Games Reviews (III)

This is the next page of reviews.  To check out previous reviews on released games please click here for Page1  Page 2.  All games are reviewed by Nueman (Unless otherwise noted in the review) 

Please note, that games of many kinds are reviewed here; and the presence of a review in these listings doesn't necessarily mean that the game is worth playing! 

Lego Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues - All Formats

LEGO Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues combines the fun and creative construction of LEGO bricks with the wits, daring and non-stop action of one of cinema's most beloved adventure heroes. With a unique, tongue-in-cheek take on all the Indiana Jones films - including for the first time ever 'Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull' - LEGO Indiana Jones 2 follows Dr. Jones' escapades from the jungles of South America to the Peruvian Ruins and beyond. Fans can experience the most authentic LEGO experience yet by designing and building their own levels brick by brick, and by fusing their levels with themed cut-scenes to create a custom game. In LEGO Indiana Jones 2, everyone can build, battle and brawl their way through their favourite cinematic moments - or create their own!

• For the first time ever in a LEGO game, Build Your Own Adventure Mode allows you to create your own levels and environments and share them with your friends.
• For the ultimate and most authentic LEGO experience, you can create your own levels and combine them with cut-scenes themed to your level.
• Play all new 'Kingdom of the Crystal Skull' characters such as Mutt Williams on his motorcycle and use special abilities, including Oxley's Crystal Skull Power.
• Innovative re-tellings of the classic movies with all-new objectives and brand new levels. For example, this time you can play through the exciting vehicle chase in Shanghai with Short Round.
• Beat each level in Story Mode and return in Free Play for a completely new adventure.
• Indy has all-new animations, such as grabbing an enemy with his whip then throwing him over his shoulder.
• Jump into all-new vehicles to help Indy get through all the new levels including planes, boats and mine carts - but watch out for the quicksand!
• Use Indy's newly enhanced whip to interact with LEGO objects and help unlock iconic puzzles and battle with enemies.
• Use a variety of weapons from the environment to fight enemies (e.g., chairs, guns, swords, bottles).
• Collect artifacts through the game to unlock more than 60 playable characters, including villains and supporting characters (Marion Ravenwood, Mutt Williams, Short Round, Rene Belloq, Willie Scott, Marcus Brody, Dr. Henry Jones Sr. and Irina Spalko).
• Character swapping and Free Play abilities.
• Two-player drop-in, drop-out cooperative gameplay encourages parents to share the legacy of Indiana Jones with their children in a fun and humourous way.

Lego Indiana Jones is back with more fun and Lego rated humour, with ingenious puzzles and loads of collectable seek them out ytpe missions.  unfortunately though the addition of Indiana Jones and the kingdom of the Crystal Skull levels slow what made the original so great right down and you end up getting bogged  down in a bunch of slow moving sections, however when they (Eventually) add thi with the original game like they did with Lego Star Wars this will be one immense game.  Worth a look for anyone who enjoyed the original but just don't expect it to be better.
 

Overall Rating:

DM

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 - PS3, XBox 360, PC

Modern Warfare 2, the sequel to the Multiplayer Game of the Year winner 'Call Of Duty 4: Modern Warfare', continues the gripping and heart-racing saga with an unprecedented level of action as players face off against a new threat dedicated to bringing the world to the brink of collapse.

• Epic single-player campaign picks up immediately following the thrilling events from 'Call Of Duty 4: Modern Warfare'.
• The definitive multiplayer experience returns, with a host of new perks and enhancements.
• New cooperative SpecOps mode, the perfect combination of Modern Warfare's single-player intensity and the addictive replayability of its multiplayer.

Modern Warfare 2 should have been a 5 star classic, the original was amazing and many facets of this game excell the original however it is let down by to short a campaign mode and some of the add ons and perks in online multiplayer make it too easy for the higher level players to take out any online n00bs.  However Multiplayer is where COD: MW2 comes to life with a truly amazing experience.  The gmaeplay is lightning quick and you'll need reactions to match or else you will be dead.  For fans and anyone new to the world of Call of Duty this is a truly essential purchase.
 

Overall Rating:

DM

Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games - Wii, DS

Choose from your favourite cast of characters, including a few new faces, and get ready for exciting ice and snow action in Vancouver and Whistler, which are hosting the 2010 Winter Games. Warm up those muscles, get your Wii Balance Board ready and go for the gold!

Prepare to compete in the Olympic Winter Games with your friends and family! A variety of Dream Events offer surprising objects and new character-specific moves. Sharpen your team-playing skills with new simultaneous cooperative play on the Wii, and get your fill of head-to-head rivalry in the popular competitive events.

Play as your favourite characters from the world of Mario and Sonic, including Luigi, Tails, Yoshi, Knuckles, Peach and Amy, each with unique movements and stats. A few new faces, like Donkey Kong, Metal Sonic, Bowser Jr., and Silver, have also been added to the mix!

• Easy to use controls: Simulate real-life movements using intuitive controls on the Wii Remote/Nunchuk and Wii Balance Board (sold separately). Skate, ski and snowboard your way to glory, with single and multiplayer (competitive and cooperative mode) offering fun for players of all ages and skill levels!
• Multiple gameplay modes: Compete in single events in the individual mode and team mode, or challenge your friends to an entire Olympic competition! A new Wii-exclusive "Festival Mode" also allows you to experience the full competitive Olympic campaign (single and multiplayer). This includes new "Boss" competitions against unique Mario and Sonic characters.

The second in the Mario and Sonic series after the very popular Olympic Games came out a few years ago.  With Vancouver 2010 in mind it features all the best events from the Winter Olympics.  Although it must be said that some of the games have already been done in a slightly simpler form on Wii Fit.  It's still great fun, and while it's not as good as Olympic games it's a very close second.
 

Overall Rating:

DM

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FIFA 10 - All formats
 
On the heels of winning 25 international gaming awards with FIFA 09, the top-selling football franchise from EA Sports is surpassed with FIFA 10. On the pitch, critical gameplay fundamentals have been enhanced to ensure that FIFA 10 mirrors real-world football, providing more sophisticated ball control, and physical interaction.
 
On attack, players now analyse space more effectively, curve their runs in an attempt to stay onside, create passing lanes naturally, and drive for more variety in attacking options. On defense, new concepts like position priority enable defenders to multitask so dangerous spaces left open by teammates out of position are covered. Plus, slide tackle targeting, press marking, and better urgency clearance logic provide new options that make defending a tactical skill in FIFA 10. 
 
 
 

 

• 360-degree Dribbling: The first-ever true 360-degree dribbling system in a football game provides finer dribbling control, enabling players to find spaces between defenders that previously were not possible.
• Skilled Dribbling: All-new animation warping technology provides unprecedented control. Skilled players now have the ability to face a defender and use highly-responsive lateral dribbling to skip past him.
• Freedom in Physical Play: Wider dribble touches and new collision sharing creates a varied, less predictable, and extended fight for possession between the dribbler and a defender.
• Player Urgency: Improved urgency AI logic, with over 50 new movement cycles, delivers more responsive positioning so your players stay focused on the ball and move at a speed appropriate to the action.
• Improved Trapping Intelligence: Players now have a better awareness of where the easiest, most natural trapping position is so they can get the ball on the ground and under control easier and earlier.
• Advanced Positioning: Defenders multi-task and play the pitch more intelligently by covering dangerous spaces left by out-of-position teammates. In attack, players analyse space more effectively, curve their runs to stay onside, create passing lanes and vary attacking options.
• More Accurate Passing: Players analyse space better resulting in pinpoint passes that give their receivers more options and time to outrun defensive pressure.
• Authentic Shooting: Refinements to the shooting system and modifications of the ball physics create a wider, more realistic variety of shots that enhance the exhilaration of scoring.
• Varied Defending Options: Slide Tackle targeting has been enhanced so skilled players have more reach and avoid tackling through the dribbler. Better effort clearance logic gives defenders more options when attempting to get a foot on the ball before an attacker.

FIFA returns for it's yearly battle with PES, as usual it's out of the blocks first and capitalises well as this new version is yet again excellent.  While there are no really massive changes to the gameplay, the tweaks do make the game feel different.  It's infinetly more frustrating playing the computer now as the tackling has become more acute.  Scoring in open play is slightly harder too, although the adjustments to indiviual player skills is a welcome addition.  However the occasional player may not like it so much.  We await to see what PES can bring in return....  Great for FIFA fans, not so great to newcomers to the game,  overall howver yet another high quality FIFA sim from EA.  Top of the Premier League.
 

Overall Rating:

  DM

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 Raven Squad - Xbox 360

Raven Squad is a real-time strategy/first-person shooter game playing on present day battlefields. This is one of the first games blending FPS and strategy (tactical RTS approach) together, creating a new and unique genre. The player is able to switch between the two modes anytime. The RTS tactical elements are balanced with the cover-to-cover FPS fight, with emphasized tactical decisions.

Special Features

• Combines real-time strategy and first-person shooter game play
• Intuitive command and camera systems
• Survive the Amazon jungle with unique event based missions
• Two-player online co-op though the entire campaign
• Squad based unit AI with active cover areas and destructible objects
• Propaganda and news movie inserts between missions
• Meet multiple factions and choose who you want to help
• Eight controllable units with unique attributes
• 5.1 atmospheric Dolby Digital Sound experience

 

The combination of these 2 well known and loved genres was a brave move, but it does come across well. With the change between RTS and FPS being quite well done, the RTS factor gives away too much. You can see all enemy’s on the RTS view then change back to FPS and take them out. The game is relatively easy and good for people who want easy Gamerpoints. Game is definitely worth a rent, but only buy this if you really enjoy it. 
 

Overall Rating:

 

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King of Fighters XII - PS3, Xbox 360
 
King of Fighters or KOFXII as it's more commonly known is back in all its 2D goodness.  It has been luaded with many awards so far,, but how does it compare to the other versions?
 
Well it actually stands up very well, when you get your head around the 2Dness of the game.  It has  lot to live upto with both Street Fighter IV and UFC Undisputed being the runaway champions in the beat em up category.  KOF XII uses the usual 3-on-3 team system with each fight consisting of up to five rounds. However, the Tactical Shift System from The King of Fighters 2003 has been removed. KOF XII also introduces the "critical counter" system. When a player lands a close strong punch as a counter, the character enters into a critical counter mode where the player has a short amount of time wherein their character can link multiple attacks together. Once the critical counter's time period has expired the player can finish with a special move. The new "Guard Attack" feature allows a fighter to intercept and hit an incoming opponent's strike damage free (even Desperation Moves can be repelled in this fashion). Finally, there is also a "clash" system in place (called the Sousai or "Deadlock") wherein characters who land blows on one another with matched timing, the engine will generate a 'break' effect and push the characters away from one another into a neutral standing. As it happened with The King of Fighters '98 and The King of Fighters 2002, the game does not contain a storyline allowing the return of several characters depending on their status in the series. Additionally, there are no official teams, leaving the player to create any team to use. Players can still dash, backstep, and perform rolls as their evade. The Guard Breaks from previous games can now be done at any time.
 
So overall it might not be everyones cup of tea however it is a good bit of fun if you are looking to kill about 15 minutes of time.
 

Overall Rating:

Marvel Alliance 2 -All Formats  

The Marvel Universe is being torn apart. The Superhuman Registration Act becomes law and Super Heroes must register as weapons of mass destruction, becoming licensed government agents. As Civil War is stirred, Iron Man leads the Pro-Registration side while Captain America spearheads the stand on Anti-Registration. The enemies you battle and the missions you accomplish depend on which side you choose!

• Create and customise your ultimate team. Assemble your dream team from the Marvel Universe and select from over 24 playable characters, each with specialised powers.
• Cooperate with your ultimate alliance. Take full advantage of the Marvel Universe by playing Cooperative Mode with up to four friends, both online and offline.
• Choose a side in Marvel's Civil War. Pick a side in the ultimate ideological rift that could yield irreparable consequences for the Super Hero community! Support the Pro-Registration side and defend national security, or choose to be Anti-Registration and fight for personal liberties.
• Fight fear with fusion. Combine Super Hero powers for devastating results. Team up with Human Torch and Thor to create a spectacular fiery tornado. Over 250 unique fusions arm you with an unimaginable arsenal for unprecedented battles.
• Wield next-gen superpower in fully destructible environments. Demolish and interact with everything in your path. Pummel your enemies by launching crushed cars, lampposts, machinery and anything else you can pick up in your way.

In what will probably be the most disappointing game release of the year comes Marvel Alliance 2, a plodding repetative and quite frankly dull affair where you wander round from arena to arena bashing the buttons and the reams of bad guys that come at you while collecting the next hero to add to your squad as you go.  It gains points for the Civil War elements added here although only a Marvel comic fan would know what all that fuss was about.  A poor sequel that really you shouldn't waste your hard earned money on, unless your either a die hard Marvel fan or thought that marvel Alliance was the greatest game ever made.
 

Overall Rating:

DM

Red Faction Guerilla - PC

Alec Mason arrives on Mars hungry for a new life, but the promise of a brighter future quickly fades after a tragic encounter with the oppressive Earth Defense Force. Lead the revolution against the EDF using guerrilla tactics and strategic destruction in an epic battle for control of the Red Planet.

Special Features

• Join the Revolution: When citizens of Mars can no longer bear the injustice of an oppressive regime, the fate of the planet lies in the hands of Alec Mason and the Red Faction.
• Lead the Guerrilla Resistance: Ambush military compounds, sabotage enemy supply lines, and rescue imprisoned revolutionaries using on-the-fly guerrilla tactics.
• Geo-Mod 2.0: Blow bridges out from under enemy convoys, set explosives to detonate alternate entrances, and blast strongholds with rigged vehicles in the most realistic destruction engine to date.
• Reclaim the Martian Frontier: Explore the harsh Martian landscape as you travel through sandblasted mining outposts, thriving industrial districts and towering mega-cities.
• Tools of Warfare: Stockpile an arsenal of makeshift and advanced weapons including arc welders, thermobaric rockets and nano rifles.
• Machines of Destruction: Hijack turret mounted armored personnel carriers, missile array equipped artillery tanks, and mechanized mining excavators.
• Multiplayer Wrecking Crew: Put your demolition skills to the test in a variety of unique multiplayer modes including Anarchy, Siege and Damage Control.

This game is fun. The graphics are fantastic, but the PC version does need a pretty nice rig to run smoothly, so if you don’t have a nice one, get the Xbox 360 or PS3 version. The destructive element of this game is what really makes it, destructive buildings, walls, and the physics engine to back it all up. The upgrade system for weapons is easy to use, and the salvage is fun to collect, as it is reward for destruction. The story is easy to follow, and maps are easy to use. Overall this is a great game, it is definitely recommended to buy for anyone who likes a little destruction. 

Overall Rating:

Guitar Hero 5

• The Definitive Rock 'n' Roll Set List: Experience some furious finger fretting, intense drumming, and lyrics that will challenge even the best vocal chops in a set list that pays homage to classic riffs, rhythms and lyrics that push the limits of rock 'n' roll.
• Assemble Your Band and Rock Any Way You Want: Guitar Hero 5 allows fans to play alone, as a full band or, for the first time, with any combination of multiple guitarists, bassists, drummers or vocalists to customise their musical experience.
• Become The Best. Shred The Rest: In Guitar Hero 5 players can test their skills against others with four-player local and up to eight-player online battles in the all-new competitive RockFest Mode. Within RockFest Mode, players can choose from various gameplay types including Elimination, Momentum, Do Or Die, Streakers, Perfectionist and Pro Face Off, for how they want to dominate their competition.
• The Band That Plays Together: Bands can earn bonus multipliers by hitting new special note streams in unison, creating an even greater sense of excitement and accomplishment for players that can rock songs together.
• Join The Party: It has never been easier to rip it up and rock out with friends than it is in Guitar Hero 5. The brand-new Party Play Mode puts players straight into the action with the press of a button and allows them to jump in or drop out, or switch difficulty level at any time without interrupting the jam session.
• Make and Share Music: Guitar Hero 5 features the innovative Music Studio and GHTunes first introduced in 'Guitar Hero: World Tour'. Produce hits in the redesigned Music Studio with improved editing tools, new guitar samples and mix patterns and share them online with GHTunes.

Guitar Hero 5 gets the series back on track after the lacklustre GH: Metallica almost derailed the series with a lazy spin off.  The additions to the gameplay are excellent the drop in drop out feature is especially welcome.  With the emphasis on more socail game play the song list defiently has that in mind, with such anthems as Blur's Song 2 or Kings of Leon Sex on Fire, you will no doubts find yourself rockin' out...
 

Overall Rating:

DM

Wolfenstein

You play as BJ Blazkowicz, a highly decorated member of the Office of Secret Actions (OSA). You are sent on a special mission into the heart of the Reich to investigate evidence that the Nazis may possess a new and mysterious power.

While behind enemy lines, you discover the Nazis have done much more than develop a new toy. The Nazis are harnessing the power of the Black Sun through a dark parallel dimension called The Veil, in order to create a weapon of war-ending mass destruction. You are the only one that can stop them and save the world from their perverse domination.
 

• Amazing enemies. You never know what ferocious enemies the Nazis will throw at you next as they bring their dark fantasies to life.
• Epic combat moments. Experience movie-like epic action sequences as you fight to prevent the Nazis from unleashing the power of the Black Sun, a war-ending weapon of supernatural mass destruction.
• Unique environments. Explore the mysteries of The Veil, a world between our reality and the occult underworld that offers you combat advantages but also new supernatural threats.
• Impressive firepower. Go to battle with a diverse collection of Allied, Axis and experimental Nazi weapons. Earn gold by working with the resistance fighters, purchase upgrades in the black market, and customise your personal arsenal.
• Classic RTCW multiplayer with an occult twist. Revisit the heart-pounding and award-winning class and objective based multiplayer of 'Return to Castle Wolfenstein' - now with occult-enhanced firepower!

Wolfenstein returns to consol gameplay and unfortunately like the firepower used in the Second World War, it's been left behind, for a quicker and more advanced versions.  however thats not to say that this game is not very good, it's just to say thatfor a new game it's strangely dated.  It works in a fun timesplitters way however the 18 certificate may take away a large portion of the gamers who would actually enjoy this.  Still if your looking for a decent shooter then you could do a lot worse than this, just don't expect the earth from it.
 

Overall Rating:

  DM

Wii Sports Resort

• Wii MotionPlus: The activities use the precision controls of the Wii MotionPlus accessory to help players come much closer to the physical reality of engaging in the actual sports. Every real-world action, whether it's a perfect drive on the fairway or a slice off the course, is meant to be faithfully replicated.
• Challenges: Each activity has multiple fun challenges designed to keep visitors coming back for more.
• Innovative Controls: Different activities use the Wii Remote and Nunchuk controllers in different ways. For example, players hold the Wii Remote like a paddle in Canoeing, while in Cycling they use both arms to "pedal" with the two controllers. The Wii MotionPlus accessory picks up every nuance of motion and translates it onto the TV screen.
• Multiplayer Fun: Depending on the activity, players can compete solo or against other players. Some activities even let players team up to work cooperatively.

Wii Sports is back and has added the resort for the sequel.  The game is an excellent improvement although why they removed Baseball and Tennis, two of the more fun components only Ninetendo will know.  The best addition (Other than the possible?!) Pilotwings tease at the start has to be Stick Fighting, with the new Wiimotion, it feels totally fluid and you can't help but suffer the one more game syndrome.  The other games are good fun but without the addition of a free Wii Motion Plus controller you might feel a little short changed.
 

Overall Rating:

  DM

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UFC Unleashed - PS3, Xbox 360
 
UFC 2009: Undisputed is an explosive fighting game detailing the action, intensity and attitude of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Featuring an authentic and comprehensive UFC atmosphere, including an extensive roster of the best mixed martial arts fighters in the world, players will experience a powerful new game engine and put their best fighting disciplines to the test in the world famous Octagon. Take your best shot: Undisputed is as real as it gets!
 

• Authentic UFC Personalities: Explore a deep roster of more than 80 top names in UFC competition across five weight classes. Enter the Octagon surrounded by the sport's popular commentators, announces, referees, trainers, Octagon girls and more.
• Photorealistic Models & Effects: Experience the world of UFC as it appears on television with photorealistic fighters who breathe, sweat and move like their real-life counterparts. Players will also view amazing ripple effects across the faces and bodies of their fighters from the impact of devastating punches and kicks.
• Constant Control: Gain the upper hand in matchups with a brand new fighting game engine. Emphasis on innovative, responsive and easy-to-play controls gives you unparalleled command over your fighter in the Octagon.
• Fighting Disciplines: Take down opponents and get the submission with a variety of mixed martial arts disciplines, including Judo, Muay Thai, Wrestling, Kickboxing, Boxing, and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
• Create-A-Fighter: Jumpstart the career of a future champion by customising your fighter's physical appearance, learning new fighting techniques to use in the Octagon and managing the training process through attributes such as strength and cardiovascular health.
• Career Mode: Develop attributes, perfect moves and fight for entry into the UFC Hall Of Fame.

UFC Undisputed brings the most realistic and true to life fighting sim you could get.  The roster of fighters pretty much covers everone you would want to have at this current moment in the UFC.  The various game modes are nothing to write home about although the campaign mode with your own fighter has attention to detial with your fighter having to gain better equipment, sponsors, attend fan events and fit in fight training and scheduled fight events as your fighter acsends the rankings is brilliant, however at Middleweight it's going to take a mighty games player to get past resident champion in Anderosn Silva.

For UFC fans this is a must and anyone wanting more than a one dimensional fighter this is the game for you.  Street Fighter IV watch out there's a new kid on the block and its called the UFC.
 

Overall Rating:

DM