VIDEO: The Wheelman trailer
After the superior FPS Chronicles of Riddick: Escape From Butcher Bay Vin Diesel’s own Tigon Studios seemed to take a bit of a break before commencing work on the upcoming Riddick sequel as well as the truly impressive looking The Wheelman, an early trailer for which was released this week.
The game really does look fantastic. Diesel looks and sounds amazing and if the video is anything to go by we can expect one hell of an entertaining romp. Shame we have to wati till next year to get our hands on it.
REVIEW: The Bourne Conspiracy
Developer: Sierra Entertainment | Publisher: High Moon Studios | Format: 360
Reviewer: Craig Jay Gallagher:
At this stage the vast majority of the worlds populace is familiar with Jason Bourne, be it from the highly successful trio of film or the original novels by Robert Ludlum Jason Bourne has crossed over into mainstream conscious much like James Bond.
The latest incarnation of the iconic character is in pixalated form in the game The Bourne Conspiracy which one of the summers most entertaining and action packed titles thought the plot may not make much sense to anyone approaching with no prior knowledge of the character.
The game follows Bourne, a 30 million dollar assassin whom after failing to neutralise a target gets a dip in the Mediterranean sea and ends up losing his memory. The game follows Bourne as he grables with his identity and searches for the answers he needs. You play the urrent missions as well as a number of older ones which he recalls.
All this takes place across the world with Bourne using a number of techniques from hand to hand combat to to driving cars to the obligatory gunfire.
The gameplay is far from perfect but it is designed in such a way that it makes the game a joy from start to finish. The hand to hand combat is expertly implemented though the duck and cover aspect is poorly done. It’s generally far more effective to just run around shooting than it is to take cover.
The driving levels are also an inconvenience as the over steering results in simple movements send your into walls and obstacles. Both the shooting and hand to hand combat are fantastic. It’s fast, furious and fun to boot which is all you can ask.
Expectations for The Bourne Conspiracy were low, most including this reviewer expected it to be a completely redundant cash in on a successful film franchise but the overall results are quite impressive. The game more than does the film and books justice and delivers the most satisfying gaming experiences of the summer.
REVIEW: Secret Agent Clank
Developer: SCEE | Publisher: High Impact| Format: PSP
Reviewer: Craig Jay Gallagher:
The PSP has in recent time became the sidekick console. Daxter was the first to get his chance to shine as the star of his own game and now it’s Clank’s turn. We all have a James Bond fantasy, racing about in a dapper tux shooting badies and using numerous gadgets. Secret Agent Clank takes this fantasy and makes it real, for Clank anyways. From Clank introducing himself as “Clank, Agent Clank” to the iconic camera in the gun barrel shot.
It seems that developers Impact Games doubt Clank’s ability to carry his own game as there are a number of playable cameos by Ratchet as well as the very first playable incarnation of Captain Qwark. While these two additional characters deliver some respite from Clank’s misadventures they pale in comparison to the madcap insanity of Clank’s missions.
From the opening console quality video it’s obvious that a lot of love has been put into making this a truly entertaining and rewarding game. The game offers the usual array of challenges, battles and a very entertaining story driven linear story mode. The plot is quite simple, Ratchet has been caught attempting to steal a gem and thrown into prison for for his misdeed. Waking the next day with no memory of the event and suspecting that he may have been framed Clank sets out to prove his friends innocence.
The gameplay is pretty much the same as it ever was. You run around killing bad guys, collecting bolts and taking part in numerous races and what not. The bolts are once again used to buy weapons and upgrades
only this time you can buy weapons and send them to Ratchet inside a cake. Ratchet can then use these weapons in his own battles inside prison. Ratchet’s story really isn’t that involving and is more of a
series of fights than an actual storyline.
Captain Qwark’s story on the other hand is really quite a lot of fun. Qwark has been following Clank around taking credit for all of Clank’s deeds. His section of the game involve you replaying Clank’s levels but in a seriously exaggerated fashion. Small boss fights which Clank fights now end in a truly epic fashion.
My biggest problem with the game is that the developers spend far too much time on the non Clank aspects of the game, which really ruins the games flow. While both Ratchet and Qwark are entertaining and funny as hell they take the focus off of Clank and in a game called Secret Agent Clank you really expect far more of the title character.
Secret Agent Clank is one of the most pleasurable and entertaining titles on the PSP in a long time. It’s funny, entertaining and a fine addition to the Ratchet and Clank franchise. Gamers loking for the next spy saga may be disappointed but for fans of the series of anyone whom enjoys a good time then Secret Agent Clank is a necessary title.
REVIEW: The Incredible Hulk
Developer: Edge of Reality | Publisher: SEGA | Format: PS3
Reviewer: Craig Jay Gallagher
Turning a summer blockbuster into a half decent game is a monster task for any developer. The general rule is that the finished product is usually a sub par experience with poor gameplay and a looming sense of regret when you realise that you just lost upwards of 6o euro.
There is the odd stellar title that manages to sneak though, such as the superb Chronicles of Riddick: Escape From Butcher Bay which remains this reviewers favourite FPS of all time. The latest cash in is The Incredible Hulk and while it fails to reach Riddick heights of quality it remains quite a decent title which is a lot of fun.
The plot follows the film with a few detours to up the action ante. Bruce Banner is on the run from the US army led by General Ross whom is eager to capture the Hulk and use him to create genetically altered
super soldiers. What follows is a series of fights between you and tanks, soldiers, various villains and the big daddy The Abomination, a kinda anti-Hulk. All this takes place in New York City, which you can pretty much smash up. The city is immense and packed with people, cars and numerous soldiers. The sheer amount of damage that you can do is unparalleled.
You can pick up and throw cars, tear one in half and create home made metallic boxing gloves. The city is an interactive hub with a number of side missions and mini games to complete. Many of these further the story while others are just an excuse to break stuff and cause as much damage as possible The damage that you do to the city allows enemies to zero in on you and try to take you down.
The biggest draw back is the fact that many missions are repetitive with many involving you simply having to bash buttons for a few minutes. The most irritating missions are the ones in which you have to protect buildings as you do far more damage to the building jumping around it than your enemies do when attacking it. At times the ability to just race around destroying stuff grows quite mundane and you find yourself reaching for the off button.
At the end of the day, The Incredible Hulk isn’t going to redefine gaming as we know it but what it does do is offer a number of hours of nonstop mayhem and destruction. While far from the dizzy heights of the Riddick game it’s certainly far superior to last years Fantastic Four game and is worth a cursory rental at the very least.