The Bioshock comparisons are evident from the get go, special powers, unique and twisted enemies, upgradeable weapons and an enviroment directly out of your worst nightmare. Oh and don’t forget the rather tiresome audio logs full of useful information, useful that is as long as you’re willing to sit around listening to them. While these comparisons will no doubt be the focus for many there is much more here than yet another run of the mill shooter and unlike most of its ilk a few unique gameplay ideas saves the day.

The story unfolds on the Russian island of Katorga-12, the site of dastardly time manipulation experiments and being a sci-fi epic, the worst thing that can happen, does of course happen. A time shift sends our intrepid hero through time to a place where Russia is the worlds super power and an evil dictator runs the world now inhabited by mutated freaks. As the game unfolds you find yourself manipulating tears in time in order to jump back and forth in time in doing so changing the time line, it’s a unique idea which is perfectly executed.

As mentioned your time manipulation powers are integral to the gameplay, though like all good things in life too much of them robs them of their delight. The ability to unleash a time bubble which brings time contained within to a near standstill is a neat trick but it’s use makes gameplay rather formulaic and easy. By using the time bubble you can grab nearby enemies and easily dispatch them, repeat a few dozen times per area and in 8-10 hours it’s all over. Other abilities include being able to warp humans into mutated freaks and on the mutants themselves you can bring them to a near standstill or age their bodies till all that remains is dust. It’s all good wholesome family fun.

One of the most important aspects of any shooter is the control system and in Singularity the control system is intuitive and perfectly implemented. Movement and aiming are both spot on and the button layout makes for a title which can easily be picked up by even the most casual of gamers which considering the array of abilities on offer is no small feat.

The 8-10 hours of gameplay may not seem like much but considering the multiple endings on offer and dozens of rewards scattered throughout the levels re-playability is quite high making up somewhat for the rather lack struck multiplayer. Only two modes are offered and neither is exactly interesting, still with a few friends it will kill a rainy afternoon just don’t expect anything ground breaking.

Singularity is the definition of a good game which could have been a great one. It has it all, a great idea, inventive gameplay, great enemies but at the end of the day the repetitive gameplay robs it of greatness. That said, it’s still good fun and well worth at least a rental.

Microsoft have finally announced an official price on both the stand alone Kinect and a console  bundle pack.

The Kinect will retail for €149.99 and will come bundled with a free game, Kinect Adventures. Further first party Kinect games will have a suggested retail price of €49.99 and it is believed that this will be standard for most third-party publishers.

Those making the move to the 360 will be able to pick up a console/Kinect bundle which will retail for €299.99 and will include the console, Kinect and Kinect Adventures.

Microsoft also announced today details of the new 360 which is expected to hit stores on August 20th. The console will an inbuilt 4GB flash memory, built-in wi-fi adaptor aswell as a sleeker, more stylish outer case and will run near silent.

New Xbox 360, Kinect Sensor and “Kinect Adventures” — Get All Your Controller-Free Entertainment in One Complete Package

Microsoft announces pricing for Kinect and a new Xbox 360 4GB console.

Dublin. — July 20, 2010 — Microsoft Corp. today announced an all-in-one opportunity to jump into the controller-free fun of Kinect coming this Christmas: the all-new Xbox 360 4GB console, the revolutionary Kinect sensor and “Kinect Adventures” will be packaged together and priced at €299.99 Estimated Retail Price (ERP).  With “Kinect Adventures,” players will make their way through 20 adventures, navigating roaring rapids and ducking and dodging through mountaintop obstacle courses and other exotic locations — no controller, wand or balance board required. In addition, existing Xbox 360 console owners can purchase the Kinect sensor with “Kinect Adventures” for €149.99 (ERP).  The sensor, which will work with each of the 13 million[1] Xbox 360 consoles sold across Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), is uniquely able to track your full body movements, respond to your voice and deliver a multiplayer experience right out of the box.

In addition, the new Xbox 360 4GB console, which begins shipping from August 20 in EMEA, will be available for €199.99 (ERP). With a sleek new design, the Xbox 360 4GB console looks great and includes built-in Wi-Fi N, 4GB of internal flash memory, touch-sensitive buttons and a black matte finish.

“Kinect for Xbox 360 offers tremendous entertainment value, transforming our living rooms into fitness classes, dance clubs and sports stadiums through full body, voice and multiplayer games,” said Chris Lewis, vice president, Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft Europe. “Whether you’re new to Xbox 360 or an existing console owner, we’re committed to offering Kinect experiences that offer controller-free fun and entertainment right out of the box and these unique products and retail offers provide the most complete and affordable way for all the family to enjoy Kinect this Christmas.”

More than 15 games are set to be available at launch. In addition to games, Kinect changes the way you experience entertainment by putting your favorite movies, TV programs and music all in one place and controlling it with just the wave of a hand. Kinect also creates new ways for friends and family to have fun together. With Video Kinect, share a smile with friends and family, as you open a window into living rooms around the world.

Starting today, select retailers are taking pre-orders for the Xbox 360 Kinect Console Bundle at €299.99 (ERP) and the Kinect for Xbox at €149.99 (ERP). In addition, Kinect games, including “Kinectimals,” “Kinect Sports” and “Kinect Joy Ride,” will retail for €49.99  (ERP).

About Kinect

Kinect for Xbox 360 brings games and entertainment to life in extraordinary new ways — no controller required. Simple to use and fun to play, Kinect for Xbox 360 allows owners to jump into Kinect-enabled games for any type of play, and the Kinect Hub puts your favorite movies and TV programs, music, live sports, and social networks all in one place. The Kinect sensor recognizes you, responds to your gestures, listens to your voice and works with every Xbox 360 console (175 MB of memory required). More information about Kinect for Xbox 360 can be found at http://www.xbox.com/kinect.

Reviewer: Craig Jay Gallagher The Guitar Hero franchise got in on the single band music title with Guitar hero: Aerosmith way back in 07 whereas it took Rock Band a further two years to release a title dedicated to one band. Considering that the band in question was the Beatles, one can forgive the delay. After the success of the Beatles Rock Band it was only a matter of time till we saw more single band title released and now it’s the turn of pop punk heros Green Day.

Following the beatles is a tough trick to pull off and while Green Day do have a vast catalogue of songs to draw from unfortunately the absence of key tracks from the band’s history is disappointing. Most of the tracks included are taken from the latter half of the bands life with Dookie and American Idiot represented here in their entirety with 12 tracks from 21st Century Breakdown on offer. Given the nature of the music the difficulty level is substantially less than that of the Beatles, 3 cord punk rock never was all that difficult to pick up and play.

Gameplay is the same as last years Beatles, you can do up to a three-part harmony with other singers and can utilise the No Fail option if you want to play through the full song but just don’t feel capable of succeeding on your own all in all there’s nothing different on offer here but let’s be honest why fix something which aint broken.

Greed Day Rock Band is exactly what it says on the tin, nothing more, nothing less. THe soldi selection of songs will appeal to fans though long time fans may feel short-changed given the absence of key moments in the band’s history. Your enjoyment of the game all depends on one thing, whether or not you love Green Days music and as such fans will find a lot to enjoy here. for everyone else, Beatles Rock band remains the definitive single band title.
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Teh first pack will be released this August and will add new multiplayer weapons and characters. It is in teh later part of the year when the releases will come into their own with the release of the Undead Nightmare Pack which will include new single player content aswell as multiplayer zombie characters.

Release dates for the remaining two packs are unknown.
Full breakdown of the contents of each pack:

Legends and Killers Pack

New active map locations, characters and more:

• Release date: beginning of August 2010;
• 9 new multiplayer map locations — more than doubling the amount of territories in the multiplayer competitive modes;
• 8 new multiplayer characters — play as characters from Red Dead Revolver;
• Introducing a new projectile weapon: the Tomahawk, with corresponding challenges for single-player and multiplayer gameplay;
• New achievements and trophies;
• Pricing: $9.99 (PlayStation Network), 800 Microsoft Points (Xbox LIVE).

Liars and Cheats Pack

New competitive modes, multiplayer mini-games in Free Roam, and more:

• Release date: TBC;
• Attack and Defend multiplayer competitive mode and challenges;
• New multiplayer horse races, complete with mounted combat;
• Play as the heroes and villains of Red Dead Redemption, as well as 8 additional multiplayer characters;
• Multiplayer versions of Liars Dice and Poker from the single-player game;
• Introducing a new weapon: the Explosive Rifle, with associated challenges available in single-player and multiplayer gameplay;
• New achievements and trophies;
• Pricing: $9.99 (PlayStation Network), 800 Microsoft Points (Xbox LIVE).

Free Roam Pack

Delve deeper into the world of Red Dead Redemption with new modes, challenges and gang hideouts to discover:

• Release date: TBC;
• Additional Free Roam challenges;
• New action areas and defensive placements;
• Posse scoring and leaderboards;
• New anti-griefing measures in Free Roam;
• Pricing: TBC.

Undead Nightmare Pack

Ghost towns and cemeteries come alive in a West gone horribly wrong:

• Release date: TBC;
• Brand new single-player adventure, challenges and quests;
• 8 new multiplayer zombie characters;
• Additional animals unleashed in the world;
• New dynamic events and more;
• Pricing: $9.99 (PlayStation Network), 800 Microsoft Points (Xbox LIVE).

EA have compared the title to a choose your own adventure title with 4 different endings on offer depending on the choices you make in the game. Each  ending will unlock a in game item for Dead Space 2 which is due to hit shelves January next.

Reviewer: Craig Jay Gallagher

The last Prince of Persia title took the franchise in a rather different direction, employing as id did an open world design and gorgeous artistic graphics. It took a franchise which had grown rather tired and reinvigorated it. The latest release, to tie in with the just released film Sands of Time is something of a step back, which is no bad thing considering just how well it works.

The story focuses on the rivalry between our hero the prince and his brother, like most brothers at on time they got along but once evil inhabits the one brother, things have a habit of going sour. The story is a throw back to the superior Sands of Time and as such it really goes the extra mile in crafting a franchise entry which manages to hark back to older titles but at the same time still seem fun. Harking back to the Sands of time the game features intricate and elaborate level design, a hero who has the agility of a monkey, combat which is fun and puzzles which are actually puzzling.

Initial levels have a very paint by numbers feel and anyone whose played a previous title will find no surprises here. Add in the lackstruck and shallow combat and you have a recipe for disaster. Thank God then for the intricate a designed levels in which surprise lurks around every corner and a responsive control system which makes for entertaining if challenging gameplay.

The linear gameplay, a change to the open world design of the last game may seem like a step back but in reality it’s one of the games biggest strengths. The levels all work together with each new area building on the last as you constantly blend skills and abilities. The unlockable moves are the ones which make for such an interesting experience. The ability to freeze water at the touch of a button is the most widely used ability. Turning waterfalls into frozen walls to run across as at the tap of a button you crash through a previously frozen wall of water. It’s an interesting and highly rewarding feature which makes for some truly stunning moments.

Combat, unfortunately is rather lack struck. In past incarnations combat has never been the franchises  forte but it was always stylish enough to overcome such issues. In the Forgotten Sands it’s a bit of a mess, the camera seems to constantly point in every direction bar where you need and the rather simplistic nature of the combat means simply bashing the controls for a few minutes ensures you come out on top. While bosses are slightly more difficult they all seem to follow the same pattern, you avoid their attack before jumping on attacking. It’s simplistic and boring and constantly reminds you that you’re missing out on some superior platforming fun.

despite the initial hand holding and lack-struck combat there is more than enough fantastic platforming action on offer to satisfy fans of the franchise. At the end of the day the game is never less than entertaining and one of the funnest platforming titles in a long time. It’s shortcomings keep the game joining the ranks of the franchises better entries but it’s still a superior effort.

Reviewer: Craig Jay Gallagher UFC Undisputed 2009 was one of last years biggest surprises. It offered an unprecedented realistic fighting sim which capitalised on the rising popularity of MMA by creating a faithful representation of the visceral violence we see in the ring mixed with some great gameplay. THQ obviously saw the potential that the series offered and with this years release they have addressed the issues that many had with the original title and given us one of the most realistic and entertaining fighting games available.

The first thing you notice about this years release is the expanded game modes. Alongside returning modes Exhibition, Ultimate Fights, and Career we now have Tournament, Title, and Event modes which offer a series amount of gameplay. The new modes offer a variety of different types of game, Tournament allows you to find a champion in whichever weight class you want.Event mode allows you to set up a fight card and then either play or simply sit back and watch, yes you read that right you can now watch two computer created fighters battle in the octagon though, let’s be honest most gamers will favour fighting themselves. These new modes may not redefine fighting games as we know them but they do add a lot of gaming hours which is something many fighting games lack of late.

As good as last years title was the career mode was for want of a better word, lacking. Thankfully this year has seen the mode drastically over hauled leading to a far more refined and realistic approach to a fighters career. Unlike the original title in which your fighter was thrown head first into the UFC unprepared for what lay ahead. You now must train your fighter and build him up at fight camp. It makes for a far more interesting approach which really pays off.One rather annoying aspect of this is that Stats have a habit to decreasing at an alarming rate when they are not trained. It’s quite frustrating as to properly keep your stats up involves repeated training rather than just honest to God fighting.

The gameplay has also had an over haul, grappling in last years edition was for want of a better word, lacking. Fights were so much about skill so much as looking for an opening and then using your best move to garner the upper hand. This time around asserting your dominance is far more strategic, rather than forcing opponents to the ground you can now pin them against the cage, the addition of finishing moves means ensures that fights no longer have to end in a KO or submissions.

The biggest criticism of the game concerns its strongest asset, career mode The number of tasks you must accomplish including training and gaining sponsorship makes for a rewarding if frustrating experience. WHile it’s nice to see developers including such a wealth of content the repetitive nature of it can be quite overwhelming for the casual gamer.

Online is yet another area in which the game scores highly. You can set up what are basically clans with other players and train together. You can also set up your own eight fight PPV event which you can then watch afterward as if it were a televised event. It’s a lot of fun and adds more playability to a game all ready buckling under the layers of content on offer.

UFC Undisputed 2010 doesn’t do anything drastically different but at the end of the day why fix something when it’s not broken. Building on 2009s foundation the game is one of the most in-depth fighting sims ever released. Newcomers may be slightly intimidated but for anyone who enjoyed last years addition they’ll be hooked from the get go. UFC Undisputed 2010 is a superb title which deserves space on any gamers shelf.

The slim 360 will come with a 250 GB hard drive, built-in 802.11N wi-fi, ethernet, five USB ports, HDMI, digital optical audio out, Kinect connection port and a new power supply. It will also power the Kinect without the need for an additional power pack. Speaking of power packs the next console’s power supply will be about half the size.

Gamers will be able to transfer their existing data to the new console through a cable which will be sold separately. It has also been confirmed that the hard drive can be replaced but that the existing 360 ahrd drive are not compatible.

The Xbox 360 Slim has been priced at 250 euro and will be in stores from July 16th.

Xbox 360 is fully loaded with new features and still comes with everything you know and love. Here’s a feature list to make sure you don’t miss any of the newest Xbox 360 250GB parts.

Form Factor: Sleek, lean and gloss black finish with chrome accents. Place vertically or horizontally in any living room entertainment center.

Touch Sensitive Buttons: Turn the Xbox 360 video game system on/off and eject a disc with the swipe of a finger.

Whisper Quiet: Whether you’re playing a DVD disc or from the hard drive, or navigating the dashboard, with the all-new and much quieter Xbox 360, the only noise you’ll hear is your own laughing, cheering and playing.

Wi-Fi: Built-in 802.11n Wi-Fi for fast, easy connection to your friends and entertainment on Xbox LIVE.

Hard Drive: 250GB internal, swappable hard drive for even more storage. To access, remove the bottom panel by pushing the small tab toward the front of the console.

Kinect-Ready: Custom Kinect port on the back of the console that directly hooks up to the Kinect sensor for controller-free fun.

USB Slots: Five USB ports; three in the back of the console and two in the front for easy plug and play.

AV Connections:

AV Cable included for standard definition TV connection.
HDMI port for high definition TV connection.
Optical Audio out port integrated on back of console for AV system connection.

Power Supply: Smaller and more efficient. Xbox 360 250GB and Xbox 360 Original power supplies are not interchangeable.

Wireless Controller: The award-winning Xbox 360 Wireless Controller matches the console in all black with color-matched thumsticks and directional pad with a touch of gloss and chrome to complete the look.

Backwards Compatible. Your favorite accessories and games will work with Xbox 360 250GB. (Xbox 360 External Hard Drives and Memory Units are not compatible.)

Accessories. Customize your Xbox 360 250GB with matching black accessories, including favorites such as Controllers, Wireless Headset, Chatpad, Quick Charge and Play & Charge Kits and more. Get a look at a few of these today.

Key Internal Components Changes:

Fan: Moved from two small fans to one larger fan for improved acoustics.
Chipset: 45 nanometer and integrated CPU and GPU.
Wi-Fi: Integrated wireless capability.

The short is basically an interpretation of the first part of the game and details Marston’s attempt to capture Bill Williamson. It is not a prequel as many have claimed and while it’s somewhat unnecessary given that most have experienced the story before it is rather interesting.