FlushtheFashion

Each year the guys at EA attempt to take the Madden series further into the minds and bodies of NFL players, and for me MADDEN 12 is definitely another step in the right direction. This time they’ve also brought in the BIG GUNS from the likes of Green Bay Packers’ Clay Matthews, New Orleans Saints’ RB Reggie Bush, and St. Louis Rams Quarterback Sam Bradford to name but a few. New features include the all new DEFENCE COVERAGE which sees tackles only beginning upon close contact (forget those superman impressions from previous games), while additional team members can now join in the action, adding more momentum to get that all important take down. Newly balancing aspects show a greater attention to detail in physical movements and collisions, but while this technology has improved in MADDEN 12 it’s still easy to get “lost in the pack” on run plays. Loosing your player in the crowd and reverting to caveman like button bashing to try and find a free player can cause a disruption to the flow of the game at times. Another major focus in the new game is the FRANCHISE MODE, undertaking fans views, comments and suggestions from the community in roughly 25 new features and improvements. Madden 12 Game ReviewThese range from Week on Week ratings which change, as it suggests weekly, (like other EA titles such as FIFA), cut days on expanded rosters, rookie scouting and taking up to 75 young players into your camp for your selection and progression. FREE AGENT BIDDING is a gripping and fast paced bidding system allowing you to choose from the free agents most likely to help you in your quest for silverware. This time player roles have also been integrated back into franchise mode edging an even deeper element to an RPG experience. It’s not perfect. I was disappointed to see the CREATE A SUPERSTAR mode missing in MADDEN 12, something I think would have expanded the game play and life expectancy of the game, but I am pleased to report Xbox LIVE play has improved. Playing ‘real’ opponents online removes the AI logic adding an edge of unpredictability to games (and fun too), while jitters and bugs, connection times and lagging issues seems to be a thing of the past, leading to an entirely more enjoyable experience. Overall there is still more than enough good stuff to warrant further investigation into the franchise and MADDEN 12 is best played with friends on a Saturday night in, to an early morning sunrise session tackling the season with glorious victory.

The Dark Knight returns to our disc trays for Rocksteady’s, Arkham City, and it’s one of this year’s most anticipated video games. Following on from Arkham Asylum, a title that was a massive step-up from previous superhero based gaming, in terms of controls, movement, flow and story-line. It introduced a fresh & unique combat system that drew players into the action with gripping combo’s and counters, and had a more detective-like feel than most beat ’em ups. Arkham CityArkham Asylum ended with a bang, watching The Joker mutate (through use of “titan”), to an epic final boss fight, and Arkham City picks up not too far along the timeline. Bruce Wayne is captured by Tyger Forces under orders of Arkham Cities head of operations Dr. Hugo Strange, and it doesn’t take long for Mr. Wayne to suit up and reign justice from the shadows. The new story-line follows Strange, The Joker, and other masters of the criminal underworld’s quest to bring down the bat from the sky. Sideline missions are a great use of the ‘open world’ factor, fellow super villains (including The Penguin, Mr Freeze and Bane) are pitted against Batman and his small entourage. These sub-plots allow for deeper character involvement, screen time and dialogue compared to that of its predecessor. Arkham City has got all new modifications, tweaks and improvements, giving a much understood “Bigger, Better, Bolder” feeling to the game. Vastly noticeable is the open world aspect of the city (not seen hugely on Arkham Asylum), freeing players to soar from amazing heights, zip-line across the roof-tops and really take in the environment. Districts and relative locations such as Penguins Iceberg Lounge, and memory saddened Monument Theatre (where Bruce’ parents were killed) also reside within in its walls. The graphics are better and seem more realistic in movement and appearance while still retaining that all important comic book look and feel. Detective view is still available and crisper than ever, character representation and costume are thoroughly brought forward ( although Mr Freeze’s suit does look a bit “off”). Good to is the dialogue, gripping enough to keep you from skipping straight to the action. New Gadgets are available through level-ups and have been expanded, giving the Utility Belt a diverse use in all situations. All utilities from Arkham Asylum are available from the beginning, so you can focus on getting those all-new awesome gadgets. Together with an updated combo system, predator moves, and bat-suit upgrades it pulls you even deeper behind the mask. DLC (downloadable content) opportunities are available with Arkham City, with additional downloadable characters Catwoman and boy-wonder sidekick Robin. Along with campaign add-ons, creating ever more game-play. Arkham City is an amazing game and will keep a lot of gamers wanting more. A third installment is hinted at within the story, and the though of being able to fly around the whole of Gotham City next time will have fans drooling in anticipation. Developers Rocksteady deserve credit for the hard work put in, awesome story line, great use of characters and… just go buy it, god damn it!

Modern Warfare is back with a bang. This time developers Sledgehammer team up with Infinity Ward, bringing gaming’s elite together for the third instalment of the Modern Warfare franchise. Previous release (MW2) gripped players through endless multi-player action online, and (some of the time) the accompanying campaign mode. Modern Warfare 3 dives straight into the action and Russia is on America’s doorstep threatening invasion. Soap and Price are back and with the help of Frost, Nikolai and new guy Yuri (to name a few). Primary antagonist Makarov is back too, hijacking the plane of President Vorshevsky and kidnapping his daughter Alena to add leverage to his insane bid to gain launch codes for the Russian Nuclear Arsenal. I was taken back by all the gunfire, explosions and attention to detail brought forward in MW3, and while the game engine is still the same as before, buildings, characters and scenery all looking amazing. The cut scenes too are well done bringing the story to life with verve and drama. Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3Campaign Mode is all gripping, tense and thrilling. Spanning over several months, from land, air and sea with a vast array of weaponry, non repetitive objectives and an easy to follow heads up display. Difficulty changes are noticeable calling players to use a deeper tactical approach if Veteran is your forte. Co-op Campaign is still a no-go and something the game is really missing. We do though see the Special Ops Mode return, with less stars to collect down from the pain staking 69 in MW2 to a more manageable 48. As single or co-op, the challenge based missions are a test of abilities to up the ante of player skills. In conjunction a new mode makes a debut, Survival Mode. One or two players against waves of increasingly difficult AI enemies. What is different is enemy spawn, it’s all calculated on the tactical position of the human player (finally no fixed spawn) to ensure players are on high alert at all times. Guns, ammo and special support upgrades are available and unlockable by use of “cash” earned through time. Special select guns are also only available in this mode to either entice or annoy gamers. Last, but by no means least, is the world renowned Call of Duty Online Multi-player. Now with a more in-depth take through connection via Facebook and joining the ranks is free to download ELITE, a new aspect giving resemblance to Combat Record (Black Ops). You can view and compare stats, forge clans, news, tournaments and tons more. There is also a Premium upgrade option for all the hardcore to unlock more in-depth content. In play weapon XP & level XP all act as a unit to keep gaming rewarding, unlocking weapon add-ons and perks. MW3 is a big improvement on MW2 with noticeable changes and differences across the board and I will be playing this game online for some time to come. Big debates about which is best, MW3 or Battlefield 3 (its main rival) will go on for a long time, but MW3 has enough going for it to keep you enthralled in its grasp at least until the next installment is released.

Can you smeeelllll what the Yuke’s’ cooking? Well now you can, WWE 2012 has been unleashed! This time THQ & its tag team partner Yuke’s have attempted to re-invent and re-energise the franchise. While previous titles (Smackdown vs. Raw) have had no real significant changes over recent years, WWE 2012 is different. In ‘Road to Wrestlemania’ (main story mode) by playing as 3 characters: a goodie, a baddie and your own creation, there is a close knit storyline. This is great as previous titles had gamers playing all characters separately to get the big story (no more love lost). With around a day or twos game time, this mode doesn’t hold up to repetitive plays. After RTW, comes ‘WWE Universe’, first seen last year, but improved to give better game play and keep players ‘in game’ using match creation, simulations along with alliances, feuds and scenarios. Whilst aiding in a more realistic representation of the WWE Experience, combined they can make for some random occasions before, during and after matches. Online play is a test of the all new fighting techniques. Server and lag issues have haunted players in the past, but seem to be ok now. Testing both before and after release date, I personally saw no difference in response. Some players may find it easier to stick with ‘non-line’ play depending on ability, but is always worth a tussle with. To partner the new combat systems, welcome ‘The submission system’, leading players onto button mashing mayhem as opponents can break out based on the same ‘technique’. A meter appears at the centre of the screen to show who is in control. If full it’s a tap out, if empty a release is imminent, giving a more even feel and chances of payback more balanced. THQ’s new ‘Character Creation Sim’ (seen recently in Saints Row: The Third) takes customisation to a new level. Whether it be facial manipulation for a chiselled look, or birth of a monster. Clothing, tattoos, battle wounds, everything from head to toe is available. If you’re like me, you could spend an endless amount of time in this section. This continues in ‘Create An Arena’, to embark on your own personal arena, or recreate a retro arena from wrestling past. The new direction of WWE ‘12 does have minor initial flaws, but heralds a new sense of sophistication that should be welcomed with open arms by wrestling fanatics worldwide. Even if you’re not a big wrestling fan, it might still be worth a week long rent at least. By the way, if you’re online and come across ‘BLANKA’ from Street Fighter, chances are it could be me!

Volition Inc. & THQ have brought us to Steelport in the hands of the Third Street Saints. After the previous game ended in a violence and explosions, the Saints joined forces with Ultor Corp and transformed from a simple street gang into a multi media powerhouse. In the proceeding 3 years they have all grown up. Energy drinks, movie deals, fortune and a massive following in this insane edition. Playing as the ‘Boss’ the story joins up alongside previous characters Johnny Gat, Shaudi and newbie tag along Josh Birk (actor, researching his ‘role’ in the upcoming movie). The crew attempt to steal a banks vault in the opening mission, Birk (aptly named) sets off an alarm in the process, alerting SWPD. Let’s say things don’t go to plan and once the dust clears the objective of the game is to rebuild the gang and the empire to their former glory. A new approach has been brought to the table on the mission structure. Previously seeing separate missions for each rival gang concluding in the final mission. SR3 offers a tighter construction with all missions intertwined. Leading decisions of the player affect through the whole game, including alternate endings. Without giving too much away its time to move away from the high octane, fast paced campaign, to land in **** MODE. Word plays from the get go this mode is survival/ horde based; defeating waves & levels with a colorful and strange array of enemies. Whether it’s giant women with big bazookas to gimps wielding massive purple **** swords and multicoloured walking cats. Guns, ammo and grenades are plentiful so wreaking havoc is always a must. Although it’s not horrendously long it offers a lot of difference and laugh out loud fun. 2011 titles have seen more and more heavily customisable characters and surroundings. THQ have a great custom engine in game that gives players a more free and in-depth feel to creating a truly unique avatar and gang. Pre built models are available to use if this side of the game is not your cup O’tea. Game play has the open world (GTA type) freedom you would expect, third person views, multiple drivable vehicles (bikes to aircraft) all set on the streets. Saints Row The Third Along with the main story come mini missions, games & activities, turf wars and generally causing chaos. Get carried away with it though and the ‘five-o’ will be over you like a rash (unless you like the challenge of course). Graphics have a fresh and funky look too, you get the occasional pixelation if the game is not installed to the hard drive, but I like the whole comic / cartoon type textures & colours, giving a fictional feel. Keeping in line with the more humorous side the game offers. For players who venture online there is a co-op campaign and **** mode. They are available locally as well, only by use of a code (with game/ purchasable) which must be activated to allow access. The team decided to axe online multiplayer i.e. Deathmatch’ with a savvy shout too, mainly to save time, money and disappointment. Due to First Person Shooters taking most of all current online multiplayer gaming. Saints Row: The Third does a great job of filling the void Grand Theft Auto (its main adversary) left behind. This time THQ and Volition have delivered a much bigger game with easy to follow objectives & markers and it’s not too hard to pick up on the easier settings either. If you like this sort of thing, it’s definitely worth picking up (at least until GTA V comes out).

Are you ready? You Ready? LETS FIGHT! UFC makes a sensational return this year, and after WWE ‘12, THQ and Yukes team up again for this Mixed Martial Arts based title. Undisputed 3 brings a more technical feel to the table (or octagon in this case) to that of WWE. Using basic fighting techniques and more “specialised” moves that are learned as you progress through the game, your aim is to become No.1, fighting through rounds against opponents to win by KO, Technical KO and Submission Tap Outs. With all the new mod cons this year, its character build and attributes give you an opportunity to fine tune, improve and master moves within world renowned gyms. Add in major customisable aspects including tattoos, banners, and there is even a logo design hub (for the lil graphic designer in you). UFC really takes the personalised approach to the core. Offered up for bludgering is an array of modes including Title Defence, Event Creation, all new PRIDE options and the unmissable Career Mode. Career is the place to be for becoming fighting’s best, working your way from n00b to Hall of Fame Legend through bouts, all important training sessions and camp sessions. Throw in some added bonus sponsorship deals and you‘ll just be getting the picture. The SHOP section in-game is a great way to show off those sponsors (10 at a time) on tees, hoodies, cowboy hats plus my favourite a kimono jacket. Even with AI difficulty on its hardest setting posing a challenge, what would any fighter game be without online play? Pitting your offence, defence and hard graft against an actual human in the reformed online experience, and there are no real changes in play to the offline modes. THQ keep on advancing, noticeably with the huge rosters of players (150+), all recognisable real life fighters. Movements are fluent at most, and controls are responsive under the thumbs. UFC brings a big buzz when fists, feet and blood are flying, drawing you in when racking up those combos. UFC Undisputed 3 is a vast improvement on the previous game and while not everybody’s choice of game, I would recommended it to any fighter fan.

Following on from its predecessor 2009’s Trials HD, Trials Evolution brings more 2.5D barrel balancing, log leaping & fire dodging, motocross goodness. Still keeping its original core feel, simple controls and some mentally insane tracks, Trials Evo isn't just a quick entertainment fix. No sir (or madam), it’s a game to bring out your competitive side, your control skills and maybe some “Hulk” like tendencies. The metamorphosis through the years has seen improvements to both the graphics and game play, pushing the boundaries of physics, awesomeness and the just plain crazy. Trials Evolution tests your abilities (at least to start with) on relatively simple obstacle courses and tracks, but as you make your way things get tougher, and the determination to succeed becomes stronger. That is unless you see green, rage quit and sit sulking in the corner. Online you can compete with 3 other human riders, and a big part of the fun is building and sharing your own personal tracks and customising your bike and rider. Congrats to Red Lynx and Microsoft Studios for bring something truly epic to the table and I hope they continue to work together on future projects. At 1200MSP, it’s available to download in the XBL Marketplace and is simple enough that anyone to play (yes, even my 3 year old can complete the beginner courses).

lcome to Heller! Ok, so you’re a Sgt. in the US Military and a virus hits the isles of NY. Caught up in the pandemic you loose your family to a visionary, shape-shifting prototype, known as Alex Mercer (Prototype 1’s main character). The first thing you would do is hunt this freak down, right? Well that is exactly the aim in this open world, action-adventure Radical Ent & Activision. The game begins with new protagonist Sgt. James Heller crashing into the highly infected red zone. But who would cause this? Yep, you guessed it, Mercer. You set off in chase to be met with in-game prompts that keep the action rolling, away from those mindless tutorials. When you do catch up with him, Mercer ‘infects’ you with the god-like powers, and after a little chat, dashes off, leaving you more than a little confused. Prototype2 Game ReviewShortly after you are captured by Gentek & Blackwatch (the brains & brawn monitoring the outbreak) to be tested on. A few prompts and a breakout later, you are free to explore the vast world, gain mutations, earn upgrades and track down that S-O-B Mercer and his army, one way or another. Twists and turns develop along the way, with testing alliances, shocks and surprises together with a worthy array of enemies that come in all shapes and sizes. These are backed up by the new and more realistic AI to add in on the experience. The main story also has additional side missions, although not essential, they do take the entire game time up to 15-20 hours. Whether you choose to find ‘Blackboxes’, destroy Lairs, wipe out Field Ops teams, or hack the Blacknet systems. Rewards are given to further strengths, defences and giving more insight of what is actually going on. The development team have ploughed new aspects all through Prototype 2, the duel attack system, extra mutations, pack leader, hunting mode and especially Radnet. Radnet is an online section separate to the main game. Weekly events, challenging friends and themed awards, all similar to that of Call of Duty: Elite (if you are COD savvy). Very cool, but this feature is currently only available through pre-order and new game copy’s of the Ranet Edition, and not purchasable in any other form. I did have some movement issues at times and travelling from one side to the other did get slightly tedious even with use of the heliport. That aside, the awesome Sim City style cut scenes and the previously mentioned additions on a whole surpasses the original in this short, but great series. I enjoyed loading up on Prototype 2, and if they release anymore I’ll definitely be gliding from the rooftops while dropping my devastating moves.

Ever heard of games developer, publisher and distributor, Square Enix? If you haven’t, they’re an awesome crowd, mainly known for creating and releasing Role Playing Video Games (RPG’s) such as the Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest and The Kingdom Hearts series, all amazing in their own ways. One game you may or may not be acquainted with is Mini Ninjas, released in 2009 by Eidos (now part of Square Enix Europe) across all platforms. The game followed a band of Ninjas on a quest to defeat an evil ancient warlord so peace and prosperity could rule the lands once again. All characters had their owns traits & skills, all of which were playable once rescued and the title was well received across the board. Then some clever person at Square Enix had a revelation, “Hey, why don’t we create an arcade version of Mini Ninjas?” Say hello to Mini Ninjas Adventures. Created exclusively for Xbox Kinect by the team, and currently available on Xbox Marketplace for a cool 800MSP or £6.80 in relative terms. Following along from the original main title, ‘Adventures’ main protagonist Hiro, discovers a glowing orb in his masters quarters containing immense amounts of Kuji magic. Hiro absorbs this power to do good, but doesn’t realise its main function is to contain an evil Samurai Warlord. Mini Ninja Adventures As you can guess the Warlord escapes his talisman like prison, seeking to rule the world and kidnaps Hiro’ fellow ninjas. He also enslaves innocent animals transforming them into a cool array of enemies to fulfil his dark intentions. The worlds fate is now in Hiro’ hands or Blade, Bow and Shuriken to be precise. Learning new skills, from weapons to magic, earning upgrades through EXP coins to better Hiro’ attributes. You, the player must be in harmony of mind, body and soul to rescue your friends through various great environments and defeat the Warlord. Alternately just fling your arms & legs about whilst running around the room and you might just do it as well. I had great fun with the challenge of different moves for different foes, pulling combos, and really getting into the game. Six and a half hours later the game was over but the mini-games pulled me back into playing more the next day. Have a look, I’m currently on the leaderboard (12th in the world!!!) not bad eh? ‘Adventures’ is versatile and can be played with friends, the kids, parents or even if you just want to get fitter (have a towel at hand). The Mini Ninjas, Hiro and his chums are a great addition to the XBLA collection. The question is now, who can beat me?

Many of you will be aware of MadCatz, with their awesome hardware bringing gamers closer to the game. What you may not know is that they are branching into software and publishing, so, low and behold Damage Inc – Pacific Squadron WWII. Damage Inc. is a fighter plane sim with the intention of bringing players a more realistic, dog fighting bunch of goodness. With 20 playable missions spanning various moments in war, starting in WWII Pearl Harbour, you are a rookie straight out of flight school progressing on your military voyage to become a decorated hero of the skies. Its plain a huge amount of time and effort has gone in to bringing real life resemblances to the dozens of planes and upgrades at your disposal. There are great explosions, loop the loops and (kind of) time warps galore. Unfortunately that’s where the good stuff stops. Visual elements in-game are far from that of being realistic, with graphics seeming grainy coupled with dis-proportioned landscapes & surroundings. I found myself enjoying the dogfights at first, but after a short while it felt I was loosing touch with the game and just slipped into auto pilot of shoot plane, bomb ship. Join that with trying to keep your sight on a tiny red dot (that “helps you”) to take down enemy planes, it was a chore at most. Also sprinkle in a big portion of crashes, the game not my piloting skills, bugs and glitches with mission fails and completions occurring, when your not even able to see what is happening but apparently still in control of the aircraft. With two controller set-ups at hand, arcade or simulation (which are unchangeable, unless you start over), trust me neither is stand out, so stick with arcade to save yourself any agony. Ok Ok, I could be shooting down the controls as there is a “special” joystick to tie in with the game, which I haven’t tested myself. But… I hear you say? Research has proven many found it easier with the joy-pad as the AV8R failed to navigate even the basics of the menu… I concur! Now I know this is an early venture for Team MadCatz and lessons will have definitely been learnt along way. Lets just hope & pray, if we do see that any more titles released under their name, they don’t crash and burn like this one. And finally without going into any more detail on how bad the game is, there really isn’t anything I can add. Maybe something other than if you love planes, want to look at them and see them in action. A flight museum or local/ national air show, will be more worthy of your £39.99. My score is based on the original vision that was there initially but never really came to fruition in the final product. At best its a plug and play arcade sim to sit in the drawer or take up needed memory space.

Welcome back folks, to another year with the WWE gaming franchise and WWE 13. Now we all kind of guess what most of the relevant releases will be like when it comes to sporting franchise titles. This time though, Yukes and THQ have joined forces in another tag team special to further the experience of WWE sports fans, with the help of the Predator Technology 2.0 engine. WWE 13 Game Review Following on from its predecessor in WWE 12, 2.0 has been given doses of adrenaline and evolved to bring more fluidity in game. This really shows, in general movement, transitions & right the way through to the 300+ new moves that have been added, all thanks to this revamped engine. WWE 13 Game ReviewWith the tech said, lets jump into the ring and wrestle through the rest shall we? The difference this year as others is the mix up off the Season Modes, with Road to Wrestlemania thrown over the top rope and cast out in a royal rumble fashion. Only to be replaced with the delight of Attitude Era. Here we grapple along the timelines of the WWE in its battle for Monday Night supremacy over the WCW. Set over 6 factions, with playable characters and groups from The Texas Rattlesnake “Stone Cold” Steve Austin to D-Generation-X. This by far is the standout mode in my eyes with all the nostalgia, grudges and monumental matches rising from WWE’s stunning history. Alternately if you are looking for the more up to date roster and PPV events, then head on over to WWE Universe, where events can be simulated or played on the players discretion. Rosters, titles pretty much everything is up for customisation also. So if you want to bring in your own superstar or just have a mix up and play in a Vince McMahon role, just go crazy with it… Touching on creativity, this year, has gained some mass to step up a weight class, with an immense amount of personalisation at hand with create-a-superstar, arenas, entrances and (some very interesting ways to create) special moves. I, as per usual spent a good amount of time in here, picking up some relatively easy achievements/ trophies. There is a lot at hand and attention to detail expands throughout the entire game, let alone on just how you want your avatars Movember-tash to look. There are a few points that shouldn’t be missed though with all the good comes some bad. Crowd reactions and voice mapping have been improved but at the same time still lack on what the experience brings (especially annoying to me in Attitude Era the recorded pieces mention the past name of the WWF this is blanked out to just W W ….). Adding to the new engine notes, there could be more improvement in the Predator, for the movement, but we shall see what any updates entail. I’ve enjoyed the online experience, albeit, a lengthy wait to get a match (which I got schooled in). All the usual host glitches, lag etc all seemed fair and above board. Just my crummy skills to blame here… Into WWE? Love Sports entertainment? Spend your hard earned pennies, load it up and have a brawl. I applaud the advances made and can really see the potential Yukes and THQ are bringing forward with their noggins strapped together. Lets just keep our ears pinned and eyes peeled for WWE 14.

If you’ve been living under a rock over the last couple of months let me bring to your attention, Call of Duty: Black Ops II. Formed by the team at Treyarch and brought to the world by Activision. BLOPs II as it’s widely known takes us on a journey from 1986 all the way to the future, 2025 to be exact. In this fast paced First-Person-Shooter the campaign drops you in the boots of Alex and David Mason, a father and son combo along with other roles as sub-characters as the story progresses through multiple choices/ endings. Everyone was optimistic of how the game would lay between the past release and this current second title. But the link between the two time eras slot together in my eyes perfectly, laying down the storyline with force and action. Although there may be too many cut scenes for the personal taste, I stayed gripped and was fascinated by all the new tech and side missions, named Strike Force. The Strike Force missions were a great insight into the multi-player maps as these are both two of the same, so when I did venture onto the huge multi-player goodness, I was equip with the Intel and ammo ready to take on the world. The only problem whilst aiming through the online MP was the host migration and connection problems, which are being ironed out. This still didn’t deter from playing endless games in the mass variety of play-lists from Kill Confirmed and Domination through to the good old Party Games of Gun Game and Sticks & Stones that BLOPS is renowned for. A great new online feature to highlight is League Play, with the developers taking great thought into the pro gaming/ eSports following. Players are put through their skill base in different class leagues in a tournament style layout, the more you win the more you progress, from the Iron League or with the top flight in the Masters League. All weapons are unlocked also, so there is no blaming the gun that you have picked from the vast array that’s at hand. If all this is a bit too much for you and you just want to, I don’t know, shot Zombies?!? Then come on in! Zombies Mode is a groovy addition to the BLOPS series, with a lot of people gunning to just play this mode alone. Many maps are available with a good chunk of achievements/ trophies being held here for endless zombie hordes and crazy voices. The new improved look & play is great and reminiscent of its predecessor. Party up or go it lone ranger it’s up to you, but believe me safety, is as they say, in numbers. There is so much detail that can discussed but its best to just go and buy this game, you shall not be disappointed. If you do and come across some dude running around with Monk above his head, that would be me, so say hi & please… don’t shoot me.

Console owners it’s time to grab your swords, ready your arrows and hone your magical powers. Diablo 3 is coming, courtesy of Blizzard, the brains behind the World of Warcraft series. Since the release of Diablo 2, way, way, way back in 2000, fans were left waiting for the announcement of a further title in the series. Then in 2008 that time came, although it did take another 4 years for the game to be released, on May 15th 2012. So you ask why I am reviewing it more than a year later. The not so secret fact is that Diablo 3 is now available on Xbox360 and Playstation 3 a bold move for a game open solely to the PC and Mac user. The reason behind this move? Too add to the best-selling PC title of 2012, or to simply welcome consoles into this fantasy hack and slash RPG that Diablo 3 is. Whatever the answer is, it’s a good move in my opinion. For those of you who may not know about Diablo’s base of gameplay, let’s have a quick rundown. In the never ending battle of heaven and hell, you step up to the plate to ward off the forces of evil. Without too many spoilers the player is set along a mighty quest to inevitably defeat the dark lord, recruit followers to aid in your mission, collect loot, weapons and generally kicking evil’s butt. There are 4 acts to play through, all with a final boss level at the end. With some amazing cut scenes and side missions because. . . well, just because. The interface and interaction were to me some of the main points I wanted to see accomplished with the transition and hasn’t let me down. The easy to navigate inventory and skills menus can be accessed and used with ease and at with haste. Controls are simple, your skills & attacks are all in the palm of your hand to the right with movement & targeting on the left. An evade movement has been added to the right thumbstick, which isn’t available on the PC/ Mac version. All updates that were patched out to PC users are already pre-loaded onto the game also, bonus. New character classes add variety into the selection making for numerous approaches in tactics. This is especially fun if you are in a party as it really increases the playability of the game. Sticking with the multi-player you not only have online and local play you also have the joy of LAN; yes LAN (Local Area Connection). So if you want to go old school and hook a few systems together you can, hazzar. Another factor that stood out was the visuals and presentation of Diablo 3, with the shiny finish to end graphics and detail put into the console version really drew me in to slay down as many foes as possible until I couldn’t keep my eyes open anymore. The paragon based level up system also encourages you to continue play and max out to unlock all the skills and class essentials to rid the world of the evil that invades its lands. Diablo 3 is definitely holding the stakes in my game time and will continue to do so with the different playable options and difficulties at hand. Blizzard’s done a great job with the leap back onto consoles given the 16 year gap they have taken to do it and seems fitting even for people who have no experience of the game before to pick up a controller and join in. Whether you decide to get the click happy PC version or the 360 and PS3 release, be noted Diablo 3 has been announced for next gen on the PS4 & there is no official word from Microsoft or Blizzard to state an appearance on Xbox One, yet…

With stories of vampires being portrayed in various media now a days, we gamers occasionally get a title release containing these mythic and sometimes brutal creatures of the night. DARK is one of these said titles, pieced together by Realmforge Studios and sent out into the darkness by Kalypso Media. Starting the game we are met by main protagonist Eric, neon lights, amnesia, and a headache of our own just from the graphics alone. Suffering from the amnesia, you must help Eric stumble along to regain his memories and learn what caused him to be this way. It doesn’t take too long to find out you have been turned… into… a VAMPIRE… dun dun duuuuunn! To stop you completely changing into a mindless ghoul hell bent on **** the blood from every living creature, you must follow the triad of missions to drink the blood of your sire (the one who turned you) or that of an ancient vamp. You meet a parade of main characters along the way, none of which offer any decent amount of conversation, put forward in a Mass Effect dialogue selection, generating mundane vocab throughout. The main aim of the game is to use stealth, cunning and vampire skills which you gain by an in game level up system. This would be ideal and a break from the norm of all guns (or fangs) blazing, if the combat controls and camera angles assisted you, instead of constricting you into not using moves or combos that could be really effective if you found yourself in a compromised position and needed to bash heads. I was forced to not complete the game down to the frustration and boredom I was dragged into upon playing DARK. The basis of the game and idea is great in theory and the problem with some smaller studios/ indie devs is that ideas sometimes need more money which I think is the case here. Don’t get me wrong some can generate unforgettable gaming experiences but not DARK. As the game is titled, is how it will remain in my eyes, away in the dark and live as a myth just like the vampires you control and come across in game.

With a console normally at the core of my gaming time, my iPhone was drained numerous times (in a good way) from playing MaW3 and managed to keep me hooked over and over. I've really enjoyed my time playing this game and shall continue to do so. This may be part to do with my passion of military based strategies, giving me eight out of ten easier more personal experience but you wouldn't play if you didn't like it from the get go, right? I must also point out the fact that MaW3 was, pretty much, solely built by one man, James Bryant.