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Final Fantasy XIII

reviews@yetanotherreviewsite.co.uk — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 01:01:14 GMT

Overall: 8 out of 10
Gameplay: 8 out of 10
Graphics: 9 out of 10
Sound: 8 out of 10

Pros: Beautiful graphics accompanied by an impressive soundtrack, Rewarding levelling up system, Intuitive combat system which encourages hard hitting agility and tactical placement
Cons: Some annoying voiceovers, Less side-quests than would be appreciated, Annoyingly constrained for a majority of gameplay

Welcome to your illustorous and epic fate
House gracing a bustling town centre, it's no use getting an early night around here if a blockbuster game warrants so much attention that not one single human being on the face of the planet can wait for the sun to rise in order to grab such visual delights. Many a sleepless fan boy have graced the street, but none that reach of the extremities of the Final Fantasy XIII devotees, those who have gelled their hair high enough to stroke upon my bedroom window and caused a lunar eclipse.

[img]Final Fantasy VII will always hold a place in my heart as a gaming landmark. It's Stay Puft Marshmallow Man figures have not scarped it's impressive storytelling even though my third playthrough but a few weeks ago. Yet as you begin to age, thirst for blood increases, more than any dose of daytime television can subdue, and the gentlemanly turn-taking procedure instigated by many an RPG becomes gratingly repetitive made even worse by the farming obsessive compulsives that lay their hands upon it. Slow yet genre defining combat and a constant stream of similar JRPG's floating across from eastern seas, it was somewhat dismaying to see the staple of such a great series flood with constant familiarity. It's obviously somewhat difficult to create a fresh and unique experience especially in this industry, so it can be seen as somewhat forgiveable that Square Enix simply made the 13th instalment in it's landmark series a career reflecting scrapbook coated with a thick gloss of 'Cor bloody blimey!'

Drawn into a battle by forces out of their control, a group of six strangers ranging from a brave soldier to a bash revolutionary, from a loving father to a powerless son fight for the greater good of their people, only to become dreaded l'Cie, a stigma which brings about the victim great misfortune. Each of the marked gains a Focus, a primary objective which much be completed to avoid becoming a shambling Cie'th, doomed to walk the world soulless with no purpose in life. I's clear that the party must fight for a brighter destiny, but when each characters Focus toys with the lives of millions of innocents, however, the curse of the l'Cie becomes clear, and the six fugitives must find a way to try and alter the panicked populace and their very own fates.

With combat being so enjoyable, it's easy to cancel all appointments for a good session of grinding

In no way can the plot of any FF game can be justified in one Wiki worthy paragraph, and XIII being absolutely no different. There's clear determination, fear and personal turmoil writhing inside each persona for you to build a repertoire of favourites from the cast. As expected plots deepen, crisis's worsen and a destruction 'FAR WORSE THAN YOU COULD EVER IMAGINE' rears its ugly head, yet the journey to imminent Armageddon is made much more personal by the nature of the events that precede it. Due to unforeseen circumstances, each character is forced to split, some pairing up with a buddy for a good majority of the first sections of the game. These joinings encourage plenty of intimate reflections upon each character, truly adding depth to their moral choices and cursed agendas.

Obstacles will always come in the way of enemies strewn over the area, stumbling into which causes some sort of rift in dimensions, and then the next thing you know you're trapped in a galaxy where status ailments, numerical values and precise time keeping are essential to survive. Combat takes a much more pro-active approach to the usual turn based formalities. Players take control of the team leader, with 2 other party members being controlled automatically. A bar filling through the centre of the screen called the 'ATB Gauge' dictates the amount of activity your leader can commit to the battle. The higher the gauge, the higher the quantity, the more moves can be pulled off and chained together. A focus on agility forces players to adapt to the new system quite quickly, yet a constant barrage of tutorials ensures that you're in complete control of it before it sends your thumb-sucking self into the fierce world of 'Combat Farming'.

[img]To ensure that you have at least some control over your team mates choices in battle, you can feel free to 'Paradigm Shift' at any point during battle, a process that's much easier than pronouncing it. All characters can train in several roles that have expertise in physical combat, magical combat, medical resistance and more. By assigning 'Paradigm Decks' made from different combinations of roles, players can switch that battle tactics a any time to tip a gruesome fight back in your favour. With a seemingly endless array of decks to form, it's easy for players to form new tactics for battles they may be having problems with, and every boss can be topped with the right combinations and imagination.

With combat being so enjoyable, it's easy to cancel all appointments for a good session of grinding now and again. The 'Crystarium' system replaces a standard EXP/Level Up format for something a little bit more exotic. Set up like unique DNA strands, each character can move around and climb up their 'Crystarium Grids' through earning 'Crystarium Points' through battle. Abiding to this forms a glowing path from each strengthening attribute to the next, colouring in complete grids to form a rewardingly power party for the battle hungry and a aesthetically pleasing strand of coloured lights for the simple. Certain levels are capped, out of reach until players reach certain milestones in the story to give the combat a least some tactical elements, and despite this move to make the game too easy, it's a system that guarantees you complete control over your character growth.

A majority of environments line you up on a set path, ones which don't exactly geographically challenge, but outline the route from A to B so easily that even a Sat Nav could get you to your goal through only 3 flooded embankments. It's lucky then that the visual department have pulled out all the stops. The cinematic quality of all the cut scenes are unsurprisingly remarkable, environments sustain a spectacular amount of awe and a frame rate that doesn't break up despite the impressive visuals and speed form the backbone of this magical experience. Unfortunately not all production qualities are quite on the same level. Although the array of voice acting talent is impressive, some characters can all too often sound so cliché that you'd think they're in a panto, waiting for you to cheer them on, a pony tailed innocent named Vanille who sounds like she swallowed her favourite squeaky toy, and the whole cast mildly gasping like they're having awkward mini climaxes every time something vaguely perplexing happens can to easily make you wretch for the skip button at times.

[imgright]Vanity aside, it's clear to see that this isn't as free flowing as some players would like it to be. Linear routes practically make up the structure of the world, a vast majority of which cannot be revisited, and a rather big field replaces what could be a world map. 'Hunt Missions' prove to be the only real sustainable side-quests in the game, and though vast in quantity, don't offer a lot of variation. I was given airships multiple times throughout my adventure, and my cast of plonkers kept crashing them in cutscenes. Could there not have been a parallel parking mini game?

Final Fantasy XIII is everything you'd want it to be, but a lot less of it than you would want. Expect a roller-coaster plot, expect a fun and frantic battle system, but expect to be treated like cattle from beginning to end, albeit an artistically fulfilled herd. When forced into enclosed spaces, the characters open up to provide the storyline significant substance, yet anything outside of a cutscene can feel like a monotonous trek. When finally given free reign, clichés begin to seep in and that character foundation is no longer strengthened. Both plot and gameplay balance finely upon the same side of the coin, yet never seem to be willing to join hands and make FFXIII the epic we all want it to be. Nevertheless, despite the lack of freedom, it's an RPG that truly serves to encapsulate a new generation of gamers and offer a Marmite fresh platter for the veterans of the series. A few shortcomings may scarper it, but in no way tarnishes the series as a whole.

Review written by Phoenix Trigger for Yet Another Review Site

Broken Sword: Shadow of the Templars- The Directors Cut

reviews@yetanotherreviewsite.co.uk — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 23:53:43 GMT

Overall: 9 out of 10
Gameplay: 9 out of 10
Graphics: 9 out of 10
Sound: 9 out of 10

Pros: Excellent graphics, intuative control system, value for money
Cons: sometimes the small screen has too many "hot spots" that are too close together

From point and click, to swipe and tap
Broken Sword: Shadow of the Templars is a retro beast that refuses to go away. When it first came out in the 1990`s, this was a fresh take on the point and click adventure game genre. This was a genre made popular by the amazing Lucas Arts gems such as the Monkey Island games and Day of the Tentacle. Broken Sword was a breath of fresh air, and played as an atmospheric murder mystery. You fill the shoes of George Sobart, who, whilst vacationing in Paris, gets caught up in a web of intrigue, starting in a freshly bombed café, and takes you round the globe.

With the success of Professor Layton on the DS, it was decided to bring Broken Sword back to the public conciseness, only updated as a “Directors cut”. The original story has been expanded, and allows you to play as Nico, expanding her involvement in the story. We also have some of the puzzle elements in first person, allowing them to lay like mini games. Also we have some close up artwork , drawn by the legend that is Dave Gibbons (who did the artwork for the Watchmen graphic novel in case you didn't know), which are used for conversations, almost like a cut scene.

The graphical style was very cartoon-like, but now the animation is very smooth, and has been brought in line with what is expected these days on a handheld device. The DS version obviously uses the stylus as a control method, but due to memory issues one assumes, we have lost the excellent voice acting. Now as you can tell by the title, I am not actually reviewing the DS version, if you go to the apps store on I-tunes, you will see that Broken Sword: Shadow of the Templars- The Directors Cut is available to purchase. And if truth be told, it`s probably one of the best games available to buy for the iphone (or ipod touch if you have one of them instead).

The iphone seems even better than the awesome DS version of the game, as they have managed to include the voice acting as well. Also the control method of tapping the screen to make your character walk in that direction works very well. Another neat feature is when you swipe your finger across the screen it highlights “hot spots”, where you can talk to various character, interact with items as well as move onto the next screen.

Now then, since this is an action adventure game, as well as a puzzle game, you may expect a hard learning curve and you will not be mistaken, but since this is an iphone game, there is a question mark at the top right which can provide you with hints if you find yourself stumped. The story has been paced so well, that it can be played in short bursts, but does not lose any of its charm. I personally completed it in 30 minute bursts during my lunch break, clocking in about 12 hours of game play, which is pretty damn good for an iphone game and value for money at £2.99.

Review written by mrjoekerr67 for Yet Another Review Site

Toy Soldiers

reviews@yetanotherreviewsite.co.uk — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 18:43:01 GMT

Overall: 8 out of 10
Gameplay: 8 out of 10
Graphics: 8 out of 10
Sound: 8 out of 10

Pros: Looks great, New ideas for the genre really pay off, Playing against a friend is alot of fun, Great sound track.
Cons: Short campaign when played on the easier difficulties.

Remember your Toy Soldiers?
Last week saw the release of Toy Soldiers, the first release in the XBLA Block Party promotion. Whilst it's yet another tower defence game (and bare with me), this one is actually bringing some new ideas to the table coated with a charming graphical polish.

In all honesty, I dived into Toy Soldiers with a mind of predicted boredom. So many times have I played a tower defence game and instantly disliked it, for there ever so common style of play. I have to say that Toy Soldiers really did take me by surprise.

[img]Your main objective is to protect your toy box from incoming enemy soldiers, you must stop the enemy with your own base that you begin to conjure up using whatever money you have. Money can buy a whole array of weaponry for your base ranging from heavy machine guns to awesome gigantic missile launchers. Once you have managed to toughen you base up to shape, the battle begins!

Waves of enemies will charge at your toy box whilst destroying your base along the way, your soldiers will so kindly gun down the enemy for you if you so wish but may not be as effective as the likes of say, yourself.

This is what Toy Soldiers introduces to the genre of tower defence games. The player can now actually shoot down the enemies using all kinds of weaponry as well as take control of the vehicles within the game. Innovation is the key to this title, it makes the game far superior to all other tower defence games, I have not seen any other defence game where you can control units yourself.

Toy Soldiers includes the option to upgrade your weaponry at a cost, once upgrading the weapon will do higher damage and last longer in battles etc. You will find that upgrading your arms will become essential out in the field, so you better get killing in order to be able to afford such features.

Of course this game doesn't seem to take itself so seriously

Not only is the new game play element of Toy Soldiers there to make you feel more involved with the fight ahead, it also adds to the amounts of enjoyment this game has to offer. There is always a nice graphical presentation to Toy Soldiers, the environments look pretty nice as you sit within a boxed battlefield in someone's front room and all the character models look well rendered and made to look like actual toy soldiers typically.

Of course this game doesn't seem to take itself so seriously and with a game with toys soldiers in, how could it? You will notice the enemy soldiers fall to bits or show a comical dying animation which never fails to spark a giggle out of you.

In addition, Toy Soldiers includes a versus mode for players to conquer there friends in either split screen or online, this online mode is actually a lot of fun to play. You have to send waves of soldiers to the opposing base whilst of course making and upgrading your own base, its not much of a difference from the campaign mode of Toy Soldiers but it's the fact that you are laughing with your friends that makes this mode enjoyable.

[img]This game has a superb soundtrack throughout, especially when you stumble across boss battles, some real epic music for your ears to witness.

For a tower defence game Toy Soldiers proves that there is still potential within the genre by adding new mechanics to the subject. Toy Soldiers maybe a short game but I thoroughly loved every second of it and hope to see a sequel fly into the scope in the future.

Download this from the Xbox Live Marketplace now!

Review written by cochrane612 for Yet Another Review Site

Aliens vs. Predator

reviews@yetanotherreviewsite.co.uk — Fri, 5 Mar 2010 09:44:06 GMT

Overall: 7 out of 10
Gameplay: 7 out of 10
Graphics: 6 out of 10
Sound: 8 out of 10

Pros: 3 unique classes. Some very tense moments. Predator is pretty hard!
Cons: Clumsy controls. Heavy reliance on context sensitive actions. Dated looks

Is it better than the films?
Way back in 1994 Rebellion and Atari created a genre defining first person shooter called Aliens vs. Predator (AvP) for the ill fated Atari Jaguar (god I feel old now). It was an atmospheric and tense shooter that played on all of the greatest aspects of the franchise. In 1999, this classic was re-imagined for the PC and was again an instant hit, scoring decent scores at the time.

Eleven years later (and a few iterations of the game later) and we are being given another version of AvP, this time for the next generation consoles and of course PC.

This is distilled down to give it a very retro feel.

Following the theme of the original games and movies, you get to play through the story as an Alien, Marine or Predator. Each has its own unique skills, weapons and playing style as well as reason for being in the story.

Let's start with the marines, the place most players will choose to pick up the game. Armed initially with the classic Pulse rifle and assisted by the essential and iconic motion tracker, the Marines have one simple task. Survive long enough to escape. If I am honest it does feel like the Marines story is the one that Rebellion spent the most time on. The atmosphere created when walking down dark corridors, with just a flare and the increasingly panicked beep of the motion tracker, is truly scary. Rebellion has taken a leaf out of the original Alien movies and has used the effect very well. But although the Marine is the prey for both the Predator and the Alien, they are not helpless. As I mentioned there is the classic Pulse Rifle, but there are also a nice array of extra weapons to be had. My personal favorite is the flame thrower, although the sniper rifle is well worth having with you.

[imgright]Don't expect a modern feeling, Halo beating FPS experience here. This is distilled down to give it a very retro feel. There are no iron sights and no crouch or prone. This is shooting from the hip and praying you hit the target stuff. But it works, for the most part. Another strange inclusion is boss battles, giving this a more arcade feel than I would have liked.

Next up is the Predator, my personal favorite. Taking you through its own unique story, that interweaves with the other ones nicely, this is a chance for a teched up stealth mission. Making brilliant use of the stealth cloak and a host of film inspired gadgets, the Predator is by far the most powerful of the trio. If I am honest, it is a bit over powered, especially in multiplayer games! Whereas the marines and to some extent the aliens are pretty much grounded, the Predator prefers to sit in the tree tops and stalk his prey. The heat vision is intact and as brilliant as ever, making it easy to pick out hidden marines with ease.

The problem comes with the way getting to the tree tops is handled. With a finger bending combination of key presses you must first target an area to jump to. If it is allowed then you can jump. Not very practical when you are running for your life from a swarm of Aliens! All is not lost though as there is a rather fun trophy kill system. Get close to a stunned marine and you are given a context sensitive notification. The resulting animation is, initially, very satisfying, as you tear the Marines head off and keep it for later. The trouble with this is, you cannot cancel it, and so make sure there is no one about to kill you! Next on the snag list is the distraction ability. You can choose an unsuspecting marine to demonstrate the little know Ventriloquist power that all Predators possess. The idea is that you target a marine, then target the spot you would like him to go to and he rather obediently heads over to see what is there. Whilst this is fun, it does show one very large hole in the game. The AI. These marines are as dumb as dirt, following random noises at the drop of a hat. They are not much better at the whole fighting thing either. They just either run at you shooting or run away.

[img]Finally (and least interesting in my view) are the Aliens. The main mechanic is again stealth, using the shadows to hide and the ability to climb on almost any surface, the Aliens can strike without being seen at any time. Once you have found your prey you have no choice but to get up close and personal. Attacking with light and heavy blows, it takes very little time to kill your victim. Again there are some truly wonderful trophy kills to be had, my favorite being the one that sticks your tail in the victims' eye! Great fun.

Again though, this is not as easy as it sounds. The alien cannot just climb on to surfaces smoothly. You need to use a transition button to move from one to the other. This can lead to some really frustrating moments, like going round and round a tree branch waiting for the context sensitive notification to pop up!

Overall the single player campaigns are fun, if not ground breaking. Where there is a little shining star to this is in multiplayer. Not for the usual death match style modes, but for the modes that could only work for this type of game.

Survivor sees you and up to 3 other friends trying to stay alive as long as possible with wave after wave of aliens trying their best to kill you. It is during this that you get the most refined Aliens feel. Following this is the Infestation mode. Here a single Alien must try to kill all of the marines. Each Marine that is killed then becomes an Alien. Again this gives a very distilled and tense – if short lived – experience. The final not worth mode is Hunter. You take turns playing as a Predator trying to kill marines. When you kill one, they become the Predator. Fun, if a little short lived.

All in all this is not a terrible game. It looks a bit dated, with some clipping issues, its controls are clumsy to say the least, but it does deliver in the game play department most of the time. Multiplayer really is the highlight.

A flawed, but fun distraction from hardcore shooters. Oh and watch out for a great performance from Lance Henriksen reprising his role as Bishop!

Review written by daverage for Yet Another Review Site

Shatter

reviews@yetanotherreviewsite.co.uk — Thu, 4 Mar 2010 18:17:43 GMT

Overall: 8 out of 10
Gameplay: 8 out of 10
Graphics: 8 out of 10
Sound: 9 out of 10

Pros: New and dynamic ideas; Enjoyment factor; Sharp visuals; Great soundtrack.
Cons: Short length; Occasionally too much going in a small space.

This modern twist on Breakout is much more than a clone.
Unless you've been living under a rock, chances are that you've heard of the game 'Breakout'. To summarise – players control a paddle and eliminate bricks at the top of the screen, by ricocheting a ball off the walls of the screen, or the paddle itself. Missing a ball on its rebound costs you a life. Incredibly simple, this game of the 70's has been hugely influential, but has also been re-done and cloned half to death. Though PSN title Shatter does owe its inspiration to such block-breaking games as Arkanoid and Breakout, it's important not to tar this game with the same brush. As you'll see, it really is a stellar example of how drastically changing gameplay physics and bringing new ideas to the table can create a fresh experience.

The background story is a bit obscure and revolves around your paddle breaking free of the circuit it's part of and having to travel through seven different worlds… or something to that effect, anyway. Its scene literally takes up a matter of seconds at the beginning of the game, and isn't really essential in an arcade-type game like this.

At a glance it may seem that Shatter follows the same idea as breakout. But the layers of bricks are either at the far-right of the screen or the top, so the left analogue stick moves your paddle up/down or left/right respectively. What's cool is that the action can take place inside a circle arena as well as a square one, a nice feature since it's a bit more challenging to judge the rebound of your ball here. You'll also notice that can launch multiple balls yourself with the X button. This increases your score and means you can clear the stage quicker, but also ups the difficulty since you'll need to juggle a few at once. Since each ball launch represents one of your lives hanging in the balance, it's a sort of cost-reward mechanism.

Shatter's biggest innovation though, comes in the form of its 'suck' and 'blow' physical forces, which you apply to the ball. By pressing the L2 button your paddle emits a wave of air pulling your ball towards it, and by pressing R2 pushes the ball away. Things get interesting here because using both of these abilities properly and in succession mean you end up kind of steering the ball itself. Rather than seem like a gimmick, this mechanic is a well thought-out one. It speeds the pace of the game up because now you won't be waiting around for what seems like ages to break that last block. Not only this, but it actually plays a part in altering the course of game play itself; a bit of strategy is introduced regarding where you'll guide the ball next.

Along with typical one-hit bricks, a variety of other bricks (and other shapes) are thrown into the mix react differently when hit. For example, spinning bricks that rotate those around it like a cog, rocket-propelled bricks that shoot across the screen when hit and smash into others, and bricks that cheekily emit their own 'blow' waves to push your ball away from them. Some bricks even react to the 'suck' and 'blow' abilities, moving towards or away from the paddle as they are used. Stages are broken down into seven waves of bricks, and it's thanks to Shatter's effective use of physics that we are given some pretty interesting formations. For instance you might have bunches of standard bricks hinged together by a rocket or explosive one, and when these are hit they'll be send adjoining bricks flying. This shows how the game puts its own mechanism to good use in keeping things fresh and exciting.

When any brick is smashed it'll send glowing blue 'shards' pouring out, which gradually fill up your power meter at the top of the screen. Pressing square uses a shield on your paddle; this protects yourself against anything that happens to be coming towards you, and drains your metre for as long as you use it. Or, for the more fun option, once the meter is completely filled, pressing triangle spends it all on a 'shard storm', an awesome move that sends bullet-looking things spewing out of your paddle, and makes short work of any layers of bricks.

Tt's some of the prettiest carnage you'll see

Of course, where any game like this is involved, power-ups are involved as well. You'll collect the bog-standard ones such as an extra ball, but also some new additions like increased manoeuvrability for your ball, or an increase in the number of blue orbs released from destroyed bricks. When you collect a power-up a text announcement flashes up on screen in a small explosion of orange. Since it is the same colour as the ball, I personally found that this could often be a little distracting, but this is a minor quibble.

At the end of each world you'll be confronted by a boss, these take on various forms, some being more unnameable than others. Their weak point that you need to hit with the ball is marked by a white circle, but you also need to make sure to dodge their attacks as well – for example, a floating octopus who attempts to give you a good old smack with his tentacles or a scrolling enemy paddle who launches his own harmful balls at you (no pun intended… honestly). These battles feel really clever and are a welcome addition since they introduce a bit more action and yet again, more multi-tasking: whale on the boss while dodging their own attacks. It's great to see retro-style gaming merged with that old tradition of end-level boss, and it works.

This is all accompanied with some absolutely fantastic music. Module has collaborated with Sidhe Interactive to produce the game's soundtrack, an assortment of 15 tracks of synthesized and electro beats. Each is catchy and helps to bring a different feel to the different worlds, emphasising the futuristic atmosphere of Shatter. You might even find yourself downloading the soundtrack, so that's something to keep an eye out for.

Make no mistake – Shatter is quite the looker visually, with its retro-but-futuristic style. Crisp, sharp colours feature prominently in the graphics and all look gorgeous in HD. Your own ball is followed by streaks of orange, comet-style and backgrounds are littered with dots to give it that space-age feel. Each level has its own colour scheme ranging from cool, electric blues to vibrant spinning strobes. In short: not such a good idea if you have epilepsy. Bricks shatter into streaks and explode into ripples, not to mention the shard storm; it's some of the prettiest carnage you'll see. But add to this the dozens of blue shards which are spilling out of bricks, and the ball occasionally gets lost in the mess. It sometimes feels as though there is too much going on in such a small space, and this is my biggest concern in Shatter. As we already know, concentration is crucial in a game like this.

In essence, Shatter's goal is all about the scores, and there sure are plenty of them: you'll get a total level score after each stage made up of shard bonuses, time bonuses, a boss bonus and a bonus for the end-of-level mini-game. Yep, pretty much anything you do will rack up the numbers. For point-perfectionists, Shatter will provide a good opportunity to repeat stages to improve on their own record and beat their friends'. A 'boss rush' mode is unlocked after completion which means that you tackle each end-of-stage boss in the quickest time possible; so more achievement-chasing here too. Other than that, though, there's a lack of replay value and your only regret will be that the experience was longer because Shatter's seven levels are fairly short and the whole thing can be breezed through quickly. Some form of multiplayer mode would have been a desperately welcome addition; such as local split screen which sees two players competing for the highest score.

On the bright side, Shatter doesn't run the risk of becoming stale, and is a recommended addition to your PSN library. Shatter is modernised, yes, but is so much more than just a newer 'clone' of a classic game brushed over with flashy graphics – it brings a different angle on an older genre and breathes new life into it. None of Shatter's ideas are wasted or feel included for the sake of it; they actually help make the game a genuinely enjoyable experience. Shatter is a short ride, but one that never stops being fun while it lasts.

Review written by Hayes_90 for Yet Another Review Site

Heavy Rain

reviews@yetanotherreviewsite.co.uk — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 20:47:59 GMT

Overall: 9 out of 10
Gameplay: 7 out of 10
Graphics: 10 out of 10
Sound: 9 out of 10

Pros: Fantastic graphics and attention to detail, Immersive and heart-breaking plot full of twists, Graphics and sound all compliment the acting capabilities of the cast
Cons: Walking controls can be frustrating to work around, Impressive length can lead to issues with replayability

It's time for an emotional downpour
Tension and mystery are incredibly dangerous companions. Give someone a season of Lost and their eyes will gobble every aura of suspicion from beginning to end, excitingly unravelling every clue like a puppy with exceptionally shifty eyes. It's all fun and games until you realise its become an addiction and you're fired for sacrificing a week of work for riveting storytelling. Luckily when Heavy Rain came my way, all I got was a suspension for the afternoon. Win/Win.

[imgright]Somewhere on the East Coast of America, the bodies to young sons are appearing drenched in rain water with an Origami figure in one of their hands. With no leads, key suspects, or clues to track down a psychopath on the loose for three years, it will take the actions of four strangers, all with different agendas, to track down the killer...or fail.

Every artistic quality found in Heavy Rain practically screams 'IMMERSION' and draws its arms around you for a particularly distressing snuggle. Even during the games installation, you're persuaded to reach into your game box to find a tattered piece of square paper and make the signature Origami Crane found in each victims' hands. Heavy Rain can seem deceptively short after completion...yet it's only then that you realise that you've been pulled into it for the past ten hours.

On the other hand, you may only last a fraction of that time. Make the wrong moves or the wrong choices and any one of your protagonists can die and the story altered. When entering the realm of computer entertainment, checkpoints and quick saves can easily bat off the hands of death, yet with a story that will carry on and conclude regardless to your mortality, the drive to find the killer becomes so unnerving that you better have a spare batch of seat edges to claw onto.

[img]To fit in with the interactive movie aspect of the title, all gameplay is skimmed down to simple button commands, intelligently distributed and associated with movements of the right analogue stick. Hard hitting action sequences speed up this tepid sounding mechanic with nerve pounding Quick-Time-Events. Usually occurring during chase or fight sequences, these QTE's are incredibly tense, with button commands dashing to and throw from all angles of the screen. A punch coming your way will have the appropriate button assigned to the assailants fist, so only the most cappuccino stained thumb jitterers will overcome in battles of skill and agility.

It's ironic that Heavy Rain can make the taboo subject of haywire button timing so entertaining, yet attempts to fix what isn't broke when it comes to moving about. Simply using the left stick forces you to look around the area, whilst holding R2 actually kicks you into gear and pushes you forward. Although smooth in open sections, when approached with the daunting aspect of an average living room, movement can seem disjointed and sketchy, and the immersion can waver somewhat when it looks like your character is having a hoe-down with the wall.

You can't help but feel your local cinema has been scammed out of a would-be blockbuster.

In a somewhat bizarre twist, the high-octane set pieces actually manage to compliment some of the mundane tasks forced onto your lap. Sipping coffee, burping babies, dissecting the process of pouring a drink into several stick tugging motions, these are all ideas banished from the minds of The Sims development team. The opening is the most guilty harbourer of such events, yet all these manage to add strokes of realism to extraordinary events that seem to be spiralling out of control, stabilising the plot before removing the ground from your feet.

Graphically Heavy Rain may fool players into thinking they should be watching rather than playing. During cut-scenes, there would all too often be a cautious tap of R2, just to make sure that I shouldn't be doing something more pro-active. There is some outstanding attention to detail with characters that at times even the outline of tears can clearly be visible, and beautiful locations prove all the more stunning, with grittier ones looking even better.

Even sound effects show that little really is more in many aspects, and the voice work of all of the main characters proves to complement the strong acting ensemble. With a soundtrack that can prove epic and unnerving, occasionally at the same time, you can't help but feel your local cinema has been scammed out of a would-be blockbuster.

[img]These are all aspects that strengthen the narrative backbone that Heavy Rain sustains itself upon from beginning to end. It's difficult to talk about the plot as it's so easy to blurt out spoilers, too easy to dispose of the many twists and hard not to let the fact as to why you're so emotionally drained slip off your tongue. You become so emotionally invested that it's difficult to put the controller down and you'll certainly need some time to recover when the credits roll.

Although the story remains strong, it somewhat hinders replayability. A first playthrough can uncover a few minor plot-holes that can only be filled by a second dose of the story. Yet after becoming so attached to YOUR story, and after finding out the answer to the primary mystery of the killers' identity, it can seem somewhat hard to motivate yourself into a second mental beating.

Exhausting as it may be, it in no way dampens the epic, unique and fascinating experiment from Quantic Dream that truly deserves to be called an experience. Every minor influence, every piece of emotion, every life or death decision only drags you further into the killers game and strengthens your resolve to bring them to justice. And after a while, it's all too easy to find yourself in the shoes of your protagonists and ask yourself the key question that provides the momentum from beginning to end. 'How far would you go to save someone you love?'

Review written by Phoenix Trigger for Yet Another Review Site

Dante's Inferno

reviews@yetanotherreviewsite.co.uk — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 12:16:05 GMT

Overall: 6 out of 10
Gameplay: 6 out of 10
Graphics: 8 out of 10
Sound: 6 out of 10

Pros: Fatastic art design, Well written story that intrigues players about Dante's past,
Cons: Incredibly short with little replay value, Gaining experience is exceptionally grindworthy, Linearity makes the game nothing new or particularly special

As if this needed more marketing
Not to sound like you're reading The News Of The World here, but the world truly is a horrid place to be in right now. Full of stubbed toes, parent-in-laws and homeless who will only ever unite to pull off a no holds barred heist at Lidl, it's easy to forget that after our fragile lives are over there could be so much worse just waiting around the corner. It can even leave people in the media in a slight pickle, making it somewhat difficult for a creative artist to truly encapsulate the idea of 'Hell' to a desensitised audience. This may be why the team behind Dante's Inferno needed a bit of outside help from the past.

[img]Loosely based on the first book in Dante Alighieri's series of poems based around the poet's troublesome hikes through the afterlife, EA changes Dante's profession from Master Artist to Brutal Crusader. After a self reflecting sit by a camp fire with a painful embroidery tutorial across his very chest, Dante returns home to find his house ransacked and lady love Beatrice murdered. What starts off as the simple theft of life soon unravels into revelations about Beatrice's half of a deal with the Devil,the only means of rescue through Dante's determination to take on the Underworld and making for a marital issue even Jeremy Kyle would want to keep his nose out of. Although the main story slowly seeps into a Hollywood script of 'The Destruction of all that exists', intervals unravel the deeper you dig into Hell, and You'll find yourself ravelled deeper into Dante's past through the tapestry sewn into his chest. Impressively crafted animations detail the past of a hero increasingly slipping into the stigma of the infamous, and who's eventual fate remains truly unclear until the very end.

As soon as you enter the depths of Hell, it's easy to reconsider how you should spend your Sunday mornings. All nine rings of Hell hold fearmongering surroundings which soak you in putrid immersion, squandering what little light there is at the end of the demoralising tunnel. The enemies however, are nigh on enough to bring to your knees in a frenzied panic of praying. All equipped with twisted weapons of ironic justice, the complaint that in some cases the creative team went too overboard with some of the antagonist designs is shrouded by a compliment. Towering beasts threatening to tear you in half, flabby half ton masses showering you in excrement in the ring of Gluttony and phallic imagery in the depths of Lust that are enough to put Hugh Hefner in an awkward disposition tonight combine to form just the right mix of fear and loathing needed in a title attempting to encapsulate a truthful pixelation of Hell.

It's lucky that the environment doesn't prove to be too extraordinary, as too much artistic merit could squander the hatred of the Underworld. The atmospheric surroundings seem somewhat squandered by the fact that Dante seems to be taking the route through Hell as suggested by The National Trust. Despite minor hints of exploration to find secret items, the production line linearity enforced throughout the whole game never takes advantage of the world that has been created. Perhaps the feeling of being shackled to one path for all eternity was deliberate, but it was nevertheless frustrating.

The complaint that in some cases the creative team went too overboard with some of the antagonist designs is shrouded by a compliment.

Although the artistic flair is clearly aided by poetic source material, not all demonic issues can be sorted through rhythmic scribblings. It was perhaps something of a positive choice from a gameplay perspective to swap pen for scythe. Armed with the Reaper's signature weapon and..a crucifix that fires lasers...it's easy to put the damned back in their place. As long as you're not playing the game blindfolded and can tell what way is up, you can easily direct a flurry of death at any one who dares come your way. All Dante's Inferno really asks from you is patience I order to chop away at some enemies bizarrely extensive health-o-meters, extending the smooth breeze of combat to dangerously near dull moments.

The only thing that manages to jilt the ease of combat is grabbing the damned by the scuff of the neck and deciding whether to 'Absolve' and 'Punish' the already luckless souls. Leeching onto an opponent practically halts every other being wishing to nab a piece of you as you ponder the moral choices in your somewhat liberal repertoire. The only everlasting effects the choice makes is what upgrades will be unlocked for Dante, absolution unlocks more across the 'Holy' trick tree, damnation moves its way up the 'Unholy' equivalent. Though a welcome addition, events become especially grindworthy when the fluid combat must pause for a basic moral scuffle. With powers from both paths practically even and no alteration to the narrative coming from these actions, it's somewhat unclear why a method that damages gameplay was made the primary source of gaining EXP.

[img]For all the artistic merits Dante's Inferno is worth, it occasionally steps too far into the camp of God Of War to truly become a landmark title. All the gameplay elements that made the game good aren't fresh enough to be deemed exciting, resting in the purgatory of average. Despite this, it's a short and sweet pilgrimage for rent that definitely warrants a trip to Hell, but just the one way ticket.

Review written by Phoenix Trigger for Yet Another Review Site

Top Spin 3

reviews@yetanotherreviewsite.co.uk — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 21:13:14 GMT

Overall: 8 out of 10
Gameplay: 6 out of 10
Graphics: 9 out of 10
Sound: 7 out of 10

Pros: The best graphics in a sports game to date.; Hugely addictive gameplay.; Brilliantly detailed player creater and career mode.
Cons: Very poor online community.; No commentary!; Can be very challenging for beginners.

You want realism?
The fact that my friend walked in on me playing this game and said 'Oh, is Murray winning?' really does sum this game up. It's just a shame the gameplay couldn't quite match the amazing graphics.

Just like football, tennis has got its own fierce gaming rivalry. Top Spin and Virtua Tennis have been slogging it out for a number of years now, and still it seems, with no elusive winner. However, are the tides about to be turned? I played Top Spin 2 and enjoyed its simplistic, compulsive gameplay, meanwhile its newly introduced online feature proved immensely popular and offered the game another dimension. But this was no different to Virtua Tennis, and with the official licenses granted to the Virtua series it seemed like a loss for Top Spin.

Easy to learn – difficult to master.

Thankfully Top Spin has upped its game this time around, on and off the court. Firstly you are asked to create your Pro, and for some a monotonous process begins. However for me this was half the fun. Such was the detail and authenticity of the creator, it is easy to forget that it's the action on the court that makes this game what it is. The graphics continue to overwhelm you right from the start of your career. Spanning from the believable crowd and synthetic court locations in Junior level to the royalties of the Australian Open, with its sun blessed shadows and an atmosphere that pits you right there alongside Federer himself. I was blown away. I own a HD TV and it really is a joy to play, experiencing every rotation of the ball and the exhaustion cast on your players face after THAT fifth set tie break!

[img]A major criticism of Top Spin 3 however, has to be the controls. After becoming suited to the basic controls of Top Spin 2, it took me about ten games to really get the hang of things. An easy turn off for many tennis fans but trust me, grind through these early games and the game opens up into a truly beautiful and exhilarating experience. Most noticeably, the orthodox way of button pressing to play your shot has been revamped – with you having to hold down your selected choice of shot way before you actually getting around to making contact. Annoying at first, but it altogether aids in reminiscing real life that extra bit more. Easy to learn – difficult to master.

I'm not an avid tennis fan myself but found this game compulsive. The graphics blew me away and the gameplay enforced a difficult challenge that was extremely rewarding to overcome. If you've given in to Virtua Tennis over the years, change may be on the agenda with 2K sports' crisp and clean new tennis ace.

Review written by mrdecimate for Yet Another Review Site

Microsoft Sidewinder X8 Wireless Gaming mouse

reviews@yetanotherreviewsite.co.uk — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 20:18:12 GMT

Overall: 8 out of 10

Pros: Good performance. Great charging system.
Cons: Strange shape.

A wireless mouse that can actually deliver the gaming goods?
Before I started looking at gaming mice, I had a small, cheap and perfectly fine wireless mouse. It was fine for work, but had a few problems when playing fast games, as it had a tendency to jump a little.

This being the case I was not all that shocked to learn that hardcore gaming mice tend to come with a great big braided lead.

Aimed at right handed users only (as seems too often be the way) the X8 has a pleasing, if large, feel to it. You get your normal left, right and middle buttons. As well as two side buttons, three resolution selectors on the top and a tilting scroll wheel, you also get a macro record button, but more on that in a bit.

A good mouse for the casual gamer, geeky office worker or habitually cluttered reviewer!

There are a couple of very unique features here, and I must confess I love them. Firstly there are side buttons. Rather than having the side buttons go horizontal, they are veridical (i.e. on top of each other). Your thumb rests between then and they are much easier to make use of this way. It is a simple, but very nice design feature, which I hope others may take notice of. Secondly and most importantly is the charging solution. Rather than opting for a docking station, Microsoft has done something that really is a stroke of genius in its simplicity. The wireless receiver (which looks rather like an ice hockey puck) has a little lead coming out of it. This has a little magnetic bit at the end, which sticks to the bottom of the mouse and charges it. So effectively it becomes a wired mouse. No longer will the battery running out mean an interruption in game play, you just stick the charging cable on and off you go!

[img]In use, the X8 is really very good. The Blue track technology ensures that you get a high resolution with no tracking issues. The wireless signal is always strong as the puck is intended to stay near the mouse during gaming sessions, so no jumping. The shape of the mouse does take a little getting used to, but is not as off putting as some! Take off the top of the puck and you will see 2 sets of spare feet for your X8. These all have different levels of smoothness, so that you can tailor the glide of your mouse very easily.

The bundled software is easy to use; however macros are a bit of a pain to create, involving real-time creation with a record button on the mouse. Interesting, but not well documented!

Overall I think this is a very nice mouse. It is not as feature rich as some, or as ergonomic as others, but it is a good all rounder and has the added bonus of being wireless and having the good plug and play charging.

A good mouse for the casual gamer, geeky office worker or habitually cluttered reviewer!

Tech Specs

2.4 GHz Wireless
Be free with wireless technology.
BlueTrack Technology
World's most advanced tracking technology for gaming with image processing of 13,000 frames per second.
Play and Charge
Up to 30 hours of active gaming on a single charge, or use the play-and-charge cable for non-stop action.
Twelve Buttons – Seven are programmable
Customize the five programmable main buttons, plus left/right tilt wheel—seven programmable buttons— to customize your gaming experience.
Scroll Wheel with Tilt
Better feel and response with detents for precise control.
Full-Speed USB Reporting
Full-speed, 500 Hz USB reporting is built for lag-free play.
Device Stage
Quickly and easily access common tasks, including product information, registration, settings and more for popular devices such as cell phones, cameras, printers, and mouse, keyboard and webcam products.
Engineered for Speed
Shape designed for quick, balanced, precision gaming action.
Vertical side buttons
Don't make mistakes. The top/bottom design makes locating the side buttons easier and reduces the inadvertent actuation risk.
LCD Display
Quickly view DPI settings and macro-recording.
Quick Launch Button
One-touch access to Microsoft PC Gaming features.
DPI Switching
Instantly switch sensitivity between high, medium, and low with one click.
Replaceable Mouse Feet
Choice of three different materials for glide preference.
Macro Record
Easily record macros while in game with the dedicated button.

The Scores

Build	7	Silver Y Award
Value	8
Features	7
Overall	8

Review written by daverage for Yet Another Review Site

Army of Two: The 40th Day

reviews@yetanotherreviewsite.co.uk — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 20:10:28 GMT

Overall: 4 out of 10
Gameplay: 4 out of 10
Graphics: 3 out of 10
Sound: 5 out of 10

Pros: Lots of weapons to play with, The weapons can be upgraded, Clear menu's
Cons: Not the best graphics, Bad character designs, Stupid A.I, Uninteresting story, Strange controls

Save often, that way you won't have to replay it if you die.
Army of Two: The 40th Day is a port from the Xbox 360 and PS3 version in the game, in which the graphics, game play and story are somewhat spectacular. Is this the same for the PSP version of the game? Not quite, no. The game takes on the same story as the other two versions, however it portrays it no way near as well as they do. You have the choice of two characters, Rios or Salem, with the choice to unlock more bonus characters after the first play through of the game, although the reasons to play through a second time are still unclear. The game takes place in Shanghai, where the two Mercenary Protagonists have to fight their way through the dilapidated city, whilst also fighting off bad guys with guns. Of course, all this is made clear, if you can be bothered to listen to all the bad cut scenes and even worse voice acting. Or, you can do as I did, and skip these to get straight into the action.

[img]As you fight your way through the streets of Shanghai you may notice that the control scheme is similar to that of a side scrolling game like Metal Slug or Contra. Although you control your character using the joy stick, the interesting part of the control scheme is when you shoot. If you press Circle, you will fire to the right, and Pressing Square will make you fire to the left...need I go on? In theory, this is a good idea, but in actual fact, it often doesn't work, and more often than not you'll find yourself shooting civilians, therefore losing out on money, or randomly shooting a wall as you're blasted in the face by a shotgun wielding mad man. This can become very annoying, especially if you're playing on the harder difficulties where ever shot counts.

For a PSP game the graphics are acceptable, although they could be much worse, and the colour scheme tends to be very dark. However, the characters themselves are similar to those of Gears of War. They have large heads, hands and feet, yet normal sized torso's and legs. Whilst some may find this amusing, it becomes somewhat annoying during the cut scenes when you can see these oversized limbs in full. Whilst in the game though this shouldn't matter, as the camera is zoomed out, not so far that you can't see what you need to, but just far enough to avoid any detail.

The creators of this game have clearly saved all there magical powers for the console versions

Army of Two: The 40th Day uses a pretty standard weapon upgrade system. You can't change the features on your gun, but if you save up enough money, the weapon can be enhanced, be it with better accuracy or a bayonet. The game also includes a number of “different weapons”. Ranging from the ordinary assault rifle and shot gun to the laser rifle and tesla cannon, what are these doing in modern day Shanghai? Your guess is as good as mine. Weapon upgrades and weapon purchases are bought in the form of salesmen which are placed in regular intervals around the game, although they often don't appear until all the bad guys have been killed. Money is gained by completing missions, rescuing hostages or completing bonus objectives, most of which have to be completed to move on further, such as destroying helicopters or mini bosses.

The character you don't choose will back you up as a team mate. He can be controlled with simple commands, or his stance can be changed from passive to aggressive, all of which are mapped neatly onto the D-pad. However, more often than not it's simpler to ditch your “companion” and do things on your own. As you're slowly dying, is he supposed to stand there and do nothing? No, yet this is what actually happens. On many occasions I've died due to the stupid A.I of my partner as the enemy A.I are smarter and do offer the occasional challenge. If your partner proves so dim it starts to infuriate however, Army of Two: The 40th Day includes the option to play through the campaign with a friend. Your friend has to have the game, and be close by as there is no internet play. This means you can replace your stupid team mate with a friend.

[img]In conclusion, Army of Two: The 40th Day is a drab and dreary game that offers the same excitement levels as looking at grass. With few interesting points, except the control scheme (which doesn't stand out for the right reasons), the creators of this game have clearly saved all there magical powers for the console versions and decided to settle for a mediocre version instead. But hey, If you like Metal Slug, this game might be for you.

Review written by Lewissss for Yet Another Review Site