BoabDreeps

Never tried VR before but just 'had to have' the PS VR. Got EVE and Battlezone on release day. I messed around with the playroom and some demos before I tried these full games and EVE hooked me. This what I came to VR for. Sitting in that VR cockpit is totally convincing. The first time I got launched in to space was awesome and after going through that 20 or 30 times now, it still doesn't feel old. Of course, I was rubbish on those first few battles, but getting to grips with the control dynamics soon became second nature. Being able to look around and track enemy targets as I weave in and out of space debris fulfills a childhood dream to be in a Star Wars like space battle. If this was a 2D space shooter played on my TV, I would have put this game quickly in a pile ready for trade-in. If like me, you were attracted to VR on the back of that X-Wing VR demo, then you don't have to wait. EVE is ticking that box now. You may not get the familiar Star Wars ships, but all the epic space dog fighting is here. If you are a casual multiplayer gamer and you don't like paying £50 to be cannon fodder, then the single player and co-op options are a bit limited. Having said that, this is all about the dog-fighting. So who cares what the scenario is. It's you twisting and swooping through space either on the tail of your enemy or him on yours. Epic

So often regarded as the gold standard of games developers, RockStar seems to be on a bit of a dip in recent years. GTA and Red Dead were stunning games, then along came L.A. Bore. It was terrible, but I forgave them and looked forward to Max Payne 3. But I'm disappointed again. Just like L.A. Noire, it's a demonstration of style over substance. It looks and sounds great, but it's so linear it might as well be an on-rails shooter. Those are the moments that you actually get to PLAY the game, cos the majority of your time will be spent watching cut scenes. There were parts during these interludes where I was thinking: Hey! I could be in control of that bit! The controls are clunky. When you are in control, it doesn't quite feel like you are. It's somewhat disengaged. This is my opinion after reaching the end of "Chapter 4", so I suppose there is time for redemption. Quickly played team death match...uninspiring run and gun festival of repetition. Please RockStar, lift your game for GTA5. I need that to be great.

Birds of Steel is a very nice looking World War 2 flight simulator. It's got everything you might want from a WW2 flight sim, loads of planes, a decent campaign mode (covering both sides), a mission editor and even a dynamic campaign mode where you can change the course of history. However, it's the multiplayer that always lets these games down on the consoles. It's by no fault of the developers (save for a lack of promotional budget), it just the general lack of interest in gamers to play and stick with console flight sim multiplayer games (IL-2 Sturmokik was a cracking flight sim, but the MP servers were always empty). The addition of multiplayer Co-op missions will at least allow you and couple of flight sim fans to play online together. And lets face it, there is only so much time you can spend chasing CPU controlled planes around the sky. It's the human vs human dog fights that matter Just a quick thought: Hasn't this been done before? "Battlestations Midway/Pacific" - Perhaps a little more arcade in it's feel, but with the option to also control naval units and dish out unit orders...I'd tend to think they did a better job.

This is a cracking strategy game, as is it's 'Midway' predecessor. Epic battles with the ability to personally control each of your units. One minute you are piloting a TBF Avenger on a torpedo run against a Japanese battleship, then a second later you are lurking beneath the waves preying on a convoy of transport ships. There is never a dull moment. Issue orders to your units and either let them carry them out, or jump in behind the controls when the action kicks off. The only thing that slightly spoils this game is the confusing control system. There is a lot to control, so it was never gonna be something simple to resolve. If you are bored playing the endless procession of COD clones, then give this a go.

Wow. Where was this game when I needed a GTA style fix? Totally missed this one when it came out, but just took a chance on a second hand copy. It's incredibly good. It's not as polished as GTA, but this game has lots more to offer. I read that the story is a bit lame and short. Who cares? Ignore the story and just go exploring there is loads to see and do. The best way to see the island is by air. Helicopters are readily available at many of the islands military installations. You can infiltrate one of these by using your grappling hook and/or parachute. Don't forget to disable SAM sites before you take off though. From the air you will see how vast your playground is. Terrain evolves from beach resorts and dense jungle through to snow peaked mountains. The depths of the ocean can also be explored. There are also numerous towns, villages and cities to discover. You could travel around peacefully if you like, but the island is best experienced by blowing **** up. The freedom you have is amazing, so too is the way your character can move around the map. The grappling hook tool essentially turns your character in to Spiderman. In case you take a plunge from a great height, you are also equiped with a reusable parachute. This equipment really opens the game up. Does it annoy you in GTA when helicopters hover above you raining down bullets? Wouldn't it be good if you could somehow take control of those helicopters? Yeah, well you can do just that in JC2. Aim your grappling hook at the chopper, zip up to it, chuck the pilot out and away you go. The game has it's glitches, but you'll forgive them. Think: GTA San Andreas meets Spiderman and James Bond.

GTA 4 has, since it's release, represented the high water mark in this current generation of console games. GTA 3 prompted me to purchase a PS2, and GTA4 did a similar job in prompting me to purchase an XBOX 360. 3 years on and everything I've played since has always been measured up to my GTA 4 experience and few have even come close. My friend has an 8 year old son who loves his XBOX. Due to the adult rating, he can't play GTA 4 (although take a trip to the multiplayer element of the game and you will find that a lot of parents choose to ignore this rating). My heart bleeds for him. If I was 8 now, I would lose the plot if I was forced to wait another 10 years to play the game. I can't fault this game. Kinda played it to death now, so desperate for GTA5

It has the Rockstar logo on the box, so I was expecting great things. ****'s just...boring. During one case, I had to chase this bloke who had a shot gun, so I was looking forward to a bit of gun play. He hid behind a wall, so I took cover too. He popped out and I took aim and shot him in the arm. He flopped down dead, action over. Booo! Car chase sequence. The cars handle just a bit too well. I'm expecting some over steer from a big old American car, but they corner like they're on rails. This caused me to mount the kerb at high speed. Wouldn't have looked good, me a Police detective, smearing some innocents along the pavement. Fortunately for them, they just bounced off the car like they were made of rubber. Boooo! That's as far as it goes for the good bits. The rest was the usual: Wander around looking for clues. Pick things up. Look at them. If it's relevant it goes in the note book. Dull, dull, dull. Pre-scripted witness/suspect questions and the Truth/Doubt/Lie option following the answer. That gets really boring after the first two Q&A sessions. Why is this game getting such high scores? The face animation does look good. But it doesn't make for a good game. It's a gimmick. This is the gaming equivalent of the Emperor's New Clothes.