Turok [PS3]

Joseph Turok is the latest addition to Whisky Company, a military unit sent to an unknown planet to find and capture Roland Kane, a war criminal who was once the commander of Wolf Pack, Turok's old unit. Kane's troops shoot down your squad's airship, forcing Turok to search the strange, dinosaur-infested planet for his squadmates, Kane, and a way back home.

As soon as you start the game, you'll notice that a lot of care was taken in getting the environment right. Part Land of The Lost, part Jurassic Park; The jungles and swamps that you travel through on your mission are well-detailed and alive with creatures, both in the sky, and on the ground. Grass sways, hiding small lizards that bite, and most of the time you get the feeling that just about anything could be lurking around the next corner. Of course, there often is a raptor or other lizard looking for food, but they seldom travel alone. Both visually and aurally, the game gives you the feel of being there, and the first time you see one of the large dinosaurs, it really is quite impressive.

As you progress through the story, more of Turok's background with Wolf Pack will be revealed through flashbacks and memories, and it's certainly interesting enough to inspire you to continue through the tougher spots. The game isn't easy, with several sections requiring the player to think methodically, rather than charge through the situation at hand. There's also some clever boss battles, and a few places where you'll simply need to die a few times before you figure out what to do, sometimes with a bit of frustration.

The combat system is another high point as well, and Turok can use several types of guns found during the game, as well as a bow and a knife. I especially found using the knife an efficient way of dealing with most of the creatures, and the variety of attack moves kept it from getting too routine. When you need some distance, the bow is efficient, and also good for downing small dinosaurs and Kane's troops while staying hidden. The selection of guns that becomes available is surprisingly varied as well, and you'll even find yourself using an RPG and turrets at some points.

The game isn't without its problems though, and most of them seem to have at least something to do with the less-than-fully optimized state of the Unreal Engine on PS3. There's a lot of frame-skipping here. Not enough to ruin the game, but certainly enough that it's more than just an occasional glitch. The lighting is also harsh at times, with the engine's trademark lighting having too much contrast a lot of the time. It may sound picky, but there's also some long load times that happen at close intervals, giving the impression that this was definitely not the lead platform.

There's also a selection of multiplayer modes, where players can face-off online in several styles of play including deathmatch, capture the flag, and co-op. The stealthy vibe of the story mode carries over into the online game as well, with one of the nicest features being the ability to choose which weapons are available. This enables online knife fights, which are quite a fun change from using guns. The lobby system is bare-bones though, and it's cumbersome to both find and host matches.

Overall, The game feels as though you're playing a movie like Aliens or Predator, at times both hunter and hunted, and it's a lot of fun most of the time. Fans of the original Nintendo 64 title will definitely enjoy it, and it's also different enough from most First-Person Shooters that those looking for something a bit less conventional should consider giving it a try.

Video Games Live [Massey Hall, Toronto]

Game composer Tommy Tallarico brought his multimedia-meets-symphony stage show back to Toronto for the second time, bringing along a few special guest performers, and making some changes to the playlist since the last show in 2006. Even before the show started, it was clear this wasn't a regular night at the symphony. The over-40 set were in the definite minority, most of them having been brought by their 20-something offspring. A smattering of cosplayers dressed as their favourite characters added a festive atmosphere, with a particularly young Link winning the best costume contest preceding the show. It was also worth noting that the men probably didn't outnumber the women by much of a margin either.

Starting with an homage to old-school gaming, a large video screen played footage of a few dozen milestones of early arcade history like Pong, Space Invaders and Defender. Fans were then treated to music from the Metal Gear Solid series, accompanied by a montage of footage spanning the various titles. During the performance, a generic soldier made his way around the stage, with a cardboard box following close behind. As the score ended, Tallarico appeared onstage and revealed that the box contained none other than YouTube and E3 phenom Martin Leung, the "video game pianist." Leung dazzled the crowd several times throughout the show, performing his famous blindfolded, high-speed version of Super Mario Bros., a medley of various Final Fantasy titles, and music from Chrono Cross.

While most of the show was dedicated to big console hits such as God Of War, The Legend Of Zelda and Sonic The Hedgehog, there were nods to the world of PC gaming as well. The music of World Of Warcraft proved popular, and the tribal sounds and chants of Civilization IV provided some diversity. Not being a typical orchestral concert, there were also crowd participation segments where two audience members were pitted against each other for prizes in a game of Frogger, and another had a chance to win a home arcade system by playing Space Invaders and having to move back and forth across the stage as the "base." It's also worth noting that the orchestra, choir and special guests The Runaway Five, a local jazz group, were all from Toronto.

Even though the evening had a decidedly fun and light-hearted atmosphere, it was also good to see Tallarico go out of his way to have some substance as well, partnering with the History Channel to put together actual war footage for the Medal Of Honor (sic) segment. While it's doubtful that many of the parents who attended the show through their children's interest are going to start listening to game soundtracks en masse, the show's success at bringing game music to a wider audience and more serious appreciation is another sign of the industry's increased acceptance and relevance.

9/10

Burnout Paradise [PS3]

For the first time, Electronic Arts bring their road-raging racing series to the PlayStation 3, with the game now taking place in Paradise City, which is loosely modeled on Los Angeles and the surrounding area.

When you first start out, you'll have a learner's permit, and gain license classes as you progress through the game and win races. You'll also earn new cars, which can be picked up by driving into any of several junkyards. Cars now have "Boost Types" as well, which separates them into classes based on aggression, speed, or stunt ability. An aggression class car will earn boost faster for offensive driving, but won't be able to compete in Burning Route races, which are only for speed class cars. This gives some more incentive to unlock cars than in the previous games, and car types include muscle cars, hot rods and SUVs. While you don't have a huge selection of car-modding options, you can repair damage, change your paint colour, or refill your boost just by driving through the "Drive-Thru" at a repair shop, paint shop, or gas station; without even hitting the brakes. There's also an artsy vignette that plays when you unlock a new car, called "Picture Paradise" that features classical music.

Instead of stopping the action and making players scroll through a menu or drive to a garage to find new races and challenges, you simply pull up to one of 120 intersections in the city, and pull a brakestand. The race event for that location will then start, with computer-controlled opponents pulling up from behind. Players familiar with the series will recognize the straightforward point-to-point races, speed-focused Burning Route challenges, and Road Rage events, where the objective is to take down a set number of opponents within the time limit. The series' Crash Mode is gone, but the new Stunt Run events offer up a way for players to show off their drifting, jumping and spinning skills off of ramps and highways scattered around the city. There's also a new Marked Man race where all the other drivers are looking to force you off the road before you get to the finish line.

One of the new features that really makes the game feel different is that the city is wide open right from the start, without having to unlock any areas. Racers can find their own paths during a race, using the many shortcuts to outwit the other drivers. It's definitely worth taking the time to learn the city as well, since the game's difficulty is a bit higher than in previous versions, and you'll likely need those shortcuts. There's a map in the corner of the screen, but if you look at it for more than a second, chances are you'll look back up to a collision. It's nice that those big flashing arrows designating corners in most racing games are gone, as are the invisible walls that were behind them. I was also pleasantly surprised at how little advertising there is in the game. I would have expected at least the gas stations, where you can refill your boost meter, to have been branded by one of the global chains. There are a few legitimate billboards here and there, and a few branded retail stores, but it seems that EA's heard the complaints gamers had about the heavy product promotion going on in their other games and toned things down quite a bit.

The graphics look considerably more polished than they did in Burnout Revenge, but it's the size of the city really that impresses the most. There's also no tearing or draw-in at all, and the frame-rate is steady at 60fps. There's also more detail, and the lighting doesn't bloom as much this time either, which works for me. The cars definitely look better now as well, and collisions are a bit more directed, with a third-person view taking over just before impact. The sounds are pretty much as expected, and the soundtrack is quite substantial as well, with a good variety of rock and electronic music to suit most tastes. Series vets will remember some of the songs from previous iterations though.

The game also allows online play by simply hitting right on the direction pad and seeing a list of friends currently playing the game. Send them an invite and you can challenge their speed or stunt records, try to take each other down, or create your own custom race for up to eight players. While racing against the computer is as fun as ever, it doesn't compare to challenging friends online in the racing events, or even just playing chicken or tag to see who can score the most takedowns. There's headset support for whatever USB or Bluetooth device you already have setup, and PlayStation Eye / EyeToy support allows the game to take a picture of your rival's reaction when you take them down.

Burnout Paradise feels like the kind of game that the developers always wanted to make, but only now have the technology to pull off. The updated graphics and open world bring the game up to a new visual level and the fact that you don't have to leave the game to choose races or even to find people online adds to the immersive feel. The increased competitiveness you'll feel and the new immersive play styles you can create with friends online bring the street racing experience to a new level.

9/10

Unreal Tournament 3 [PS3]

Originally titled Unreal Tournament 2007, this latest instalment was almost delayed until the new year, and is also a showpiece for Epic's Unreal Engine 3.

For the first time, Unreal Tournament offers up some single-player action in addition to its usual array of multiplayer modes. An invasion by an alien race known as the Necris has commenced, and naturally, it's your job to defend humankind and get rid of them as James 'Reaper" Hawkins, a member of a hired mercenary team. A tutorial of sorts, the story starts with footage of a battle where Reaper is injured. Post-recovery, Reaper's sister Sarah (Jester) provides a bit of training, after which their commander (Malcolm) fills you in on the situation with the Necris.

During the solo campaign, players will fight various team-oriented battles that introduce the various game types such as Team Deathmatch and Capture The Flag, which will be familiar to most players, as well as Warfare, where teams link nodes across the map and then destroy the enemy's power core. It's also a chance to practice controlling the various vehicles in the game without the pressure of an online match. There's also the new hoverboard as well, which can be controlled via motion controls if you like. As you progress, cut scenes will reveal more of the story and you'll have some choices as far as which battles to fight in. It's a nice added extra, but does feel somewhat strung together, and definitely falls short of the solo game in other First-Person Shooters.

Of course, online multiplayer is really what this series is all about, and in that department, it doesn't disappoint. After creating a customized character, you'll be able to join a Quick Match, browse the various hosted games looking for one that appeals to you, or host your own game. Naturally, there are a large number of settings to tailor the gameplay to your liking. Video effects, audio levels and controller options are almost as numerous as on shooters for the PC. You can even use a keyboard and mouse, if you prefer using them to a controller. If you can't find an online match that appeals to you, or you find you need some practice, you can play against computer-controlled bots to build up your skills. They aren't wimpy either, and seem to be quite a bit smarter and faster than in previous installments. You can also have bots take the place of human players as you wait for more people to join a match that you host. Sadly, there aren’t any split-screen modes where you and a friend can team up against bots, human opponents, or even each other. It’s a shame, since Co-Operative play is fast becoming a must-have feature for FPS fans. Players that were expecting new weapons might not be too thrilled either, as aside from some minor tweaks, the available arsenal hasn’t changed.

The level roster is slightly larger than expected, with different maps available in each game type. While a few are certainly reminiscent of the earlier games, most of them feel fresh enough while still inspiring the same type of cat-and-mouse gameplay the series is known for. One of the new features of UT3 which will likely keep players interested for some time, is the ability to play user-created modifications (mods) made with the PC version of the game. This means that new levels and gameplay types will be available for free. Mod creators will need to export PS3-specific versions of their creations, but players will only need to download the PS3 version of a mod with their PC, transfer it to a flash memory card or USB drive, and then import it into the game from the menu.

The game's graphics are meant to show off Epic's Unreal Engine 3 technology, and do look good. The level structures look amazing, and the game runs as fast as you could ever want it to. It's harder to compare some of the character and weapon visuals, since they are quite stylized, but suffice to say that UT 2004 is looking pretty old at this point. Audio is pretty much what you'd expect from the series, with pumping music, weapon fire, and headset trash talk dominating the soundscape. There's also some ambient sound mixed in there too, and it's definitely nice to have control over the mix.

UT3 is decidedly focused on multiplayer, as veterans of the series will expect. While the single-player campaign does offer a good introduction to the various game types and a training ground for newbies, players are much better off practicing against the bots before taking their game online. The game is very good at what it does, and having access to mods will no doubt keep the game fresh, but the lack of offline split-screen play will likely leave some players wanting just a bit more.

9/10

Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock [PS3]

When Activision bought Guitar Hero publisher Red Octane and then handed development of the game off to its Neversoft studio, gamers were concerned that the title might lose some of its magic. Happily, the game manages to keep the same vibe as the previous versions, and adds some new life to the formula as well.

Players again choose from one of several characters that poke fun at various genre conventions and proceed through several setlists, unlocking more tracks as they progress. As usual, you have five fret buttons and the strumbar to hit notes as they scroll past the indicators on the screen. The biggest difference this time is having to contend with the occasional Boss Battle, and eventually battling against Slash from Guns 'N' Roses. During the battle, instead of earning Star Power to multiply your score, you'll earn power-ups that screw over your opponent by increasing the number of notes they need to hit, or making them break a string.

You and a friend can play Career Mode co-operatively online, which is great, since you won't need a second guitar controller. There's also several options to battle one-on-one and see who rocks harder. Worth noting is that the controller is now wireless, and syncs to a USB dongle that plugs into the console. The shape is comfortable to hold for a long session, and the buttons have a softer feel than before, but don't feel loose or unresponsive. Sadly, it doesn't work with previous versions of the game made for the PlayStation 2 when you try them on a backwards-compatible PS3.

The songs themselves are mostly cover versions, as before, but are still high enough quality for the most part that it's not a huge issue. The tracklist should please most fans of the series as well, with tracks from bands like The Beastie Boys, Alice Cooper, Heart, Kiss, Metallica, and The Smashing Pumpkins offering a diverse lineup. With seventy-one tracks in total, and downloadable songs available from the PlayStation Store, there's bound to be a few of your favorites included.

While it's the fourth version of the game in only a couple of years, Guitar Hero III does manage to feel new enough for fans of the series. It's also a good place to start for players who are new to the genre.

8/10

Beats [PSP]

It's taken longer than expected, but Beats brings Frequency/Amplitude style gameplay to the PSP, allowing for beat-matching button-mashing on the go. It's not a port though; Instead of hitting notes on music tracks, players need to match button presses as they pass over one of three spots on the screen. At higher skill levels, highlighting which spot you're matching beats to and getting the button presses correct becomes frantic. The ability to use your own mp3s stored on a Memory Stick adds endless personalization and replay value. Available exclusively through the PlayStation Store website, this $6 download is easily worth the price, and a definite must-buy.

5/5

Mass Effect [360]

Developed at BioWare, known for Role-Playing Games such as Jade Empire, Mass Effect takes players to a future where humans are taking their first steps into space exploration.

As Commander Shepard, the first human to become a "Spectre" agent, it's your job to prove yourself as an effective member of the law-keeping force while also revealing the existence of a huge threat to the various alien races that inhabit the galaxy. Along the way, Shepard will have the chance to team up with various Non-Player Characters who will also take part in squad-based combat.

The fact that this is a Science-Fiction based game already sets it apart from most of the genre and makes for a nice change from the typical sword-swinging RPG action. The game world is huge, with players using a map of the galaxy to determine which planets to travel to and explore. Players can also choose how they interact with other characters through a choice of dialogue options ranging in aggressiveness to make Shepard's character their own and affect responses. In general, players will find themselves with some main objectives involving travel to specific solar systems or planets. You can go pretty much wherever you want though, and check out uncharted planets, possibly finding ruins or even space pirates to battle. As the story progresses, you'll have the option of allowing other humans and aliens to join your party, and take part in battles against various enemies.

While the story is classic Sci-Fi stuff on a grand scale, and the main characters are well-acted by the likes of Seth Green, Lance Henriksen, and Marina Sirtis, the combat action in the game is often frustrating. Your squad-mates exhibit very little intelligence and are often dead before you know it. Adding to the pain are the seemingly hobbled weapons at lower levels (they overheat really fast) and the unskippable cut scenes that you need to watch before each attempt. The character upgrade system is nice though, with earned points either assigned manually or by using an auto-level system. You can also choose to level up Shepard manually and leave the secondary characters on auto, which is great. You'll also have to drive a land-based vehicle called a "Mako" when visiting planets, which has absolutely terrible controls and physics.

Visually, the game generally looks good and features some solid facial mapping and motion capture work, as well as fairly robust character customization. The engine seems to be pushing the system pretty hard though, since graphic details are often seen popping onto objects after they have been on the screen for a couple of seconds. It's also a shame that the game doesn't seem to be streaming any data from the hard drive, as this probably could have helped clean things up and improve load times. Sound-wise, the voice acting is generally excellent, and the music, while perhaps a bit too obvious a nod to Vangelis' score for Blade Runner, is still a nice change from the sweeping strings in most RPGs.

In all, Mass Effect is a nice departure for the genre that does a lot right, even though it gets somewhat undermined by being perhaps a bit too technically ambitious and the action elements needing more tuning. Devotees of the studio's previous games and those looking to give their swords and spells a bit of a rest should definitely make some time for this one.

7/10

Assassin's Creed [PS3]

For the past four years, Ubisoft's Montreal studio have been working on this next-generation project, bringing together elements from previous franchises and a new level of refinement to the action.

The game takes place in the present, with Desmond Miles being the subject of a research project into one of his ancestors, a man named Altair. Most of the game is spent with Desmond using a system called The Animus to travel back into his ancestral memories and control Altair as he carries out various assassinations in the year 1191.

Throughout the game, players will be given missions in various cities where they must meet with the local Assassin's Bureau, gain information on their target's whereabouts through eavesdropping, pickpocketing and interrogating locals, and finally perform the kill before moving on. Climbing certain buildings throughout each city will offer viewpoints that reveal optional objectives such as helping citizens in trouble. Collectible items such as flags can also be found while roaming the rooftops.

The game is very action-oriented, and as expected, owes quite a bit to the platforming action of the studio's Prince of Persia series. Altair's movements are much more fluid though, and you'll often find yourself jumping from rooftop to rooftop in a manner similar to parkour to get to your destination or evade the city guard. Being an assassin, there's also a level of stealth required here too. Altair can choose to carry a low profile with several moves that allow him to blend into and easily move through a crowd, act neutrally, or when the time is right, use high profile attacks on his targets. While the core gameplay is very much PoP meets Splinter Cell, the implementation takes the best of both series and blends them together in a very refined way. The controls are well designed, and easy to get used to while offering several styles of play.

It comes as no surprise that the game simply looks amazing. When you arrive at various cities, or are treated to a 360-degree camera pan when you access a viewpoint, the scale of everything will inspire you to explore every area and detail. The animation, especially between characters as they interact in a crowd, is especially impressive. On the audio side, the game's voice work is very good, and the voices of the crowd will help you locate targets, citizens who need help, and guards who are looking for you.

If you enjoyed Prince of Persia, you'll feel right at home here, and even players who found that series somewhat frustrating will appreciate this game's intuitive controls. The combination of so much to see and do, varied and optional objectives, and quality execution make for an easy recommendation.

9/10

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare [PS3]

After several impressive releases that focused on historical events, Activision bring their military First-Person Shooter series into the modern age, upping the ante for both the genre and cross-platform development in the process.

Starting out as a new British S.A.S. soldier, players run through a short training course and are then given a recommendation from the four skill levels available. Throughout the game, you'll play as S.A.S. Sergeant "Soap" MacTavish, and also as Paul Jackson, a U.S. Marine Sergeant. The story involves terrorists and renegade nuclear missiles, and takes place mostly in Russia and Azerbaijan. As you progress, you mission objectives will range from typical hostage extractions and infiltrations to more diverse tasks such as sniping specific targets or sneaking past enemy patrols in a ghillie suit. The game is divided into three acts, with the latter two each being about half the size of the first one. Overall, the game is noticeably short, but still manages to pack in a lot more bang for your buck than most FPS titles.

Graphically, the game is impressive and, aside from the facial animation, is likely the best-looking game on the system so far. The environments are exceptionally detailed, and smoke, fire and water effects are all top-notch. The game also has an impressive soundtrack, with well acted voice work, though at times you can hear the sound booth acoustics when characters are outdoors. The music is fairly typical, but doesn't interfere or get too over the top. It's also the first cross-platform game of this generation to be truly top-notch on both systems.

Naturally, There are multiplayer modes as well, with the ability to play split-screen on one console, over a Local Area Network, or online. Free-For-All and Team Deathmatch modes are joined by Domination (capture three flags), Sabotage (grab the bomb and destroy the enemy objective), and several variants of each. It's unfortunate there's no Co-Operative story mode though, as the game's substantial difficulty and excellent presentation would make for an ideal Co-Op experience.

Some players will likely be put off by the series' departure from historic battles, but this game is implemented so well that it's simply a must-buy for even casual fans of the genre. It's definitely a short game, but the diversity of missions and high replayability, as well as the multiplayer modes, keep the game interesting for longer than most.

9/10

SOCOM U.S. Navy SEALs: Tactical Strike [PSP]

While there have been a couple of previous SOCOM releases on Sony's portable, Vancouver developer Slant Six take things in a slightly different direction with this title.

Choosing a team of four from nine different international special forces units, players work their way through a scenario involving the abduction of a U.S. Ambassador that will bring them to various urban and remote settings. Instead of the usual focus on First-Person Shooter action, the game puts the camera over the squad's shoulders and gives the player strategic control over their movements and rules of engagement.

The levels are a good size for a portable game, and last longer than might be expected, with several checkpoints scattered throughout each one where you can save your progress. Players are rated on their performance in various categories after each level and assigned a grade. Before moving on, there's the option to spend skill points earned during the mission, and change the team's weaponry. The graphics look quite good, and the cut scene animation is likely some of the best on the system so far. The game's audio is fairly standard though, with weapon sounds, radio chatter and the occasional musical swell making up the majority of the soundtrack.

The command system works well, with a series of menus accessible by holding down various buttons. Holding the attack button, for example, allows you to choose attacking one highlighted enemy, define a field of fire, or shoot after receiving a signal. Whichever option was last selected becomes the default, enabling you to keep your squad moving with stealth, for example, instead of risking accidently blowing your cover with a faster pace. Various objects also spawn interaction icons as well, enabling door breaching, shooting through windows, or healing squad members. You are also able to split the squad into two teams to surround groups of enemies or complete multiple objectives simultaneously.

Moving effectively through the levels is slightly hampered by the way the position marker is used though, since you can't just point to a location in front of you. Instead, you need to press the move button, which spawns a marker that you need to manoeuvre to the target location. The trick is that the marker can only be moved "on rails" along the path that your SEALs would actually take. If you want to leave a building from the second floor, for example, you need to steer the marker down the stairs and out the door, instead of just pointing out the door with a reticule. At times this makes moving your squad a chore, especially over long distances.

The game also features both Ad-Hoc and Infrastructure Mode online play for up to four players and support of the PSP headset. Most of the online modes pit a team of SEALs against a team of mercenaries with the objective of defending or destroying various targets. There's also an Extraction game with a hostage scenario and a Free For All mode that pits all the players against each other.

While the game's strategic focus might turn off some FPS fans, the action is still satisfying and well suited to portable play. The missions are a good length and the game itself features a slightly longer playtime than players might expect. The multiplayer support is definitely welcome, and even though the main mission's subject matter is familiar, the somewhat fresh implementation still makes this an entertaining title.

8/10

Manhunt 2 [Wii]

Rockstar releases this controversial sequel in an edited form after receiving an "Adults Only" rating from the Entertainment Software Ratings Board, possibly losing the game's vision in the process.

While the original Manhunt game pushed a lot of people's buttons with its snuff video vibe and level of violence, the announcement of a sequel being released on Nintendo's family-friendly Wii seemed to be the last straw for many, and the game was largely condemned while still in development. Subsequently, the game has had some scenes edited out and a video effect superimposed over the screen when the player performs "finishing moves" on enemies.

The story revolves around Daniel Lamb and Leo Kasper, escapees from a secret research facility. Controlling Daniel, it's up to the player to figure out what happened, with Leo as your guide. While the premise is substantial enough, some of the implementation is sloppy. Early on in the game Leo tells you to return home since "You left something there for yourself", without any explanation of what it is or how he knows about it, making for some fairly weak player motivation.

As you progress through the game, you'll encounter various adversaries who you can eliminate using various objects and weapons found along the way. Much of the game is based on stealth, which is well implemented, as you'll need to stick to the shadows, and even occasionally hold the Wii remote still in order to remain undetected. Sneaking up on enemies and performing finishing moves is the most effective way of dealing with them.

The play mechanic is nothing like what most people probably imagined though, as you don't control Daniel's movements in real time. Instead, icons appear in the corner of the screen showing a series of motions you need to perform. It ends up feeling much like the boss battles in God of War or even a bit like Dragon's Lair, and almost completely removes the player from the action. During these attacks, the player can barely pay attention to the violence unfolding on-screen, since the icons demand your attention, and the action is obscured by a red overlay, to the point where almost nothing is visible and blood is mostly camouflaged out of sight. It's also worth noting that this generally makes the game less explicitly violent than the original game was, with its copious amounts of arterial spray.

Graphically, the game appears to run on the same engine that the original did, which means it looks decent for a Wii title. The audio was a bit of a surprise, as there doesn't seem to be as much of an attempt to creep the player out and keep you on your toes. There's also an annoying sound from the Wii remote whenever objective notices appear on-screen that it seems you can't turn off.

While it's unlikely anyone will be taking this game at face value, the fact is that the editing of the content and the only partially interactive nature of the finishing moves do hinder the game. If the core gameplay had been stronger, with better player motivation and perhaps some non-lethal attack options to bring more of a morality struggle, this likely could have been a much deeper experience overall, and the editing wouldn't have taken as much away from it.

6/10

Naruto: Rise of A Ninja [360]

Naruto, shunned by most of his village, vows to become the greatest ninja around. This Xbox 360 exclusive features mission-based gameplay, with fighting action as well.

In the main Story Mode, players take control of Naruto as he fails his final martial arts test. Shunned by the other residents of the village, he sets of on various quests in order to restore the town's faith in him and earn their respect. Consisting mainly of fetching and collecting items, ramen delivery quests, and timed races; the game follows the first 80 episodes of the anime series. Naruto can also earn training points, used to visit the Ninja Academy and learn new skills to use when fighting his enemies.

Visually, the game's cel-shaded look won't surprise many, though it does have a higher level of detail than expected. Cut-scenes that further the plot appear to have been pulled from the series, which seems appropriate, but compared to the game look washed out. There's also a strange type of letterbox on the sides of the screen, making the footage taller than it is wide. It's a bit jarring aesthetically, but relatively minor. Sound-wise, the game features music and voice-work that's neither noticeably good or bad, except that a majority of the game's characters pronounce the word ramen incorrectly upon receiving their delivery.

The controls are straightforward when guiding Naruto around the village, but jumps aren't as smooth as in the studio's other titles, causing the occasional missed ledge. Things get more complicated when fighting adversaries, as the action becomes a more conventional fighting game. Naruto can learn and perform special moves by moving the control sticks in various directions, which require good timing and give players the feeling of doing more than just mashing buttons.

Fans of the anime series are certainly going to enjoy this title, with its somewhat open-ended gameplay. The game also brings more to the fighting engine than expected, and both offline and online Versus play help extend the replay value.

8/10

Mercury Meltdown Revolution [Wii]

Using the Wii's motion controls to maneuver blobs of liquid metal through obstacle-laden mazes makes for a challenging game that has more wacky twists to it than players would ever expect.

Using various laboratory-themed levels, players guide their blob(s) of mercury through various maze-like levels toward a goal against time. Along the way, structural obstacles such as ramps and bridges ensure the path is less than smooth. Mazes can also include a variety of interactive elements, such as conveyors, force fields, guillotines, and gravity benders that affect your blob in various ways. If that wasn't enough, some levels contain enemies that will eat, poison or zap your mercury. Players will also need to use various "Paint Shop" devices to change the color of their blob(s) to open color-coded gates, often mixing blobs of different colors to achieve the proper hue.

While the game does include a tutorial, and even a large "Playground" area to practice in, the difficulty starts at a higher level than expected and ramps up surprisingly fast. Younger players (or less patient adults) might find some of the mazes quite frustrating, even on the early levels. Luckily, you can skip on to the next maze if you like. Collecting bonus items in the main game boosts your score, and also unlocks a handful of party games, such as "Paint", where players compete to roll their blob around and cover the most area with their color.

While this title has appeared on the PSP and PS2 previously, the addition of motion control support definitely makes this title worth a look, even if you've played it before. It's more challenging and potentially frustrating than it seems at first though, and could have used some easier levels for younger players.

7/10

Halo 3 [360]

Arguably the most anticipated game ever, Halo fans finally get to "finish the fight" and find out if the world ends in this final installment of Bungie's shooter franchise. Picking up from the cliffhanger at the end of Halo 2, Master Chief's mission is to stop the Prophet from finding an artifact called "The Ark", and prevent him from using the Halo weapon to annihilate the planet. Unfortunately, you've crash-landed in the jungle and need to get yourself out of there first. As you progress through the game, you'll travel to various diverse locations along the way, occasionally taking control of several vehicles to break up the standard shooting action.

The missions themselves are fairly standard. You'll mostly be putting down the Covenant forces, but occasionally need to arm bombs or disable enemy defenses. There are also a few timed-escape levels as well to keep you moving. The levels are quite large, and have some generally good designs. There are a lot of missions that ask you to backtrack though, and this definitely makes some parts of the game feel like filler to bump up the play time. Your squad-mates aren't always dependable either, and you are often paired-up with the Arbiter, who seems to go Missing In Action quite a bit. The game allows for up to four-player co-op though, which is most welcome, especially at higher difficulty levels.

Visually, the game keeps the same general style as its predecessors, but definitely benefits from the Xbox 360's capabilities. Jungle levels feature plants that bend as you brush by and gorgeous water effects in the form of waterfalls, rivers and pools. More barren locales in the game are enhanced by smoke, dust and blowing snow effects. While it doesn't seem there was any facial mapping done, the character animations are top-notch. The game streams in level data during each mission and, while the frame rate hiccups a bit now and then, it's certainly better than watching a loading screen. The Head's-Up Display could have been better though, since objective locations aren't always shown, and players are often left guessing their way through levels that should be easy to navigate. The game's sound is mostly what you'd expect, with various vehicle and weapon sounds mixed in with friendly and enemy voices. The music is handled especially well, and fades in cinematically at key moments during the action.

Naturally, series fans are going to be interested in some multiplayer action as well, and on that score, the game doesn't disappoint. With support for up to sixteen players and some truly large levels, there's a lot here to keep fans busy for quite some time. Standard Slayer (death match) and Capture The Flag modes are joined by seven others, including Infection, where players kill Flood creatures or infect humans and Juggernaut, a kind of reverse tag where killing the Juggernaut player (the target) makes you the next Juggernaut. The game also has some added features, such as the ability to record gameplay and allow players to upload clips to share with friends. There's also a mode called Forge, which a basically a real-time level editor, allowing players to customize the levels as they play. Multiple players can take part via split-screen or over Xbox Live as well.

While this is certainly a comprehensive package, it does seem that all these extras come at a cost to the main Campaign mode, which is much shorter than expected. Most players will likely get through the game in eight to ten hours and, though the story's ending should satisfy most, it's unfortunate that the journey along the way isn't a bit more substantial.

8/10

SingStar Amped [PS2]

Fans of Sony's singing game that prefer their music to rock a bit harder than most should take a look at this release. If you haven't played SingStar before, it's basically a karaoke game where you sing along with music videos and get graded on your performance. As in previous versions, players can sing solo, duets, or battle it out by singing a song at the same time or passing the mic. The game also uses the EyeToy camera to take pictures of you during your performance.

The interface remains the same as before, so veterans will know what they're doing from the get-go. It's slick and easy to follow, offering up a jukebox-style rotisserie of album covers for you to select songs from. The tracklist (see below) spans a wide range of hard rock and heavy metal from the past few decades. Anthems such as Judas Priest's "You've Got Another Thing Comin'" and Quiet Riot's cover of "Cum on Feel the Noize" are offset by more mellow tracks like Nirvana's "Come As You Are" and Blue Öyster Cult's "(Don't Fear) The Reaper".

There aren't many tracks here that rock fans are going to pass over and the only additions that I would make would be almost any of Queen's hits and maybe Joan Jett's "I Love Rock N' Roll". It should be noted as well, that these songs are all sung by male vocalists, so guys who find too many "chick songs" in the other SingStar releases should have an easier time with this one. The high end of your voice will still get a workout during Yes's "Owner of a Lonely Heart" though. This is the best Sony's done so far at sticking to a genre, and it's good to see a collection that's on the harder end of the rock spectrum.

9/10

Tracklist:

Alice in Chains "Would?"
Audioslave "Cochise"
Blink-182 "I Miss You"
Blue Öyster Cult "(Don't Fear) The Reaper"
Boston "More Than a Feeling"
Cheap Trick "I Want You to Want Me"
David Bowie "Changes"
Fall Out Boy "This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race"
Foo Fighters "Best of You"
Free "Alright Now"
Iggy Pop "Real Wild Child (Wild One)"
Judas Priest "You've Got Another Thing Comin'"
The Killers "When You Were Young"
Motörhead "Ace of Spades"
Nickelback "Savin' Me"
Nirvana "Come As You Are"
O.A.R. "Love and Memories"
Pearl Jam "Alive"
Poison "Every Rose Has Its Thorn"
Queens of the Stone Age "Go with the Flow"
Quiet Riot "Cum on Feel the Noize"
Radiohead "Creep"
Ramones "Blitzkrieg Bop"
Steppenwolf "Born to Be Wild"
Stone Temple Pilots "Vasoline"
Sublime "Santeria"
Talking Heads "Burning Down the House"
Yeah Yeah Yeahs "Gold Lion"
Yes "Owner of a Lonely Heart"
ZZ Top "Gimme All Your Lovin'"

SingStar '80s [PS2]

Sony's singing game takes on the MTV decade with this collection of songs from the eighties. If you haven't played SingStar before, it's basically a karaoke game where you sing along with music videos and get graded on your performance. As in previous versions, players can sing solo, duets, or battle it out by singing a song at the same time or passing the mic. The game also uses the EyeToy camera to take pictures of you during your performance.

The interface remains the same as before, so veterans will know what they're doing from the get-go. It's slick and easy to follow, offering up a jukebox-style rotisserie of album covers for you to select songs from. Naturally, the thirty tracks included here (see below) are all that really matter though, and there's a diverse selection of artists including MTV darlings Madonna and Tears for Fears. There are some glaring exceptions though, such as Michael Jackson and Prince. There's a bit of filler too, and songs like Starship's "We Built This City", would have been better left to the past.

While not a perfect set, most of the songs are classic hits and are well-suited to wanna-be stars having a go at them. The original videos are often funnier, and cheesier, than memory recalls as well, so they definitely add to the entertainment as players botch their performance by laughing at the on-screen action. This is a solid addition to the series, and while it's not for everyone, retro pop fans will have a blast.

8/10

Tracklist:

Billy Joel "Uptown Girl"
Billy Ocean "Caribbean Queen"
Blondie "Heart of Glass"
Culture Club "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me?"
Cyndi Lauper "Time After Time"
Dead or Alive "You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)"
Dexys Midnight Runners "Come on Eileen"
Duran Duran "Rio"
Erasure "A Little Respect"
Europe "The Final Countdown"
A Flock of Seagulls "I Ran"
Foreigner "I Want to Know What Love Is"
Kim Wilde "Kids in America"
Madness "Our House"
Madonna "Material Girl"
Men at Work "Who Can It Be Now?"
Nena "99 Red Balloons"
The Pretenders "Brass in Pocket"
R.E.M. "Stand"
Run D.M.C. "It's Tricky"
Simple Minds "Don't You (Forget About Me)"
Soft Cell "Tainted Love"
Squeeze "Tempted"
Starship "We Built This City"
Survivor "Eye of the Tiger"
Tears for Fears "Everybody Wants to Rule the World"
Thompson Twins "Hold Me Now"
Tina Turner "Simply the Best"
Twisted Sister "We're Not Gonna Take It"
Wham! "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go"

Skate [360]

Electronic Arts takes video game skating back to basics and gives Tony Hawk some much needed competition in the process.
While skateboarding games have been around for the better part of the last decade, none have posed a serious challenge to Tony Hawk's reign over the genre until now. The big difference here is in the controls, and players will immediately notice a difference. Using the analogue sticks to pull off basic tricks and spins gives the game a new feel, and even experienced virtual skaters will have to practice to get the timing right.

The game's career mode consists mainly of completing challenges scattered around the town, which is no surprise. A nice twist comes with the choice of two skate crews with differing styles to hang out with, one is more aggressive, and the other is more about precision. There's also a good number of skating pro cameos in the game, and a decent character creator adds some customization, allowing you to unlock more sponsor's gear as you progress through the game.

The challenges start off pretty easy, letting you get to grips with the basic controls before demanding anything too complicated. The controls feel natural as well, pulling off tricks by flicking the sticks in various directions and using the triggers to grab. The game looks good, and the town you skate around in is quite large, with four neighbourhoods to explore. The bail animations (which you will see a lot of) are varied, depending on what you hit, but don't have the blood effects you might have grown used to. Naturally, there's the requisite soundtrack to keep you moving, and the lineup is no disappointment here. Songs by the likes of Bad Brains, Eric B & Rakim, and The White Stripes highlight a diverse track list that should please most.

The game has Xbox Live support for multiplayer games of up to six players, or you can take turns battling your friends on the couch in a few rounds of S.K.A.T.E. and see who's best. You can also record, save, and upload clips of your best tricks online to show off and prove your skills. While the controls are the big draw here and do change up the action somewhat, there's still a very back-to-basics vibe here that works both for and against the game. It would have been nice to see a more substantial multiplayer game as well, with a few more modes that are different from the career challenges. It's a great start though for a new franchise, and real competition in the skating genre is certainly long overdue.

7/10

Lair [PS3]

Developer Factor 5 swaps X-wing fighters for dragons in this single-player game that combines dragon-riding combat with a story about religious and political conflict.

The story is based on a land divided by both the environmental effects of volcanic activity and the resulting theological rift between the now-called Asylians, who worship God, and the Mokai, who don't. Players take the role of Rohn, an Asylian dragon knight of the Sky Guard. The game tries for a cinematic presentation, and as the plot progresses, Rohn learns that the political situation is more complex than originally thought.

Rohn is sent out on a series of missions, ranging from air battles to attacks on enemy strongholds and escorting and defending other troops. Each mission has a main objective that must be completed in order to progress through the game, although players can earn medals for performing well. Things start out straightforward enough, as you are tasked with repelling an assault on your city or defending some grain barges from attack.

After a handful of missions though, things start to get over-complicated. You are often given conflicting objectives (one level tells you to destroy the enemy's ground weapons, and then chastises you for not attacking the enemy dragons that are defending them). The game's attempts at cinematic grandeur get in the way as well, with cut-scenes often meddling in your attacks, and at times completely disorienting the player by changing your position or location in the battle when they end.

The game looks good in general, though the fire effects and some of the lighting don't look nearly as good as expected. My biggest peeves with the visuals though, are that friendly and enemy dragons are indistinguishable aside from their blue or red flame attacks, causing much friendly fire and the fact that the objective indicator arrow often disappears for about half the time, making the player guess where their main target is. If one of the developer's aims was to recreate the confusion of battle, then they succeeded on that point. Most of the creatures fare well though, and the facial animation during cut scenes is quite good. The sound does pick up some of the slack here, and John Debney's (Sin City) score is one of the highlights of the game.

The controls are generally well laid-out, with steering handled by motion control. Many of the missions demand several types of action though, with each tweaking what the controls do slightly. This causes the player to have to think too much about what they're doing instead of just doing it. Add a target lock that only seems to work about half the time, and quite a bit of shaking the controller in various directions, and you end up with a system that's just too complicated and ever-changing to be much fun. As a bonus, the game is also the first to feature Remote Play via the PSP. Unfortunately, the game's reliance on motion controls and the L2 and R2 buttons means you can only effectively play a fraction of the levels this way.

It's unfortunate that this game didn't fare better, as you can tell the developers had high ambitions. The story is interesting and the game does do some new things, but the complex controls and disorienting gameplay will likely frustrate most players beyond their limit quite soon. Even hardcore players are going to want to rent this one before buying.

6/10

Metroid Prime 3: Corruption [Wii]

The third and final installment in Retro Studios' "First-Person Adventure" take on Metroid is finally here. This time, Dark Samus is corrupting whole planets with phazon, and Samus is ordered to stop the process.

While the story revolves around the corruption of planets, players will be more concerned with the corruption of Samus herself. After the first part of the story, Samus is outfitted with a Phazon Enhancement Device, which harnesses the phazon within her and enables Hypermode. This enables Samus to use more powerful weapons, but at a cost of life energy and the risk of coming under Dark Samus' control if it's used too much. Graphically, players will likely notice little difference from the earlier games, aside from perhaps some better lighting effects. This doesn't really work against the game though, since it gives the whole series a consistency that would have been lost. Same goes for the audio as well, and players will be familiar with the game's audio cues from the start.

The game uses the same type of challenge-based gameplay with bursts of shooting action as the previous incarnations and, as expected, uses the Wii remote to aim; Also giving several options for camera control. Players can choose to enable a lock-on system that also lets them freely aim for easier targeting without losing control. While this is a huge improvement over the GameCube controls of the first two games, it's still somewhat cumbersome to scan objects (holding the minus button brings up a visor-selection), and frustrating when objects, such as door switches, need to be scanned before you can operate them. It would have been nice to see Samus get an "upgrade" that allows her to scan objects on the fly. I also found that after switching out of Morph Ball mode, it occasionally took a few seconds to regain control of the camera. There are some other attempts to bring more interaction to the game through the controls, such as pulling and turning hatch controls, which are novel at first, but eventually feel like a nuisance. Probably the nicest surprise is using the Nunchuck like a fishing rod and "casting" the grapple beam onto objects, then pulling back to move the item. This can also be used on enemy shields to make them more vulnerable.

While this is a fun and challenging game that's a must-buy for fans of the series, it's definitely a big disappointment that there are no multiplayer options at all. After the stellar multiplayer modes Nintendo pulled off in Metroid Prime Hunters for the DS a year and a half ago, this would have been the perfect title to launch a more robust online service for the Wii and pay back the hardcore fans that kept the GameCube alive. Hopefully we'll see a downloadable multiplayer title at some point.

8/10

Blue Dragon [360]

When Microsoft announced that it had enlisted Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi's new company, Mistwalker, to create games for them, Xbox 360 fans who were waiting for a Japanese RPG couldn't have asked for better news.

With a veritable dream team behind it, the game also features character designs by Akira Toriyama (Dragon Ball Z, Dragon Quest) and music by Nobuo Uematsu (Final Fantasy, Chrono Trigger). The story picks up when a boy named Shu and his friends try to rid their village of a menacing creature and find out that the situation is much more complicated than it first seemed.

Unfortunately, in many ways it feels as though this game is stuck in the past. From the stereotypical characters (including a male sidekick and token tag-along girl) to the general predictability of the story, there isn't much here that players haven't seen before. It often feels as though they went through Final Fantasy VII with a checklist, trying to duplicate its success as closely as possible. Even elements such as the battle victory music and items with names like "Phoenix Talon" are highly derivative and never really let the game have its own identity. There's some good news on the random battle front though, since players can avoid wandering creatures and pick their fights for the most part. You can also choose to fight multiple creatures at a time, which often pits them against each other, making your job easier.

The game also adds some training wheel style options that are on by default, seemingly making the assumption that since the Xbox 360 has been underserved by Japanese RPGs, somehow that must mean that the console's owners have never played one before. Graphically, Toriyama's designs work well, especially each character's shadow creature that they can use in battle. The creatures look good as well, and have a cartoonish look mixed with a touch of realism. The outdoor environments can be sparse though, and there doesn't really seem to be much going on that taxes the console's abilities. Musically, the score is competent, while suffering from the same "me-too" aspect as the rest of the game. The mini-boss battle music is laugh-out-loud bad though, with 80's hair metal blaring and screaming vocals that sound like a wanna-be Ozzy from the Black Sabbath days.

With the team behind it, this should have been a colossal event on the scale of a Final Fantasy release, but instead, comes off feeling dated. Hardcore RPG fans are likely going to want to give it a go anyway, and though the story is somewhat enjoyable in general, the game doesn't have the sense of scale or innovation that it should.

6/10