibur V does more than enough to make this series seem fresh and new without changing too much. If you have never liked the Soul Calibur games then this will not change your mind, however fans of the series will not want to miss this. The single player content may be a little lacking, but the fantastic online modes really look like they’ll nuture a strong community, which every online fighter needs in order to survive.

- Luke Mears

Game:

Hearing the immortal word… BOOMSHAKALAKA bellowed out in computer game context is something I thought I’d never hear again but 2010/2011 marked the return of basketball cult classic NBA Jam. And it was about time too has it’s been just under a decade since we’ve had a proper NBA Jam and even that was just a Game Boy Advanced port (NBA Jam 2002). Sure, in the mean time we’ve had sub par replacements like NBA Ballers and NBA Street but nothing has been able to match the charm, character and charisma as the NBA Jam series.

Following it’s stunning return on the Wii of all consoles in 2010, two ports swiftly followed to Xbox 360 and Playstation 3, with a further sequel, NBA Jam: On Fire Edition, being released digitally on PSN and XBLA. But 2011 also saw the release of NBA Jam on iOS devices, which added multiplayer support after release via an update and now sits on the App store with a price tag of just 69p.

What’s remarkable off the bat about NBA Jam on iOS is that, even for an iOS game, it still manages to deliver the full NBA Jam experience. Often when established series venture into the mobile market it’s usually through alternative spin-off titles or streamlined ports of existing games but NBA Jam leaves absolutely nothing out, paying homage to a criminally underrated series.

In terms of presentation it’s just nice to see the unique character and charm of the NBA Jam series back in general. NBA Jam on iOS retain all the graphical and audible traits the series has always had. Its basketball players have huge heads complete with hilarious expressions, the incredibly funky, utterly memorable soundtrack returns, even more subtle touches that are essential to an NBA Jam game such as a fully voiced, nutty commentator, hoop fires, huge slam dunk animations and backboard smashes are included. NBA Jam iOS totally looks, sounds and feels a complete labour of love. A nostalgic dream.

NBA Jam brings the unique presentation of the series to all iOS devices.

In terms of core gameplay everything remains unchanged too. NBA Jam on iOS is still the same crazy 2 on 2 basketball experience you’ve come to expect from the series. This experience contrasts dramatically with the majority of modern sports games which seem to be all about creating an accurate simulation. NBA Jam is, was and always will be, centred around being entertaining, fun and enjoyable, that’s what sets it apart from other sports games. It’s ultimately why it holds a special place in the hearts of its die hard fans and with NBA Jam on iOS the ethos of its predecessors is still held true.

That’s not to say NBA Jam iOS hasn’t kept up with the times. Featuring all the teams and rosters from the current NBA season, players can play as their favourite current teams and players, adding a more modern edge to proceedings. It’s also had to implement touch controls which it does with some gusto. Blocking, shooting, spinning, dunking, it all feels very tactile and fluid, a godsend for a touch controlled game. In particular, the way the touch d-pad snaps to wherever you happen to have you finger holding down onto the screen at the time is a genius touch. It’s intuitive and frankly it’s something all touch controlled games should be trying to incorporate into their control mechanics because there’s far too many clunky, touch controlled games out on the mobile market. Simply put, NBA Jam is a prime example of how touch controls should be done. An absolute dream to play.

The adaptation of touch controls is really impressive.

If brilliant presentation, gameplay and controls weren’t enough, NBA Jam also offers a tremendous amount of content too. Game modes on offer include freeplay, exhibition, classic season (totalling 37 games as you play as your favourite team against every other team in the NBA), AND multiplayer via Wifi or Bluetooth. It may not seem like too much variety, but the addition of challenges and unlockables, including retro players (yes, you CAN recreate Bird vs Johnson AGAIN) special characters and teams, game enhancing perks AND different basketball designs is an absolutely genius inclusion.

Whether it’s winning a certain amount of games in a row, hitting a set amount of slam dunks in a game or allowing your CPU team mate to score all the points in an entire quarter, the different types of challenges have lent themselves well to the theory of unlocking more the more you play. This essentially gives you more incentive to keep on playing. At 69p, the value for money, longevity and hours of gameplay in this game is quite frankly ridiculous.

It’s the perfect game for NBA Jam fans, it’s a must buy for anyone with an iOS device. What more can I say? JUST BUY IT!

NBA Jam is an absolute slam dunker of a game.

Review Round-Up

Graphics: 5/5 – True to its roots. From bobble headed NBA stars to hoops on fire and shattered backboards, NBA Jam on iOS is nostalgia at its finest.

Sound: 5/5 – The memorable soundtrack is back and funkier than ever before. And the fully voiced, insane commentator is genuinely quite hilarious at times.

Gameplay: 5/5 – No major changes to the overall gameplay, however the adaptation of the touch controls has been handled wonderfully. Fluid, tactile and intuitive, exactly what you want from a touch controlled game.

Longevity: 5/5 – Boasting more replayability than some full retail games. With plenty of characters, teams, ball designs and game enhancements to unlock, NBA Jam will keep you playing for hours. The game time you get for your measly 69p is quite frankly out of this world.

Overall: 5 out of 5

An essential for anyone with an iOS device. It’s cool, it’s funny, it’s enjoyable and at 69p it’s probably the best bargain you’re likely to see on the App store for quite some time. Seriously, I cannot speak any more highly of the game.

- Kieran Roycroft

Before getting to that, however, I’m going to touch on several points I’ve yet to mention, though briefly, as I’ve already dedicated two separate articles to this game, not mentioning this one.

Player classes

Most MMORPGs have player classes and SWTOR is no exception. Players can choose between four classes per side, Jedi Knight, Jedi Consular, Trooper and Smuggler for the Republic and Sith Warrior, Sith Inquisitor, Bounty Hunter and Imperial Agent for the Sith Empire.

Why I am mentioning this even though it seems barely noteworthy? Mostly because the differences between Republic and Imperial classes are mostly aesthetic. Each class has a mirror on the other side (Jedi – Warrior, Trooper – Bounty Hunter, etc…) and both classes share most skills and powers, at least from a gameplay perspective. For example both the Trooper and the Bounty Hunter have a melee attack, in the Trooper’s case it’s clubbing the enemy with a rifle, while the Bounty Hunter rocket-punches the enemy. Aesthetically they are very different, but mechanically they are identical.

Each side has four classes to choose from

This is only one of many examples, they are other parallels between the other classes, but it’s pointless to list them. Does this detract  from the game? Not really, and for me the aesthetic differences are more than enough (as are equipment choices, which also differ), but some people might take issue with this, so it’s my duty to inform you.

PVP

I’ve yet to speak about PVP in SWTOR. PvP is handled in special zones called, very appropriately, Warzones. Eight players of each faction can jump into any warzone and face off trying to accomplish several objectives (depending on the Warzone) while trying to stop the other team from doing the same.

So far, so standard. The problem comes in, however, because Warzones are not separated by level, they are a “free-for-all” so to say in which characters from all levels come in together to fight for their side. This does not really work… The game gives those “underleveled” characters a boost to their abilities to level the playing field, but items still give the same bonuses and underleveled characters have less special abilities, so the scales always tip to the side with the highest level characters, making PvP somewhat pointless till you hit level 50.

Still, the Warzones themselves are well designed, and some (like Hutball) are quite amusing and entertaining. Also let’s keep in mind that MMORPGs take months to balance classes in PvP though. As SWTOR classes all have a mechanically identical mirror on the other side, this balancing process will be shorter, but still, my recommendation would be to stay away from them at least for now.

The problem with Warzones is that underleveled players are utterly overwhelmed by stronger players

Quests:

Missions and Quests are quite standard for the genre in SWTOR, basically, go there to kill X, or recover Y or talk to Z. The interesting part is that they all have a bit of “story” and it’s narrated, with various conversation points and decisions that make you care a bit more than usual about them. Ironically enough for a mutliplayer game, some of the missions are notorious for making you loot a certain item, or interact with a specific object, once per member in the party, adding annoying waiting times and grinding to what, supposedly, should make it faster, the collaboration with other players. This is simply bad quest design and has no place in a modern MMO.

Operations:

Operations is the name SWTOR gives to its Raids, large missions that require 8 to 16 players and forbid the use of NPC companions. Since Operations are quite demanding in time, if only because of how difficult it’s to put together a group, I’ve yet to play them and franky most gamers with lives and those with a more casual gaming schedule will have little time or incentive to play them. They have their own story, but it’s independent of your personal quest so it’s no biggie for most of us.

Companions:

I’ve mentioned this before, but the most interesting addition to SWTOR is companion characters, NPCs that join your character in their quest in good old RPG tradition. Most of them have fleshed out character stories and good voice actors, and are a welcomed addition as playing single player is much more fun and efficient. However, getting equipment for some companions can be quite expensive, since sometimes they have weird ability requirements or ask for equipment rare in your side since there are no character classes that use it. However the main problem is that it simply takes too long to get them.

Companions make a single player life worth living

You get your first companion near the end of your first planet, but afterwards you need to finish 2 worlds to get  the next one, and worlds get more difficult as you progress. By the time you get your last companion there might not be much content for you to use it often, plus companions also fill roles and you might not get that useful tank or healer until level 40-50! I think companions should have joined the players sooner in the story, so you had a full party by mid-game, but obviously the developers though otherwise.

Crafting:

Crafting is ever-present in MMORPGs and, again, SWTOR sticks to this. However, SWTOR has taken steps to make crafting a bit more worthwhile and less of a chore.

Crafting skills in SWTOR are called Crew Skills, and work identically to a standard craft skill, you buy a recipe, gather the ingredients and craft it. The key difference here is that one of your Companions does the crafting, leaving you free to explore the world and quest while he works his ass off in your behalf.

Gathering can be done in two ways, recovering your necessary ingredients in quest areas the old-fashioned way, or by sending a companion to get them for you, though doing this costs credits. This is a nice way of dissuading people from creating “farmer” characters that have built nothing but became rich quite fast by selling crafters the enormous amounts of ingredients they needed at steep prices. Since you can already “pay” for your ingredients you might as well not bother with checking the auction house for them. This keeps the auction house, here called the Galactic Market, focused mainly in crafted goods, as it should be.

Review Round-Up

Graphics: 4/5 – For an MMO the graphics are really good and well defined. They surely are not as impressive as some of the newest competitors in the market, but their somewhat cartoonish look will ensure they remain watchable for longer, which is the right approach for an MMO.

Sound: 5/5 – The Star Wars soundtrack is simply epic, no matter how many times you listen to it. Couple this with the best tracks of Knights of the Old Republic, plus the already well know Star Wars sounds effects, and you simply have perfection.

Gameplay: 3/5 – While SWTOR has taken many steps to make playing an standard MMORPG more playable, they have not really changed the mechanics much, sticking to formula like a mynok to the hull of your freighter. It works, but definatly not deserving of a higher grade.

Longevity: 5/5 – Even if you were only to play the character quest lines of two classes in both factions, you would still need a couple of months and lot’s of patience… this is a huge game, especially if you don’t mind redoing the common content per faction to see another character story arch.

Overall 4 out of 5

SWTOR delivers on many of it’s promises, though it’s still a diamond in the rough. However, even with all the fun it is, I shed a single tear of sadness for what this could have been if it had been developed as a single player game. If you had fun with WoW and you love Star Wars, you have nothing to lose.

- Jose Luis Pérez Zapata

Together they discuss what they’ve been up to, Adams been thinking and traveling in time to bring you another future review (hint hint listen right to the end). Jose’s back with a brand new rant and speaking of new, there’s always a debut of a brand new feature!

JAM PACKED… like a jammy dodger.

MP3 Download / iTunes / RSS Feed

Fifteen years after the first launch of Rayman, players can discover or rediscover the legendary 2D gameplay that captured the hearts of millions of fans. 

Rayman is invoked by the Fairy Council to save the Glade of Dreams from the nefarious Darktoons. To help him, he teams up with his best friend, Globox, and two crafty wizards, the Teensies.

Players can control Rayman in the solo campaign, or have up to three friends join in or leave any time the game as Globox or as one of the two Teensies in the offline multiplayer mode using four controllers on one computer. There are 60 vast levels of 2D platforming gameplay to explore suited for all ages and all playing styles.  Players can unlock new abilities progressively and return to previous levels to discover new paths and secrets.

Rayman Origins PC will be available in retail stores and as well as online and Ubishop.

We may sound like a broken record here, but we really liked Rayman Origins’ old school sensibilities. At times it had us tearing our hair out with frustration, and at other times it had us squealing with glee. Why not read our full review of the console version of the game?

For those not in the know, Heroes of Ruin is an RPG from developer n-Space, makers of the DS Call of Duty titles, that is going to be published by Square Enix. We’ll hand over to Square Enix’s official press release for a full description of the game:-

HEROES OF RUIN challenges players to carve their own adventure, joining forces with other heroes through seamless drop-in/drop-out co-op multiplayer or venturing forth alone. Players will enter an ever-changing world where danger waits around every corner. Heroes can explore and fight through wild, varied and dynamic environments, discovering new layouts and routes each time they play. Custom-built for Nintendo 3DS™, with support for online play and a wealth of social gaming features, players will find a new experience awaits them every day.

If you’re at all curious about this game we encourage you turn on your 3DS and download the trailer from the 3DS eShop.

We got out hands on the game a few months back and it really is shaping up to be a great downloadable game. Interested in hearing more about it? Why not read our hands on preview? We don’t have an exact release date yet, but what we played felt very close to a final product. Stay tuned to newbreview.com for more news on Awesomenauts in the coming weeks.

Gotham City Imposters was originally due to be released in January, but due to the significant feedback received from the private beta in December the game was delayed. With a new release date of February we shouldn’t have too much longer to wait to get our hands on the full game.

Stay tuned to newbreview.com for more details as and when we get them.

The key to Rhythm Party is a total freedom of movement in front of the motion sensor peripheral. The new game offers ‘open format’ dancing so, unlike other music and dancing games, does not rely on contrived choreography. Instead, as the player’s silhouette is shown on screen, players can move to the beat and groove freely to create their own performance.

These dances are rated as they coincide with performance ‘ripples’ on screen, with points and bonuses awarded that bolster the player’s score. These moves then throw the player into a world of vivid color, wild backgrounds and graphical psychedelia as outlandish interactive backgrounds such as electric carnivals, wild discos and Spanish cafes complement the on-screen moves.

Sounds pretty interesting right? Check out the trailer below to see it in action:

Rhythm Party will be available to download on 1st February for 800 Microsoft Points and will feature the following tracks:

Alan Wake, clearly searching for clues as to when the boxed PC edition will be released

“It goes without saying that we are very happy and proud to work together with some of the greatest talents and artists of the games industry”, commented Lars Wingefors, CEO of Nordic Games GmbH. “We are really looking forward to the PC version of Alan Wake, especially as we are talking about a fantastic PC adaptation thereof, rather than a mere porting of the code.”

We at Newb HQ were big fans of Alan Wake, so why not read our full review? The quasi-sequel to Alan Wake, Alan Wake’s American Nightmare is due to be released on Xbox 360 Xbox Live Marketplace in just a few short weeks. No word yet on if it will receive a PC release, but if the original sells well then we suspect there is a good chance that it will happen.

Game:

Remastering classic movies is something of a contentious subject for fans of cinema. For every great work of restoration, such as the Blu-Ray release of Casablanca, you get the “re-mastered” versions of the Star Wars movies, which unnecessarily tamper with classic movie moments, adding flashy special effects where they do not belong. It is fortunate then that, to date, the vast majority of gaming HD re-releases have been of exceptionally high quality, allowing those that missed out on decade old classics another chance to experience their majesty. I am happy to report that Konami’s Metal Gear Solid HD Collection is one of these fantastic HD upgrades, and that it belongs on the list with other greats of the HD collection world, like the Ico/Shadow of the Colossus Collection and the God of War Collection.

American and Japanese gamers will have had their hands on this collection since early November, while us poor Europeans have had to wait nearly three months to get our hands on it. Comprising of some of the key titles in one of gaming’s greatest series, and at a budget price, there really is no excuse for not own owning the Metal Gear Solid HD Collection. Despite being relatively old these games were instrumental in defining current gen gaming, and as such they still feel as fresh now as they ever did.

This HD remastering collects Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty and Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (arguably some of the best games ever released on the PS2), the PSP’s Metal Gear Solid Peace Walker, and an added bonus in the form of Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake from the MSX. The MSX games, obviously, have not really received much of a graphical upgrade and as such feel more like a curiosity that you’ll spend  few minutes playing before getting back to the real meat of the collection.

First things first, these games all look spectacular. Bluepoint Games, who have worked on many other HD collections in the past, have managed to significantly upgrade the games’ visuals, making Snake Eater in particular look graphically on par with some current gen titles.

As someone that played these games when they originally game out, one thing that was never quite apparent is just how different they are from one and other. Thanks to maintaining a similar graphical style, and using the same sort of music and sound effects, the Metal Gear games have always felt very similar when playing them years apart. However, when playing these games one after the other, it is abundantly clear that each subsequent game is a massive leap forward on from it’s predecessor.

Despite the hideous mullet Solid Snake is one of the best gaming protagonists to date

Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty casts the player in the role of series newcomer the bumbling and effeminate Raiden (for the majority of the game anyway), presumably as a stark contrast to remind us all just how brilliant Solid Snake is. The camera angle is at a slightly tilted birds eye view, which can make it quite difficult to see directly in front of you. Thankfully you have a motion detecting radar that informs you of enemy movements. However, in order to reveal enemy locations on your radar you will need to connect to terminals, which are hidden away in each of the main segments of the game world. This not only lets you know where enemies are, but also informs you of the lay of the land, making navigation that much easier.

Of the three main games in the collection MGS2 is easily the most old fashioned. That isn’t to say that it is a bad game – it really isn’t by any stretch of the imagination – it’s just that it has the least impressive graphics and the most conventional gameplay. Raiden’s main mission revolves around hunting down explosives, disabling them, and rescuing hostages, as well as your typical stealthy enemy avoiding sections.

Meanwhile the next game in the collection, Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, takes a more conventional third person camera angle and does away with the entire concept of a permanent radar. Now the radar is an equipable object that relies on batteries, and as such cannot be used all of the time. At first this felt quite strange, as the radar is such an integral part of the Metal Gear Solid series’ stealth gameplay. However, once the implications of the adjusted camera angle became clear – you can now see in front of you, so why would you need a radar to tell you what was directly in front of you? – Snake Eater suddenly feels like an entirely different animal. No longer are you simply hiding, staring at your radar and waiting for enemies to pass, instead you are actively watching your environment, flinching at every sign of movement in the bushes, trying to pick the best time to either fight or flee.

This revelation is aided by Snake Eater’s other big addition, the camouflage system. Snake has brought with him a extensive wardrobe, with various outfits and face paints, that will make him harder to spot. For instance, you can wear the olive coloured uniform to blend in with the foliage, or you can wear the desert camouflage to become less visible on the barren mountains. Clothing can be switched on the fly at any point. This is a fantastic feature that really gets you thinking on your feet, and there are dozens of hidden outfits and face paints to find, which encourages exploration.

You can really have a lot of fun with Snake Eater's camouflage system

The final main game in the collection is Metal Gear Solid Peace Walker, which was originally released on the PSP in 2010. This is a more stripped down action-oriented version of Snake Eater, with updated dual analogue stick controls. Just from looking at the game, with it’s fewer enemies, and more basic environments, you can easily tell that it was originally a portable game. However, what it may lack in terms of graphical prowess or detail it more than makes up for with it’s fantastically involving addictive gameplay.

As well as your standard stealth action, Peace Walker  revolves around tackling a series of short missions, moving from one small area to another. This brings a greater focus on action and combat, as well as a more in-depth hand to hand combat system. In Peace Walker it has never been easier to take an enemy hostage, or perform devastating throws that knock enemies out instantly.

Even during cut-scenes (the Metal Gear series is famous for its lengthy cut scenes and convoluted narrative) Peace Walker manages to add life by making them interactive comic book scenes. Rather than using computer generated cut scenes the game uses animated illustrations by the artist Ashley Wood. At various points you will be tasked with quick time event-like button presses, such has hammering the trigger during a knife fight, or sections in which you must aim Snake’s weapon before firing, in order to further the game’s narrative. While having a fairly large window of opportunity, and thus not being very challenging, these sections definitely keeps you on your toes.

Arguably Peace Walker’s best addition is the addictive resource management mode in which Snake must recruit soldiers to his cause and assign them specific roles in his unit, such as combat, research, mess hall, and medical. The way the army is recruit is really quite ingenious; essentially you kidnap fallen enemies and force them to join your team. Each solider that joins has a series of ratings indicating where their strengths lie. In order to build the best army possible you will need to ‘recruit’ hundreds of soldiers. This encourages a more daring style of play, as the more soldiers you have the better equipment you will gain access to, making challenging missions later in the game that much more doable.

Another welcome feature of Peace Walker is the online integration. As well as featuring online co-op, which is very useful when trying to get through the trickier missions, there are also competitive game modes such as as your standard death match and capture the base modes.

Players are also able to gift one and other items and weapons if they should see fit. If players feel particularly altruistic you can even choose to send out a package over the Internet to a random player. Why would you bother doing this? Who knows, maybe the person that receives the gift will return the favour, perhaps it’ll be the start of a beautiful friendship, or maybe it’ll earn you some good karma. Either way, the sharing system is a great idea that allows friends and strangers alike to help each other out if they cannot get online at the same time and play together.

Peace Walker in particular has had a significant graphical upgrade

As this collection is being released on both HD consoles there are bound to be a few little differences. The PS3 version comes on one disk, with each of the three games having 50 trophies to unlock. Meanwhile the 360 version comes on two disks, one with Peace Walker and the other with MGS2 and MGS3 combined. Achievement hunters will be disappointed to learn that MGS2 and MGS3 share a mere 50 achievements between the two them, potentially damaging replay value if you care about achievements.

However, due to the superior analogue sticks, the Xbox 360 version plays far more smoothly. When playing on PS3 I invariably found lining up head shots more challenging due to the massive dead zones in the middle of the analogue sticks. Conversely, when playing on Xbox 360 I had no problem setting up head shot after head shot. Other players may feel differently, after all there is something to be said for the almost weightless smooth quality of the PS3′s controller, but I personally found playing the game on Xbox 360 more satisfying.

Beyond that there are no real differences between the two packages, and you’d be hard pressed to fault either of them. The only thing missing is a HD port of the updated version of the original Metal Gear Solid, Metal Gear Solid: Twin Snakes. If we’re lucky then Konami may hear our prayers and release it someday.

Review Round-Up:

Graphics: 4/5 – Bluepoint Games have done a great job polishing the graphics of these games. MGS2 is a 10 year old game, and at times you can tell. However Snake Eater manages to give a number of current gen titles a run for their money.

Sound: 5/5 – Fantastic music coupled with some very strong enthusiastic voice acting.

Gameplay: 5/5 – There really is something for everyone in this collection. From the retro stylings of Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2, through to the more advanced stealth based action of Metal Gear Solid 2 and Metal Gear Solid 3. Peace Walker’s online components and resource management sections are a real highlight and ideal for gamers with constraints on their gaming time.

Longevity: 5/5 – The package contains three full games, as well as two retro titles. Metal Gear Solid 2 comes with hundreds of virtual reality challenges, as well as several Solid Snake bonus missions that all need beating. Once the game is complete you earn a ranking and bonus items that can be carried over to a new game, further incentivising replayability.

Overall: 4.5 out of 5

Quite simply put, this collection contains some of the best games released in the past decade. At the budget price of about £30 you’d be a fool not to pick this up on your platform of choice. Those that have never experienced Metal Gear Solid should consider picking it up to see what all the fuss was about, while those that have played it before have been given an excuse to experience it all over again.

- Luke Mears

In the following videos you will not only see her demonstrate the touch screen controls in the fun little game called Digit Chase (in which the objective is to tap numbers in sequence in order to clear the screen) but she will also show off the Sound Loop and Hello Face apps which are, quite frankly, a little bizarre.

So now you know what to expect from some of the built in software and the touch screen interface. Stay tuned for our full review of Playstation Vita games over the coming weeks.

To celebrate the release of Soulcalibur V on Feb 3 2012, Namco Bandai has joined forces with GYMBOX to present the Soulcalibur V: Swordsman Workout, a brand new fighting fit workout class, running exclusively every Tuesday evening at 7.00pm throughout the month of February at GYMBOX Westfield in London. From the official press release:

The most exciting gym in London, GYMBOX and a special team of fight choreographers has designed the sword workout. The session is inspired by the Soulcalibur video game franchise and the exercises replicate the likes of Mitsurugi, Siegfried and Pyrrha, taking you through a series of moves lifted straight from the game, giving your body the ultimate cardio and muscle workout.

The 40 minute course is built up of 16 layered sword repetitions, progressively enhancing and improving speed, accuracy and ultimately conditioning the body. Simple yet very effective, many of the moves can also be done at home, so members can continue with their swordsmanship as often as they like! This event will be open to both members and non-members.

In addition, any Soulcalibur fan who turns up at GYMBOX Westfield with a copy of Soulcalibur V on either Playstation 3 or Xbox360 will not have to pay a joining fee if they decide to sign up for GYMBOX membership during February, saving themselves £99.

This looks like a fun and unique system and we fully recommend it to our readers. For more information on the Swordsman Workout head over to gymbox.co.uk. In the meantime Soul Calibur V will be released in the UK on 3rd February 2012. Stay tuned to newbreview.com for our full review next week!

Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit | Electronic Arts | February 1 | £3.99

Feel the rush of the escape and the thrill of the takedown! Outrun the law as a Racer in supercars such as the Pagani Zonda Cinque — or stop racers cold as a Cop in high-speed police interceptors such as the Lamborghini Reventon. Enabled for Xbox LIVE, experience pulse-pounding action as you make the escape or make the bust with “Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit” on Windows Phone. Drive up to 20 precision-performance cars in adrenaline-fueled showdown across 24 day-and-night tracks. Take it to the limit in 48 total Cop and Racer Career Events, collect bounty, and rise to the top of the ranks.

BulletAsylum | Microsoft Studios | February 8 | £2.49

Do you like bullets? How about explosions? Are you tired of having to wait ENTIRE SECONDS between seeing bullets explode things? Annihilate invaders with a wall of firepower in this insane arcade shooter. “BulletAsylum” delivers over-the-top action, melding classic gameplay with next-generation visuals and mechanics. With an insane amount of firepower at your fingertips, vibrant graphics and an all-you-can-shoot buffet of alien hordes to destroy, “BulletAsylum” will blow you away!

Chickens Can’t Fly | Microsoft Studios | February 15 | £2.49

Join the ranks of our scientists and see what chickens are capable of! Conduct experiments throughout four laboratories and answer questions such as: Is there life after the butcher? Are chickens afraid of ghosts? Does a frozen chicken get dizzy? Countless hours of fun await you: fall down an experimental pit, avoid obstacles, use power-ups and power-downs, gather corn, and make it through to the end. Use the skills you learn to get a high score in Survival Mode and show off to your friends on the Xbox LIVE and global leaderboards.

Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell Conviction | Gameloft | February 22 | £3.99

The benchmark of action stealth games on console is available for the first time on Windows Phone. Unleash the ferocious skills of renegade agent Sam Fisher, a highly skilled Special Forces operative, and fight a corrupted secret agency to get your daughter back. Follow a trail of intrigue that leads from Iraq to a high-security building in Washington, D.C. Run, jump, fight and shoot using a handgun, a shotgun, an AK-47 assault rifle and a bazooka, or maintain stealth by improvising with nearby objects. You are now a renegade spy agent; you don’t follow any orders except for your own rules of engagement.

Toy Soldiers: Boot Camp | Microsoft Studios February 29 | £2.49

Wage war on a tiny scale in “Toy Soldiers: Boot Camp,” which brings the fun and addictive shooting gallery mini-games from “Toy Soldiers: Cold War” for Xbox 360 to your Windows Phone. Defend house and home against swarms of houseflies when a flyswatter puts you in the role of a pint-sized anti-aircraft gunner. Thread the needle in the super-addicting game where you simply try to guide your missile through rotating holes. In addition, earn bragging rights in “Toy Soldiers: Cold War” for Xbox 360 through an integrated mobile leaderboard.

Great news all round for Windows Phone 7 owners we think you’ll agree.

These screenshots give us all a closer look at the game’s protagonist Death, as he sets out to brutalise a number of fantasy creatures in some epic environments. The original Darksiders was a popular game in Newb HQ, so this sequel has a lot to live up to.

Stay tuned for more as we get it!

The flash based game is based on the Nintendo Wii’s market-leading We Sing series and features five top tracks from internationally renowned artists including Lady Gaga, Cheryl Cole, Elton John, Plain White Ts and Rihanna.

Lyric Star puts player’s musical timing to the test by challenging them to complete a track with all lyrics timed correctly to the backing track. You can’t get by on just your rhythm in this game, it takes speed and hand-eye co-ordination to complete a track.

“We Sing Lyric Star is the perfect accompaniment to the We Sing range of games and a fantastic entry point to the franchise,” says Nik Blower, sales and marketing director Nordic Games. “Making Lyric Star available via the We Sing Facebook page gives us a dedicated and highly loyal fan base from which to launch what is a highly addictive and fun app”.

Wannabe lyricists are given a backing track where they need to hit the right notes at the right time to enable the song’s lyrics to play over the music. If you’re too slow or too fast you’ll hear a buzzer, letting you know you are off beat. For every lyric that is missed blocks will build up, when the blocks hit the top of the game screen it’s game over.

Players can opt to link the app to their personal Facebook profile offering the perfect platform to publish and compare scores with friends and other We Sing fans and leaderboards are available to record high scores.

Lyric Star is available to play now on the We Sing Facebook page: http://apps.facebook.com/wesinglyricstar/

We were big fans of the original Darksiders, which felt like a blend of The Legend of Zelda and God of War, and as such we are really looking forward to getting our hands on this game in the near future.

RPG fans have certainly been well-catered for on the PSP. In such a late stage of its life cycle, with the Playstation Vita imminent the PSP is still going strong. Trails in the Sky – with the rather provocative acronym ‘TitS’ – is one RPG that stands out from the crowd, and not just because it’s called TitS.

This JRPG is fairly traditional by design. There’s a turn-based combat system, towns, airships and plucky teenage freedom fighters; on the face of it, it’s lacking in originality. However, developer Falcom has been making these games since the 80s, and they know how to spin a good yarn.This title is actually the first of a quadrilogy (this chapter has already been out for eight years in Japan, with the second and third chapters also released.) For this reason the plot is a slow burner; think more along the lines of a novel and you’re halfway there. Its adventure about the exploits of a spunky, tomboyish lass named Estelle and sharp, introverted cool kid Joshua, on a journey around a politically unstable country to become fully qualified ‘Bracers’ – essentially a civilian vigilante group – is an idyllic and cheerful one to begin with.

 There is so much painstaking detail (hell, you can find books throughout the game that cover ten pages at a time and are better written than Skyrim’s) that it’s easy to become immersed in the rich quasi-modern world and invested in the interesting multi-faceted people that populate it. TitS is a very wordy game; even your regular NPCs are more unique, and have more to say than many central roles in other games of its ilk. And the story this game has to tell is gripping, full of drama and conspiracy when it gets going, including some fantastic twists before the 40-60 hours are up. And because the characters and setting are given so much room to develop and assert a sense of believability, it becomes a far more involving experience for it.

Moving on to the gameplay side of things. The RPG mainstay of battering monsters to a pulp is addictive and engagingly strategic; the turned based fights are set out on a grid-like plane, the like you might see on a strategy RPG, and it works effectively here; characters can only cover a certain amount of space each turn; each weapon has different characteristics such as range and the ability the hit multiple opponents, and magic can hit enemies at any range if you’re willing to wait for it to charge first. Much like Final Fantasy X you’re given the order of both yours and the opponents turns, which you can cannily exploit to your advantage – some careful management is required, especially for the boss battles. To pop the cherry on the cake, random battles are non-existent.

Battles can get busy

The lavish towns are a delight to rummage around in. There is so much more life to them than your typical inn, weapon and armour shop combo. They’ll serve as your central hub for each segment of the game, and I found myself attached to them by the time I had to leave. This is largely thanks to the breadth and depth of the side quests, which range from rescuing cats out of trees to far more elaborate missions that over-arch over multiple quests and throw punishing bosses your way.

The side quests are remarkable, because many of them actually add more detail to the central narrative, and are eager to avoid fetch quests. However, quests can disappear if you progress to a certain point in the story before you’ve started or finished them – this can be galling as it’s not always clear at what point they will be cancelled.

There are a few more negatives here and there. The many dungeons, plains and hills are uninspired, and simply a case of getting from A to B, toughing out the monsters in your path – the simplistic level designs and lack of puzzles is disappointing.

Considering the vast scale of this game, it is surprisingly portable happy, mostly due to the fact that you can save almost everywhere at any time; a smart decision which I’d like to see implemented more often in Japanese games. However, the lengthy albeit entertaining dialogue can drag on a bit too long.

The graphics in this circa 2004 game are definitely showing their age; the animation of the 2D characters are weak, and some of the NPCs do that old-world RPG thing of walking on the spot for… some reason. The 3D environments aren’t too hot either, with blurry textures, low detail and too many recycled assets. When a town is discovered for the first time, the camera will pan around the locale, and it’s all quite attractive when you step back – it’s just a shame that the camera is fixated on the ground at every other moment.

Foppish wandering bard Olivier steals every scene he's in

 The music picks up on the visual slack nicely. Falcom are long standing innovators in the field of videogame music – they’re the first developer to employ vocals in their music and the first to have a dedicated band for their games. Needless to say, they don’t drop the ball here. I couldn’t help but hum to much of the jaunty, high energy soundtrack, especially the battle music. As it’s something that’ll be heard often, it’s a revelation that I loved the jazzy swagger of it so much I would prolong some battles just to hear everything.

For someone that likes to be absorbed in their games, TitS is perfect. The characters are (mostly) believable and are written lovingly – the witty banter is never anything other than natural and hilarious, and once again XSEED have done a convincing job translating the game. The personalities are so charming and at times affecting, and when the plot does unravel itself, it goes all guns blazing and the narrative reveals some startling ambition and depth. The true nature of a spectacular plot emerges and serves to satisfy, and titillate the player of the gargantuan second chapter, which is twice as big. It needs to be released, like yesterday.

Review Round-Up

Graphics: 2/5 – Weak 2D sprites and a lot of bland textures are occasionally jazzed up by some ballistic special effects in battle. Towns have much charm and personality.

Sound: 3/5 – The music is joyful, and the orchestral stuff in particular is beautiful, though a few tracks are recycled far too much. The lack of voice-acting anywhere bar the combat may irk some.

Gameplay: 4/5 – Compulsive JRPG gameplay, and a huge intriguing world to explore lavished with detail. Some lazy level designs are a letdown.

Longevity: 4/5 – Up to sixty hours of gameplay, and plenty of enriching side-quests. Regardless, there is little replay value for anyone other than completists.

Overall: 4 out of 5

An RPG with a dizzying attention to detail, a great eye for storytelling and bags of character. TitS is highly recommended for all JRPG fans.

- Jason Borlase

Hitman: Damnation is written by author Raymond Benson and will release in North America in Summer 2012. No release date has been confirmed for other countries, but we assume that a UK release won’t be too far behind (after all it does take time to add in the missing ‘u’ in the word ‘colour’!)

Taking place between games Hitman: Blood Money and the upcoming Hitman: Absolution, HITMAN: DAMNATION follows legendary assassin Agent 47 as he attempts to complete his toughest assignment yet.  47 is charged with assassinating high-level American political figures, but he notices that some aspects of the mission don’t add up as he is plunged into a web of lies, deceit, and murder.

Keep your eyes peeled to the official Hitman website for confirmation of a release in your neck of the woods.

“Consumers will explore a fantasy UFC matchup between current UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones and current UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva.  In addition, they will relive a classic PRIDE® Mode rivalry between renowned UFC fighters and former champions Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and Wanderlei Silva.  The playable demo will also offer mirror matches, enabling consumers to play against friends or opponent AI as the same fighter, in the ultimate test of skill.  UFC Undisputed 3is currently scheduled for release on February 14, 2012 for Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3 system.”

“The playable demo for UFC Undisputed 3 will give consumers their first taste of the virtual Octagon® with four incredible fighters and unique gameplay experiences across UFC and PRIDE Mode,” said Danny Bilson, Executive Vice President, Core Games, THQ.  “We are eager to see how our fans worldwide embrace this engaging and powerful mixed martial arts gameplay experience.”

“Fans have been waiting a long time for the next release in the UFC Undisputed franchise,” UFC President Dana White said. “We can’t wait for players to try the demo and compete with four of UFC’s best fighters in Jon Jones, Anderson Silva, Rampage Jackson and Wanderlei Silva.”

So what’re you waiting for? Go out and download it now!

To celebrate, OnLive has partnered with BT to offer a PES 2012Play 2 Win Kickoff Giveaway for the first week that the game is available, enabling gamers to win an incredible array of prizes just for playing the game on-demand using OnLive.

Gamers who play for more than three hours between 24 January and 31 January will be automatically entered to win a pair of BT luxury box seats for a top-level fixture on 10 March, among other prizes. But gamers and football fans can also win OnLive Gaming Packs just for playing the free demo—instantly on-demand, on nearly any type of device, with no purchase or commitment necessary. Coming shortly after OnLive’s UK debut, the game’s launch not only adds the first KONAMI blockbuster to the 200 premium video games available for instant play on the ever-expanding OnLive Game Service, it sends a clear message to UK gamers: OnLive won’t leave its UK fans on the sidelines.

Beginning with the game’s launch this morning at 12:01 A.M. GMT, anyone who plays PES 2012 on the OnLive Game Service before 1 February 2012 will be entered to win break-away prizes through the BT-sponsored PES 2012 Kickoff Play 2 Win Giveaway:

• Gamers who play for 3 or more hours before 11:59 P.M. GMT 31 January will be automatically entered to win one of two Grand Prizes, a pair of luxury box seat tickets to a top-tier match at the Emirates on 10 March. Runners Up prizes include an Option 3 BT broadband line, with free broadband for 12 months (5 winners) and an OnLive Gaming Pack, including the winner’s choice of an OnLive Game System or a recently released Universal OnLive Wireless Controller, Full PlayPass to any game (excluding pre-order promotions), OnLive beanie and PES t-shirt (3 winners).
• Gamers who play the free demo or play for less than 3 hours before 11:59 P.M. GMT 31 January will be automatically entered to win one of 10 OnLive Gaming Packs, including a Universal OnLive Wireless Controller, a copy of PES 2012, an OnLive beanie and PES t-shirt.

PES 2012 is the latest edition in KONAMI’s top-selling football franchise, and continues the series’ growth throughout Europe, Asia, Latin America and the United States. The game extends KONAMI’s partnership with UEFA via its exclusive UEFA Champions League™ and UEFA Europa League™ competitions and also boasts the Copa Libertadores license. PES 2012 improves on past versions with features such as an all-new Active AI system, which sees players behave more realistically on-field in creating space and making key runs, while the game’s more fluid gameplay and new Teammate Control system gives players unprecedented control of the action.

“We are excited to be working with KONAMI on another of their incredible games,” said Steve Perlman, OnLive Founder and CEO, “and even more excited to be bringing a new dimension to this highly demanded game, for OnLive players on both sides of the Atlantic.”

“We are delighted to be able to offer PES 2012 via the exciting OnLive format,” said Jon Murphy, PES Team Leader for Konami Digital Entertainment GMbH. “PES 2012 is a game best played against a rival, and OnLive will offer users a welcome taste of its incredible realism and stunning simulation elements, and will also provide them with a wealth of like-minded fans to try their luck against. It’s great to see a competitive game such as PES 2012 debuting on such a socially minded format.”

What is OnLive I hear you ask? Well…

Harnessing the power of the cloud, OnLive is the first-ever gaming platform to enable high-performance games like PES 2012, which would normally be limited to high-end computers and consoles, to be played on devices like tablets in addition to PCs, Macs® and HDTVs. Gamers can now jump into the game anytime, anywhere, or jump seamlessly from device to device without losing achievements or progress. And, with the new Universal OnLive Wireless Controller, gamers can retain a console-quality experience no matter what device they’re on: tablet, PC, Mac or HDTV.

In addition, OnLive has many one-of-a-kind social features that promise to add unparalleled dimension to the game, such as a massive spectating Arena with trans-Atlantic voice chat, and the ability to record and share videos of your best and worst gameplay moments. Gamers can instantly broadcast goals, fouls, runs and saves to friends on Facebook, along with achievements or a heads-up that they’re looking for friends to play. Friends can click in instantly from Facebook, to join a game or spectate as they play.

OnLive recently launched their OnLive app for Tablets and Android phones, meaning you can play console quality games on the go so long as your connection is up to speed. No release date has been confirmed for the iOS version, but rest assured, it is coming.

Won't repeat my previous (and hilarious)"Cindy Kate" joke here... no way... ooops...

Yup, we have a live date for the co-op demo of Syndicate coming direct to your 360 on the 31st of January 2012!

This is the sort of thing I might even stay up for to ensure I can play it absolutely ASAP… one of the gaming events of 2012 so far for me…

By then I hope all the “but it’s not an exact replica of Bullfrog’s classic!!!” gnashing will have died down. Syndicate 2012 is an awesome, co-op featuring, uber-FPS. Yes it’s clearly set in the classic Syndicate world, but it is not a clone of the original. It is new, fresh and introduces a “2nd-tier” to the FPS genre, requiring of it’s player some quick-thinking multi-tasking in addition to a razor sharp trigger finger.

Having played, and enjoyed, Deus Ex:HR last year I can definitely say that this is shaping up to be the game I hoped DXHR would be. It’s just so packed with action, skills, upgrades, weapons and squad-play, all in a beautifully harsh futuristic setting… I literally can’t wait.

Hope 3 of you can join me in the co-op demo, in fact I insist… go add this one to your calendar… right now…

- Richard “Rax” Burley
@Raxous

BioShock Infinite... ly harder...

So, enjoyed the BioShock series so far but just feel a bit like it was maybe lacking challenge?

Do you long for the halcyon days of “proper” difficulty levels?

Missing the sense of fury with yourself you used to get back in the “good ol’ days” when you got stuck in a gaming dead end?

Worry not fellow masochist, for Mr. Levine et al are here to save the day!

BioShock Infinite’s new “1999″ mode will return you to the cold-sweated fear you used to feel back when it’s great, great-grandfather, was stalking the futuristic corridors in the form of System Shock 2 (which was released in… … 1999).

Unforgiving, brutal, tense, worrying, panicky, fraught, desperate… just some of the terms I expect, nay guarantee, when you read the first reviews of this game mode upon the game’s release.

Whilst you will still be able to “save & load” the bygone days of; Death -> Vita-Chamber -> Death-> Vita-Chamber -> ad infinitum will be but a distant memory if you actually choose to ensure 1999.

Of course this will only be an option, with the usual, “ENH” (Easy Normal Hard) modes still also available.

Indeed the game’s creators are so concerned at the effect of introducing new players to this “old school” level of difficulty that 1999 mode will be “hidden” in the menu system by some cunning device… (I vote for requiring pipes to be laid out so that fluid can flow from one side to the other before the mode is available, or even better still something involving hacking & ICE?)

Anyway, this can only be a great move for all involved… well balanced “standard” gameplay modes for sane people, augmented by not only a “hardcore” mode for us “old school” fanboys of the series, but a “hidden” hardcore mode… oooooooooohhhhhhh…..

- Richard “Rax” Burley
@Raxous

Microsoft Points No More?

Rumors have surfaced today that Microsoft is to discontinue use of “Points” and instead switch to selling online content / DLC direct in local currencies.

With an apparent target of the end of 2012 for all regions to be switched over this could be an interesting year for Xbox Live.

The current “points” system not only has it’s critics, but has also been subject to lawsuits, with Microsoft acting as a virtual “banker” for these points they do come under unwelcome scrutiny in regards to exchange rates, value and security.

A move to all transactions occurring in real currency would primarily assist with clarity for all users and this is to be supported.

It is highly likely that sale of Points codes / cards will be discontinued going forward and that eventually existing points balances will be converted to currency value. Which raises an interesting question… should we be buying up points now, in advance of any official announcements? What will be the conversion rate? It’s likely to have to be better than base currency exchange rates or Microsoft will face a furious XBox Live community, which they will want to avoid during such a significant change.

Bring on the virtual currency speculation!

More when we get it…

- Richard “Rax” Burley
@Raxous

By now you’ve probably already read about the consoles features and hardware specifications in other reviews. Yes, the Vita is incredibly light, you can earn trophies on the go, and the games look brilliant. All in all it is a very impressive gadget, and hopefully it will do well. As such this will be a very specific article reviewing the beginning set-up of the console and a wonderful piece of software called Welcome Park; an in-built introduction to the inner workings of the Vita.

Setting up the Vita was a breeze, with the screen showing off its clarity well with an introductive movie. After that, a few simple inputs of time, location, language and whether or not you wish to link your Playstation Network account and you’re done. Well, that’s the first part out of the way. Simples. Now onto what I think is quite an impressive way to begin learning how to get to grips with the Vita itself; Welcome Park.

Also I’ve named my Vita Gerald…

Welcome Park is sign-posted almost immediately after starting up the Vita and getting through the set-up stages. Once more there is a brief movie and some generic lass with a soothing voice pops along to guide you through the various functions of the Vita. How does it begin? With the new touch screen feature, of course. I’ll go through each of these ‘tutorials’ in the order they appeared, giving my opinions on each, along with the movie for most modes.

Digit Chase – Flick and Drag – Rear Touchpad stage

When the follow-up to the PSP adds its own touch screen feature, it’s obvious that this would be one of the first features to be put to the test. This tutorial begins with numbers flashing up on screen, with the objective being to touch each number from least to most. One thing you might notice as you do this is the timer in the background, something that is quickly explained once the tutorial is finished. You were actually being timed the whole time, with an optimum time being suggested for you to beat… FUN! Well, actually it is. I spent quite a bit of time playing through this mode, trying to get a new quicker time before moving on. If you do beat the suggested time, you get an ‘on the move’ trophy, one of the new features along with the Vita. If this isn’t one of the best ways to bring out your competitive gamer spirit from the off, I don’t know what is.

I must admit, I felt that considering this was a timed action game, the touch sensitivity wasn’t as up to scratch as I thought it would be. Maybe I’m expecting too much, but there were times when I would quickly touch numbers only for it to not register. That isn’t to say it didn’t work well, because it did. I’m just very picky, apparently.

The second of three illustrative games in this mode is called ‘Flick and Drag’, the objective of which is to… well, flick and drag post-it like notes from a moving carrousel. What does this teach you, boys and girls? Sure, it might be just another method of using the touch screen but once again the timed edge and the promise of a trophy (sadly) is motivation enough to keep trying until you get a decent score. The flick and drag sensitivity was just balanced enough; flicking too wildly will send the carrousel past the number you want. If your flick is too feeble your time score will suffer.

Finally we have the other main selling point of the Vita, the rear touchpad. This game involves you tickling the rear (HA) of the Vita to send up blobs to hit floating circular targets. This is the game I found hardest  to get to grips with, only getting through by pounding Gerald’s behind (HA). I’m sure there must be some knack to it, as it is obviously trying to teach some kind of control over the sensitivity. I’ll just have to keep practicing!

Snap and Slide

This mode deals with teaching you about the camera function of the Vita, allowing you to take a picture of your choice and make it into a puzzle containing a certain amount of pieces. I can see how some people would like this mode and become hooked, however it just didn’t click with me. Even the promise of more trophies wasn’t enough to stop me from moving on immediately to see what was next.

Skate Axis

The aim of this game is to control the stick-man skater using the tilt axis. Avoid the balls and jump by tilting from/towards you in order to collect all the stars available. This was the mode that really worked for me. Showing off the tilt axis function of Gerald, this actually felt a lot more intuitive and fluid than I thought it would. The skating game is cute and simple, but engaging enough to keep you playing long after you’ve got to grips with the controls and won the potential trophy. Definitely worth a shot!

Sound Loop

An interesting way to introduce you to the microphone capabilities of the Vita. This allows you to record and loop various sounds in order to mess around and create your own masterpiece. It’s certainly a novel way to get to you play around with the microphone more than you might have initially planned. I for one will keep playing with this in a bid to become the next Imogen Heap.

Hello Face

Another mode involving the camera, we’re introduced to ‘Face’; a friendly box with a face. He explains that if you take a picture of anything looking like a face it’ll be made into an interactive face. Yup. Pretty descriptive, right? It seems to work well, and certainly provides some amusement for a little while as you scramble to create a face made out of the most offensive items possible. No? Only me? Oh…

So, in short, I’m quite enamoured with Gerald. We’ll still have to wait to see how well future games make use of the various features, and how. they’ll do it Not only that, but I’m interested to see how the 3G versions will be received in countries abroad, especially America with their one-choice contract system. And then there’s the question of how the Vita may affect gameplay with the PS3 in the future. All in all it is a very exciting time to be a fan of Sony.

- Sabbi Stone

The Metal Gear Solid HD Collection is your chance to experience three chapters in this seminal gaming series. For our money it is possibly the best gaming deal we’ve seen in a long time.

Stay tuned for our full review later this week.

Spoilers: It’s great.

360: http://www.zavvi.com/games/platforms/xbox-360/dark-souls/10355879.html

PS3: http://www.zavvi.com/games/platforms/ps3/dark-souls/10355877.html

- Rax

http://www.zavvi.com/games/platforms/xbox-360/rayman-origins/10480735.html

- Rax

http://www.blockbuster.co.uk/product/rent-games/ps3/game/251351/killzone-3.htm

- Rax

Check out the full details below:

WARP

15^th February | 800 Microsoft Points

Play as Zero, a lovable-yet-lethal orange alien with a big score to settle in this puzzle-based stealth action game! Captured by the villainous Commander and imprisoned in his underwater facility, Zero must plan his ultimate escape using his arsenal of alien abilities — warp, frag, echo, swap and launch.

ALAN WAKE’S AMERICAN NIGHTMARE

22^nd February | 1200 Microsoft Points

Can you survive until sunrise? In this brand-new stand-alone experience, Alan Wake fights the herald of darkness, the evil Mr. Scratch. A thrilling new storyline, hordes of creepy enemies, serious firepower and beautiful Arizona locations combined with a fun and challenging new game mode, make this a must for Alan Wake veterans and the perfect jumping-on point for new players.

NEXUIZ

29^th February | 800 Microsoft Points

For centuries, the Kavussari and the Forsellians have waged war. They have a fragile truce but, because of their seething disgust of each other, still pit warriors against each other in arenas rather than on the fields of war. These episodes of lethal combat are broadcast throughout the galaxy as entertainment – a spectacle known as The Nexuiz Competition – an arena-based first-person shooter where you can alter the rules of the match and the laws of physics while dominating opponents in ever-changing hostile environments.

I AM ALIVE

7^th March | 1200 Microsoft Points

One year after a worldwide cataclysmic event wiped out most of human civilisation, a man struggles for survival. Faced with an insecure, decaying and hazardous world, he scours a desolated city, searching for his long-lost wife and daughter. Survive the suffocating, murky streets covered in dust. Climb the teetering remains of last-standing skyscrapers to reach breathable air and find untouched resources. Explore the crumbling ruins of a once-thriving metropolis. Discover a changed human condition, punctuated by distrustful survivors, dangerous armed gangs and victims in need.

Stay tuned to newbreview.com for more coverage of these games in the near future.

Game:

From the creator of Parapa The Rapper, Haunt is a downloadable first person exploration game that takes place inside of a haunted mansion. Utilising Microsoft’s Kinect you control your character by following on-screen prompts, such as jumping, ducking, and dodging, solve some basic puzzles, and battle against a number of ghosts.

Haunt has a really pleasing spooky aesthetic, like the ghost trains of old, that manages to be frightening without being gratuitous, and is suitable for players of all ages. It really is a charming game that plays a lot like Sega’s gruesome Rise of Nightmares, but filtered through the family friendly lens of Nintendo’s Luigi’s Mansion.

The basic premise is very simple. Your character awakens to find himself in a dark and spooky mansion with no idea of how he got there. Before long he is greeted by a man named Benjamin who is trapped inside of the mansion’s paintings. It turn out that he is being held there by four powerful ghosts, each holding a key to his release, and it is up to you to help him escape.

Armed with only a torch, you start on your adventure through three distinctive areas of the mansion, with eight stages to play through in total. Each stage lasts from about half an hour to an hour, depending on how willing you are to explore.

Movement controls are a little strange at first but you will quickly come to grips with them. In order to move you simply walk on the spot, while turning is handled by pointing your torch beam to the edge of the screen. Other games, such as Rise of Nightmares had a different movement system, in which you placed one foot forward in order to move, leaned backwards to reverse. Haunt’s control scheme feels far more natural and is generally very effective. At times you will need to exaggerate the movement of lifting your foot off of the ground, but overall the movement system is very responsive.

Make sure you have plenty of room when playing becuase you'll need it!

Whenever you come to a junction in the mansion there is a handy icon on screen that lets you know which direction you are currently heading in, making it abundantly clear how far you need to turn in order to change direction. This can be turned off in the menu if you’re a more advanced player, but it is a handy feature for less experienced players.

As you explore the mansion you will find many rooms filled with all sorts of treasures. The most common things you will find are vitality orbs. These pink objects restore health, which is indicated by a large meter on the left hand side of the screen. You can also find vitality vials, which essentially act as extra lives. Each level has two Vitality Vials hidden away meaning that, if you are careful, you will have plenty of lives by the time you reach the final boss. The sheer number of vitality orbs located in the game means that you’ll rarely be left wanting for health.

Anything that you can interact with, be it a door, a painting, or cupboard, will sparkle in the darkness. Holding the torch light over the interactive objects for a few seconds brings up a hand icon, which indicates the movement you need to perform. These are all actions you would perform in the real world, so pushing a door, pulling a drawer out, pulling down on a cord, and so on.

Along the way you will find a series of news clippings that provide some background information on the events leading up to you waking up in the mansion. There are also a number of neat augmented reality features found in the game in the form of a spooky projector that loops footage taken of you playing the game, and a sinister photography studio that is filled with photographs of you.

As you wander the halls you will invariably come across a number of obstacles to overcome. These range from basic traps, such as skull ornaments that shoot lasers from their eyes, to swarms of bats that burst in through windows. The movements that are required of you in order to avoid damage are very natural. If you see lasers then you simply need to duck, when the bats swarm around you swipe them away by waving your arms, and so on. Some of the more interesting obstacles will require you (and those around you) to either stay perfectly still, or completely silent, or risk getting injured.

You will need to stay on your toes at all times

Similarly the game’s combat system is incredibly intuitive. There are four main types of enemies in the game, with each of them having a specific way of being defeated. These range from covering your eyes and ears to protect yourself from bright lights and high pitched noises, to dodging attacks and knocking projectiles back like it is a game of tennis. One you have defended yourself from the ghosts’ primary attacks you must shine your torch on them to drain their health. All in all the combat is fluid and responsive, and is varied enough that it never gets stale.

That’s not to say that everything about the Kinect controls is perfect. Every now and then, mainly when turning around a corner or heading down a flight of stairs, the camera will jerk suddenly and skip a few frames as it trieshelper event you from snagging on edges. Likewise, when you must perform more subtle moves things can potentially go wrong. For instance in one puzzle you need to interact with a series of vinyl records hanging on a wall. In order to pull a record down you need to move your hand over it and then pull down. Simple enough, right? Unfortunately the act of pulling down invariably caused the hand icon to move instead of bringing the selected record down.

This is only a minor gripe really, for the controls work really well, making this an incredibly immersive game that oozes spooky charm.

Review Round-Up

Graphics: 4/5 – With a bold cartoony art style, evocative of Nintendo’s seminal Luigi’s Mansion, wandering the halls of the mansion is a visual delight.

Sound: 4/5 – Spectacular voice work, with especially good comic timing, from the actor playing Benjamin. The score is in keeping with the game’s visuals, charmingly spooky, rather than intimidating.

Gameplay: 4/5 – For the most part the Kinect controls work really well. Walking on the spot makes the game more immersive, and the combat system is entertaining and varied. When you are required to perform a certain action, the instructions are always on screen, meaning there is no ambiguity about what you’ll need to do.

Longevity: 3/5 – There are eight main missions to fight through, and 13 collectible news papers to find. As things stand it will probably only take about three or four hours to beat it, but there is a prominent tab on the main menu for downloadable content, potentially meaning that there will be more missions in the future.

Overall 4 out of 5

If you own Kinect and have the Microsoft Points then you really could do much worse than download Haunt. Those looking for hardcore scares may want to look elsewhere, but for everyone else Haunt offers up a charming and amusing experience.  Good old fashioned spooky fun for the whole family.

- Luke Mears

With that many players we’d expect some sort of wave-based survival mode, much like Gears of War’s Horde Mode, or perhaps an expanded version of the series’ popular Mercenaries Mode. Of course there is always the possibility that the information provided by Microsoft is incorrect but until we hear a denial from Capcom we consider this information to be accurate.

Source: Xbox.com

Now you might be thinking “Wow, 4 hours! That’s a huge amount of time! Did you manage to complete it or anything?”.

OK, let me put that thought quickly and ruthlessly to bed. Not a chance.

It has been stated by the developers that you will need 10 times as long just to complete the game’s main story line.

I suspect 40 hours to complete would require not only some fairly focused sprinting, but also an almost callus disregard for the workmanship involved.

No, not another card based mini-game... it's "Destinies" a cool improvement on the traditional "class" system...

Why is that? Well many games have a visionary at their helm, a respected leader in their field pouring their passion, skill and experience into making the game all it can be. KoAR has, erm… three. Yes, as many of you will know, and all of you certainly should, not only is the legendary Ken Rolston responsible for quests, missions and the like, the excellent R.A. Salvatore has created a 10,000 year literary history of the highest quality for the world and the hallowed Todd McFarlane has led a mammoth artistic effort to give unique identities to the world’s races, cities, environments, creatures, cultures and combat.

Yowch. That is a lot of “vision” right there. And that’s not the end of it either. They lead teams as skilled as they themselves are.

I would argue that this is the most significant example of a “dream team” that has ever been assembled by a developer to lead their work. I also suspect this is a portent of what is to come in game design, as publishers push harder and harder for increased quality, variety and sheer scale in their game development projects.

Anyway, that is all largely academic if these talents cannot be brought together to produce a singular work of quality.

But guess what? All the signs are they have. If the first 4 hours were anything to go by I’d say they’ve nailed it.

Bring the fire! In mid-air! Hell yeah!

Now, how best to get the feel of the game across to you… OK… let me break this down;

(Remember this is based only on what I managed to experience in 4 hours of game time, with a toilet break, oh and 2 slices of pizza…)

• Story and visuals = Fable meets Final Fantasy
• Combat and skills= God of War meets Guild Wars
• Inventory and storage = Dragon Age 2 meets War in the North
• Scale and “factions” = Skyrim meets Everquest 2
• Crafting and trading = Lord of the Rings Online meets Dragon Age
• Character progression = Dragon Age meets Dawn of War 2
• Loot and equipment = Borderlands meets WoW
• Mini-games (Traps, lock-picking, etc) = Rage meets Skyrim
• Dialog and interactions = Dragon Age 2 meets SWTOR

Please forgive my limited vocabulary of games and don’t focus on the actual mechanic involved, but rather the “feel” of that aspect of the game.

Put the hammer down... hard... on it's toe... it's not pleased...

A few things I can confirm from my accumulated experiences;

(Apologies if this is a bit random, but I was trying to play as much as I could whilst I made notes!)

• There is a mix of fixed and randomly generated item drops throughout
• Character progression choices have a direct impact on your game experience from the very start of the game
• There is a lot of scope for different combat styles and the game actively encourages you to mix these up
• There is great benefit in concentrating your character progression, but diversifying a little, especially at the start, is also very helpful
• Character progression feels exciting and powerful
• Income and expenditure seem well balanced and there are few if any truly useless items
• Equipment choices are finely balanced and encourage both set building and mix-and-match
• There is a good mix of “boss” and single foe combat
• Foes have different strengths and weaknesses which are very useful to learn and exploit (especially “bosses”)
• There is the expected huge amount of lore to explore and understand in both book / pickup and dialog form
• Equipment “wears” and must be repaired or replaced
• Different mechanics are of differing importance to different approaches. (i.e; Melee players will find “blocking” to be a hugely important mechanic to master, whilst ranged characters need to learn how foes move and target priority early on, and magic users must understand elemental effects)
• Carry capacity is limited, but can be expanded by buying more “packs”
• Chaining and combining styles in combat feels awesome!
• You can “juggle” opponents if you time things correctly and use the right skills
• Use of environmental cover is effective but not infallible
• You can’t “fall off” anywhere, but shortcuts are available where they are implemented
• Movement is dynamic and athletic, it’s also a very important combat mechanic
• Stealth is a major game-play option with multiple benefits
• Whilst there are no character “stats”, skills, equipment, potions, destinies and other stuff have big, and clear, effects on how your character is “setup”
• The “elements” are an important game-play mechanic
• Some rewards are well hidden and some require certain skills to access
• The mini-games are basic but function well and are not frustrating
• Foes usually stick to their areas, but these vary in size
• You can aggro and kill civilians and guards, but do so at your peril!
• Many environmental props can be destroyed to gain gold and reveal hidden chests etc.
• The equipment and armour are visually varied and some have very cool effects
• You can swim but not dive. (At least I didn’t manage it!)
• There is a good mix of “awareness”, “crafting” and “combat” skills
• The “destinies” are a really nice mechanic which increases flexibility and empowers the player

OK, so that was the only way I could come up with to keep this preview at readable length, but I should clarify that there is a LOT more stuff in the game, and I would very firmly recommend you grab the demo which is currently out on 360, PS3 and PC.

It is pretty, oh so pretty, it is pretty and witty and... deadly...

This game should be a huge success, it has all the elements of a big hit and really does have something for everyone. We’ll obviously be bringing you more as we near release and expect a full review and most probably a handy guide to go up shortly after it’s out.

If you’re interested in learning more about the creation of this game then we have two interviews with senior members of the team, Executive Designer Mr Ken Rolston and Executive Art Director Mr Todd McFarlane, so why not click the links to read more?

- Richard “Rax” Burley

@Raxous

Capcom have yet to release any official screenshots so for now these will have to do.

Resident Evil 6 is due to be released this November on XBox 360 and Playstation 3.

Blending action and survival horror, this latest instalment in the multi-million selling franchise, is the most ambitious, immersive and feature rich title of the series to date and promises to be the dramatic horror experience of the year.

It has been ten years since the Raccoon City incident and the President of the United States has decided to reveal the truth behind what took place in the belief that it will curb the current resurgence in bioterrorist activity. Due to be by the President’s side is his personal friend and Raccoon City survivor, Leon S. Kennedy, but when the venue suffers a bioterrorist attack, Leon is forced to face a President transformed beyond recognition and make his hardest ever decision. At the same time, Bioterrorism Security Assessment Alliance member, Chris Redfield arrives in China, itself under threat of a bioterrorist attack.  With no country safe from these attacks and the ensuing outbreaks, the entire world’s population is united by a common fear that there is no hope left.

In a first for the franchise, Resident Evil 6 sees series favourites Leon and Chris come together to face this unprecedented threat. They will be joined by new characters, each with their own unique perspective and involvement in this relentless dramatic horror experience enacted on a global scale.

“Resident Evil 6 represents a giant stride forward in the evolution of the series,” commented Katsuhiko Ichii, Head of R&D and Global Marketing. “The development team, led by Hiroyuki Kobayashi, is working tirelessly to deliver the most impressive Resident Evil™ title ever both in terms of scope and production values. We are all genuinely excited by the title and cannot wait to share it with the world.”

Hiroyuki Kobayashi, Resident Evil 6’s Executive Producer added: “From the outset the team’s intention was to create an experience that delivers a gripping storyline, tense single-player and co-op action all set against a constant theme of horror. We are calling this fusion dramatic horror and are confident it will resonate with both existing fans of the series as well as newcomers.”

Resident Evil 6 will be released on Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 on 20th November 2012.

Skyrim 1.4, like Skyrim 1.3, but 0.1 better...

Bethesda have dropped a chest full of info on the forthcoming 1.4 patch on their blog!

Just in-case you don’t want to wade through their age verification thingy… (*sigh*) we have copied the post below!

************************************************************************

It’s been a few weeks since our last update on Skyrim’s status, so we wanted to share details on what we’re working on.

The Creation Kit and Steam Workshop are nearly ready. We’re currently working with members of Valve and our modding community to do some final testing, and we’re on track for a public release near the end of the month. We think Skyrim modding is one of the game’s best features, and we have the best modders of any game. It’s been a lot of exciting work for us, and we can’t wait to unleash it.

Skyrim’s 1.4 update is currently undergoing testing on all three platforms. The update will include fixes and optimizations for the most common issues people have been reporting (see below). We’re hoping to finalize this next week, and submit it to the console manufacturers for certification, as well as release on PC.

Our current update plan for the PC is to first release our updates as “beta” versions through Steam. This is something you’ll be able to opt into through Steam and back-out of if needed. This is an extra safety check for everyone going forward and should expedite and improve our updating process for our PC users. We’ll have more info soon on how this will work.

Echoing what we said back in December, we’ll continue to look into issues that are being reported and subsequent updates will follow. You have all supported Skyrim in a huge way, and we’ll be supporting all of you, and continue to make the game better.

Current 1.4 Changelog (all platforms unless noted)

NEW FEATURES

• Skyrim launcher support for Steam Workshop (PC)

BUG FIXES

• General optimizations for memory and performance
• Fixed occasional issue with armor and clothing not displaying properly when placed on mannequin’s in player’s house. (PS3)
• Improved compiler optimization settings (PC)
• Long term play optimizations for memory and performance (PS3)
• Memory optimizations related to scripting
• Fixed crashes related to pathing and AI
• Fixed crash in Haemar’s Shame if player had already completed “A Daedra’s Best Friend”
• Fixed rare crash with loading saved games
• Fixed issue with accented characters not displaying properly at the end of a line
• Master Criminal achievement/trophy unlocks properly in French, German, Spanish and Italian
• Fixed issue where dragon priest masks would not render correctly
• Fixed issue where quests would incorrectly progress after reloading a save
• Fixed issues with placing and removing books from bookshelves in the player’s home
• Fixed issue where weapon racks and plaques would not work correctly in player’s house if player immediately visits their house before purchasing any furnishing.
• Fixed issue where the player house in Windhelm would not clean up properly
• Fixed crash related to giant attacks and absorb spells
• Fixed issue with ash piles not cleaning up properly
• Fixed occasional issue where overwriting an existing save would fail
• Fixed memory crash with container menu
• Fixed infinite loop with bookshelves
• Fixed issue where traps in Shalidor’s Maze would not work properly in French, German, Spanish and Italian versions
• Fixed issue where transforming back to human from werewolf would occasionally not fail
• Bows and daggers will display properly when placed on weapon racks

QUEST FIXES

• The Unusual Gem inside the Thalmor Embassy is now accessible after finishing “Diplomatic Immunity”
• In “Breaching Security”, the quest token is no longer required to receive a fortune reading from Olava the Feeble
• Fixed issue where Galmar would not complete Joining the Stormcloaks properly if “Season Unending” was an active quest
• Fixed issue where starting “Season Unending” after finishing “Joining the Stormcloaks” would prevent “The Jagged Crown” from starting properly.
• Fixed issue progressing through “Message to Whiterun” while “Season Unending” was still open would block progression for both quests.
• In “Arniel’s Endeavor”, fixed issue where a quest journal would trigger multiple times
• In “Forbidden Legend”, the amulet fragment can no longer disappear after player leaves a dungeon without taking it
• Fixed rare issue in “Forbidden Legend” where killing Mikrul Gauldurson while sneaking would make his corpose unaccessible
• In “The White Phial”, the phial can no longer disappear if player leaves dungeon without taking it
• “The White Phial” will now start properly if player already has a briar heart in their inventory
• Player can no longer get stuck in Misty Grove after completing “A Night to Remember”
• Fixed issue where leaving Riften during “A Chance Arrangement” would prevent quest from progressing
• In “Darkness Returns”, a door in Twilight Sepulcher will properly open if the player leaves the dungeon for an extended period of time before completing the quest
• In “Under New Management”, if the player leaves the Oculory for an extended period of time after placing the focusing crystal and returns, the quest will proceed correctly
• “Onmund’s Request” will now start properly if player has already found Enthir’s staff before receiving this quest
• Fixed instance where Tonilia would stop buying stolen items and also would not give Guild Leader Armor
• “Repairing the Phial” will start properly if player already has unmelting snow or mammoth tusk in their inventory
• Finding Pantea’s Flute before speaking with Pantea no longer prevents her quest from updating
• In “The Coming of the Dawn”, fixed rare instance where a quest object would spawn incorrectly on the Katariah during Hail Sithis
• Fixed rare issue in “The Mind of Madness” where player is unable to equip the Wabbajack
• Fixed issue in “Pieces of the Past” where Mehrunes Dagon’s Razor will not trigger properly if player leaves the cell for extended period of time before activating it
• “Blood’s Honor” will start properly if you visited and completed Driftshade and an extended period of time passes before starting the quest.
• Fixed rare issue where “Dampened Spirits” would not start properly
• Fixed issue where player would be unable to become Thane of Riften if they purchased a home first
• Fixed issue where killing guards in Cidhna Mine woud block progression for “No One Escapes Cidhna Mine”
• Fixed numerous issues with “Blood on the Ice” not triggering properly
• In “Blood on the Ice”, Calixto can now be killed if player owns a house in Windhelm
• In “The Cure for Madness”, killing Cicero then resurrecting him no longer impedes quest progress
• Fixed rare issue in “To Kill an Empire” where an NPC would fail to die properly
• Clearing Knifepoint Ridge before starting “Boethiah’s Champion” no longer prevents quest from starting.

************************************************************************

So there! All good things of course… but seriously… when? When? WHEN CAN WE RIDE THE DRAGONS!

- Richard “Rax” Burley
@Raxous

The original Darksiders was one of our favourite games of 2010, so, as you can imagine, we’re looking forward to Darksiders 2 quite a bit!

http://www.gamestop.co.uk/30275_Xbox_360_Final_Fantasy_XIII.aspx

- Rax

For those not in the know, Koozac is kind of a cross between Tetris and Sudoku. Your basic aim to add together the numbers on falling blocks to create the required number.

The fully updated and reimagined Smartphone and tablet version contains three game modes, all-new graphics and a simple user interface that take KooZac to a whole new level.

New Ways to Play

• Puzzle – Play through 60 levels, destroying the silver puzzle blocks and clearing the board by completing the targets.

• Endless – No level, no stage – compete against the world in Endless mode and use multi gems to rack up huge scores.

• Blitz – Complete targets and use boosts in order to get the highest score possible in one minute. By connecting with Facebook, players can compete with others for high scores on live leaderboards.

Koozac should be available on your respective platform’s marketplace within the next few months.

You’ve probably seen game related clothing on sale elsewhere, but time and time again I’ve been let down. Often, these fairly cheap, poor quality items have been designed to cash in on a popular game. I’ve lost count of the number T-shirts I’ve bought that have faded and shrunk after the first wash. If this has happened to you too then I implore you to make a stand and buy quality.

What you get from www.insertcoinclothing.com is a fantastic range of quality gear that has been directly inspired by the world of video games that we know and love. The best thing is that these designs are somewhat more subtle nods to some of our favourite games over more obvious fare such as one particular shirt I saw one spotty, teenage degenerate wearing; the COD Elite logo with a rifle strewn across it. For me, these T-shirts, probably picked up from the local HMV and displayed on a wall mount in a plastic casing (you’ve all seen them) screams “look at me; I’m a geeky gamer type!”

My latest T-shirt design of choice, and the item which has driven me to write this article, dear reader, is the logo for Zakhaev International Airport – the scene of the infamous “No Russian” mission from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. The logo stands boldly on a black tee background. This in-game reference will mean next to nothing to the uninitiated, however I get a kick everytime I see someone wearing a game reference that’s equally as subtle; and more often than not they’ve bought it from the very same supplier.

I’m normally aprehensive about buying clothes online and tend to avoid it but I was so impressed with the quality of the base garment I won’t hesitate to pick up some more.  Their T-shirts are thick, the designs well printed and the shirt washes well.

If that doesn’t seal the deal then perhaps this will… Insert Coin offer free shipping in the UK, and post worldwide at fairly reasonable rates.

There is a considerable selection of t-shirts and hoodies to choose from with guys, gals and even chil’uns catered for. From retro games right up to modern day classics, there’s a wide range of design coverage, so there really is something for everyone. What’s more, if you follow them on twitter and constantly hound them with design ideas, I’m confident they’ll get their designers working.

Right now they have a special deal on where, if you buy one T-Shirt, you can get a second T-Shirt for half price. All you need to do is pick your two eligible T-Shirts and then enter B1G1HP at the checkout. The offer will run through until the end of January, and is valid worldwide.

I wholeheartedly urge you all to check out their range because I’m positive you won’t be disappointed. I love Insert Coin Clothing!

- Steve Garrett

Game:

We at Newb HQ were recently fortunate enough to be able to take Konami’s new game NeverDead for a test drive. Directed by Shinta Nijori, of Metal Gear Acid fame, and made by British developers Rebellion, NeverDead is a third person action adventure game that is coming out in early February.

The first thing to really jump out at us about NeverDead is just how bizarre and creative it is. You play as Bryce Boltzmann and immortal alcoholic demon hunter in the employ of a paranormal agency. We began early on in the game at an abandoned mental hospital where a couple had reported spotting a monster roaming the grounds.

Within a few moments of entering the building we found ourselves under attack from some aggressive dog-like creatures. The most immediately noticeable thing about NeverDead is just how fast paced it is. At the start you are armed with dual pistols that can be fired at the same time by pressing both triggers. As soon as we lined the cursor up with our first enemy we held down the triggers and watched it rain bullets on the poor unsuspecting beasts.

The second main weapon in Bryce’s inventory is his Butterfly Blade, a very large sword that can be used to slice through chains that seal doors as well as enemies. With a simple button tap you can equip the sword and start slicing away by using the right analogue stick.

While most enemies can be taken out with your guns, some enemies can only be harmed with the sword. Well timed accurate strikes are significantly more damaging than wildly flailing about, leading to some fairly tactical gameplay.  The only downside of using the sword is that you need to get in close to use it. Should you find yourself being overwhelmed you can press the dodge button to dive out of harm’s way, which saved our bacon in more than a few sticky situations.

The sheer level of destructibility is phenomenal

Of course being immortal means you cannot really die, but that doesn’t mean that you cannot be hurt. If you are dealt enough damage than you may find yourself losing a limb or two. It’s not the end of the world of course, but there is something really quite amusing about seeing your character hopping around, without ever flinching, after having a leg blown off. Take enough damage and you’ll be reduced to nothing more than a head left to roll around the battlefield in search of your missing body parts.  Limbs can be recovered and reattached – simply dive over the detached limb and it’ll automatically return to your body – or if you’re in a real pickle you can choose to regenerate your missing limbs.

Unfortunately for Brice there are a number of irritating small creatures whose sole purpose in life is to consume your discarded limbs. When they have eaten an arm or a leg it is quite simple to regain your limbs – you can choose to shoot the offending creature, or you can just regenerate your missing appendages. But beware, after regenerating limbs there is a cool down period, which means you will have to wait a while before you can do it again, leaving you vulnerable in the event that you get decapitated again.

Should you find yourself in the position that your head has been consumed by one of the creatures then you run risk of permanently taking residence in their small intestine. You are given one opportunity to escape,  but if you fail then it is game over and you are taken back to your last checkpoint. Fortunately this never became too frustrating, as NeverDead seems to use some regular sensible checkpoints.

Another challenging element is the inclusion of your mortal (as in she can die!) partner Arcadia. You will need to take extra care when fighting, as you may find yourself injuring her with a stray bullet or a reckless swing of the sword. If she takes too much damage she will fall to her knees and you will be required to revive her.  From our time with the game it was unclear if she could actually die, causing a game over screen, or if she would just lie there until we decided to revive her. However we invariably found ourselves instinctively rushing over to Arcadia whenever she collapsed, no doubt thanks to too many sessions on Gears of War.

Don't worry, losing your head is a key component of the game

Another impressive element of the game is the sheer level of destructibility. In a fight in a courtyard, about half way through the level, there were numerous explosive canisters that, once detonated, brought nearby structures to the ground, flattening any enemy unfortunate enough to be in the vicinity.  Similarly, when swinging your sword at an enemy near a wall, if you happen to miss them, you can cause massive chunks of the scenery to scatter across the room. This contributes to a very tangible sense of power, making every strike very satisfying.

Defeating enemies earns you experience points which can be spent on dozens of upgrades. These range from the obvious, such as faster sprinting time, or more powerful weapons, to new skills, such as the ability to fling your severed arm at an enemy, with a gun still in its hand, and blow them all to hell.  While we only saw about a dozen upgrades in our demo we gather that there will be many more to unlock as you progress through the game.

When you are not fighting of hordes of demons you are tasked with solving some inventive puzzles that revolve around decapitating yourself and taking control of your severed head. It’s quite an ingenious system whereby you roll your head through small gaps in order to gain access to otherwise unreachable areas. The puzzles we played in the demo were fairly straightforward, acting as a neat way of breaking up the action, giving us room to breathe.

With only two weeks to go until NeverDead hits shop shelves it is clear that Rebellion have managed to make a really promising title, and we can’t wait to get our hands on the full game. Stay tuned for our full review.

- Luke Mears

Ubisoft have sent over a new trailer for their forthcoming downloadable game I Am Alive focusing on their interesting combat mechanics

As resources, such as bullets, are limited the key to survival is knowing when to attack, and just how you go about defeating your enemies. As the trailer shows sometimes all you need to get through a sticky situation is a believable bluff.

I Am Alive is set to be released in February as part of Microsoft’s Xbox Live Arcade House Party promotion, with a PS3 release coming a short time later.

You might notice something a little different about these machines, though. On most machines you’ll notice a place to either scan or insert a card into the cabinet. Well spotted! Next you might notice a few smaller cabinets next to these machines from which you can buy those very cards. Another good observation! Now do you carry on with the good old reliable method of simply feeding the cabinet coins to play as you please, or do you cave in and buy one of these strange additions. If you did the latter, then welcome to the wonderful world of IC cards.

A teaser of the 'seasonal' items you can unlock for your character to flaunt. This is the New Year swag.

Now, try not to be too confused by all the flashing lights, loud noises and the myriad of arcade cabinets on offer. First thing is first. Which game do you want to go for? Street Fighter? Gundam? Maybe a wider selection of rhythm based arcade games? For the purpose of this article lets say Tekken (just because that’s where I hang out the most). Head on over to the floor/corner where your game is installed and just look for one of these towers…

The usual going rate is around 300-500 yen for each card that you buy. What you have to keep in mind is that each card has a different function. The old Tekken 6 cards used to be a one character only/limited use sort of deal. One character was logged onto the card along with all the play data for that character, with a set number of uses. Each time you use the card, the number decreases and eventually you have to buy another. That is, if you hadn’t bought several for each character you fought with anyway. This was a rather expensive (and irritating) method of employing the IC cards. New Tekken Tag Tournament 2 cards however allow for several ‘slots’ of teams and have unlimited uses. Far better, no? So, just purchase your desired card and away we go!

Just two examples of the artwork available on the cards, plus the blue scanner.

Next comes the practical part, guys, so pay attention. Find yourself an arcade machine, sit down and get out your 100 yen… but wait! Before you go ahead and jump on into the fighting action, did you notice the big blue glowing panel on the front? Good. This is where you scan your card and make use of your purchase. Just place the card over the top, wait for the green light to flash and an on-screen prompt and away you go! If you see a red light, just try again until it registers. This is the simplest method of using your new IC card. Each win and inevitable loss will be recorded for all to see with on screen numbers and an overall win/loss ratio. You may note that initially the card may list you with no name, though. How is this changed? Here comes the tricky part.

Instructions on how to use the 'magic' card, with handy pictures. Simples!

Once again, with Tekken as the example, most details registered on the card can be viewed or changed online using Tekken Net. This only used to be available online through most Japanese mobile phones. That has changed somewhat also with the new Tekken Tag cards being integrated with the new Namco-Bandai Bana Passport system. This allows people to now view much of their details for multiple games under the Bana Passport banner online. Much easier, no? However, there is still the problem of being able to view the website in English whilst registering a Japanese logged card. So, unless you know enough Japanese to navigate around the Tekken Net website, updating your character with shiny new costumes and items may be a little bit of a problem.

That isn’t to say they aren’t worth picking up, even on a holiday involving a day trip to the arcade. If you’re a fan of gaming and of any of the involved franchises then the cards artwork should be more than enough to entice you. Not to mention your win/loss ratio is still saved, even if you are going around under the ‘No Name’ moniker. Then again, who wouldn’t want to be that mysterious stranger wandering into the arcade, beating all the locals at their own game?

- Sabbi Stone

The Darkness 2, the sequel to one of the most underrated games of this generation

The Darkness 2 is a dark comic book inspired shooter that puts you in the role of a mafia hitman, named Jackie Estacado, that is posessed by a dark parasitic entity known only as The Darkness. This creature grants Jackie numerous monsterous abilities, including two gigantic tentacles that can rip men to pieces. Read our full preview to find out why this may very well be an essential purchase when it is released in the UK on 10th February.

So not all bad news then. It’s a short delay in order to make the game as good as it can possibly be. Expect it to land on UK shores on 18th May.

Should be one of the biggest games of 2012... and now you can try it!

Yup, the KoAR demo has gone live and not only is it pretty much the first “must play” demo of 2012 it’s also going to provide you with some Mass Effect 3 goodness if you play it all the way through!

We’ve been all over this one for a while, but now it’s your chance to catch us up!

So jump on XBL and grab it now, never has 1.9GB of download been so worth the wait!

For more KoAR loveliness check out;
- Our interview with the game’s artistic lead Todd McFarlane and / or
- Our hands on preview!

- Richard “Rax” Burley
@Raxous

The official press release describes the game thusly:

Brick-Force – Build, Share, Play
This sandbox fun-shooter allows players to create worlds and maps that they’ve always dreamed of, brick by brick. They can also share these virtual playgrounds with community and use them as the backdrop for fast paced shooter hunts against fellow players or computerized opponents. This comic style online game is built on the ‘Unity 3D’ engine and will be playable directly in a web browser. The ‘sandbox’ mode, in which players use simple building blocks to construct complex environments, can be played on social networks and mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. Brick-Force is being developed by Korean game developer EXE Games as a co-production with Infernum. Beta and launch of the free-to-play title in Europe and North America are planned for spring 2012.

Need we say any more? Feast your eyes on these!

Street Fighter X Tekken is due to be released this March on Xbox 360 and Playstation 3. We recently got a little hands on time with the game and in our official opinion it is fantastic. Watch us kick derriere below:

LOVEFiLM.com – 30 Day Trial and £15 voucher

Kingdoms of Amalur is not the first videogame that Todd McFarlane has worked on in some capacity, but it is by far the most involved he has ever been in a game. In his capacity as Executive Art Director Todd McFarlane designed not only the characters, but he supervised the creation of a sprawling fantasy world.

In this 15 minute interview Todd McFarlane tells us exactly what his responsibilities were, the challenges he has faced when moving over to game development, and how to make, in his view, the best RPG possible.

If this hasn’t piqued your interest enough why not read our full hands on preview? A demo for Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning will be made available on Xbox Live Marketplace and Playstation Network later today. As an added bonus, those that download and complete the demo will be rewarded with in-game content for EA’s next big game Mass Effect 3. So what’re you waiting for?

Kingdoms of Amalur Reckoning will be on UK shop shelves on 10th February 2012 on Playstation 3, PC, and Xbox 360.

Not heard of Heroes of Ruin? Well, this is a RPG that has been designed from the ground up to be optimised for the 3DS. Here’s how square describe the game:-

HEROES OF RUIN challenges players to carve their own adventure, joining forces with other heroes through seamless drop-in/drop-out co-op multiplayer or venturing forth alone. Players will enter an ever-changing world where danger waits around every corner. Heroes can explore and fight through wild, varied and dynamic environments, discovering new layouts and routes each time they play. Custom-built for Nintendo 3DS™, with support for online play and a wealth of social gaming features, players will find a new experience awaits them every day.

We’re particularly interested in the game’s Streetpass features, which allows players that meet in the real world to trade and sell items, and the Spotpass-issued daily challenges, encouraging 3DS owners to venture outside and hunt down other players.

We don’t have an exact release date for this yet, but it is expected to be released within the next few months.

Two new Just Sweat DLC packs will be downloadable through the in-game Just Dance store on January 17^th on Xbox 360 for a mere 480 Microsoft Points and on January 18^th on Wii for 600 Wii pointseach. The DLC packs include all new dance tracks by the Sweat Invaders: Beat Match Until I’m Blue, Touch Me Want Me, Dun N Dusted, Cardiac Caress, Merengue and Boomsday.

So if you want to be absolutely drenched in sweat at a party or social gathering (and lets be honest, who wouldn’t?!) then why not give these packs a download?

Game:

If there’s one thing us gamers love more than pretty much anything else it’s a bargain. Steam sales, trade-ins, pre-owned, loyalty points, we love a good deal. My personal treasure trove of steals is Apple’s very own App Store because, quite frankly, it boasts some of the best gaming deals out there. Where else can you buy fun, quirky games, ideal to play on the move, for literally pennies?

With the market growing at such a rapid rate it’s no wonder more developers are taking the iOS and/or Android platforms far more seriously then they ever have done, with many core titles making their presence felt through ports and spin-off titles. One such spin-off, which caused a bit of a stir by knocking long-term favourite Angry Birds off its perch (excuse the pun), was Scribblenauts Remix, a spin-off title from the Scribblenauts series.

Despite my own experience with the Scribblenauts series being marred in disappointment - thanks to previous games in the series not quite living up to expectations - I found it far too difficult to turn down the opportunity to plunge back into the Scribblenauts world for the sake of 69p. Or at least that’s how much Scribblenauts Remix costs at the current time of writing.

If you can type it then it will appear!

Whilst Scribblenauts Remix is by no means a drastic change from the first two games in the series, it has definitely benefited from the adaptation of touch controls. Touching edges of the screen now moves Scribblenauts’ protagonist, Maxwell, across the screen resulting in a far more tactile, less frustrating experience. Having said that, the awkwardness that was so noticeable in the previous games rears its ugly head when the screen gets crammed full of items. The addition of the touch screen keyboard to input nouns and the newly included adjectives feels a lot more intuitive than the previous stylus controls of the DS implemented in the previous Scribblenauts games.

But in terms of actual gameplay nothing has changed. Containing 40 levels from both Scribblenauts and Super Scibblenauts, AND 10 new levels exclusive to the iOS game, Scribblenauts Remix brings the puzzle based gameplay to iOS devices. For some the re-release of previous levels will seem like treading back over older ground and the inclusion of only 10 new levels may turn off adopters of the older games. But for those unfamiliar with the Scribblenauts games, Scribblenauts Remix is a nice (and an affordable) introduction to the series.

That’s not to say Scribblenaut Remix contains some of the more easier puzzles from the previous games. In fact it contains a variety of different puzzles (from the blatantly obvious to the SUPER difficult) and herein lies one Scribblenauts Remix’ biggest problems. Scribblenauts Remix orders its puzzles in a somewhat random fashion. Puzzles don’t get harder as you progress, they feel as if they have been thrown at you in a random order, meaning that you could solve one puzzle within seconds only to move on to the next and be stuck for days. This ultimately results in an often frustrating experience, the polar opposite of what a game with such casual aesthetics should be.

On the subject of aesthetics, the Scribblenauts series has always prided itself on it’s unique art style and with Scribblenauts Remix that’s exactly what you get. Graphically everything on the screen looks more crisp and is far sharper than its predecessors, but aside from that there’s been no alterations in terms of sound or graphics. Remix simply brings the quirky, charming world of Scribblenauts to iOS devices.

There is no situation that cannot be solved by a giant pengin

As fun and peculiar (but also as awkward and frustrating) as the rest of the games in the Scribblenauts series, Scribblenauts Remix provides a taste of what the series offers at a fraction of the price. Whilst there’s something to be said about the reuse of puzzles from previous Scribblenauts, Remix adapts to the touch controls of iOS very smoothly and even goes as far as addressing some (but not all) of the control issues which hampered Scribblenauts and Super Scribblenauts. Offering little replay value once all puzzles have been completed, Scribblenauts Remix doesn’t guarantee you hours of play time but what do you expect from a game which costs 69 pence?

Review Round-Up

Graphics: 4/5 – Scribblenauts Remix brings the unique Scribblenauts universe to iOS devices sharper and crisper than ever before. An added touch to a game which is essentially a mash-up of previous games in the series.

Sound: 3/5 – As quirky and as fun as always.

Gameplay: 4/5 – The adoption of the touch controls has been handled really well and helps address some of control issues which plagued the previous games however the awkwardness still remains. An improvement certainly, but Scribblenauts Remix still doesn’t fully realize the ideas and concepts which make Scribblenauts unique.

Longevity: 2/5 – With nothing in the way of DLC or new updates adding levels, Scribblenauts Remix offers nothing in the way of replayability.

Overall 3 out of 5

An enjoyable taster into the Scribblenauts universe for a minuscule price. Showing signs that the Sctibblenauts are improving in some areas, it also suffers from some of the same issues that made the previous games in the series so disappointing. It certainly won’t keep you hooked for hours on end, but for a pick up and play title it’s certainly worth a look.

- Kieran Roycroft

MP3 Download / iTunes / RSS Feed

Game:

Ever since the release of Resident Evil 4 survival horror fans have lamented the series’ shift towards the more fast paced action. Long time fans of these games have regularly called for a return to the old style of gameplay, limited resources, a focus on fewer, more dangerous enemies, resulting in a constant threat to your character’s life.

With the release of Amy, a downloadable title available on Xbox Live Arcade and Playstation Network,  it is clear that developer VectorCell have attempted to recreate the magic of the classic survival horror titles such as Resident Evil and Silent Hill. One thing is for sure, this game definitely feels like one of those classic survival horror titles from the glory days of the original Playstation. However playing Amy leads us to inescapable conclusion that there is a reason why the big boys of the survival horror genre have moved on to greener pastures.

You play as Lana, a woman that is travelling with a mute child named Amy, when a gigantic explosion occurs, resulting in the spread of a mysterious infection. This disease starts to turn the majority of people in to slavering monsters that want nothing more than to devour your innards. You must take Amy, who appears to be somehow connected to the events, and evade the advances of the monsters, and hopefully bring an end to this nightmare.

One refreshing thing about the game is that Lana is an ordinary person; she doesn’t know kung fu, she isn’t a crack shot with a pistol, and she isn’t a sexed up unrealistically proportioned bimbo. As a consequence of being a normal person Lana can be killed quite easily, and it takes a comparatively long time to recover from being injured. Similarly when it comes to fighting the best she can do is wildly swing a metal bar about and attempt to shamble out of the way of the enemy’s attacks. Speaking of the enemies, Lana can fight off smaller creatures but she utterly is defenceless against larger foes, meaning you’ll have to spend a lot of time sneaking around and avoid confrontation.

It's actually quite refreshing to play as a normal person

A key gameplay element is the fact that Lana is also infected with the mysterious disease and must take precautions in order to prevent it from progressing further. Fortunately Amy possesses a number of strange abilities, such as creating sound proof balls of energy and healing Lana’s sickness. This creates an additional challenge as at various points in the game you become separated from Amy, leading to a frantic scramble to find her before the disease kills you. For those that aren’t very good at the hide and seek gameplay you can use syringes that you find strewn about each level to hold off the disease for a short period of time.

As a game Amy does feel very much like the survival horror games of old, but not necessarily in a good way. The first issue comes in the form of some very clunky controls. Quickly turning can be problematic, with the camera zooming in too closely leading to some severe disorientation. Likewise it can be difficult to see where enemies are when you are sneaking due to an overactive camera. I lost count of the number of times I managed to accidentally get killed simply because the camera was being uncooperative.

Graphically the game is very uneven; the character models for Lana, Amy, and some of the monsters look spectacular, while other characters you encounter - particularly Marcello, a survivor you meet early on - looking especially bad. Monster designs are suitably grotesque, if a little uninspired.

Although the vast majority of the levels are fairly short, figuring out exactly what you need to do comes down to being a case of trial and error more than anything else. It isn’t necessarily that the game is hard, because it really isn’t – most of the puzzles are simple logic puzzles, and enemy AI can be denser than a slab of concrete – it’s simply the fact that checkpoints are few and far between. Should you find yourself making a mistake and wind up dying then you’ll end up playing through a massive chunk of the game again… and again… and again.

There's no need to stock up on items because you loose everything in your inventory between levels

Having said that, it’s not all doom and gloom. The story is perfect B Movie material, and will appeal to fans of survival horror games of old, especially if you like clumsy badly performed dialogue. The game’s sound design is particularly good, with some genuinely spooky music and frightening sound effects, especially the monsters’ growls echoing off in the distance.

Similarly, there are moments that are a joy to play; running from a gigantic monster and hiding under a desk, or in a cupboard, really gets the pulse pounding. There are also numerous sections in which you have to try and sneak past monsters, avoiding obstacles, such as broken glass, that alert the enemies to your presence. Unfortunately these moments are too few and far between to make up for the game’s major failings.

Fans of retro games, or those that wish that horror games were more about surviving incredible odds, as opposed to the enemies struggling to survive against you, may wish to try this game out. Considering the game’s low asking price, 800 Microsoft Points on 360 and £7.99 on PSN, they could probably do much worse.

Review Round-Up

Graphics: 2/5 – Some of the character models look fantastic, while others look awful. Take one look at Marcello and try not to vomit.

Sound: 4/5 -  Easily the game’s strongest point – brilliant soundtrack with some genuinely unsettling sound effects.

Gameplay: 3/5 – A mixture of hide and seek, stealthy sneaking, and light puzzle solving. The gameplay is hindered by some clunky controls (which are reminiscent of the early days of survival horror titles such as the original Silent Hill and Resident Evil) and terrible checkpoints. It’s not all bad though, as hiding from big monsters proves to be very tense, and some of the game’s limitations, in terms of Lana’s combat abilities and physicality, contribute towards the feeling that you are playing as a normal person caught in an extraordinary situation.

Longevity: 2/5 – Featuring six levels, each taking between 30 minutes and an hour, there is little incentive to replay the game, beyond trying to earn a few achievements/trophies. A lot of the game’s longevity comes from the fact that you’re playing the same lengthy chunk over and over again because of poor checkpoints.

Overall: 2.5 out of 5

Amy is a flawed but solid title that goes back to the roots of the survival horror genre. However this trip down memory lane manages to replicate the flaws of the genre too successfully, making this a game that you should definitely try before you buy.

- Luke Mears

Today we’re announcing the competitive Versus Modes for Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City. Players will be able to experience online 4 vs. 4 team battles playing as either a member of the Umbrella Security Service (USS) or US Spec Ops. Check out all the details on the modes below and visit the press site to download the brand new gameplay trailer.

Take on the role of the bad guys with USS members Vector, Beltway, Lupo, Four-Eyes, Spectre or Bertha. Alternatively play as the good guys and experience the horrors of Raccoon City as Tweed, Dee-ay, Harley, Willow, Shona or Party Girl, members of the US Spec Ops that were revealed earlier this week in the Triple Impact trailer – Meet them in person by downloading their new character art on the press site. Breaking the conventions of traditional third person shooters, players will not only have to compete against the opposing squad but tackle a third unpredictable force as zombies and B.O.W.s add to the mix.

In Team Deathmatch, battle for the most kills in brutal triple threat chaos that leaves players never knowing what’s behind them, an element that could only exist in the twisted Resident Evil universe. Ensure that samples of the G-virus are returned safely to their base in Biohazard mode while fighting off all the competing forces at play in Raccoon City. Try to survive the horror just a little bit longer while waiting for rescue in Survivors mode – there’s limited space on board a helicopter so fight off the opposition and survive the hordes of hungry zombies, risking infection if they get too close. Will you make it out of Raccoon City alive!

Of course there’s also the previously announced Heroes Mode which allows fans to play as one of their favorite Resident Evil characters, including Leon S. Kennedy, Hunk or Jill Valentine.

Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City is coming out in March on Xbox 360 and PS3 on 23rd March in the UK. Expect our full review some time shortly after the game’s release.

Top Gun Hard Lock will feature a wealth of gameplay modes and features never before seen in a Top Gun-licensed title. Top Gun Hard Lock features aerial dog-fighting at jet speed, with the flair of a modern day action movie blockbuster! Tail-gaiting MiGs at Mach 2, this mass market action game thrusts you right into the DANGER ZONE.

The titular Hard Lock mode allows players to engage the enemy during dogfights, enabling them to lock on to targets and not only unleash their powerful arsenal of weapons, but also perform dazzling aerial combat manoeuvres such as barrel rolls, Immelmans, loop-the-loops and hard banks. These manoeuvres offer an explosively satisfying visual payoff that keeps players right at the heart of the action.

The single-player story campaign offers 15 challenging missions set across diverse backdrops. Set in the Top Gun universe but brought up to date with a modern day setting, the story makes as many twists and turns as the jets themselves, as a new wave of elite Naval aviators – fresh out of the Top Gun Academy – protect the skies. In addition to the lengthy single-player campaign, Top Gun Hard Lock also features Danger Zone mode. This mode pits a single player against wave after wave of enemy forces, including ground targets, bombers, fighters, enemy aces and more. Exceptional flying is rewarded with medals, trophies, achievements and unlockable content.

Fans of multiplayer are well catered for too, with three distinct modes for up to 16 players. Deathmatch mode offers a thrilling free-for-all battle, enabling competitors to select any aircraft and weapon load-out from those unlocked in the main campaign. Team Deathmatch splits players into opposing forces for team-based play, with whichever team scoring the most points within the time limit taking the glory. Fans of co-op play can enjoy three separate missions; Carrier Strike, Base Defence and Aircraft Escort, in which up to four players defend their charge against waves of enemy AI units attacking from different directions. Players must work together to defend against enemy attack at all costs.

Tying all of these modes and features together is an intuitive and unique control scheme that allows players to pull off spectacular combat manoeuvres with the deftness and swagger of a true Top Gun ace. Coupled with numerous customisation options – including a variety of decals and paint schemes – Top Gun Hard Lock offers one of the most accessible and exciting aerial arcade action games this generation. Enhancing the experience further are a selection of officially licensed aircraft including iconic jets such as the F14D Super Tomcat, F22 Raptor and F/A-18F Super Hornet.

So what do you think newbs? Sounds very promising doesn’t it, and isn’t it pretty?! With a release date of winter we can expect the game to land on our consoles within the next few months.

From the official press release:

Every school has its outcasts and Lollipop Chainsaw’s San Romero High is no exception.  Swan is the resident Goth Geek Bastard who loathes people and society.  Seeking revenge on the people who rejected and ridiculed him, Swan is on a mission to take over the world.  But there was one thing he did not count on – Juliet, San Romero’s resident cheerleader and zombie-slayer, kicking his ass.

So relax, suck back on a strawberry lollipop and enjoy the new vignette!

Available in 2012, Lollipop Chainsaw is the ‘un-deadly’ story of sweet but killer zombie-hunter Juliet Starling and her quest to uncover the root of a colossal zombie outbreak. With her wickedly awesome chainsaw in hand, Juliet slices, dices and splits her way through hordes of the undead, but soon realizes the horde is only the opening act to a festival of zombie rock lords determined to kill the chainsaw-wielding cheerleader.

Lollipop Chainsaw is curently without a confirmed fixed release date, but we’ll being you more news on this game as and when we hear it.