REVIEW: Battlefield: Bad Company 2

Developer: Dice | Publisher: EA | Format: PS3/360/PC

Reviewer: Craig Jay Gallagher The original Battlefield: Bad Company was an entertaining if flawed attempt to bring the Battlefield franchise away from a strict reliance on multiplayer gaming and offer a story driven single player element also. While entertaining as it the game never reached the levels of greatness one expect from the Battlefield franchise.

Bad company 2 takes what was good about the original title and ups the ante considerably. The meandering storyline of the original has been replaced with a more cohesive and entertaining plot that offers up a number of truly breathtaking moments and a sense of heart that was missing form the first. As with eh first game you play as Preston a member of the Bravo Two Squad in their search for a secret weapon called Aurora which we are first introduced to in a prologue set during WWII. Once back in modern time the story traverse the globe as our unlikely band of heroes race against time to save the fate of the free world.

As before one of the highlights of the game is the banter between your squad who not only react to circumstances in a realistic manner but also provide some of the best comic relief this side of an 80s cop film. Your squad don’t hang back like in other titles but rather they stand up front with you taking out enemy cover and sending their fair share to the heavens above. The improved AI is much welcome and sets a new bar for squad based shooters.

Even with all the time and effort obviously put into he single player it still pales in comparison to the multiplayer. The campaign as fun as it is is also rather short lived with competent gamers being able to clock it in around 8 hours. With that in mind it should be remembered that like a great film, Bad Company 2 is a title you will return to again. The multiplayer is where the game really shines. The features of previous Battlefield titles are all present and correct allowing for dozens of players to battle it out across large maps allowing for a truly entertaining spectacle. The class system is also vast, with gamers being able to one which suits their own style. Each class has it’s own unique points which when combined with gamers from classes can make for one hell of a squad.

Bad Company 2 looks gorgeous with a jaw drop depth of field. The overall cinematic feel is obvious from the level of detail in each locale. Throw in the destructible environments and you have a level of realism rarely seen. Sound is also superb with fantastic voice acting and a great score which further adds to the cinematic feel.

Bad Company is head and shoulders above the original and is a solid contender for best FPS on the current generation. Even with the short lived single player campaign there is more than enough to guarantee that in years to come gamers will be returning time after time.

NEWS: Modern Warfare 2 Stimulus Package Launched

Activision have announced the release of the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Stimulus Package which is now available to download on Xbox Live. The download contains 5 maps and costs 1200 Microsoft points. Before gaining access to the new maps gamers will have to download an update for the game which is currently available on Xbox live.

The game update is necessary even for gamers who choose not to purchase the download content as it adds not just support for the new maps but tweaks the multiplayer in a number of ways. It includes an matchmaking update which allows gamers to find locally hosted games aswell as various other additions and improvements.

REVIEW: Heavy Rain

Developer: Quantic Dreams | Publisher: SCEE | Format: PS3

Reviewer: Craig Jay Gallagher The line between cinema and gaming has slowly been eroding over the past few years and with the release of Heavy Rain the line is less visible than ever before. The game from Quantic Dreams and SCEE takes a slew of genres and jumbles them all up into a thoroughly entertaining and original title. The story follows 4 characters, each in their own unique way linked to a serial killer known as the Origami Killer.

The four characters include an FBI agent, a father searching for his missing son, a reporter and a private eye. Each character inhabits their own part of the overall story with their individual actions having an effect on the way the overall story plays out. Heavy Rain’s biggest addition to the gameplay is the manner in which the story progresses once a character dies. There is no return to last check point or load last save, no once a character dies in the game their story is over. It is this unique aspect of the game which allows for an unprecedented level of re-playability. Your goal is to go through the story with all your characters alive, experiencing each characters tangent.

The choices you make in the game decide how it plays out. It is this aspect which makes it so intriguing, there are no right and wrong answers. Maing the right choice can easily condemn you to certain death. The best way to do is trust your gut instinct and go with it, thinking too hard can in it’s self be the wrong decision. Decisions made can have drastic effects later on in the game with even the smallest decision changing the outcome of the game.

The story takes place in an nondescript American town where a serial killer has been preying on children. Every few months when heavy rain hits another child goes missing. The constant sense of dread gives the game a rather unique feeling as does some of the difficult to watch moments. there’s something about children in peril that really can add such darkness to a story.

Graphically the game is exceptional with an attention to detail which is unparalleled. Characters emotions are breathtakingly realistic with even the smallest aspect of the world is fully formed. The control scheme while initially confusing is equally well implemented. Prompts pop up on screen at times and gamers must match them to accomplish tasks.

While there are some stumbling blocks along the way, Heavy Rain is an exceptional title which gamers will get a lot from. The level of replayability offers gamers the chance to play a differnet game each time.

TRAILER: Iron Man 2: Enemies & Destruction

With just a few short months to the release of summers biggest film it was inevitable that we would see a tie in game. After the rather mediocre original game, Iron Man 2 is looking to be a step up. Hopefully this will join the ranks of other tie in games such as Escape From Butcher Bay rather than the less than stellar Beverly Hills Cop tie in game.

TRAILER: Prison Break: The Conspiracy Launch Trailer

Prison Break: The Conspiracy released tomorrow is a 3rd person action adventure game in which you control Tom Paxton a company agent sent deep undercover in the Fox River  State Penitentiary to attempt to uncover the secret behind Michael Schofield.

The story takes place parallel to the first season of the show and features a number of characters and events from the show in a whole new light.

Who is Tom Paxton

Tom Paxton is a top-drawer agent for the Company with an impeccable resume. His extraordinary physical strength and agility as well as his talent for disappearing seamlessly into any environment make him the ideal candidate for the job.
Paxton is tall (6’1”), well-built, with sinewy athletic body.
Very little is known about his childhood. His father was a initially a Secret Service agent, but later became an agent for The Company. His mother died at his tender age. The tragic death of his mother in a bank robbery, and growing up with an assertive father without siblings, gave him a very specific view of the world and leaving him to fend for himself at a young age.
As soon as he could, he joined the US military. Stationed in Burma for three years, Paxton had a short-lived relationship with a local woman. As the relationship became too close for comfort, he severed it abruptly. However, the woman gave birth to his daughter, and Paxton still sends money every month to the mother and the child, exposing traces of compassion – a rarely seen trait of his personality.
His ambition drove him to continue his Military career at West Point Academy, leaving his previous life behind. He graduated with honors and joined the Secret Service. Shortly afterwards, he was recruited by the Company. Paxton was attracted by the Company’s goal-oriented approach, efficiency, no pencil-pushing all-action assignments, and unscrupulous Machiavellianism of the leaders.
Paxton was on the fast track in the Company, getting more and more responsibilities and climbing up the hierarchy. He fully believed that what he’s doing was for the good of the country, and the higher cause he was a part of. This belief, fueled by strong patriotic moral fiber and combined with his extreme efficiency and effectiveness, makes him the perfect agent for the company. Two years ago his father was killed in the line of duty, working on an undercover assignment for The Company.

Paxton’s Personality and Character Traits
Paxton’s characteristics are dominated by his devotion to his job, being a company agent. This is reflected in his personality and how he lives his life.
The Company is his family. He respects the Company’s resoluteness and omnipresent power. Although being a man of action, he believes people must be forced into prosperity, as the masses are too lethargic to get there themselves. He’s driven by ambition, including rolling up the Company’s ramp. Above all, he believes in completing a mission – any mission – no matter what stands in between him and success.

REVIEW: Bioshock 2

Developer: 2K Games | Publisher: 2K Games | Format: PC

Reviewer: Craig Jay Gallagher It’s been 10 years since the events in the original game and Bioshock 2 introduces a very different Rapture. While there is a certain familiarity to the place there has also been one hell of a remodel. After the fall 0f Andrew Ryan, Sophia Lamb took charge and has not only changed the city but also those who inhabit it.

You find yourself awakening as a Big Daddy prototype into a changed Rapture with only one objective in mind, find your little sister with whom you’ve been imprinted. As luck would have it you come to in during a time of political upheaval as a power struggle threatens to tear Rapture apart.

As expected there is a host of new enemy types on offer. Brute slicers who love to charge you down and attempt to help you shuffle off this mortal coil time after time. The biggest addition are the Big Sisters, kinda like a Big Daddy with roid rage. They can bounce around a room while at the same time attack you with both plasmids and weapons. They’re a nasty bunch whom take a lot of effort to take down. Strategy is the key here, a simple run and gun strategy won’t work and given how powerful the Big Sisters are don’t be too disappointed if you find yourself going down time after time.

Collecting ADAM has had something of an overhaul. Rather than the simplistic save em or kill em in the original, part 2 allows you to work with them. You use the little sisters to harvest the ADAM from dead bodies. While they are doing this you must act as their protector ensuring that the splicers don’t get near them.

Many gamers complained about the need to constantly switch between weapons and plasmids in the original. The rejigged control systems makes this far more intuitive with you being able to select which ever one you want without having to constantly juggle between the two. Upgrading of both is also back with this once more done at special plasmid vending machines.

The biggest change to the game is the inclusion of multiplayer. The story driven online mode offers a completely different story and setting as it puts you smack bang int he middle of the civil wear which tore the city apart prior to the events of the original. The traditional modes are all on offer albeit tweaked to the Bioshock style. You can utilise a selection of plasmids, weapons and a whole slew of additional elements such as turrets and a Big Daddy suit. As you level up your character more abilities and options become available ensuring repeat visits.

Once again the sound-scape is superb. the score is atmospheric and the use of period music adds an eeriness to proceedings. The ambient effects are perfectly implemented making for many a hair on end moment. Graphically the game looks pretty damn nice though technically it’s not that better looking that the original. This isn’t necessarily a draw back as Bioshock remains a thoroughly impressive looking title. The superb level design and art design further adds a level of intricate detail which makes the whole experience that much more realistic.

Bioshock 2 is that rarest of thing, a sequel which takes everything that was great about the original and improves on it. With it’s engaging and deep story, superb gameplay, excellent multiplayer and an all round sheen Bioshock 2 is head and shoulders above the competition.

REVIEW: Ninja Blade

Developer: From Software | Publisher: Iceberg Interactive | Format: PC

Reviewer: Craig Jay Gallagher Ninja Blade is if anything a uniquely odd game. It features a truly bizarre plot alongside some of the most breathtaking visually stunning action sequences of any game. One particularly astounding action sequence involves grabbing a bike in mid air as you land on top or a bus which is also in flight due to the actions of a massive city destroying worm similar in appearance to the sand worms in Dune. You race along the bus leaping from the bike as it sails into the open mouth of the worm as you throw a perfectly timed dart at the bikes petrol tank causing it to explode resulting in an explosion big enough to level a city. It’s balls to the wall insanity and all the better for it.

It’s important before playing the game to remember that it is a port of the 360 version and to play the game utilising a keyboard and mouse is asking for trouble. The only way to play Ninja Blade is with a game pad preferably a 360 controller. The in game prompts which decide your fate on regular occurrences were developed for a controller and as such don’t really work with the keyboard/mouse. Unfortunately even with your controller plugged in the keyboard prompts still appear onscreen. While it’s hardly a damning quality it is slightly annoying.

In the game you play as Ken Ogawa a member of an elite ninja clan whose mission it is to stop an ever growing worm based virus which is causing ordinary citizens to mutate into grotesque creatures. The insanity on offer is evident from the opening mission in which you skydive into the middle of the pandemic fighting flying monsters as you plummet to earth. After defeating enough bosses and enemies to fill your average game you find yourself betrayed by your team and left to fight on your own. One thing is clear and that’s that Ninja Blade doesn’t skimp on the gameplay.

Similarities are sure to be drawn to the Devil May Cry series and Bayonetta and while Ninja Blade offers a similar style of gameplay it does feel rather less fulfilling that those. While there is a selection of moves to use you find yourself favouring a small few which are more than enough to get you through the game. Where Ninja Blade does come up trumps is with the Prince of a style platforming. You run up walls, across gaps, swing from pole to pole and generally have fun thrashing around buildings as they collapse around you.

Finishing moves are as impressively over the top as one would expect. Buttons flash up on screen and if matched you can pull off a truly astoundingly stupidly impressive death knell. This type of lazy gameplay generally spells the end for a game but with a title as absurd as Ninja Blade it works am,azingly well. There really is no other way it could have worked.

Ninja Blade is the type of game that no one expects greatness from. It’s nowhere near as accomplished as some of it’s counterparts but it is certainly one of the most entertaining experiences on offer of late. It’s the gaming equivalent of a Michael Bay film only with added insanity. It’s thoroughly recommended for gamers looking for something a little different and with the pocket friendly price you really have no excuse not to give it a whirl.

REVIEW: Mass Effect 2

Developer: BioWare | Publisher: EA | Format: 360/PC

Reviewer: Craig Jay Gallagher At last it’s here and like many of life’s most enjoyable thin­gs it was well worth waiting for. With Mass Effect 2 Bioware have delivered one of this generations most impressive titles, one which effortlessly blends elements of numerous genres into a finished product which is head and shoulders above most titles currently available.

Set two years afer Mass Effect, part 2 begins like most sequels do with a rather dark future looming. A new alien race The Collectors are harvesting humans for the Reapers. Shepard and his/her unlikely crew of misfits set off on a suicide mission to try and save the future of the human race. Like all great sci fi, the interaction between team mates is often one of the most interesting and entertaining aspects of the game and Mass Effect 2 certainly delivers here. Given that the group is made up of sociopaths, religious zealots and assassins guarantees that there is near constant squabbling with team mates repeatedly engaging in shouting matches. With all this interaction the biggest let down is that once they board their ship the Normandy the character don’t do anything but wait around the same area. Were they allowed to walk around and interact with one another would allow for a more realistic and enjoyable experience.

The leveling up system has received something of an overhaul. Rather than trying to create a level 60 super soldier you spend more time balancing your team with a varied group of soldiers, techs and biotics. Getting above level 30 in ME2 is pretty much the same as reaching level 60 in ME. It takes a lot of work and dedication on the players part and given that side quests are harder to come by it can be a truly arduous task at times. In ME2 you must actively search out side quests and dong so I s no easy task. You must visit every planet to find an anomaly and once found you are allowed to land and embark upon the quest. It’s no easy task but it is rewarding. The sense of satisfaction one feels upon completing one of these quests makes it all worthwhile.

BioWare have truly delivered a genuinely unique game in the way the missions play out. On a number of pivotal missions such as the instance where you must fight a Thresher Maw alongside Grunt the new Krogan in you squad. On these missions you are able to choose from one of many endings. This choice generally involves the fate of a target or team mate and depending on how you play it the game differs drastically. At the end of the game you are given a number of choices which will ultimately decide your fate in part 3. It is these subtle yet devastating options which truly marks ME2 as one of the all time greats.

As expected the combat has been overhauled allowing for a more fluid gaming experience. The way to survive in the game is to study you enemy and learn their tactics. Enemy AI makes this rather difficult but one thing is certain, those who wrote off the original due to the poor combat will more than likely be swayed with this sequel. The role playing elements have been streamlined and simplified. Leveling up is easy as pie which allows more casual gamers an easier introduction to the game. Players are now able to learn new powers from their teammate and the ability to mater a new weapon during the game. You can also purchase upgrades from stores or unlock them. One of the new teammates Mordin is able to mine resources from planets across the Verse adding at least another 4 hours to a game already packed to the brim with gameplay.

Mass Effect 2 is so much more than just a game. It’s an experience unrivaled by any other title currently available. It’s an essential title which even the most casual gamer should invest in. In a word it’s perfection.

NEWS: Ubisoft’s DRM Server Issues

Ubisoft’s latest attempt to combat piracy was delivered a rather hard blow over the weekend when their new DRM servers overloaded leaving gamer unable to play the recently released PC version of Assassin’s Creed II.

The game requires gamers to have a constant internet connection otherwise the game is unplayable and more use as a coaster than anythign else.

Assassin’s Creed II which was released last week was one of the first titles to support the new DRM system and so far has been plagued with issues. Gamers have complained about connection outages, inability to connect and a slew of other issues which have left the game unplayable for many.

Ubisoft are working on fixing the problem as soon as possible with them apologising for the difficulties

More news on this as it becomes available.

NEWS: Red Dead Redemption Delayed

Rockstar games upcoming western Red Dead Redemption won’t be released this April as originally planned.

Announced today the delay means that the game won’t drop in stores till May 21st. The reason for the delay seems to have been done so to allow the company additional time to market the title.

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