Four years or so have gone by since the launch of the Wii and yet the console still doesn’t have even one good FPS. Sure, Nintendo have made attempts with the aforementioned Conduit, but nothing that’s ever been good enough. Sony’s PS3 and Microsoft’s Xbox 360 have their own flagship FPSs in form of their Halos and their Killzones, but what does Nintendo have?

Where is Nintendo's answer to Master Chief?

Needless to say, in terms of first person shooters, Nintendo have been left behind. But all of this could change. If there was any first person shooter that needed a sequel it would be XIII. Not only was the original brilliant, it also ended with a cliffhanger, leaving room for a sequel anyway. In an age where FPSs all look and play the same, the comic book stylings of XIII would set it apart from the crowd, a true alternative, one that was on the Wii for a change.

Alas, this will likely never happen. After all, Ubisoft owns the XIII license (or at least did) so if a sequel were to ever be made it would probably be available on all formats, just like the original was. For the moment at least, lets forget about such misery and instead allow me take you back in time and talk to you about the original XIII; a game that was made for a sequel it will never get.

The opening to XIII was, and is still, one of the best opening scenes to any game I’ve ever played. The president is dead and you are the number one suspect. Problem is… you can’t even clear your name as you are suffering from amnesia; you cannot remember a thing. You awake on a beach, badly injured; you don’t know who you are, where you are or why you’ve got a mysterious tattoo of the Roman numerals for the number 13 on your shoulder. Sounds like your average night out to me.

The plot to XIII is like your average Friday night out... minus the assassinations, shoot outs, spies and corrupt government organisations

Immediately you’re thrown straight into the deep end, which despite its age is still somewhat refreshing alongside contemporary FPSs. Modern entries into the genre take far too long to get going, making you sit through drab tutorial after drab tutorial. XIII kicks off the action right away with gang members out to get you from the off. It draws you straight into to an intense, exciting world full off espionage and betrayal, giving you the necessary tutorials as you progress, thus ensuring the controls are fresh in your mind and that you are properly equipped to take on any challenge at any time.

Speaking of controls, the GameCube controller itself is somewhat of a strange beast (I’ll assume you’re playing XIII with the GameCube controller on the GameCube itself or the Wii, like I did). It’s not really designed to play any game, let alone a first person shooter, with its odd shape and its many, many buttons. However, the way XIII uses such a strange controller is brilliant. Every button, every flick of the joystick, feels extremely intuitive and accessible.

The GameCube controller is somewhat of an alien entity in itself

What makes XIII really shine is its unique graphical style. I’ll admit, at the time the game looked stunning on the GameCube; I can’t think of any game that looked better, but after recently firing XIII back up in my Wii, I can safety say it hasn’t aged well graphically. This is something you will have to look past in order to get maximum enjoyment out of the game. But whilst time has not been kind, the uniqueness of XIII’s graphics is still unparalleled.

In today’s gaming environment, graphics are at the forefront of game design (Crysis anyone?). It’s a true testament to XIII that, whilst cell shaded, comic book style games have been done to death. The game’s edgy, gritty, comic book visuals continue to set it apart from games of a similar style, let alone your generic, copy and paste shooters we have to live with today. Everything from the beautiful looking cutscenes to the actual gameplay itself is highly stylized (taking huge influence from the comic book series XIII is originally from), and utterly unique.

XIII is such a multifaceted shooter, not only does it have a brilliant story, “pick up and play” controls and a unique graphical style, but it boasts a variety of gameplay elements that help set XII apart from other shooters. Whether it be a skill/cheat system you unlock throughout the game, brilliant cover and hostage systems or gruesome skill shots that display head shots and the like in gory detail with the clever use of some comic-book-esque panels.

The game rewards players for skillful shots with some brutal, comic book panel inspired effects

A standout moment from the game is the awesome (and my personal favourite) second level in which you must escape from a bank after being framed for yet another crime: this time, setting off a bomb in one of the vaults. Of course you are innocent, so you want to escape as quickly and as quietly as possible without seriously hurting anyone.

Rather than running around shooting the place up, the game forces you to think more carefully; by using chairs and other objects you can knock out the armed police and security guards (as opposed to killing them and/or taking them hostage) which will enable you to escape without injuring anyone. The way the game effortlessly shifts between a shooter and some sort of a stealth game gives you the sense that you are in the starring role of a James Bond film… or something.

This level of variety is something which runs through the game as a whole. Whether it be the 34 singleplayer levels, the 6 multiplayer modes, playable on 14 different multiplayer maps (including up to 4 player local, en or over the internet via Xbox Live 1.0 and PS2 Online, on the Xbox and PS2 versions), or simply the huge range of weaponry at your disposal ranging from melee weapons such as ash trays, and glass bottles to AK47′s, Sniper rifles and Magnums, each with their own comic book inspired “POW!”, “BOOM!” and “”BANG!” imagery. XIII is chock full of content and variety.

There's no better way than to kill an enemy with a rocket that goes.. BAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

And that’s not all! XIII also sports brilliant use of sound, coupling a cheesy, 80′s inspired soundtrack with an awesome voice cast including Adam West (insert Family Guy reference here), and David Duchovny aka Mulder from The X-Files.

Unfortunately, whilst XIII is a brilliant example of game that has all bases covered, it’s another game that time seems to have forgotten and a sequel is about as likely as pigs flying… with wings and all that. However, if you do find yourself getting bored with the same old, generic FPSs, why not give XIII a shot? (no pun intended). Once you look past its age, you get to experience its real beauty.

- Kieran Roycroft

Nearly a month later and the new Xbox is finally available in the UK. Now that we’ve had some time to test it out, we feel we can answer the all important question: Should you buy the New Xbox?

To provide the short answer: Yes, especially if you do not already own one. The most striking thing about the New Xbox (whatever you do, don’t call it slim!) is just how sleek it looks. While the console is slightly thinner, the main difference is the console’s height. When standing next to the original Xbox the New Xbox looks more like it’s little brother than a slim counterpart.

As well as being smaller, the console has a slick glossy finish that is incredibly prone to collecting fingerprints. Not that it matters because even when covered with smeared fingerprints, it looks really nice. The console no longer has buttons per say, instead the disk eject and power on buttons are touch sensitive pads, which makes the console feel more futuristic. Gone are the old heavy clunk sounds that the disk drive would make; the New Xbox makes a quiet beep when turning on the console and when opening and closing the disk tray.

The new Xbox looks like a cross between a Xbox 360 and the original PS3

With numerous open vents on the side, the top, and the bottom of the console you can actually peek inside and see the inner workings of the machine, much like one of those peculiar looking gaming PCs. This has been done to help combat the console’s issue with heat; the primary cause of the dreaded Red Ring of Death. It’s too early to tell if this will prevent the Red Ring, but Microsoft seem fairly confident that they’ve put that defect to bed.

The main body itself has a strange distorted look, as if it were folding slightly inwards around the middle. It is an interesting design choice, although I am not sure what the thinking was behind it. In some ways it looks as if the original PS3 and the Xbox 360 got together and had a baby. It’s the stuff of nightmares for some of the more hardcore fans trolling around on numerous forums out there, but to someone that likes to think they’re platform neutral it looks pretty neat.

Step Brothers?

In terms of performance, much has been said of the console’s “whisper quiet” performance. I’m so used to the jet engine sound of the original Xbox that I didn’t even realise that I had switched it on the first time I plugged it in. When running games the console produces more of a high pitched, but quiet, hum as opposed to the deep roar of the previous models.

As someone that had filled over 70gb on my Xbox Elite’s 120gb hard drive, having the new 250gb hard drive is a welcome move. Unfortunately for those of us that already have Xbox, the old model’s hard drives are utterly incompatible with this new model. The new physically smaller hard drives are located inside, under a hidden slide on the bottom of the console. The hard drive is very easily removable which means that, should they release a new larger capacity hard drive, it should be easy to swap them around.

The tiny new hard drive is hidden away at the bottom behind a hidden grill.

If you have an old Xbox and want to transfer over your saved data, profiles, and downloadable content, currently there are two ways to transfer data to the new hard drive. Firstly you can copy it over using memory sticks, however you can only transfer a maximum of 16bg at a time. The second option, which costs about £15, is to order a transfer cable directly from Microsoft. Simply attach one end of the transfer cable to your old hard drive, and plug the other end into the back of your new Xbox, and it will automatically move everything over for you.

However, some downloaded content will need you to transfer your digital rights (the little bit of data that acts as an anti piracy measure, confirming that you purchased your downloaded games/add-ons legitimately) through xbox.com. The only reason you would need to do this is if you wanted to access your downloaded content when you are offline, as being connected to Xbox Live confirms your identity. While it is a relatively painless process, if you are someone like me that downloads a lot of games and add-ons then transfering the digital rights will take a long time.

The new Xbox has ventilation grill where there used to be a hard drive.

Since the Xbox was updated to allow up to 16gb of external memory to be attached through the USB ports, the new Xbox features two extra USB ports, bringing the total number up to 5. The Xbox memory card slots have been sacrificed to accommodate this, but frankly when was the last time anyone used a memory card for their Xbox? I have one of the original memory cards that featured a puny 58Mb memory, and these days it is pretty much useless.

The controller that comes bundled in the box has also had a slight make over. The guide button is now reflective and the base of the pad is made out of a similarly reflective and glossy plastic. The directional pad on the controller feels as if it has been reworked slightly to make it a bit more sturdy.

Can you spot the difference between the old controller and the new controller?

As well as looking better, the new Xbox is better for the environment thanks to the drastic reduction in the size of the power brick, with a substantial reduction in power consumption. According to online research, the new Xbox takes 80 watts to run while playing a game, and the older Xboxes need between 150 and 180 watts to perform the same action.

A lot of people will be comparing this new Xbox to Sony’s Slim PS3. Physically they are of a similar size, although the Xbox is certainly chunkier. The reasons behind the redesign are also silghtly different simply because Sony’s redesign of the PS3 was more of a financial necessity. Before the Slim was launched, each PS3 sold actually cost Sony money. Following a redesign, which arguably is made out of cheaper materials and cut out features, Sony has finally been able to start turning a profit on their consoles and their sales have shown steady improvement. You could argue that Microsoft’s redesign has been done to counter claims that the Xbox 360 is dated technology, especially when compared to the PS3, and to boost lagging sales.

It is futile to compare the two... But I'm doing it anyway!

There is however one major difference between the two console’s redesigns. While Sony’s Slim console took away features, Microsoft’s new Xbox has added features; touch sensitive pads instead of buttons, built in wi-fi, a larger hard drive, and a socket that is ready for the motion sensing camera Kinect. Sure Kinect will work with older Xboxes, but it will need a separate power supply to get it running. Not so with the new Xbox. Simply plug it in at the back and it will be ready to go.

If I sound like I’m gushing it’s because I genuinely like this console. It has a stylishly sleek look and has tweaked tech that solves some of the original 360′s issues; namely lack of built in wifi and the Red Ring. At £200, it is a reasonable asking price particularly if you currently do not own an Xbox. People that already have an Xbox probably won’t need to upgrade unless they like the idea of a sleeker looking console that uses less electricity, makes less noise, and is potentially more reliable.

Review Round-Up

I’m actually going to skip over awarding this console a score simply because only time will tell if this new console is more reliable than its predecessors, and the fact that the score would vary depending on whether you owned a 360 already or not. Instead, let’s look at a summary of the good and bad points:

Pros:

The console’s new angular, glossy look is very stylish.
Massive 250gb hard drive will take a long time to fill up (unless you install all your games).
Built-in Wi-fi.
Seemingly improved controller.
Consumes less electricity and is better for the environment. Hooray!
Kinect ready (if that floats your boat).

Cons:

The glossy console is a finger print and dust magnet!
Those looking to upgrade from an old Xbox to the new one will have to buy a separate transfer cable from Microsoft. Which is a pain!
Transferring over digital rights is a bit of a chore, but this only applies to those that previously had an Xbox and want to transfer over their downloadable content.

Summary:

Should you buy the new Xbox 360? It gets my recommendation especially if you do not currently own a Xbox. Those looking to upgrade from their existing Xbox may want to consider it more carefully in light of the hassle of transferring downloaded items.

- Luke Mears

Photo Gallery

The new hard drives are tiny!

On the left, the updated controller, and the right the old controller.

The original power brick on the left, and the new power brick on the right.

The new Xbox consumes much less power than older models.

They may very well have the same father...

Whatever you do don't call it The Xbox Slim!

A closer look at the new ports

Stay tuned to The Newb Review for our review of the new Xbox 360, coming soon!

When compared to the original Mass Effect, which featured only two downloadable add ons, Mass Effect 2 has had a wealth of content within the first 6 months of its release. As one of EA’s flagship “Project $10” titles; games that give out $10 worth of free downloadable content to people that buy the game new, Mass Effect 2 has been key in testing out this new strategy.

We here at The Newb Review felt that writing a review for the free DLC was futile, seeing as the only thing it will cost you is time and hard drive space. That is, unless you pirated the game (shame on you) or bought it second hand (you fiends).

All you need to know about Zaeed: The Price of Revenge, The Normandy Crash Site, The Cerberus Weapon packs, and The Firewalker missions is that they are free and offer more playtime in this wonderful game. If you enjoyed playing Mass Effect 2 then there really is no excuse for not downloading these free missions.

But what of the recently released paid for downloadable content? Are they worth the time it takes to convert your hard earned money into the ambiguous Microsoft points?

Kasumi’s Stolen Memory

The first paid piece of downloadable content brought in a new squad member, the evasive super thief Kasumi Goto. After receiving a short message from the Illusive Man, you are instructed to head to the Citadel in order to make contact with Kasumi. Communicating with you through an interactive advert, Kasumi informs you that she would love to join your team on their suicide mission; however she has some unfinished business with shady arms dealer Donovan Hock.

Hock is a notorious criminal with a famous vault filled with all sorts of wonderful treasures, including some recognisable current day artifacts. However there is only one object in the vault that Kasumi desires, and it is of a more personal nature. Conveniently, Hock is hosting a lavish party at his estate, and Kasumi has forged an invite for you to attend.

'This looks familiar...'

Armed with little else other than a smart new suit (or dress if you are a lady), and a cunningly concealed pistol (don’t ask where), Shepard must infiltrate a party full of notorious criminals and find a way to recover Kasumi’s desired object.

Unlike other loyalty missions you spend the majority of your time on your own, wandering around Hock’s home looking for ways to neutralise his security. While Kasumi is technically accompanying you, she must remain out of sight until you manage to breach the vault. In order to breach the vault you must  break through varous barriers of security, with one demanding that you collect samples of DNA. The DNA collection mission offers up some (presumably) unintentional humour, with Shepard rummaging through bins and plant pots in the search for DNA samples.

While there is some shooting to be had in this opening, this pseudo stealth section is something of a departure for the Mass Effect series, and is actually quite fun. Once inside the vault the game reverts to its typical cover based shooting against hordes of enemies.

Once the mission is complete Kasumi takes residence in the final locked area of the Normandy, which turns out to be a bar, and can be used in your squad at any point.

Kasumi offers up the learnable flash bang skill, which as the name suggests, blinds enemies for a short period of time allowing you to get out of sticky situations. Playing as a Soldier, and with limited slots available, I did not find it the most useful skill in my available repertoire, but some players will doubtlessly love it.

Kasumi's List of Interests: Sparkly things and Love.

As well as recovering Kasumi’s object, you also find a high powered sub machine gun, which can be used by all squad members that are trained in sub machine guns. As a side bonus, you are also unlock a new casual outfit for wearing on the Normandy; if you are a male Shepard that means you get the luxury space tuxedo, and if you chose to be a female Shepard that grants you a low cut black dress.

There really is not much more to say about Kasumi’s Stolen Memory – you are given a new loyalty mission that lasts about half an hour or so, a new weapon and outfit, and a new permanent squad member that has plenty of unique dialogue. For 560 Microsoft Points (about £4.80) it is a fairly decent pack, especially when you consider the fact that Kasumi can be used in your squad as soon as you recruit her.

4 Stolen Statues of Liberty out of 5

After releasing Kasumi’s Stolen Memory, Bioware released two 160 Microsoft Point (about £1.40) packs; the Alternate appearance pack, which added new outfits for Thane, Jack, and Garrus, and the Equaliser Weapon pack. Frankly, the changes brought about by these packs are so minimal, and while their cost may seem inconsiquental, I do not believe that they deserve a review. Personally I see them as a rip off on par with Oblivion’s Horse Armour, but you may see it differently.

Overlord

Much like with Kasumi’s Stolen Memory, this expansion offers up some new gameplay elements to the Mass Effect series. Where Kasumi offered stealth, Overlord offers an experience that is infused with Survival Horror, as well as a seemingly large open world to explore.

To set the scene, The Illusive Man sends Shepard another email – why does he always email bad news? – saying that a Cerberus Research Base has recently gone offline, and he would like you to investigate. Upon arriving at the base you discover that all of the scientists have been killed, save for the project director.

The director is conveniently able to inform you that the research they were conducting revolved around creating a Human/Geth artificial intelligence hybrid. To the director’s surprise  the test subject has gone insane, killed the entire team and locked himself in a bunker while he tries to copy himself onto the internet. The main mission in the expansion begins with you navigating your way across the planet to several different facilities  in order to gain access to the bunker and put a stop to the madness.

'I am the internetz'

At first the planet you explore seems like a large open world, with stunning vistas and numerous sites of natural beauty, as the tank’s on board computer sarcastically points out to you every five minutes. However, it does not take long to realise that, in actuality, the area you are allowed to explore is fairly small and linear. Still, at least it looks pretty.

Between storming bases you are given an optional side quest to recover secret Cerberus research data that is usually protected by numerous turrets. While your tank has plenty of fire power, these turrets can usually tear through your armour within a few seconds. This leads to some frustrating and tedious battles that revolve around you firing off a few shots, then using the boosters on the tank to jump and dodge out of the line of fire. Thankfully this mission is entirely optional and only the only thing it unlocks is a new achievement.

As for the main missions themselves, you will find yourself wandering down dark corridors, littered with corpses and stained with blood. The music, which is more ambient than usual, does a great job of heightening the tense atmosphere. The frightening ambience is also aided by the fact that the A.I will appear on screen and scream incoherently at you in a digitised voice, which is very unsettling.

'Set Status to Brown Trouser Mode!'

Even playing as a fully upgraded Commander Shepard with all the best guns, I still felt uneasy as I wandered through the bases, constantly expecting enemies to be lying in wait around every corner. In reality there are only a handful of enemy Geth in each base, but that does not take away anything from the overall experience; you come across a number of deactivated Geth lying about the place, and the threat that they may suddenly reactive is always at the front of your mind.

In order to reach each base you take control of the hover tank and must navigate some rough terrain. These sections of the game are the most “video-gamey”, as you have to use the tank’s booster to jump from one floating platform to another in a river of lava. The level design here feels as if it were ripped stright from a platforming game. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but I found it to be one of the least enjoyable sections.

While Mass Effect is well known for its moral choice system, the choice you are forced to make in this expansion is one of the most difficult yet. Without wishing to spoil anything, all I can say is that the only options available to you are making a bad decision or making an even worse decision.

Arguably, the Hover Tank sections are the worst bit about this expansion.

As much as I enjoyed the main mission, there were a few small problems. For instance, in most missions your squad mates tend to have a lot to say about what is going on. However, in Overlord, they remain oddly silent. It would have been interesting to see what Jack, Legion, or Mordin would have to say about the goings on in the research facility, and yet even when they are in your squad they say nothing.

Obviously this is because Bioware did not record any new dialogue for your squad mates, but it is distracting to see the squad mates standing around with their hands in their pockets while you talk about the ethics behind human experimentation. Their silence is a glaring omission from an otherwise excellent narrative.

To summarise, Overlord offers up some new gameplay elements to Mass Effect 2, taking inspiration from the Survival Horror genre as well as traditional Platforming games. It is an eclectic mix, with some segments working better than others, but overall it is entirely worth the 560 Microsoft points it will cost you, if only for the general uneasy feeling the main missions cause and heart breaking decision Shepard is forced to make.

4 Angry AI Attacks out of 5

Check back with The Newb Review for reviews of future Mass Effect 2 DLC if and or when Bioware releases them.

- Luke Mears

To say that Earthworm Jim has a rabid fanbase would be an understatement. Despite only featuring in a handful of games, Earthworm Jim managed to capture the imagination of a generation over 15 years ago when it was first released on the Sega Megadrive. The original game was ported over to every console under the sun at the time, and was eventually remade for the Sega CD with better graphics and a new sound track.

So you could say that Earthworm Jim has a history with remakes. Now Gameloft have taken the beloved classic and brought it over in shiny smooth, crystal clear HD for the current generations of consoles. But in doing so, has the game lost that initial magic?

The most striking thing about Earthworm Jim is the graphical overhaul. Gameloft have put in a lot of work in making the game look as good as possible. It has a very charismatic cartoon look, with wonderfully crisp and clear graphics. The music has also been reworked, using actual instruments rather than the old tiny synthesiser tunes of the past. As someone that still owns Earthworm Jim on the Sega Megadrive, I was incredibly impressed with how good the game looks and sounds.

The new graphics are stunning

In terms of gameplay, this HD remake of Earthworm Jim is exactly the same as the original version of the game. Armed with a machine gun, Jim has to navigate his way through a series of sizeable levels, fending off crows, dogs, demons, and steroid enhanced Cats, to name but a few enemies. There is something gloriously ridiculous about the character designs that constantly bombards you with 90s chic (if such a thing exists).

In order to navigate gaps Jim can use his worm body to latch on to hooks, allowing him to swing. Alternatively Jim can spin his head like a helicopter propeller, allowing him to glide over gaps. As well as being used for navigation, Jim uses his worm body as a whip, which proves useful in fending off enemies and turning cranks.

Between levels Jim races against his arch enemy, Psy-Crow (a crow in a yellow space suit) through a wormhole in outer space on a rocket. You must avoid asteroids and defeat your rival  using speed boosts and a shield pick-ups in the process. Losing the race means you must face against Psy-Crow in an impromptu boss fight, which can potentially use up precious extra lives.

The new levels may feature some fairly bland backgrounds, but they still feel authentic

It is in these races that you earn extra continues by collecting at least 50 blue orbs. At first the game is easy enough that you will not feel that you really need the continues. However, around the fourth level the difficulty ratchets up, making every extra life and continue count.

Anyone that played the original game will remember that it was incredibly hard. Fortunately, Gameloft have offered two new difficulties; easy and normal, as well as the game’s original difficulty. As previously mentioned, the opening levels are easy enough and it’s not until you reach about the halfway mark in the game that it suddenly becomes incredibly challenging. I actually find myself really enjoying the first few levels, and becoming incredibly frustrated with the latter half of the game, despite the new easier difficulties.

This is my own personal hell

Of particular note are the underwater levels, in which Jim must navigate an incredibly fragile glass submarine through a series of tight rocky path ways. If the fragility of the submarines didn’t make it challenging enough, you only have a limited air supply, which means you will have to balance speed and efficiency with care and accuracy. I personally hate the underwater levels and really wished that Gameloft had cut them out altogether, but that is just my own personal preference.

Gameloft have also included 3 unlockable entirely new levels, which feature new enemies including robot wasps and a jet pack wearing granny. While the backgrounds for these levels come across as being fairly uninspired, they feel genuinely authentic thanks to the character designs and music.

Also included is a new 4 player co-op mode that can be played both online and locally with four different coloured Jims for the players to control. These levels are based on the levels of the main game, but with a multiplayer twist. I was reminded of the 4 player co-op in last year’s ’Splosion Man, which has proven to be a bit of a mixed bag. While it is a welcome addition, it can prove to be a little frustrating if you are playing with someone that does not know what they are doing, or enjoys winding up other players.

The final Gameloft addition to this pack is Avatar rewards. As well as offering a fairly generic Earthworm Jim T-shirt, after completing one of the new single player levels you are rewarded with your own version of Jim’s Spacesuit. As far as novelties go, this is a pretty good one that should offer at least some amusement.

Review Round-Up

Graphics: 5/5 – Gameloft have done a spectacular job in cleaning up the original graphics. The character designs and animations are smooth and clear, making the game look better than ever.

Sound: 4/5 – The music has been rerecorded, replacing the original tinny sounding synthesiser music completely. There is no real voice acting per say, apart from the odd “groovy!” and “woah Nelly!” that Jim will yell out at specific points.

Story: 1/5 – Those looking for an epic story need to look elsewhere. The only real story in this game comes at the introduction: Psy-Crow is after the space suit, it crash lands on earth (landing on top of Jim) and then the game begins. There is no real explanation for why Jim does what he does. But does that really matter?

Gameplay: 4/5 – There is a nice variety ranging from your standard run-and-gun platforming, to the dreaded underwater submarine levels, to a bungee jump battle against a man made of snot. Multiplayer adds depth to the whole package, but can be frustrating at times.

Longevity: 3/5 – The single player game can be completed in under one hour if you are particularly good at it. However, there are three new levels that will add on some extra time, as well as the reasonably lengthy multiplayer mode.

Overall: 4 Roided out Cats out of 5. Gameloft have done a spectacular job in bringing this 16 bit classic to modern audiences. The only real downside is the harsh difficulty spikes. Earthworm Jim is a must have remake for fans of the series and should definitely be tried by those that never had the chance to play the original.

Earthworm Jim HD is currently available to download on Xbox Live for 800 Microsoft points (about £6.80) and will be available on Playstation Network and the Wii virtual Console soon.

- Luke Mears

We’ve had some gigantic titles already released in 2010, Mass Effect 2, Battlefield: Bad Company 2, God of War 3 and Bioshock 2 to name but a few. However, it’s probably safe to say that the 1^st quarter of this year has only truly belonged to one game, Square Enix’s latest offering of the Final Fantasy series, Final Fantasy 13.

Everywhere you went, from the sides of buses to billboards, from full page adverts in magazines to advertisements on that little (or big) box we call a television, Final Fantasy 13 was there. In fact, I heard that Square Enix had pumped so much money into the marketing campaign of Final Fantasy 13, they actually tried to make it an international law that every person over the age of 16 had to buy at least 10 copies. One copy to play, nine just to sit on your shelf or something like that.

Despite it's age, Lost Odyssey still looks incredible

The wait for Final Fantasy 13 was a long one, and between Final Fantasy 12 and 13 Microsoft Game Studios released the great, and often forgotten about, Lost Odyssey. This game is much in the same vein as the Final Fantasy series, not surprising considering it was even produced by the creator of the Final Fantasy franchise, Hironobu Sakaguchi (pronounced He-Row-Know-Boo Sack-A-Gooch-Ee, I do believe).

Forgotten about? Well yes, because it seems only 0.1% of the gaming population actually know this game exists. It’s a crying shame considering it boasts some of the key elements of what makes a truly brilliant RPG.

Despite it’s age, Lost Odyssey still looks beautiful (the cutscenes in particular are nothing short of breathtaking), it also has fully realised and interesting characters (although the character of Jansen does grate on you at times, the annoying f*ck!). Most importantly, it has an engaging and emotive story. Story really is the element that means an RPG either lives or dies.

On a more personal note, the story of Lost Odyssey has reignited my love for RPG’s. Well, that and the Mass Effect franchise.

Lost Odyssey’s tale centres around the exploits of Kaim Argonar; quite possibly one of the sulkiest characters to ever grace a game. Kaim is entitled to be a bit sulky as he is immortal and is suffering from a spot of amnesia.

Mr Moody Pants..

Of course, with this being an RPG there is a whole cast of characters to join Kaim on his quest. They range from mortals and children such as Jansen and Cooke, to other immortals such as Gongora and Queen Ming. Each character is supported with some superbly believable voice acting, which helps immerse the player within the Lost Odyssey story.

With smatterings of war, sorrow, betrayal and rebellion, it all sounds very much like your average Japanese RPG. You’re right, Lost Odyssey plays out like your average JRPG, which some people may find, well…quite frankly boring. It’s fairly outdated, turn based combat system, in randomly generated battles and the games insanely long load times being the biggest offenders of boredom, and at times it all feels perhaps a bit too old school, if also frustrating.

Lining up and taking turns to attack feels far too old fashioned these days

Whilst Lost Odyssey may lack originality in some areas it is incredibly innovative in others. Case in point, the “Thousand Years of Dreams” mini stories/dreams allow the player to read some of the tales accrued through Kaim’s thousand year life time. Anything from the hugely significant to the littlest of detail can spark a memory within Kaim. The player is then able to read the relating tale any time they want.

This system allows for a real connection between the player and the character. Kaim at first seems to be very cold and soulless, but these stories mean he warms on you and slowly comes to life.

These stories are especially interesting and moving because they are beautifully written. Although they were written by award-winning Japanese short story writer, Kiyoshi Shigeematsu (pronounced Key-Yosh-Eee She-Jee-Mat-Soo, I hope), so they were destined to be well written.

The soundtrack to the game is of equal beauty. The emotively written score really adds to an already engaging story to create a truly thrilling experience. The music heightens the emotional climaxes of the story, whether it be through making the intense moments far more tense or the sad moments positively tearful. All in all, the score is the perfect companion to a heart wrenching story.

All credit to Microsoft, in an attempt to try and win over the Asian market they really went to town on Lost Odyssey. Not only did they draft in incredible talent to ensure the game was well written, they also allowed players to extend the experience of Lost Odyssey beyond the four discs with the addition of DLC. New items, dungeons, bosses, dreams, skills and achievements are all there to download and earn; further expanding what already was a complete experience.

In fact, the phrase “complete experience” is probably the best way to summarise Lost Odyssey. This is a game far from flawless or perfect, however if you are willing to forgive and look passed the many flaws, there is still a very engaging, enjoyable experience to be had. It’s just such a shame that this is an experience that seems to have been forgotten.

When Dante’s Inferno was released a number of critics criticised the game for not doing anything new or original. Some would call it an outright God of War clone and nothing more. The first piece of downloadable content, The Dark Forest, was incredibly short, over priced, and lacked any real replay value. Judging from this latest add on, The Trials of St Lucia, the developers over at Visceral Games have taken that criticism to heart and have attempted something new in the third person hack and slash genre by releasing a fairly expansive level editor.

While I concede that level editors themselves are nothing new (just look at Sony’s Little Big Planet), it is less common to see this particular genre of game with a level editor. Chuck in the fact that it includes two player co-op challenges, and you have yourself a fairly attractive package… So long as the community rises to the challenge.

To those that are not up on their Saint knowledge, St Lucia was a woman who had her eyes plucked out for refusing the advances of her pagan suitor. Rather than marry a non Christian, she laid down her life and endured terrible agony before eventually dying on account of her stubbornness.

According to the developers, St Lucia is mentioned several times in The Devine Comedy, and is said to be watching over Dante as he traverses the inferno. Those that have completed the game may recall a section in the game where “the wisdom of St Lucia” informs you that you have completed a puzzle and must head back the way you came. At the time this seemed like a pretty poor excuse for some bad level design, but perhaps Visceral Games were attempting to lay the foundations for this expansion.

Co-op action is online only I'm afraid.

Much like the game’s representation of Dante Alighieri, in some ways St Lucia is not exactly what you would imagine a saint to be like. Glowing bright blue, with gigantic wings, St Lucia is the second playable character introduced in this expansion. You can either complete single player challenges as Lucia, or you can join Dante in co-op challenges.

In a somewhat strange move, Lucia is only playable in specific Lucia challenges, and co-op challenges that state that the second player must play as Lucia. I say this is a strange move because, in terms of combat, Lucia is just a reskinned version of Dante: she has all the same moves, combos, and abilities. So, does it matter who you play as? As far as I can tell there is no real advantage or disadvantage to playing as either character, so it is a minor gripe.

The main meat of this add-on is the ability to create your own combat challenges, upload them online, and play through other users challenges. Depending on how long they are and how many enemies populate each wave, your challenge will be awarded a medal ranking. Basic challenges are awarded Bronze medals, while harder challenges will be given Silver, Gold, and Platinum medals. When a player completes the challenge they earn that medal, as well as points, which then earns them a position on the global leader board.

Creating a combat challenge is simple. Firstly you must choose the arena in which your challenge will take place. The arenas that are available are pretty much all locations lifted from the main game. Each arena has a set number of things that can be placed in there, including enemies, heath/mana stations, and environmental hazards.

Weaker enemies take up the least amount of space, while the stronger enemies, health stations, and environmental hazards take up the most space, so you will not be able to fill a wave with dozens of the hardest enemies in the game. Once an enemy is placed in the arena you can choose how tough a challenge they will be. As well as choosing how aggressive they are, you can dictate how much health they have, and how much health/magic they drop once they are defeated.

You can edit the number and type of enemies, as well as health pick ups, location, and environmental hazards.

As well as editing the enemies and environment, you can also select the main objective of the wave. Objectives range from kill everyone within a set amount of time, to defeating a specific enemy, to performing a predetermined combo. To sum it all up, this add-on allows you to create your own challenges, much like the challenges that Dante must complete towards the end of the game in order to save Beatrice.

A complaint often made about those challenges was that they were practically impossible to those that had not spent time upgrading their holy abilities. Perhaps in response to this criticism the creator has been given direct control of how powered up Dante and Lucia will be, choosing how many lives they are allowed as well as the abilities they will have access to. So if you cannot beat a challenge because you do not have certain abilities, take it up with the creator, not the developers.

St Lucia is, to all intents and purposes, a reskinned version of Dante

Speaking of the developers, Visceral Games have produced 40 challenges for players to work through, and the community has already uploaded a ton of challenges. After playing through a challenge you are given the opportunity to rate it and add it to your favourites should you so wish.

As you can imagine, once these tools got in to the hands of the gamers, it quickly descended into the realms of achievement boosting. For instance the first challenge I played, which was also the highest rated challenge, was called “easy 666 combo challenge”, which had Dante face off against wave after wave of weak mindless foes.

To the uninitiated one of the more challenging achievements in the game demanded that you perform a combo of at least 666 hits. Within a few minutes I had already racked up a combo of over 1,000. When playing the main game itself I never actually got a combo higher than about 190.

It is nice to know that, when given the keys to the empire, the first thing we gamers do is cheat the system.

Review Round-Up

Graphics: 4/5 The graphics themselves are exactly the same as the main game. The arenas are all based on existing in game locations. The design of Lucia is a little generic; she glows bright white and blue, and has gigantic wings, and she acts as little more than a reskinned Dante.

Sound: 3/5 The music is suitably hellish, and the sound effects are particularly gruesome. There really is not much to say about the voice acting, because there isn’t any.

Gameplay: 4/5 Including co-op in this expansion is a welcome addition, although it would have been nice if they had offered split screen co-op. Unfortunately co-op is restricted to the specific co-op challenges, rather than just letting you and a teammate work together whenever you like. The actual challenge creation system is easy to pick up and use. While it is not particularly in depth, there is scope to create a wide variety of challenges, although most gamers tend to be making achievement/trophy boosting challenges, or levels that are filled with the seductive enemies that moan as if they are experiencing an orgasm every time they get hit.

Longevity: 5/5 The potential is there to create an infinite number of challenges, so long as the community engages with them. Visceral Games have uploaded 40 challenges themselves, and so far the community has provided a ton of different levels… although most of them are filthy, smutty things filled with phallic imagery.

Overall 3.5 plucked eyeballs out of 5. Given the chance, The Trials of St Lucia is actually very good. There is scope here to make a long lasting varied set of combat challenges for owners of Dante’s Inferno, as the tools are all there. As things stand, however, you will have to wade through a sea of achievement/trophy boosting challenges in order to find some of the better content.

The Trials of St Lucia is available to download off of the Xbox Live Marketplace for 800 Microsoft Points (about £6.80) and on the Playstation Store for £7.99

Red Dead Revolver was released on the Playstation 2 and the original Xbox in early 2004 to some mixed reviews and fairly decent sales. This week sees the high profile release of the sequel, Red Dead Redemption, which so far has received mostly stellar reviews. So what better time to shamelessly cash in and take a trip back in time to look at how it began?

Created by Rockstar San Diego, the studio behind the Midnight Club racing games, and published by Rockstar Games, the powerhouses behind the Grand Theft Auto series, Red Dead Revolver was a interesting third person shooter simply because it exuded style from every pore.

Meet Red. He's the protagonist... That means hero.

The game featured a fantastic sound track by Western Legend Ennio Morricone, composer of The Good the Bad and the Ugly, which really contributes towards the authentic western feel.

Like any good Western, Red Dead Revolver put you in the role of a man out for vengeance; Red, the bounty hunting son of gold prospectors. As a child, his parents were murdered by a greedy Mexican general, out to steal their substantial amount of gold.

How did this General learn of his family’s recent find? A trusted friend betrayed them in exchange for saving his own worthless hide. Once Red grows up and becomes a bona fide Bounty Hunter, he sets out to take revenge on both the heartless general and the gutless traitor.

As well as the main protagonist there were several other playable characters at various points in the game. However, they all handle exactly the same as Red, and only really served as a way of emphasising what a bland character Red was.

Shooting fatties as they waddle towards you has never been such fun

Characters like the English sharp shooter Jack Swift, for instance, were far more charismatic. At times these side levels served as little more than distractions from the main quest. Each character was playable in the multiplayer mode, which offered up various death match games; although overall it felt a little tacked on.

The real meat of this game came in the single player story mode. The world of Red Dead Revolver was far smaller than you might expect, what with it coming from the people behind Grand Theft Auto. If any comparison can be made to another existing Rockstar game, it would probably have to be Manhunt. Each level is broken up into small arenas populated with a number of enemies. In order to progress you must defeat every enemy, and defeat the more powerful boss character at the end of the level.

There were a lot of tools at your disposal, ranging from the generic pistols, revolvers, to riffles, and dynamite. The best feature in Red Dead Revolver came in the form of the deadeye mechanic. Basically, deadeye is the equivalent of the slow motion bullet time found in games such as Max Payne and Stranglehold.

When deadeye was activated you could aim at up to six targets, be they six individual targets or just separate body parts, and fill them full of hot lead. Deadeye was also implemented in quick draws at regular intervals in the game. These quick draw moments proved to be some of the most memorable, and genuinely satisfying, moments in the game.

Deadeye aiming is a brilliant feature

Like a lot of Rockstar games, at times the controls could be a bit fiddly, particularly the movement controls. Your character could duck behind cover, roll out of the way of fire, and perform hand to hand combat, but overall you really fighting up close with your enemies was a bad idea. The game was at its best when standing at one end of a deserted ghost town, firing off shot after shot at enemies standing at the other end of the street.

As well as gun fights, you would be right in expecting other Western staples, such as train robberies, saloon fights, and horse riding. For the most part the big set pieces, such as the attack on the train, were exhilarating, although a little clunkily put together.

That is probably the best thing you could say about Red Dead Revolver; it was a neat game with a ton of good ideas. The only problem being that the execution was a little off. It’s probably safe to say that Rockstar are aware of the game’s faults, as the sequel Red Dead Redemption shares little in common with the original. In fact the only links between Red Dead Revolver and Red Dead Redemption are the inclusion of the Deadeye mechanic and fact that it has a protagonist that rides a horse.

There are a number of thrilling set pieces, including this attack on a train

Red Dead Revolver is available for both the Playstation 2 and the Original Xbox and should be available at a fairly low price online. It is one of the original Xbox titles that will work on your Xbox 360, and if you are lucky enough to own an old 60GB model of PS3 then you should be able to play it on that too.

Stay tuned to The Newb Review for the ultimate Red Dead Redemption review.

Aren’t you just sick of all the brain teasing, brain training titles that clutter up the local game stores? I know I am. We have everything from brain training to spelling training, from Big Brain Academy to bloody Brain Age: Arts & Letters, what’s next? Osama Bin Laden’s Terrorist Training? Now that’s a game I’d personally like to see.

So, in a genre heavily stagnated with titles, step right up Blitz Arcade’s Encleverment Experiment, a brain teaser game that attempts to dispel all of your preconceptions by taking the genre and trying to making it fun and enjoyable!  In fact Encleverment Experiment isn’t so much a mind melting, knowledge tester, but more a fun, wacky games show in video game form, or at least it tries to be.

Don’t get me wrong though, the similarities between the game and others in the quiz show style genre, such as Buzz! And 1 vs 100, are few and far between. The core gameplay is chock full of what you’ve come to expect from a brain training game, you’ve got memory exercises, mathematical problems, word games and maze solvers.

Mathematical based problems involving edible pie? A touch of pure genius...

Similarities between this and titles such as Buzz! and 1 vs 100 don’t end there. Upon loading the game it’s obvious to anyone that Blitz Arcade have really put a lot of time and effort into how the game looks. The wacky, zany, animated art style is perfect for adding some much needed humour, fun and enjoyment into the mix. The voice acting for the main character, Professor Ivor, is also brilliantly realised.

Unfortunately however, this seems to be a case of style over substance. While it looks and sounds great (the game’s soundtrack is the perfect compliment to it’s crazy, zany stylistics), it just doesn’t make up for the fact that, although trying its hardest, the game just isn’t very fun.

The graphical style does its best to hide the mundanities that are commonly associated with the genre, but it just isn’t enough. The single player, whilst offering some cool features such as making your own set of puzzles and exercises, leaves a relatively boring experience overall, and playing a brain training game on your own or against a computer AI is seemingly pointless. The variety of exercises is far too small, the game boasts only 19 tests in total, and going through the game it’s clear that some of the tests are the essentially the same as ones you’ve taken before with a different graphical slant. The chief example is the fraction based games involving pies and broken vinyl records; essentially the same test using different items to display fractions.

It’s not all doom and gloom though. The online multiplayer component is surprisingly a lot of fun. However, it suffers from the curse that plagues most XBLA titles that have online modes. After the first week of release, everyone moves on to the next game and the online community dies. This means that the chances of actually playing the online modes are extremely slim.

The inclusion of mascots is a clear attempt to set the game apart from others in the genre. The idea is nice and some of the designs are genuinely very funny, but the whole mascot system seems a little bit tacked on. There’s no real incentive to play the game and collect all the mascots because they just don’t do anything except sit there..and stare at you…as if you’re an idiot….or is that just me?

My personal favourite is the KISS inspired teddy bear...

Ultimately though, Encleverment Experiment is a case of repackaging something that has been sold to us time and time again. You’ve got to applaud the efforts of Blitz Arcade, because they have obviously tried hard to inject some genuine enjoyment into the brain training genre through Encleverment Experiment’s unique graphical style, but the lack of variety and excitement means that at 800 Microsoft points, the game feels overpriced. This would have been easier to recommend at 400 points instead.

Review Round Up

Graphics: 4/5 – The graphical style is zany, wacky and utterly unique.

Sound: 4/5 – Voice acting for Professor Ivor is spot on, and the soundtrack does a good job of complimenting the game’s art.

Gameplay: 2/5 – Lack of fun and unique tests means that the overall gameplay is not just limited, but it’s also not that enjoyable.

Longevity: 2/5 – The game lacks not only variety in it’s tests, but also the number of tests is very small. With an online multiplayer seemingly useless as no one plays it online, there’s not that much time to spend playing here, unless you like taking the same tests over and over again.

Overall: Encleverment Experiment gets 2 and a half puzzle induced brain haemorrhages out of 5. The graphical style shows signs of an interesting, unique game within a stale genre, but once you look past that graphical style, you realise the game just isn’t what you’d hoped.

Left 4 Dead 2 was a very popular game among critics, particularly among us here at The Newb Review. This year Left 4 Dead 2 won the prestigious BAFTA (the UK’s equivalent of the Oscars) for Best Multiplayer Game of 2009. So you can imagine out excitement when Valve confirmed that they would be releasing a number of add-ons for this fantastic title. The first piece of downloadable content is The Passing, which has our band of survivors coming across the survivors from the original Left 4 Dead. The tag line for this new act is “no one survives forever” which teases the death of one of the beloved characters… But who?!

Fear not, we will not spoil it for you here.

The Passing features one new act, made up of three new chapters that take place after the survivors escape from the shopping mall in the supped up race car, and before they are forced to abandon it outside the Dark Carnival. Having followed the road straight out of town, our tenacious survivors (Coach, Ellis, Nick, and Rochelle) find themselves at a raised bridge, which is being protected by the original survivors. After a brief cut scene (which on occasion failed to actually load up for me) we are told that the generator that controls the bridge is out of fuel, and that you will have to refuel the generator if you want to get across. Of course, in typical Left 4 Dead Fashion, there are about 1 Billion zombies between you and your objective. By the time you reach your objective you will probably be drenched in Zombie blood, bile, vomit, and an array of nasty bodily fluids. Why are things never easy in the Zombie Apocalypse?

'I think there might be some zombies out there...'

The three chapters feature everything you have come to expect from Left 4 Dead 2: dimly lit streets, a raging storm, and Zombies… Lots and lots of Zombies. All of the Special Infected return, including the veteran Boomers, Smokers, Hunters, the dreaded Tank and Witch (who has had something of a makeover for this act) as well as the new kids on the block, Spitters, Chargers, and Jockeys.

On your quest to restart the generator, you will come across lock boxes filled to the brim with supplies, as well as two new weapons; a golf club, and an M60 Machine Gun as well as a new type of uncommon infected, the Fallen Survivor. Basically, the Fallen Survivor is a survivor that was not as immune to the virus as he might first have thought. This new zombie takes an awful lot of shooting, but also carries a lot of items, such as health packs, Molotovs, pipe bombs, etc, so coming across him does have its rewards, as well as risks.

The Action is as fast paced and frantic as ever

Also returning are the Survivor messages written on the walls of the safe houses, with one note in particular that will bring a smile to the faces of fans of Capcom’s Dead Rising series.

As well as new achievements, there are some new Avatar costume pieces to unlock, including your very own Gnome Chompski, which will doubtlessly capture the imagination, and trouser contents, of Valve’s more hardcore fans.

All three Maps can be played in the story mode (on your own, in 2 player split screen, or 4 player online), Versus mode (which features a team of survivors VS a team of special infected zombies), Survivor mode (a time attempt to survive as long as possible against the zombie hordes) and Scavenger Mode (in which you must collect as many canisters of gasoline as you can within a set time limit). Arguably the biggest new feature added in this DLC is the Mutations Mode.

The Zombies are clearly big fans of Jazz

A short blog post that is attached to the main menu explains Mutations Mode thusly: Mutations mode takes already established game types, such as Versus, and adds special conditions to them, like a chainsaws only mode. Think of it as being like Golden Gun mode in Goldeneye, or Riot Shields only Modern Warfare 2 matches. Each mutation will last for one week exactly, and once every type of mutation has cycled through, players will be asked to vote for their favourite one. The top user voted Mutations will be made playable again. The first Mutation is Realistic Versus Mode, in which there are no respawns, and no outlines on players or items. In short, Realistic Versus Mode takes away all of the advantages on the Human’s side, making it a very Zombie friendly game mode. With at least six types of mutations confirmed, it is clear that Valve is dedicated towards breathing more life in to Left 4 Dead 2’s multiplayer.

Review Round-Up

Graphics: 4/5 While the Source Engine that powers Left 4 Dead 2 is showing it’s age, a lot of effort has gone in to making the game look at good as possible, particularly with the design of the levels and characters. Faces look particularly gruesome, and the streets are dauntingly atmospheric.

Sound: 3/5 The music, sound effects, and voice acting are on par with the main game, as you would expect. However, on occasion, I have had a few problems with the noise produced by the raging storm being far too loud, drowning out all of the other sounds in the game. I do not know if it is intentional, but I found it very irritating.

Story: 2/5 Anyone that is playing Left 4 Dead because they are looking for a fantastic in depth story should probably look elsewhere. The story is very basic, and on occasion, a key cut scene at the beginning of the expansion failed to actually let me know what was going on. It’s a good thing that Valve have announced an expansion for the original Left 4 Dead to fill in the gaps in this add-on.

Gameplay: 5/5 While you can play it in single player, Left 4 Dead 2 is best played with other people. A welcome addition included in the 360 version brings an update, which has been available to PC players for some time, that allows any empty spaces in your multiplayer Versus or Scavenge games will be filled with computer controlled bots.

Longevity: 4/5 Your first play through of the Passing will probably last between half an hour and one hour, depending on your skill level. Achievements and Avatar Awards incentivise multiple play throughs of the DLC, while the Mutations mode breathes new life in to the multiplayer modes, both locally and online.

Overall 4 Exploding Boomers out of 5. While there are a few niggling issues: unclear narrative, and the odd sound problem, The Passing brings with it a lot of new features that are fun, engaging, and downright addictive. PC players can install this update for free, while Xbox 360 Owners will have to pay 560 Microsoft Points (about £4.80) for the privilege.

[podcast]http://realmworx.hipcast.com/deluge/46f8d41b-df30-d1ed-6b3d-6fd5d693a6c3.mp3[/podcast]

For an MP3 copy of the show, right click the link and choose Save As.
MP3 Link / RSS Feed

If you’d like the show notes, click the more button.

[H:MM:SS] – Show Notes
——————–
Opening Song (Poseidon’s Wrath – God of War 3 OST)

[0:00:30] – Introductions

[0:03:33] – Jason’s Now Playing
-PlayOn Update
-MLB 2010: The Show (PS3)
-Splinter Cell: Conviction (Xbox 360)
-Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (Xbox 360)
-Game Room (Xbox Live Arcade)
-Final Fight: Double Impact (Xbox Live Arcade)

[0:26:46] – Steven’s Now Playing
-Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (Xbox 360)
-Final Fight: Double Impact (Xbox Live Arcade)
-Sonic’s Ultimate Genesis Collection (Xbox 360)
-Chime (Xbox Live Arcade)
-Left 4 Dead 2 (Xbox 360)

[0:42:17] – News
-Marvel vs. Capcom 3 due Q2 2011 on PS3, 360
-Dead Rising 2 Lets You Play Through With a Buddy
-Dead Rising 2 Case Zero is a Prologue with a Purpose
-Super Street Fighter 4 Comes With A Tournament Manager, Special Trophies
-Okamiden stylizing DS in 2011
-Bionic Commando Rearmed again in 2011
-Tecmo Bowl Throwback on Xbox Live Next Week; on PSN ‘Soon’
-Splatterhouse reboot features unlockable original titles
-XCOM FPS invading 360s, PCs
-Claptrap being immortalized in toy form
-River Rush revealed, Natal boxing, football games en route
-Singularity warps to June 29
-Thursday Is A Bad Day To Be A Left 4 Dead 2 Infected
-Uncharted 2 DLC begins Siege this week
-PSN update moving to Tuesdays in May
-Ubisoft’s eco initiative ditches paper manuals

[1:30:28] – March 2010 NPD’s

[1:48:09] – Wrap Up

[1:52:51] – End

[podcast]http://realmworx.hipcast.com/deluge/63180973-e1b7-b95b-a228-cf4f227dee72.mp3[/podcast]

For an MP3 copy of the show, right click the link and choose Save As.
MP3 Link / RSS Feed

If you’d like the show notes, click the more button.

Show Rundown [H:MM:SS]
—————
Opening Song (Poseidon’s Wrath – God of War 3 OST)

Introductions [0:00:30]

Jason’s Now Playing [0:03:18]
-Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (Xbox 360)
-Battlefield: Bad Company 2 (Xbox 360)
-Splinter Cell: Conviction (Xbox 360) DEMO
-Magic: The Gathering – Duels of the Planeswalkers (Xbox Live Arcade)
-South Park Let’s Go Tower Defense Play! (Xbox Live Arcade)
-Defense Grid (Xbox Live Arcade) DEMO
-Age of Booty (Xbox Live Arcade) DEMO
-Mad Tracks (Xbox Live Arcade) DEMO
-Rocket Riot (Xbox Live Arcade) DEMO
-Schizoid (Xbox Live Arcade) DEMO
-Wallace & Gromit Episode 1: Fright of the Bumblebees (Xbox Live Arcade) DEMO
-Trine (PS3) DEMO

Steven’s Now Playing [0:39:49]
-Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (Xbox 360)
-Splinter Cell: Conviction (Xbox 360) DEMO
-Left 4 Dead 2 (Xbox 360)
-Hotel Dusk: Room 215 (DS)

News [0:43:39]
-Nintendo reveals 3DS
-Infinity Ward loses two more leads
-Modern Warfare 2 Stimulus Package has rocky launch
-Blur 360 beta open to all
-Sega postpones Tournament of Legends
-Sega reopening Conduit this fall
-Sega scrapping Iron Man 2 developer
-Nintendo, Google team up for Wii search game
-Majesco forming Diamond Trust of London
-Hydro Thunder Hurricane forecast for XBLA
-After Burner Climax takes off in April
-Lost Planet 2 moved up a week
-Disgaea, Atelier crossover for PS3 headed to US, Europe
-Final Fantasy IX confirmed for PSN in Japan
-PS3 update locks out Linux
-EA shelved Starbreeze’s Bourne – Report
-Darksiders falls on PC
-The Witcher 2 hexing PCs early 2011
-Game pioneer Baer enters Inventor’s Hall of Fame

Wrap Up [1:31:53]

End [1:34:59]

[podcast]http://realmworx.hipcast.com/deluge/d38d18c5-dbaa-4c04-b16d-2fd788895803.mp3[/podcast]

For an MP3 copy of the show, right click the link and choose Save As.
MP3 Link / RSS Feed

If you’d like the show notes, click the more button.

Show Rundown [H:MM:SS]
—————
Opening Song (Poseidon’s Wrath – God of War 3 OST)

Introductions [0:00:30]

Jason’s Now Playing [0:02:56]
-Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (Xbox 360)
-Battlefield: Bad Company 2 (Xbox 360)
-Mass Effect 2 (Xbox 360)
-Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords (PSP)
-Prinny: Can I Really Be the Hero? (PSP)

Steven’s Now Playing [0:17:38]
-Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (Xbox 360)
-Left 4 Dead 2 (Xbox 360)
-Hotel Dusk: Room 215 (DS)

PAX East 2010
-Friday [0:30:15]
-Saturday [1:07:02]
-Sunday [1:43:33]
-http://kotaku.com/5505341/suspected-game-code-thief-on-the-lam-%5Bupdate%5D

Wrap Up [2:17:05]

End [2:18:44]

With the advent of this generation of consoles we have seen the rise in prominence of digital downloads thanks to Xbox Live Arcade, Playstation Network, and the Wii Store. Not only are we seeing the release of really great original titles like Shadow Complex but we are also treated to classic titles from older consoles that, until now, have been unavailable without delving into the depths of your local used games store, or taking a chance on ebay. Arguably one of the most demanded titles would be the N64 classic Goldeneye, a game that is renowned for popularising first person shooters on home consoles thanks to it’s spectacular four player deathmatch mode.

Unfortunately the legal wranglings to get Goldeneye on current consoles are too gargantuan, not only would Microsoft have to broker a deal with Activision, the current Bond licence owners, but they would have to deal with Nintendo too. Thus, Microsoft offer us the next best thing: Perfect Dark. When Perfect Dark was released on the N64 it was considered to be the spiritual sequel to Goldeneye, with the same fantastic multiplayer mode including a number of Goldeneye’s best levels and fantastically imaginative new weapons, such as an alien riffle that can shoot enemies through walls.

This re-release of Perfect Dark has been given an HD make over. Although the graphics are recognisably of the N64 era, they do look very smooth and polished. When Perfect Dark was originally released, a big feature of the game was that every character in the game had a real person’s face. With this being an HD remake, the character faces have been reworked to look clearer than ever. Joanna Dark in particular has had a lot of attention paid to her face.

Joanna Dark has had a HD makeover

In terms of controls, the game has three pre-set schemes. These are the original controls transferred across to the 360 controller, Call of Duty style controls, and Halo style controls. The ability to adjust the controls according to your shooting game of preference is a good feature, and it would be nice if more shooters took this approach.

As a way of compensating the gamers for their inability to broker a deal that would see Goldeneye being released on Xbox Live Arcade, this version of Perfect Dark has all of the weapons from Goldeneye available to be used in multiplayer. In essence, the multiplayer is exactly the same as Goldeneye’s, but with new weapons and levels. While the original Perfect Dark only had split screen multiplayer, this version has online multiplayer as well. Offering games with up to 8 players, as well as 4 player split screen, the multiplayer is as great now as it was back when it was on the N64. The game features a generous auto-aim feature, thanks mostly to particularly sensitive aiming and the extreme speed that the characters move at.

The guns themselves have two modes of fire. Some guns’ secondary fire mode makes the gun in to a melee weapon, while others can be turned in to proximity mines, or sentry turrets. Even now Perfect Dark has some of the most imaginative guns of any game; the only contender in my eyes is the Ratchet and Clank series. The Alien guns in particular have some very innovative features, such as the ability to see and shoot through walls.

Every weapon has a secondary fire mode, including this gun which can see through walls

Whilst arguably the multiplayer is the biggest selling point of this game, there are a ton of other features. As well as a shooting range, in which you can try out every weapon in the game, there are combat simulation challenges; essentially multiplayer games against computer controlled opponents with specific goals, and the story mode. Story mode can be played in single player and two player co-op, as well as the innovative Counter Operative mode. The Counter Ops mode has the second player take on the role of the nameless enemies in the story mode. Your objective is simple, kill Joanna Dark and stop her from achieving her goals. While the guards have a very small health bar, if you are killed you can respawn without being penalised indefinitely. Joanna, however, only has one life, and if you are successful in killing her then you win.

There are a ton of game modes to choose from

The story mode itself is a bit uneven by today’s standards. In particular the levels, while being fairly small, are designed in such a way that it is rarely clear where exactly you need to be going. There are no radars, map markers, or guidelines of any sort in the story mode, which only really highlights how much modern games hold our hands and guide us. There are over a dozen levels in the Story mode, but for the most part they can be completed in less than five minutes on the default difficulty. Playing each mission on the higher difficulties not only makes you more vulnerable to bullets, but adds new mission objectives, which serves to increase the length of each mission.

Despite the HD make over, the game maintains it's original look.

As good as the game looks and as fun as the multiplayer is, the game still has a very old fashioned feel to it. The free aiming is too sensitive, which makes sniper sections of the game more challenging. Having said that, the same could be said of Perfect Dark when it first came out, and you can always adjust the sensitivity in the menu.

Review Round-Up

Graphics: 4/5 The HD makeover gives a very clear, smooth look. They still manage to maintain that typical N64 look that the original had.

Sound: 3/5 Voice acting is, for the most part, fairly generic. The music has a very recognisable Sci-fi sound to it that is reminiscent of John Carpenter movies.

Gameplay: 5/5 The addition of online multiplayer is fantastic. Anyone that spent hours and hours playing Goldeneye on the sofa with their friends will love it. The inclusion of Co-Op in the story mode is a welcome feature, and the Counter-Operative feature, where the second player must try and stop the first player from finishing their objectives, is inspired.

Longevity: 5/5 The Story mode is about a dozen levels long, and can be played through on three separate difficulties, each with their own unique objectives. The real meat of the game comes in the form of the multiplayer, both online and splitscreen.

Overall: 4 Proximity Mines out 5. While Perfect Dark does feel like an old game, with archaic level design and slightly wonky controls, the inclusion of all the multiplayer modes, including the co-op/counter-operative modes, makes Perfect Dark a wonderfully nostalgic experience for anyone that sat up all night shooting their friends on Goldeneye. Younger players may well be less impressed with this game thanks to it being so old fashioned, but considering the low price of 800 Microsoft Points (about £6.50) it is hard not to recommend Perfect Dark to all 360 owners, both young and old.

Originally announced in early 2007, Splinter Cell Conviction – the fifth in the Splinter Cell series – has had something of a shaky development. Originally due out towards the end of 2007, the game has apparently been through a number of redesigns since that initial announcement. In fact, so little was said after the game was originally announced that people started to believe it would never come out. Yet here we are, March 2010, and the game is almost upon us. The Newb Review recently got hold of the Xbox 360 demo to take it through it’s paces.

After the events of Splinter Cell: Double Agent, gruff, old-age super spy Sam Fisher is on the run from his former employees, government agency Third Echelon. Without their backing, Sam is forced to rely on less high tech methods of infiltration. For instance, early in the game, rather than using his usual spy camera to peer under doors, Sam uses a bit of broken glass he procured from a car’s wing mirror. The demo features two levels from the game, the first level being an interrogation from early on in the game, and the second level taking place later in the game, when Sam has a bit more equipment.

The interrogation scene is short but stylish

In the first scene you take control of Sam in a public toilet, interrogating someone about the death of his daughter. By interrogate, I of course mean beating the shit out of him until he talks. Certain parts of the toilet are interactive, such as the sink or toilet door, and pressing B will cause Sam to use the interactive scenery to aid him in getting answers. Press B near the sink and Sam will Slam the guy’s head clean through it, while Pressing B near the toilet door will cause Sam to throw the guy through it. Whenever any information is given to you it is stylishly exhibited on the walls, as if a large projector were beaming the events for you as a visual aid. For instance, when the name of the person responsible for your daughter’s death is revealed, a picture of him appears on the wall, along with a few details about him.

After the interrogation is over, the demo jumps forward a few levels – in order to avoid spoilers apparently – to a level that shows us just how much the actual gameplay has changed since the last game. In previous Splinter Cell games it could be argued that you would be better off avoiding confrontation all together. Head to head conflict would, more often than not, lead to a swift death. Conviction is a very different animal – you are actively encouraged to kill everyone you come across. Having said that, Sam is by no means invincible, and death is easily achieved. In order to be successful in defeating your enemies, you have to be crafty.

The main new combat feature is the Mark and Execute tactic. Successfully taking an enemy down silently, with your bare hands, fills a bar which means you will be able to perform a quick kill on an enemy with your gun. By aiming at the enemy you want to take down and pressing the right bumper, the enemy is marked for death. The demo only has situations where up to two enemies can be marked at a time, but the mark and execute metre appears to have three slots, which suggests that perhaps you can mark three at a time. Pressing the Y button performs the execution animation, in most cases a few quick headshots with your silenced pistol.

Successful stealth kills will allow you to perform Mark and Execute kills

As well as the pistol, Sam has access to Sonar Vision goggles (think of Batman’s goggles from towards the end of The Dark Knight) that allow him to see through walls, an EMP device that disrupts computers, and machine guns. Using this equipment, as well as your wits, you must breach a warehouse, rescue a captured scientist, and disable an EMP Bomb. There are multiple paths you can choose to take. Rather than taking a side entrance, I chose to climb up a drain pipe and enter through an open window. Once on the upper floor of the warehouse I was able to watch the enemy guard patrols and work out the best tactic to get through the warehouse unscathed.

If you are unfortunate enough to get spotted, then you had better run. If you try and stick around and fight then the chances are you will not survive. Fortunately there is a new gameplay mechanic that will aide you in evading your foes. If you manage to leave the enemy’s line of sight then a silhouette of Sam appears where the enemies last saw you. With this knowledge you can rethink strategies with ease.

Sam is on his own this time.

While you are given plenty of opportunities to use the Mark and Execute move, I found it just as easy to line up headshots with the silenced pistol from the shadows and take out most of the guards that way. This is primarily because the enemy intelligence is, at times, comparable to the career of Lindsay Lohan: non existent. However that does not take away from the fact that executing enemies from the darkness is incredibly satisfying.

Overall the demo is fairly short considering it’s file size (1.2 gigabytes), but it exhibits the changes made to the franchise in a positive light. Much like The Newb Review Game of the Year: Batman Arkham Asylum, Splinter Cell Conviction is successful in empowering the player, while at the same time punishing you if you mess up.

Splinter Cell Conviction will be released on the Xbox 360 on 16th April, and on PC on 30th April. Look for a full review at The Newb Review around that time.

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If you’d like the show notes, click the more button.

Show Rundown [H:MM:SS]
—————
Opening Song (Poseidon’s Wrath – God of War 3 OST)

Introductions [0:00:31]

Jason’s Now Playing [0:03:02]
-Perfect Dark (Xbox Live Arcade)
-Battlefield: Bad Company 2 (Xbox 360)
-MLB 2010: The Show (PS3)
-http://www.youtube.com/msuhitman
-God of War 3 (PS3)

Steven’s Now Playing [0:22:08]
-Perfect Dark (Xbox Live Arcade) DEMO
-Dark Void (Xbox 360) DEMO
-Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (Xbox 360)
-Borderlands (Xbox 360)
-Left 4 Dead 2 (Xbox 360)

News [0:31:30]
-Mass Effect 2′s ‘Firewalker’ DLC rolling out on Tuesday
-Mass Effect 2 DLC Adds 90 Minutes, More Earth Teases
-One Left 4 Dead character will die in the upcoming DLC
-Command & Conquer 4 requires constant online connection
-Skate 3 rolling out May 11
-PixelJunk Racers 2nd Lap due this spring, Monsters on UMD
-MAG getting free DLC next week
-Final Fight: Double Impact priced and dated
-BlazBlue: Continuum Shift is headed to consoles
-Samurai Warriors 3 slicing US Wiis
-World map, airships confirmed for FF Versus XIII
-Kane & Lynch’s Dog Days begin August 24
-DC Comics drawing Nier
-Batman: Arkham Asylum Game Of The Year Edition Hops On 3D Bandwagon
-Lord of the Rings co-opting new action RPG

Coming Soon for April [1:13:16]

Wrap Up [1:24:18]

End [1:30:30]

Despite being about one year old, Capcom have recently released two large downloadable add-ons for Resident Evil 5. The first add on, Resident Evil 5: Lost in Nightmares, was a fantastic blend of old school Resident Evil survival horror with the more modern fast paced action and focus on the co-operative gameplay of Resident Evil 5. A mere two weeks later, Capcom have released Desperate Escape, which takes place towards the end of the main story of Resident Evil 5. Those that are outraged by spoilers may wish to skip over the next paragraph.

After Chris and Sheva rescued Jill Valentine, heroine of Resident Evil and Resident Evil Nemesis, from the mind controlling device used by Albert Wesker, Jill sends Chris and Sheva on their way, before promptly passing out. After a short time she is found and revived by Josh Stone, Sheva’s mentor and only survivor of the BSA team that helped Chris and Sheva. After some mildly inappropriate flirting Josh and Jill decide to work together in order to escape Wesker’s facility and reunite with Sheva and Chris.

With the spoilery bits out of the way, on to the gameplay. To say that Desperate Escape feels like a bit of a step backwards is an understatement. It is hard not to compare it to Lost in Nightmares, with the releases being so close to each other. Where Lost in Nightmares had Chris and Jill working together through the dimly lit corridors and dank under passages of the Spencer Mansion to solve one fiendish puzzle after another, Desperate Escape instead prefers to return to the realm of fast paced hoardes of enemies, and big explosion after big explosion.

Combat is the focus of this expansion.

The main set pieces of this add-on comprise of a canyon covered by numerous rocket launchers and a timed rooftop battle against an endless stream of enemies, much like the Mercenaries mode, as you wait for a helicopter rescue. In order to navigate the canyon you need to zigzag through the canyon taking out the turret controllers and using the turrets to destroy impassable objects. The rooftop battle merely requires you to stand your ground and defeat all the enemies that come at you for about 10 minutes or so.

There is a Mercenaries-esque section at the end of this add on that has different enemies depending on the difficulty

Much like Lost in Nightmares, this add-on is independent of the single player campaign. As such you cannot import any of your character’s weapons from your main save. In fact, you cannot save your progress at any point, which is a bit of a let down, particularly as the canyon navigation gets to be tedious after a while. Your characters have very limited resources in terms of health and weaponry but you do discover other weapons as you progress. Also, the sheer number of enemies means that upon defeating them, your foes tend to drop a lot of ammo for your default pistol or machine gun.

While you start out with little equipment, you soon pick up a lot of stuff.

Also included in the pack are two more characters for the Mercenaries Reunion mode. For those that did not read the review for Lost in Nightmares and are unaware of what Mercenaries Reunion mode is, Mercenaries Reunion is a score based time attack mode in which you run around small arenas fighting off the endless hordes of Majini. While there was a Mercenaries mode included in the retail version of Resident Evil 5, Mercenaries Reunion features new characters and slightly reworked levels and enemies. New characters included in Lost in Nightmares were Excella Gionne and Barry Burton.

Josh Stone and Rebecca Chambers are the final additions to Mercenaries Reunion

This time Josh Stone is added to the action, armed with a high powered pistol, a shotgun, and a rocket launcher. The final new character is Rebecca Chambers from Resident Evil 0, armed with a shotgun and a machine gun. Despite appearing to be one of the weaker characters in the game, I was actually able to achieve an S Rank with her without any real problems. Also available as a separate download – and an additional cost – are a new version of Chris and Sheva, both with new weapons in Mercenaries Reunion, and both playable in the main game.

Review Round-Up

Graphics: 5/5 The same graphical style from Resident Evil 5 remains intact. While the art style in the main mission is a little drab; mostly stone environments, coloured with dark blues and greys, the explosions look as spectacular as ever.

Sound: 4/5 The same actors that voiced the main characters return and perform in a way that is consistent with the rest of the Resident Evil 5.

Gameplay: 2/5 While the gameplay itself is not bad, it seems like a bit of a step backwards when compared to the recent release of Lost in Nightmares. Favouring the action side of Resident Evil, it isn’t exactly deep. Having said that, there are no real flaws with the gameplay, aside from the tedium generated by zigzagging between rocket launching turrets.

Longevity: 2/5 The story mission lasts about 45 minutes or so, but does not really offer much in terms of an incentive to keep playing. The new characters in Mercenaries Reunion offer a little extra replay value, but only if you particularly care about playing through each level with the new characters or achieving as high a score as possible.

Overall: 3 headless Majini out of 5 While there is nothing particularly wrong with this add-on, being released just two weeks after the excellent Lost in Nightmares makes this title seem a bit weak in comparison. If you found Lost in Nightmares to be too slow paced, then perhaps Desperate Escape will be more to your liking.

Desperate Escape is available to download on Xbox live for 400 Microsoft Points (£3.40 ish) and £3.99 on the Playstation Network.

Game: Dante’s Inferno
Platform: PS3
Developer: Visceral Games
Publisher: Electronic Arts

If you were to imagine a developer trying to come up with a new idea for a video game, you probably would not place a 14th century poem high up on the list of subject matter. Yet that’s exactly what the minds behind last year’s Dead Space have done; although they have taken a few liberties with the source material. Whilst I have never read ‘The Divine Comedy’, I do not think there is a section in which Dante hacks The Grim Reaper to pieces, takes his Scythe, and uses it to destroy the legions of hell… With a massive red cross sewn in to the flesh of his chest.

The game is a drastic departure from the original source material...

To set the scene, Dante’s Inferno puts you in the role of Dante Alighieri, who is slain during the crusades after having butchered a number of natives. When the Grim Reaper comes for him, Dante is surprised to learn that he is going to hell; despite a Bishop telling him that every sin of his was absolved. Deciding that the Bishop has lied to him, Dante fights off the Grim Reaper, takes his Scythe and returns to his native Italy to see his lover Beatrice. Upon arriving, he finds her dead, and sees her soul dragged off to hell. Armed with his trusty Scythe, Dante must fight his way through a legion of demons and hell-spawn in order to rescue the love of his life. In terms of design and controls, this game plays almost exactly the same as the God of War games – you press Square and Triangle for light attacks, Circle to use long ranged attacks and X to jump. Use the right stick to dodge, R1 to block and R2 to grab. This game is essentially GOD OF WAR: The Catholic Edition.

The Power of Christ Compells Thee!

The basic aim in each battle is to beat your enemies to a pool of goo to release their soul, which you can then use to power yourself up and earn new moves. When you grab an enemy you can choose to either punish your target, or absolve them of their sins. Either option will reward you with what are essentially good points and evil points. These points can be used to unlock moves that are either good or evil. For instance, a basic good move dissolves your enemy and sends them to heaven, while an evil move will turn them to mush, leaving them as the damned creatures that they are. From the little I’ve been able to see from the demo there does’nt appear to be a huge difference between the good and evil moves, although I am sure that as you unlock the more powerful moves, the differences will become more apparent. As you progress further through the demo you come across a number of different enemy types – the basic weakling grunts, flying enemies, larger enemies that will take a severe beating, and huge beasts that you can eventually pound into submission and ride around yourself. When riding the beasts you can make them stamp their feet to crush enemies, grab them, or breathe fire on them. It is pretty satisfying to walk over to a group of about half a dozen enemies and stomp them into dirt.

Upon taking control of the beasts, you can have them breathe fire on unsuspecting demons.

A trailer at the end of the demo promises battles through the 9 circles of hell (Limbo, Lust, Gluttony, Greed, Wealth, Heresy, Violence, Fraud, and Treason) with each level designed to specifically follow its own set theme. While the demo is about 15 minutes long, it does give a decent impression of what the final game will be like. The similarities to God of War are very striking, and whilst this is great news for 360 owners, as the 360 doesn’t really have a decent God of War styled game, does the PS3 really need another one with God of War 3 coming out later in the year?

The demo is currently available on the Playstation Network, and will be available for the 360 soon, with release set for early February. Despite still having a few reservations, this is definitely a title to watch out for.

FORMAT(S): PC, Xbox 360

DEVELOPER: Valve

PUBLISHER: Valve

Valve have just released a new DLC pack for Left 4 Dead called Crash Course. This adds a new campaign designed for versus mode (but fully playable in campaign mode) and 2 associated survival maps based off the new campaign. Being quite a big fan of Left 4 Dead myself I took a look at the DLC to give my own honest impressions. The new campaign is about half the length of the standard campaigns that shipped with the game, however it is split into 2 sections each of which seems longer than a single section from a standard campaign.

As the campaign is about half the length of the campaigns that shipped with the game but it does seem to pack in just about the same amount of zombies, causing this to be a bit faster paced than what you may be used to. In around half an hour of gameplay my team encountered roughly the same amount of enemies I would expect to encounter during a ‘full’ one hour campaign. Also, the longer sections can cause some frustration as there is much farther to travel following a bad encounter with a tank so if you play on the higher difficulties you might find yourself repeating sections many times.

This quicker pace and generally more frantic atmosphere does have an effect on the feel of the game. For example whilst playing a standard campaign the quieter moments in a campaign are the moments when you really take in the atmosphere of the game but I feel that having a much quicker pace stops you from taking in the atmosphere as you’re simply too busy dealing with the many enemies who are undoubtedly charging towards you. Also there is the AI, which struggles at the best of times, it really has a hard time coping with the new campaign given that the areas are more closed in and the frequency of special infected such as witches and tanks you can see your AI teammates making some really dumb descisions and getting killed for it much more than they would in a standard campaign.

Having said all that I do enjoy this campaign, so long as you get four good people together you will really enjoy the faster pace as you don’t have to worry about what the AI is doing. The 2 new survival maps are taken straight from the campaign and are as good as any of the other maps, and if you’re into versus mode this campaign was made with that in mind and will quickly become a goto map for any dedicated versus mode player. So if you enjoy Left 4 Dead you should probably give this a go, it doesn’t do anything drastically different and if you want a more action oriented campaign then this has you covered.

Crash Course is avaliable now on PC and Xbox 360, If you own the PC version steam downloads and installs this automatically so you already have it and for Xbox 360 owners it is avaliable on Marketplace for 560 Microsoft points.