In a world where games are more often than not released with the mentality of release no, patch later it’s becoming more and more common for games to be on store shelves before they’re finished. LittleBigPlanet may very well be the most under-finished early releases ever only in this case the unfinished nature of the game is also it’s biggest asset. The game allows you to fill in the gaps crafting your very own unique gaming experience.

This is done through the use of a number of ingenious level design tool, a truly unique character called sackboy and a hell of a lot of stickers which you can put anywhere you want. The addition of level editors to games are common, some of the most entertaining game levels around have been crafted by fans using these level editors. What no other title has done is utilise the ability to design your very own game levels in such an exciting way.

LittleBigPlanet is designed to bring out your creative inner being. You start with a blank canvas, which you can manipulate and play with to your hearts content. The pre-designed levels are a joy to race through, it’s like Jim Hensons and Tim Burton’s love child/

Levels you design can be shared online with other gamers offering up unlimited possibilities. While it remains to be seen if the game will live up to it’s potential it’s hard to imagine gamers not embracing the title and designing level after level.

LittleBigPlanet is one of the inventive and unique titles ever made. It offers up unlimited possibilities and enough features to keep most gamers entertained for the foreseeable future.

Two years ago Gears of War burst into gamers lives like a desert eagle blast to the temple. It was polished beyond belief and offered up one of the most exciting FPS experiences in years. Rather than have gamers race in blindly killing everything that moves, it forced you to hide behind debris and then pop out to kill something.

Gears 2 feels more like Gears 1.5, sure the visuals have been polished, environments are far more varied and there’s some nice visual touches but overall pretty much everything remains the same. Characters flounder around like drunken rugby players, gameplay is exactly the same. Run around, duck behind an a burnt out car then pop out and shoot an alien or three.

The online mode is where the action really shines and with that in mind the story mode generally involves our hero Marcus Fenix being accompanied by Dom. This is far more entertaining when another person plays along side you, it allows you to explore a variety of different tactics and utilise the impressive big ass guns, such as the mortars and the sweet ass chain guns which really are impressive to use.

Back to the online mode, the different modes on offer Submission, in which a soldier becomes become the flag in Capture The Flag, and the awesomely fun Horde, which allows five players to survive 50 enemy soldiers till none remain. Horde is one of the most addictive multiplayer experiences ever and worth the price of the game alone.

The greatest problem with the game is that it tries far too hard to aspire to be a truly cinematic experience. The game is a intended to act as the middle part of a trilogy and takes some time to explain the origin of the alien insurgents. Shame then that the characters and dialogue are so laughably handed. The score though is fantastic, Steve Jablonsky who scored last years Transformers does it again delivering one of the finest game scores of all time.

All in all Gears 2 is a highly entertaining and enjoyable experience let down by some rather dull on rails sections. Like many middle sections to a trilogy the game suffers from far too much exposition and not enough action.

*** THIS COMPETITION IS NOW CLOSED ***

Ubisoft have released Prince of Persia (2008) on PS3, Xbox 360 and PC. Thanks to the publisher, we have one copy on Xbox 360 and another on PS3 to give away. To enter, email win@gamestoaster.com answering the question:

• What year was the first Prince of Persia released?
• UPDATE: Due to the high number of people looking for Xbox 360, entries are now just open for PS3
  

The winner will be selected in the next day or two. As it’s getting close to Christmas please include the answer, your name and address, and what format you want.

You can view the trailer for the game by clicking here, and screenshots and key features are below…

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According to Ubisoft the key features of the game are…

A new hero emerges
Master the acrobatics, strategy and fighting tactics of the most agile warrior of all time. Perform perfectly timed acrobatic combinations to traverse canyons and buildings and avoid the evil tremors borne out of the corruption. Armed with a gauntlet acquired from previous adventures, the Prince scale sheer cliff faces and tackle Ahriman’s minions in combat!

A unique visual style
Experience an ancient mythological world brought to life with an all-new art style labeled “Illustrative”, inspired by the highly detailed hand painted illustrations it takes its source from. Prince of Persia’s unique graphic style is a perfect balance between classic drawings and modern modeling, offering the look and feel of a watercolour painting in motion.

A deadly new ally
Combine the Prince’s abilities and Elika’s power to deadly effect. Her abilities will help in combat, acrobatics and puzzle-solving. She will enable the Prince to reach new heights of deadly high-flying artistry through special duo acrobatic moves or devastating fighting combo attacks.

An ancient mythological world
From sprawling Persian citadels, deserted kingdoms and perilous lava rifts, discover a vivid and mythological world of unprecedented scale, with an evolving non-linear structure. With multiple paths to choose from, players will influence the game’s final outcome.

Nintendo DS fully dedicated version
Continue the adventure in an original story exclusive to the Nintendo DS expanding the story unfolding in the PlayStation 3, XBOX 360 and PC versions.

Perfectly adapted to the DS use the stylus in movement, combat and manipulate the corruption with the help of a mysterious ally – the Magus!

Competition rules: Staff, contributors, writers, reviewers, or employees of this website, its partners or of any companies and/or organizations that are involved with the competition, or their families, may not enter. We (this site, and any companies and/or organizations involved) reserve the right to cancel without notice any competitions if deemed necessary. Entrants must be residents of Republic of Ireland or Northern Ireland. Entrants must give us a valid email address, winners will only be notified by email, and asked for a delivery address — the winners names and general location (ie County, or city) will be also published. Winners will have four working days to reply to our email, after such time a new winner will be selected. No cash alternative is offered for these prizes. In some competitions, we reserved the right to extend the duration of a competition and/or withholding prizes in the case of poor response or an inferior quality of entries, and multiple entries may be disregarded. The closing date will sometimes be on the page of which the competition is on; entries will only be accepted at our decision after such date. The Editors decision is final.

The Rockstar North developed game is to be the first of two downloadable episodes announced for the 360. It will feature “all new” content but will make use of the Liberty City of GTA IV.

Rockstar says the game will include: “…a new main character and plot that intersects with the storyline of Grand Theft Auto IV; new missions that offer an entirely fresh way to explore Liberty City with new multiplayer modes, weapons and vehicles; and a diverse soundtrack with additional music - all with the incredible production values that are the trademarks of Grand Theft Auto.”

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We have four copies of Tom Clancy’s EndWar to give away thanks to Ubisoft, two on both PS3 and Xbox 360.

*** ENTRY TO THIS COMPETITION IS NOW CLOSED ***

Question: What is the war strategy series EndWar’s designer, Michael De Plater, previously worked on?

Send your answer to: cian.ginty@gamestoaster.com with the subject line “Tom Clancy’s EndWar”, please also say if you’re interisted in a copy for PS3 or Xbox 360.

Developed by Ubisoft Shanghai, the publisher describes the game as “an all-new breed of strategy game. Designed from the ground up for consoles, it is a fusion of next-gen. technology, superior design and first-class production values behind which is veteran strategy games designer Michael De Plater who’s previous titles include the Total War series.”

“Set in 2020, with resources growing scarce every nation must look after themselves. Tom Clancy’s EndWar explores a full-scale land war between superpowers. While the narrative engrosses the player in a massive global conflict, with battles taking place in American and European heartlands”.

Ubisoft describes the key features as:

Cutting-edge Technology

• The first strategy game to be entirely playable with voice command (headset required)
• The “commander’s-eye view” offers a view of the action from the perspective of any unit under control
• Rock solid soldiers AI: they autonomously seek cover, engage enemies, and withdraw

Massive multiplayer, endless replay value

• The massively multiplayer “Risk-style” Theater of War campaign groups masses of players in live action
• Online battles allow up to 12 players in live action on the same map
• Unique units customization features (weapons, armour, gears) allow unlimited combinations in online and offline games

Your World in Flames

• 40 real-life recognizable battlefields including Washington DC, Paris and Moscow
• Fully destructible dynamic environments
• Hundreds of characters and vehicles on-screen in real-time, with a level of detail previously associated with first-person shooters

Competition rules: Staff, contributors, writers, reviewers, or employees of this website, its partners or of any companies and/or organizations that are involved with the competition, or their families, may not enter. We (this site, and any companies and/or organizations involved) reserve the right to cancel without notice any competitions if deemed necessary. Entrants must be residents of Republic of Ireland or Northern Ireland. Entrants must give us a valid email address, winners will only be notified by email, and asked for a delivery address — the winners names and general location (ie County, or city) will be also published. Winners will have four working days to reply to our email, after such time a new winner will be selected. No cash alternative is offered for these prizes. In some competitions, we reserved the right to extend the duration of a competition and/or withholding prizes in the case of poor response or an inferior quality of entries, and multiple entries may be disregarded. The closing date will sometimes be on the page of which the competition is on; entries will only be accepted at our decision after such date. The Editors decision is final.

The new Limerick shop on William Street is the third in the city, adding to current outlets at the Crescent and Parkway shopping centres.

Owned by the US retailer of the same name, GameStop now has 56 shops across Ireland and the UK, with the vast majority in the Republic and the North.

The company says it has a large stock of Wii Fit games, but it claims the “game is expected to be in short supply this Christmas so Wii fans should do their Christmas shopping early!”

GameStop are also operating what it calls “a new innovative ‘Play For Free’ scheme” where “Gamers who purchase any games console between now and Christmas, can return it if they don’t like it for any reason, and they will receive a full store credit in return.” Terms and conditions, of course, apply.

‘Best in Show’ launches in the Digital Exchange on November 20, and will feature work of students from NCAD, DIT, Limerick School of Art & Design, Dundalk Institute of Technology, Trinity College Dublin, and the London College of Communications.

It will be open to the public from Friday November 21 to Thursday 27, excluding weekends. For more see thedigitalhubexhibit.com.

Reviewer: Craig Jay Gallagher

Much like the war which its based upon, Hell’s Highway has been a long way coming. First mooted in 2006, a rash of set backs ensured that the third in the Brothers in Arms series lost much of it’s initial momentum. Now, after years of waiting Hell’s Highway finds it’s self on the PS3.

Like many realistic FPS, HH suffers from placing far too much emphasis on heavy handed melodrama and trying to force home just how much a tragedy WWII was. While games based on such a black note in human history should be treated with respect, HH spends far too much time utilising poorly voiced cut scenes and a script peppered with such inane topics of conversation that it’s hard not to wonder if this wasn’t written by 12 year old.

Throw in the usage of slow motion head shots that reward you for managing to place a bullet in an enemies head one does wonder why exactly did the developers spend so long creating a solemn and respectful tone only to go and glorify war in the game. That said, the low motion head shots are bloody great fun if highly inappropriate.

In the last few years we have been treated to a slew of above average war based FPS, so it’s not surprising to discover that HH doesn’t come anywhere near close to matching titles such as Call of Duty 4. Even when this is taken into account HH still stands up quite well due to it’s superior gameplay. Taking a traditional FPS and mixing it with tactical squad-based gameplay works surprisingly well and makes for a far more satisfying experience. Gamers will find themselves contemplating their next move rather than rushing in guns blazing. From the get go one aspect of the game really does shine, the AI of both your troops and enemy soldiers is exceptional. Your team mates will always take cover rather than getting mown down and will more often than not act on their own initiative rather than slavishly wait on commands from you. Knowing that you aren’t constantly needed to baby-sit makes for a truly challenging and entertaining game.

The game is a lot of fun but given the superiority of the first two entries and the numerous delays its likely that Hell’s Highway may be the last we see of the franchise, though the game does leave the door open for a sequel which hopefully deliver the franchises true potential. Far from a poor title, HH is simply mediocre and in this day and age mediocrity is no longer acceptable.