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: 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.

REVIEW: Viking Battle for Asgard

Developer: Creative Assembly | Publisher: SEGA | Format: PS3

Reviewer: Craig Jay Gallagher

Vikings are cool. No one can argue otherwise, be they raping, maiming and plundering or drinking themselves silly Vikings have always held a soft spot in the hearts of us all. These were men who set out into the unknown conquering new lands and fighting valiantly to the last man.

Throw in the stories of Asgard and their Gods and it’s hard to believe that there are so few games based on the Viking mythology. Viking: Battle for Asgard goes so way redeeming this.

The story, not that it really matters much follows the adventure of Skarin, a Viking whom the Goddes of Light have called upon to repel the forces of the evil Hel whose army of the undead is killing people in a bid to create a new Valhalla. The story is told through rather artistic cut scenes reminiscent of the graphic novel 300, though tbh it can be quite difficult to follow at times. And lets be honest no one is approaching a game about vikings for a meaty storyline. All anyone really wants is some hacking and slashing with gallons of the red stuff.

Which is exactly what you get. The third person action adventure relies upon one driving force and that is the truly epic battles. You have to do some obligatory questing, exploring and rescuing but once this is done and you’ve freed your men you get to storm a compound and engage in much blood shed. The combat is fantastic.

Wielding a sword and axe you get to wade through enemy soldiers cutting and decapitating as you go. Attacks are limited with upgrades available as you progress and the ability to power up attacks using Rage mode is a nifty trick. There’s also the ability to unleash elemental magic, such as thunder, fire and fire by collecting the souls of your slain enemies which handily enough appear as red crystals.

The noncombat aspects of the game are mediocre are best. The world is broken up into three levels which initially seem to offer up a lot of scope for exploration. Sadly this initial interest soon turns to boredom as you realise that there’s nothing to do an little to see. The only real alternative to aimless wandering is the are the quests to find barrels of Meade and other such novelties.

Acquisition of gold is generally done through trekking off the beaten path and offers a short reprieve from the tedium of combat less action on offer. All that said, while it does detract significantly from the game the sheer exuberance of violence and astounding battles goes a long way toward compensating for this.

Visually the game is competent with some truly breathtaking moments and many not so impressive. The camera is a major hindrance with constant manipulation of it essential to getting anywhere. Poor camera control is the downfall of many games and in Vikings it can be truly torturous. Trying to see what lies ahead of you while fighting off hordes of the undead are not ideally suited to one another.

Lets be clear, Vikings: Battle for Asgard is not a game for those seeking deep and rich narrative or Morrowwind-esque exploration. What it offers is unparallelled button bashing and enough blood to satisfy any gore hound. It’s not big, it’s not clever but it is great fun. And when it comes down to it that’s all that really matters. Worth a look and a weekend rental while remaining an essential purchase for anyone who loved 300.

EA apologise for Northern Ireland mix up

- Error was brought to EA’s attention in late April

Publishing giant Electronic Arts have apologised for using the wrong national anthem for Northern Ireland in the Euro 2008 computer game. The mistake was brought to the games publisher’s attention over two months ago in April. A Northern Ireland fan wrote on publisher’s online message boards of his “shock” and how he was “disgusted” by the game.

The fan pointed out that ‘Danny Boy’ is used in the game for the national anthem of Northern Ireland, rather than official anthem ‘God Save The Queen’. But his main point of controversy is due to ‘Amhran na bhFiann’ or ‘The Soldier’s Song’ – the national anthem of the Republic of Ireland – being played as victory music.

“I just bought Uefa Euro 2008. I’m from Northern Ireland and was shocked at some of the discoveries in your game. First of all Northern Ireland’s national anthem is not ‘Danny Boy’. Now for the worst part. when I was playing with NI and finished match at the end of match screen it started playing ‘the soldiers song’ which is the Republic of Ireland’s national anthem” said a user on EA’s message boards who described himself as a “very disappointed gamer” and signed off as Ian Kerr.

He continued: “Just to let you know Northern Ireland is still British and not all Ireland. The national anthem is ‘God Save the Queen’. where do u [sic] get your information on football from because whoever it is has never been to a Northern Ireland match, God Save the Queen is always played as our national anthem. As for the soldier song being played at end of match menu I was left disgusted. So, northern Ireland has no identity now I suppose”.

With many in the North having different cultural views, anger at the mix-up is unlikely to be even across political lines. An EA UK staff member followed the fan’s post with “There’s some excellent feedback here, keep it coming”, followed by a smiley face.

However, since then, EA’s Shaun White was quoted by media outlets as saying: “At EA Sports, we pride ourselves on delivering rich and authentic videogame experiences. We sincerely apologise for this error”.

REVIEW: Haze

Developer: Free Radical   Publisher: Ubisoft | Format: PS3

After all the delays Haze is finally with us. Long touted as the
definitive PS3 exclusive shooter, the game which much like Halo would
have gamers buying a PS3 just to play. It promised to redefine first
person shooters by combining a cinematic story with intense jaw
dropping action. Unfortunately like many of it’s kin it fails to
achieve anything more than mediocrity

The story follows Sergeant Shane Carpenter, a newly recruited
soldier who spends his days fighting alongside his fellow Mantel forces
comrades. Sent to quash a possible revolutionary army in South America
called the Promise Hand you engage in numerous fire fights. To create
the ultimate soldiers Mantel has been giving it’s recruits a
“nutritional supplement” called Nectar which heightens senses and
abilities. Nectar promised to be the most interesting aspect of Haze
but rather than implement it as a useful tool the game instead uses it
as a  mere gimmick. At around the half way point Carpenter
realises the dangers of Nectar and it’s addictive nature which turns
his fellow soldiers into blood thirsty monster. Joining the previous
enemy Carpenter begins to fight back and conquer his dependence on the
drug. The whole concept was handled much better by another Ubi Soft
title Far Cry, where it was an integral part of the gameplay.

The biggest problem with Haze apart from the lackstruck storyline
and lack of originality is that it blows its load way too early.
Excluding the range of weapons and the ability to drive vehicles all of
which are available to use within the first 30 minutes there really
isn’t anything more to it. After this there’s absolutely nothing more
to discover. That said the difficulty level does spike significantly
when Carpenter decides to switch sides. The Nectar addicted spasming
Mantel soldiers do prove a challenge but the AI is so poor most of the
time that this initial difficulty is soon over come.

The multiplayer offers a number of fun additions to the generic
single player. You can play through the campaign mode with a friend in
co-op mode which proves to be quite handy as you can breeze through the
game in double time. There’s also the obligatory online modes such as
Deathmatch and Team Deathmatch. There is also the addition of a new
game mode Team Assault in which one group of players play as Mantel
forces and the others play as The Promise Hand. You have to complete a
number of tasks and the first to do so wins, shame then that like the
campaign mode there’s nothing of any real significance here.

Haze was a great idea and I’m sure it would have made a fantastic
PS3 exclusive title if it weren’t for all the shortcomings. At the end
of the day Haze is a mediocre shooter which offers nothing that a
hundred others titles don’t all ready. I really wanted to love Haze
but when all things are considered it’s little more than a distraction
to pass the time between now and MGS4’s release.

Video: Final Metal Gear Solid 4 trailer

Viewing the final MGS4 trailer you’d be forgiven for thinking that it was a trailer for an upcoming Hollywood blockbuster. From the grizzled voice over to awe-inspiring number of set pieces it could easily pass for the next Jerry Bruckheimer offering, when in fact it’s so much more. The tantalising prospect of a summers day spent playing Metal Gear is something to cherish. Lets just hope that the game lives up to the exceedingly high expectation.

REVIEW: Gran Turismo 5 Prologue

Developer: Polyphony Digital  Publisher: SCEE | Format: PS3

Reviewer: Craig Jay Gallagher Gran Turismo 5  promises
to be the finest real world driving simulator, and chances are that it
will deliver upon this promise when released. Till then we have Gran
Turismo Prologue which can only be described as a teaser. While its
absolutely amazing to look at and be technically awe inspiring it’s all
just a little underwhelming.

The setup is pretty much the same as in previous titles. You compete
in a number of races, constantly unlocking new events and classes all
the time earning credits which can be used to purchase better and
better cars. Thankfully you no longer have to complete those damned
licence tests in order to begin racing. That said there is an extremely
challenging learning curve which gets more and more difficult over the
several different race formats.

The various racing formats are the usual generic race, time trial,
single laps and overtaking. Starting with just 35,000 credits you must
purchase the most basic of cars. After completing a few races you will
have enough credits to purchase a more powerful vehicle or you can save
your credits and complete a 10 race series to win an extra exclusive
new car. There is no option to upgrade individual car parts though as
the game progresses you acquire the ability quick tune your car.

GT relies on proficient driving allowing no margin for gamer errors.
The control system is technically awe inspiring. They are perfectly
accurate without over becoming over sensitive. This allows precision
driving which results in the most fluid driving experience on any
console though damage modelling remains something of an oversight. The
illusion of real world driving is quickly killed by the ability to
bounce off walls at 160mph and continue driving.

Given the budget price tag Prologue is a must own title. Even though
it is little more than a prelude to what is to come, it still remains
the finest driving title on the PS3 or any console for that matter.

REVIEW: Time Crisis 4

Developer: Nex | Publisher: Namco | Format: PS3

Reviewer: Craig Jay Gallagher Light
Gun games are one of the last remnants of a bygone age valiantly
struggling for some sort of relevance in a market where the novelty of
pointing a piece of plastic at your TV has worn off.

The Time Crisis franchise was the last game to bring anything of note
to the genre and here in it’s fourth outing, it’s first on the PS3 it
combines traditional lightgun duck and shoot fare with the freedom of a
traditional FPS.

Like the Wii sensor bar the new G-Con3 comes with a sensor, though
unlike the sleek and simple Wii variant the G-Cons sensor consists of
two rather imposing sensors which are placed at either end of your TV.

The gun its self is a large orange contraption which resembles a
much bigger version of the G-Con2 with the added bonus of a jutting
handle to the left of the barrel, some extra buttons and an analogue
stick at the back. These buttons and sticks are used to control the
character in the game. This redesign actually turns a rather cumbersome
old model into a comfortable and natural feeling piece of equipment,
granted that you are in fact right handed.

Playing Time Crisis 4 is a rather mixed bag. The traditional option
of duck and shoot is fully explored in the arcade. Taking a handgun,
shotgun, grenade launcher or submachine gun you can literally lose
yourself in a barrage of mad cap violence. It’s generic as hell and
takes it’s self far too seriously but at the end of the day it delivers
exactly what it promises. The story involves some terrorist group with
evil intentions and the three law enforcement officers attempting to
thwart said evil plans.

The main thrust of the game is based around the games main selling
point, the modernisation of light gun gaming. The new revolutionary
step for the genre so to speak. Or it would be if it all didn’t feel
so, meh. The controls are the same as in any FPS, you use the left
analogue stick to move and the other one to look up down and all
around. The only difference is that you still use the light gun to aim.

The rudimentary implantation of this development is decently done
even if some aspects are shockingly bad. One encounter between yourself
and a helicopter is torturous due to the fact that tracking a
helicopter with your gun is extremely difficult when moving and aiming
at the same time.

If TC4 had been released a decade ago it would have been a landmark
title, as it stands it’s an adequate distraction. While far from the
promised next step for FPS it still remains a decent time waster which
arcade fans will lap up. For everyone else there’s Call of Duty 4.

REVIEW: Lost: Via Domus

Developer / Publisher:  Ubisoft | Format: PS3

Reviewer: Craig Jay Gallagher Lost the game has been a long
time coming. Ever since the phenomenal success of the first show, a
game was inevitable. After much waiting, Lost: Via Domus is finally
here. It promised to brings us a whole new chapter concerning the
survivors of Oceanic Flight 815 and possibly even offer some answers to
the many questions plaguing fans of the show.

The initial load of Lost, when put in for the first time takes
several minutes, which given that there is only 4-7 hours of gamesplay
is quite astounding. The games greatest problem lies therein. Asking
gamers to part over 60 euro for a game which can be cleared in an
afternoon is a bit of a joke.

The story unfolds in a slow
methodical way. Information comes in drips and drabs, slowly shaping
our protagonists story. Taking place mainly within the confines of
series 1 and 2, you take on the mantle of a previously unseen character
whom has been there since day one. Fans of the show will instantly be
up to speed, but those unfamiliar with the cult of Lost will be pardon
the pun, lost.

Solving puzzles is the key to progression. These range from the
rather simplistic and oft repeated, use of fuses to power up object to
the rather torturous use of flags to guide you through the jungle.
While it may sound simple, doing so when chased by the dreaded black
smoke is quite a task. One of the most welcomed inclusions is that back
tracking is rarely needed as the game will skip to where you need to
be.

Visually, Ubi Soft Montreal have out done themselves. The island
looks fantastic, with the crashed plane on the beach looking all most
life like. The jungles look lush and vegetation reacts to your moving
past them in a believable manner. The soundtrack also deserves mention.
It’s straight from the show which when combined with the awesome
visuals makes for a true Lost experience.

While successfully re-creating the look and feel of the show Lost:
Via Domus is a winner. However the short playing time makes difficult
to recommend the game as anything more than a weekend rental.

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