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Microsoft (46) XBox, XBox360	Nintendo (61) DS, Gameboy Advance, Gamecube, Wii
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There are 223 reviews in our database.

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Category: Microsoft XBox360 Arcade
Title: Braid	views:43
So what is it then? In its most simplest form, its a 2D platformer with time reversing based puzzles. Mario meets Prince of Persia: Sands of Time maybe, but without the extravagance of the latter. The game bares a strong Super Mario Bros. influence, but for once its not ashamed to admit it, instead wearing the influence on its sleeve showing it off to all with some moments that are ripped right out of Mario's first adventure, along with one section thats a direct clone of Donkey Kong. However, where Braid differs is in that the goal isn't just to reach the end of the screen and be told that "Your Princess Is In Another Castle". As you make your way through the levels, you will need to collect puzzle pieces dotted around the landscape by solving puzzles based on that particular worlds rule set when using the time reversal button. In the first world for example, everything goes backwards when you hit X, wether its you, platforms or enemies, however in other worlds, somethings are immune to these powers and continue along as normal, meaning each new world requires you to think in a different way to the previous one as you come across each individual devious puzzle. This is where some will fall in love with Braid and others won't, the puzzles, and their difficulty, makes Braid a bit of a Marmite game. You see, whilst the developer and those who have solved these puzzles, describe each puzzle as a simple evolution of whats presented in front of you, it can be incredibly difficult to see just how you have to manipulate the game world in order to reach the next piece of the puzzle. One section of World 2 is particularly clever in this respect and stands out as a shining moment of the entire game. Visually, Braid is rather odd, the backgrounds and levels are stunning to look at and perfectly accompany the relaxing soundtrack the game has, but the lead character, Tim, plus the on screen monsters seem to stand out seperate from the rest of the screen a little too much, its quite jarring and is a shame as if they were presented in a similar manner to the backdrops and platforms, then Braid would of been an incredibly beautiful game, however, because of these visual inconsistencies, plus the games Marmite manner, its difficult to have the overwhelming sense of adoration you feel you should have as you're playing the game. Duane Weatherall

Review submitted: 2008/8/17

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Category: Nintendo DS
Title: Geometry Wars: Galaxies	views:53
he next gen is all forked up. Everywhere there seems to be two tribes: hardcore vs. casual. Xbox & PS3 versus the Wii. Gritty shooters in perma-shades of grey and brown versus bouncy platformers in garish Technicolor. It’s a situation crying out for some balance, and emerging from the fog of war to offer some hope is Geometry Wars: Galaxies on a mission to colour your world with relentless carnage. You don't need to be a shoot 'em up fan to be attracted magpie-like to the shiny explosions in this beastie. Looking at first glance like some Octons and K’nex toys fell into the Tron universe and found a purpose in life as suicide bombers, it’s soon apparent that the mental pace and clear “blow shit up” directive can only translate universally into Fun. It's your job to move your ship around the battle arena in each planetary system, shoot neon nasties, suck up the gold token/monetary score multipliers called geoms left by afore mentioned (and now dead) nasties and repeat with the aim of a high score you can be proud of and maybe even a medal. In the Retro Evolved option you play alone or with a friend in a battle arena and simply last as long as you can while increasingly sophisticated and naughty bad guys attempt to spoil your day. Extra brownie points go to this for only requiring one copy of the game for co-op fun. Enemies come in all shapes and sizes (well, they are just shapes after all, heh…ahem!) and in an assortment of funky colours with even funkier behavioural issues. They all want to make you explode and try to do this by squirming, homing, sneaking, weaving and generally hurtling towards your ship for a spot of death. Each enemy type has it’s own spawning sound so if it appears outside your vision you can at least recognise its type and prepare for evasive action if it's the 'will come hurtling at you like a Doom Bee' kind. It’s another play on your senses the game makes while your sight is already darting all over the place and your reflexes are exploring a new meaning of fast. While the shapes of doom try to ram you, your ship delivers 3 shades of bullet spitting death. The game takes your brain out of this equation by automatically changing from a dual pulse, a closed bore shotgun style pulse or a full spray depending on what style of enemies are on screen. I think. The 'how's and 'why's are never made clear but it’s all automatic and seems to deliver the appropriate pay-load in the right situations. To help you with this you have a little drone following you about. It’s indestructible, begging a 'black box survives airplane crash' type question of why didn’t they make the ship out of what the drone is made from, and boasts 8 different behaviours where you choose one before battle. As it successfully collects geoms or dispatches enemies it’ll gain experience points, eventually levelling up and doing it’s job faster in more frequent bursts. It generally broadens the scope of destruction available to you but in a few choice levels choosing the right drone behaviour for the task can make all the difference between an arena being a cake-walk or a nightmare. If the going gets tough you can smart bomb the bastards. After the training planets to ease you gently into the game, further planets and systems need to be unlocked by paying for them in geoms. This progressive approach, including the drone levelling up and the chance to be awarded medals when you reach target scores really adds an addictive quality, the urge to have 'just one more go' tempered only by the fact that the frenzied intensity of gameplay could mean you’ll need a few short breaks from it for your concentration to regroup. The arenas feel expertly crafted to test multiple abilities - astonishing since they take such simple forms. Some test your ability to manoeuvre and survive in confined spaces, some your speed and ability to dodge fast enemies with only one life and some test your endurance to the max with monstrously high scores needed for a gold medal in an environment where geom score multipliers are hard to get. Explosions sound satisfyingly crunchy, the music is repetitive but somehow perfect for the game and, as with most games on handhelds, hearing it all through earphones after playing for a while without is like a mini revelation. In a way the gameplay can fall victim to its own ploys in that you can be so eager to progress to the next arena that after you get the gold medal you want to hurry up and die so you can get on with it. As the fever subdues a little you can then appreciate the experience more, play with the drone types, mop up the levels where you haven’t quite got gold and maybe even improve your high scores. Oh yes, for those of us for whom shoot 'em ups no longer make up a major part of our gaming diet, this game brings the Hi-Score back! The screen can on occasion get so full of enemies that the game slows a little for a second. Although this eases the difficulty a tad when it happens by giving you a fraction of a second to plan for that zooming doom shape that would've otherwise killed you, it does have a benefit of allowing your brain a nano second rest and turns the bullet spitting death into Hong Kong action cinema style Slow-Mo bullet spitting death...which is no bad thing. This is an insane shooter wherein its simplicity and relentless action lies the exhilarating kind of fun that gamers live on and other adrenaline junkies try to find by leaping off cliffs and stuff. As long as titles like these can exist then the next gen console wars can fork off. Helen Weighill

Review submitted: 2008/8/6

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Category: Microsoft XBox360 Arcade
Title: Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2	views:73
eometry Wars has always been one of those games that has appealed to me, but I've never gotten around to immersing myself into fully. Until Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2 appeared that is. I am now a convert to the twin stick shooter, and that is testament to just how good Retro Evolved 2 really is. The premise is simple, you control your craft with the left analogue stick and shoot with the right, you have bombs attatched to the triggers. However, the game twists itself and forces you to play in various manners. In all there are six different modes, some you may recognise, some which are completely new, but each forces you to play the game in a different way to the previous one. Giving what is a fairly simple sounding game alot of depth and variety, with something to suit anyone who decides to have a go. However, as is normally the case with most shooters, the games basic premise is to rack up as high a score as possible, something which is made easier by the inclusion of Geoms, little left overs of the craft you have shot down that act as multipliers, and even if you aren't normally the high-score chasing type, Bizarres implementation of your friends list is absolute gold and will soon bring out any competetive streak you may have lying dormant inside of you as you see the closest score to your previous highest flashing away in the top-right corner of the screen. The game effortlessly blends fast-paced arcade action gameplay with high-tempo music and a glorious firework like display for the eyes, and sits well amongst other Live Arcade titles such as Rez HD and Pac-Man Championship Edition as both an audio and visual treat. Don't approach the game thinking its absolutely perfect though as there are a couple of slight problems that can dissapoint overall, especially when on a good score run. The most obvious is mostly just a graphical problem, sometimes the game gets a bit too frantic for its own good and its difficult to see when you are going to collide with something on sreen, therefore losing you a life or ending your game completely on some modes. The other is the spawning of the enemies, sometimes they literally do spawn right on top of you, giving you no chance to destroy them as they have already taken away one of your lives, or again, ended that particular game. These are, however, the only two noticable problems with the game, and in reality, they are only really irritating when it happens. For the rest of the time you spend with Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2, you will be treated to the finest example of a twin-stick shooter there is, whilst basking in the neon glow that the game emits with a wonderful trance like beat. Duane Weatherall

Review submitted: 2008/8/4

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Category: Sony PlayStation 3
Title: Dynasty Warriors 6	views:62
have to admit to being a little surprised that the Dynasty Warriors series had reached its 6th instalment, not counting the various spin offs. It seemed to be one of those 3D games that sprung up off the back of the likes of Resident Evil and Devil May Cry, something of a relic. Certainly that seems to be the criticism of the series, that it’s not really moved on enough over its multiple iterations to be a real contender in this modern High-Def age. The plot for this DW 6 is suitably epic, the way whichever character you choose interacts and interweaves with the other characters, switching loyalties and discovering motivations. Encountering other characters within battle is a great concept, the plot is arguably a little too vast for its own good, so helping, or fighting these name checked characters from history makes you feel a little more connected to what‘s going on. Graphically the game manages to step up and look like a next-gen game without losing the character of previous instalments. That’s not to say the graphics are exactly jaw-dropping, in fact it may take a return to a previous instalment to appreciate how far they’ve come. The 3D seems a little hollow at times, and the character models for the minor NPC’s are a little plain. Once the flames appear with the giant towers and enormous ships making their entrance, and you still have hundreds of enemies on screen you begin to realise where the extra power is being used. Credit where credit is due, with the sheer number of enemies and effects on screen, there are only a handful of occasions where you’ll experience any slowdown, and this is more often due the camera getting trapped between you and the swathes of opponents. Combat is a relatively simple affair, but there is enough depth to keep it interesting. Button mashing is all it takes to unleash a respectably powerful combo, but combining your combo with a stronger attack or a jumping attack is a much more satisfying experience. Groups of enemies can be taken out with a running attack, and against stronger enemies you’ll need to vary your attacks to get past their defences. Fighting powers up your Musou meter, allowing you to unleash a suitably destructive onslaught to any surrounding opponents. The game itself has far more depth to it than it would first appear. You’ll acquire various weapon upgrades as you progress through the battles, gain experience points to upgrade a host of personal attributes, and even a variety of horses who can also be levelled up. Battles require more than just your button mashing finger to complete too, your task is to lead your army into battle, not win the thing on your own. You must aid your fellow commanders in taking down forts, and lend them a helping hand if they get into trouble. While swinging your weapon freely, taking out scores of enemies with each press of a button feels initially gleeful, it soon begins to lack any kind of impact. Chains of 800 kills become commonplace losing the sense of achievement that accompanied the chains in the early levels. When the tougher characters appear interspersed with the canon fodder things pick up, however this is where the ridiculous numbers count against the game. Rather than worrying about their own mini-battles, both your soldiers and the enemy stand around and watch, occasionally chipping in to knock you out of any flow you were starting to get against the harder enemies. Admittedly it is rare that this leads to you being overwhelmed, but the more precise skill required to take down the better fighters could have been a real high point for the game had they been more removed from the general action. This may seem a minor complaint, but if they’re included to break up the joyous blade swinging, then it’s a shame that they are stopped from really shining due to some minion clipping you from behind. The level map located in the top right of the screen isn’t immediately understandable, nor is who you’re supposed to be helping and how badly they need your help. You’ll be treated to a sound clip attached to a name that likely means nothing to you, and from that you must spot the minute blinking yellow dot on the map and work out how to get there. It’s a skill you will acquire as you spend more time with the game, but considering success in the game is reliant on you racing back and forth across the level its not as intuitive as it really should be, especially as during the heat of battle your attention is required elsewhere. Dynasty Warriors 6 is the kind of game that you get more from if you throw yourself into it. Really immerse yourself in the world and its characters and it’s conceivable you’ll get caught up in it all. The twist and intrigue, the respect shown between characters, it all seems to fit the feel of the time. There’s certainly enough depth away from the gameplay itself, there’s plenty of modes and characters to keep you playing, stats to be improved, and a few different ways to tackle a level. And special mention should go to the co-op option, this helps smooth over some of the games cracks, seemingly without dropping the number of enemies on screen. It does make you wonder why the game so determinedly goes out of its way to interfere with your enjoyment. There are stages where you spend so much time tearing around the level spending 20 seconds helping out each of your comrades only to then have to sprint back to where you started from that you feel like an overwhelmed science teacher. If it wasn’t for these pesky kids you could win the war, combine sweet and sour, and still invent fireworks! If you’re a fan of the series then add an extra point onto the score at the bottom, it’s certainly not bad at what it does, just confused. The tactics element is a great idea, but it comes at the expense of the fighting system, where the game is at its best. The brawler may be a dieing breed, and trying to add some brains to the genre is commendable but there’s nothing wrong with going on a killing spree sometimes. Ben Williams

Review submitted: 2008/8/4

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Category: Sony PlayStation Portable
Title: God of War: Chains of Olympus	views:89
od of War has increased in popularity ever since it first emerged on the PS2 back in 2005, and was highly priased by pretty much everyone, however I'd never actually given the series a go, mainly due to my indifference towards the likes of Ninja Gaiden and Devil May Cry. So I approached God of War: Chains of Olympus with a little bit of scepticsm, especially as based on previous history, when a console game takes the handheld route it is usually made into a diet version of what fans have already grown to enjoy. But to approach Chains of Olympus in this manner would be to be doing the game a disservice as Ready at Dawn have done a brilliant job of making a handheld hack 'n' slash game thats easily accessible to fans as well as newcomers to the genre. The games premise is that the lead character Kratos is in service to the Gods of Olympus and the game is full of Greek mythology and architecture, resulting in a rich and believable world that still has a very strong fantasy feel to it., and it retains this throughout the game as you make your way from the human city of Atticus at the start of the game, through to Queen of the Dead Persophone's dwelling for the ending of the game. Graphically, the story is supported by some wonderfully designed locations and characters, who themselves are stunningly animated. Some times its hard to believe that what your seeing is coming from a handheld device, even one that has the power of the PSP. The voice acting and musical score are also highly impressive, giving the game the sort of sheen you'd expect of a full console release. However, as a handheld title it works perfectly well, with save points and plot developments perfectly placed and cut-scenes only a few seconds long, a couple of minutes at most and not very frequently either. Even despite the lack of cut-scenes the game never feels like your standing still within the plot, every so often a narrater appears over the top of the in-game sounds and tells more of the story as you play, giving the game a better feel of progression than it would of had if it relied purely on cinematic sequences. Thats not to say it doesn't feel cinematic at all however, the quick time events presented to you throughout battles, especially boss fights, give the game a chance to show off with varying camera angles, but these never feel too long or as forced upon you as they did in something such as Fahrenheit. The core mechanics of the gameplay become more advanced the further into the game you play, resulting in simple button bashing around the start of the game, but you soon begin opening up new weapons and items, plus with the orbs dropped from enemies and discovered from crates you add to your overall arsenal by increasing Kratos' power and opening up new moves and combo's. But whilst it never gets as complicated as a proper beat-em up, this is to the games advantage, making it easily accessible to all comers wether your new to the genre or not, and with four difficulty levels, theres plenty of challenge there for new players through to hardcore players of the genre Duane Weatherall

Review submitted: 2008/7/8

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