dupplawt

Having played through several times now, I am adjusting my score down. Whilst there are some brilliant parts of the story the ending is a wimper which makes no sense due to poor programming and writing. I don't care if the 'Extended Cut' pieces some of it together - it is poor finishing and Bioware should be ashamed of their sloppiness.

Ilomilo is a fun puzzle game with a rustic art style and a cute sound design. The characters are instantly memorable and the levels increase in difficultly with progress. There is also a leader board to compare your completion 'steps' with your friends, and the world - although it appears the leader board has been hacked with all levels being completed in 1 step (impossible). For £10 it is a worthwhile purchase for puzzle game fans.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is a magical, overwhelmingly beautiful and engaging gaming experience with some beautiful graphics and a masterpiece soundtrack, let down by some frustrating glitches and bugs. A player can easily put 40+hours into exploration of the world without making much progress in the true 'story' which relates to the return of dragons to the province of Skyrim. There are numerous caves, bandit camps, towns and holds (the larger towns) to visit with an exhaustive array of quests to complete and plentiful loot to collect along the way. The levelling system is very well executed and encourages a player to concentrate on one part at a time - ie levelling up conjuration or heavy armour or smithing. Although I have yet to complete the story, I have travelled to every corner of Skyrim (and beyond...) and feel it is time to review. Whilst it will find a place in my heart to be one of my top 5 favourite games ever, there are some minor issues with bugs and glitches, although hopefully with time these will be ironed out. It should be noted that I had never played an Elder Scrolls game before Skyrim, but that didn't prevent me thoroughly enjoying almost every minute of it.

The controls are great, the graphics are pretty good and the gameplay is relentlessly fun. Vanquish is a great game for those looking for an adrenaline rush; a rush it is coming in at just over 5 hours long on Normal difficulty. The story is pretty poor; Russian evil dude wants to destroy USA etc... it's been done a million times before. Most male characters have a rough accent and at times annoying and over the top dramatic. Nonetheless, it's a decent game and I had fun playing and I'm glad I rented it. The graphics are good in the sense of large environments and the particle effects are good as are the characters models. The let downs are the length and the story, the best bits are the gameplay and levels. 3/5.

Uncharted is a good game and having completed it after Uncharted 2, my score may be lower than otherwise... Nonetheless, it is a great game with a good story, good characters and great voicework, together with a cinematic soundtrack. The graphics are very good, with the occassional pop-in and dodgy texture. The gameplay is decent, not as refined as its successor but there are some elements that can be frustrating. This mainly revolves around the attempt to apply six-axis controls into grenade throwing and shaking off some of the latter enemies... this can be frustrating. I'm not a big fan of quick-time events and this game has some infrequently and often unexpected during cutscenes. I can't see much reason to playthrough again other than trophies, which I'm not interested in. The game provides a decent challenge on the normal setting. Good, 3/5.

As far as scary, creepy and atmospheric horror games go, Dead Space 2 is by far the best I have ever played. It is far superior to its predecessor in every way; the mechanics, the weapons, the enemy variety, the challenge and the more various settings. DS2 provides scares and jumps from the start to the finish, and the story is interesting enough to keep you attached until the very final limb is severed. The decision to give Isaac Clarke (the protagonist) a voice was an excellent design choice and allows the player to gain a likeness of the character. The surroundings and sound are both superb; the original was fantastically atmospheric, but this game improves and refines everything. As a rental (or as second hand) you will not get an 'online code' and so this locks away the online multi-player, which is disappointing, however the single player 9-10 hour play through way enough to satisfy me. 4/5, superb.

Portal 2 is a brilliantly witty, tongue-in-cheek game. The single player aspect took me a good 12 hours to get through, puzzling over each test chamber, sometimes then having a moment of eureka and realising how easy it is to solve. The voice work is brilliant, with Stephen Merchant giving a touch of sarcastic humour to the game, with Glados as sinister as always. The co-op, which leads on from the end of the single player campaign, is really good too, but works best with a friend in the room or over a microphone. Me and my mate completed it largely mic-free and we had some hilarious cases of misunderstanding and frustration. The graphics are nice too, even on PS3, which comes with a free PC copy which is also nice and hopefully this will happen more in future. Overall, Portal 2 is great fun, 4/5.

Blur is a fun game, which unfortunately has not gained the attention it probably deserves. There is plenty of race tracks, game modes for multiplayer and there's more to each race than just coming 1st; you can gain fans by completing challenges throughout the race, such as driving through golden gates in order and completing fan demands, such as getting a clean boost. It appears to be very balanced, unlike Mario Kart, from which it draws inevitable comparisons with the items you can collect, the items are not randomised, so if you're low in the ranks, getting a boost or shunt is far better than getting a mine. I've played split-screen and the races are usually very tight, even with easy computer opponents. There's plenty to do, alone or online, and there's a good range of real cars with different handling. The graphics are not stunning, but the speed and effects on each course make up for this. Overall, Blur is a solid, fun racer and I can definitely recommend it. 3/5.

Fallout 3 is a truly amazing video game. It is quite easy to get 60+ hours out of it on a single playthrough, if you explore every location and attempt as many side quests as you can; the main story line can become sidetracked by the sheer scale of the rest of the game. As a standalone package (minus DLC), once completed, you cannot continue to explore the wasteland; fortunately the GOTY package includes the Broken Steel add-on, and with this there is a huge new story arc to complete and you can continue after the main story has reached it's conclusion. Every character you meet has something to say, many have quests to give and you can proceed to be a wasteland saviour, or a vault demon. The gameplay is FPS with some RPG elements such as perks and special abilities; my favourite of which is Bloody Mess, which speaks for itself really. Of the DLC, they are all fantastic and varied; Operation Anchorage takes you to the Arctic, The Pitt takes you to the fiery steelmills of Pittsburgh, and Point Lookout features a barren, abandoned fairground. I enjoyed all 5, and they make it well worth buying the Game of the Year Edition. Unlike my favourite games, however, I have not found much to go back and replay, as you need so much time to really feel like you're in the wastelands. There are also some technical issues I have heard of, but personally I can recall very few and by now many of the issues have been patched. Overall, an absolutely fantastic game, well-worth buying, 4/5.

This is a fantastic game; the characters are classic Zelda, easy to like, friendly and unique. The gameplay is also classic Zelda, but with the Wii controls, it makes it far more interesting. The story is pretty classic too; enemies come, take over huge swathes of the land , and you have to go and clear it of evil. It's fun all the way, although at times, the travelling can be annoying and slow. The enemies are not particularly intelligent, and they're not especially varied either. The environments are varied, from deserts to meadows to frozen lakes, it's all done beautifully. The soundtrack is subdued and atmospheric, kicking in during combat to increase the drama. If you enjoyed Wind Waker, you'll love Twilight Princess. 4/5.

Metro 2033 has a decent premise and setting, but the gameplay is broken. The controls often feel unresponsive and clunky. I was uninterested in the story and characters, and the enemies were unvaried. I am struggling to find any positives from my playthrough, but the campaign is a decent length and the setting is atmospheric. If you can get over the glitchy controls and boring story, you might enjoy it. 1/5.

Having never played a Prince of Persia game before, this was my first and I enjoyed it from start to finish. The gameplay was repetitive, but I enjoyed the company of the characters and I love the art style. There isn't much to go back and replay once completed, but I found that just playing to try and collect all the orbs was fun enough to keep me interested, disregarding the boss battles. It's definitely worth a rent, or £5/$10. 3/5.

Killzone 2 was one of the most hyped and anticipated games for PS3 when it was being developed, and in many ways it lived up to that hype. The graphics are the highlight here; the story, characters and game play are not the best I've ever seen, nor are they the worst, but they're not great. I didn't play the first game, so perhaps I was at a disadvantage with the story but I struggled to keep interest in it almost from the start. Bad guys come, you kill them, you move on. It's been done many times before and this game does it uninspired from start to finish. The characters are hard to like, one of them including profanities a couple of times in each sentence, although the main antagonist is easy to dislike he is not a memorable one. The control system is something I had trouble getting to grips with, and I felt there was a delay between my button press and the gun on-screen shooting. I changed the controls and it became easier, so if you're struggling try this too. Killzone 2 is a hard game to like, but I did complete it in 10-11 hours. 1/5.

Enslaved is a vibrant, colourful game with characters you'll come to love along the journey. The story and colourful world are definitely the highlights, with an intriguing sci-fi twist towards the end, but unfortunately the gameplay isn't exceptionally exciting. Nonetheless, it is fun to put combos together to destroy robotic enemies and there are enough types of them to keep you guessing; the boss sections are good and the hover-craft is easy to control and fun to use when you're allowed. Unfortunately, there isn't much to go back and do in a second play through. Overall, Enslaved is a game built on its story and setting, with gameplay apparently tagged in; it's a very good game if you like a good story in a game, but for others you may find the uninspired mechanics tedious. I enjoyed it, 3/5.

This is the Wii's best collection of games. Metroid Prime was one of the stand-out games from the Gamecube, and both sequels live up to the first. If you've not played the Prime series before, this is the time to dive in. The motion controls improve the first two titles, both of which were phenomenal at the time of their release. There are few games that can get 50+ hours out of you, but this set will. There is never a dull moment, with detailed worlds and environments from the snowy Phendrana Drifts to the savage Pirate Homeworld. 5/5, something truly special.

Mass Effect is a very impressive game, with great RPG elements and solid third-person shooter gameplay. The story, characters and sci-fi setting are what stand out in this game among all the other games. It is a superb game, let down slightly by its graphics engine and occassionally tedious Mako planet exploring sections. I could write a lot about this game, but I'm going to sum it up. The characters are wonderfully intelligent and well worth getting to know, the main story arc is very good with numerous side missions; you'll get well over 40 hours of play if you explore it all. 4/5, fantastic.

I bought this game to play co-op with my brother; we got quite far through the campaign before deciding it was so awful we couldn't bare to play it any more. There are some decent sections and the idea is good, but the execution is poor. I would have thought an EA published title could have invested some more time into making it a bit more interesting. On the plus side, gun customisation is very good but it doesn't come anywhere near saving the game. I can't recommend you play this game. 1/5, poor.

As an avid Lost fan, I got this game as a rental to see if it was any good or revealed anything about the TV series. I was more than disappointed. This is a game that is an embarrassment to me as a fan of the Lost TV series. It's clunky, poorly designed and although it looks quite good, the island is so 1-dimensional that you can rarely go off a set path. The characters were not voiced by their TV counterparts and you play as a nobody. You go around taking photos of the island and in the end it's just totally boring. This is one of the few games I cannot recommend anyone play, Lost fan or not. 1/5, just plain bad.

Far Cry 2 is a mixed game; the graphics and setting are superb, no other game set in Africa has done it quite as well as this. But the gameplay and story are tame. You'll get 20 hours out of it, but with a disappointing finale and nothing really noteworthy along the way, there's not much to go back and do again. The fire effects are very fun to play with and the realistic conditions of your weapons (some can even break up in your hands) and the gory sequences where you have to pull a bullet out of your leg with pliers are great and unlike anything I've seen before. The online multi-player is alright but nothing special. Overall, I had fun driving around this open world, but when it came to the actual story and gameplay, I was often lost. 2/5, not bad.

This game is fun; the campaign can be played with 3 other people with various 'death cards' enabled to make all the enemies zombies or give you temporary invincibility after getting 3 kills in short time, with competitive scoring to try and get the highest score by the end of each chapter. It makes the campaign far more interesting, but it isn't bad on its own. The zombies level is quite simple but brilliant, surviving infinite waves of increasingly hardy zombie foes in a spooky building; get enough points and you can advance to a new area and gain access to the mystery box and get a new weapon, which could be a sniper rifle or a heavy machine gun depending on your luck. You can buy decent weapons off the walls, but getting a good weapon from the box is essential to exceed round 15. The multiplayer is good old Call of Duty; although it's essentially a WW2 mod of COD4, with new killstreaks, guns and map but pretty much the same perks. With the DLC support, zombies is hard to fault. 3/5, very good.

Portal is a fantastic puzzle game, unlike anything else you will ever play. Each level requires you to step back and look around a 'test chamber' before attempting to reach the exit. Along the way you'll have to move 'companion cubes' and get rid of turrets, all whilst being taunted and teased by Glados, arguably the most sinister, sarcastic and funny video game antagonists of all time. Some of the puzzles appear to be impossible before they have the simplest of solutions, armed with a 'portal' gun, you can shoot an entry and exit portal onto specific surfaces and you have to navigate your way through each chamber; you can gain speed by falling through them and reach impossible platforms by placing a portal in the right place. As you play you'll come to wonder how anyone could have come up with these puzzles, they are just so intelligent. 4/5, fantastic.

Halo Reach is a good game; armour abilities give Halo a much needed bit of innovation, and the weaponry is quite different to previous Halo titles. The campaign is enjoyable and proves a challenge on Normal difficulty. I have yet to attempt it with my mates on Legendary but expect it to be difficult. The story is good, and the characters sculpted nicely before the inevitable conclusion. The multiplayer is where this game is brilliant value-for-money; many many modes from infection to classic team deathmatch, with anything from 4v4 to 9v9 games, you're sure to find something to play and there are many maps, some huge, some nice and intricate. Forge mode returns, but on a grand scale, with an enormous world on which to create a map. Firefight also returns, with Xbox LIVE support and very in depth settings to tweak how you wish. This game is literally jam packed with content and it's hard to fault it in any way or do anything but recommend buying. I enjoyed it, but it didn't strike that same special feeling as I got when I played Combat Evolved all those year ago. 3/5.

Call of Duty 4 was one of the first games of this generation that I played, and I enjoyed the campaign. It is an action-packed, explosion-filled thrill ride from start to finish. The missions are varied and I didn't get bored. The way the game makes you sympathise for the characters is amicable, and there are twists along the way. The multiplayer is where this game rules; it kickstarted the franchise into what it is now, and if you go back and play this game you'll notice few differences between it and Black Ops, bar killed streaks, guns, perks and maps. If you haven't played Call of Duty 4, it's worth a rent at least, but you can get it quite cheap now and there are still thousands playing it online every day. 3/5.

I enjoyed the first game in the series, and I enjoyed most of this one. But about two thirds in I just wanted it to end, it became a chore. Perhaps this was because I didn't really sympathise with Ezio but the missions seemed to me a wasted opportunity. They crafted this beautifully, intrinsically detailed world with varied locations but the gameplay, while interesting at first with Da Vinci's inventions, became tedious and the ending was a complete mystery to me, especially with the arduous task of collecting some sort of video sequence which seemed to have nothing to do with the game. I got 30 hours out of this game, and the first 20 or so were enjoyable with improvements over the first game in many areas, but I preferred the setting of the other game. 2/5.

Forza Motorsport 2 is a great simulation racer; there are loads of cars and lots of tracks, with in depth customisation and almost too many events in which to race, you will spend many, many hours trying to complete and perfect each one. 3/5.

Bad Company 2 takes the FPS genre and brings some refreshing changes into the mix, especially with its multiplayer component. The campaign is fun, the story isn't fantastic but there are some interesting sections to play through and the characters have some mildly amusing dialogue, although not as much as the first game. The online multiplayer is where this game really impresses. There are only 3 modes, squad death match is where 4 teams of 4 players go around the map and try to reach 40 kills before any other. Rush involves one team of 12 attempting to destroy two points before advancing, up to five times depending on the map, and doing so again. Conquest is the classic Battlefield game type where 12v12 teams attempt to gain control of flags and elimate all enemy respawn tickets (250 each I think); the more flags you hold, the easier is it to deplete their tickets. There are four combat classes, assault where you get access to many assault rifles, and have the ability to resupply comrades with ammunition to earn extra points. Engineer has access to silenced SMGs and RPGs, as well as the ability to repair friendly vehicles, or hi-jacked enemy ones. The Medic class can revive recently killed team mates, as well as supply health packs to those who have been badly wounded in a gunfight; this class can use machine guns. The Recon class has access to sniper rifles, and can stay back from the main fight a spot enemies (all players can spot, but recon class can spot from a distance and pick off enemies). Recon can call in mortar strikes on a position. The maps are huge and destructible, virtually every building and tree can be razed to the ground and huge craters appear in the ground where mortar fire rains down. You can play with 4-squad mates, whom you can chat with, and you can respawn on them if they're in trouble or safe, depending on how daring you are. Respawning is the best of any online shooter, you only get killed on spawning if you spawn on a squadmate in imminent danger. You can spawn quite safely in the team's base. Vehicles play a huge part, with different kinds of choppers and tanks and others to take the attack to the enemies. The guns looks and sound fantastic, and with the volume turned up and 'War Tapes' sound setting on, it really immerses you into a proper battle. Be warned, if you're used to playing Call of Duty, there is a steep learning curve to get used to the heavier feel of the game, but once you get through it, there is no game better at making you feel like part of a battle or part of a team. It's the best online shooter out there, so give it a go.

Bad Company 2 takes the FPS genre and brings some refreshing changes into the mix, especially with its multiplayer component. The campaign is fun, the story isn't fantastic but there are some interesting sections to play through and the characters have some mildly amusing dialogue, although not as much as the first game. The online multiplayer is where this game really impresses. There are only 3 modes, squad death match is where 4 teams of 4 players go around the map and try to reach 40 kills before any other. Rush involves one team of 12 attempting to destroy two points before advancing, up to five times depending on the map, and doing so again. Conquest is the classic Battlefield game type where 12v12 teams attempt to gain control of flags and elimate all enemy respawn tickets (250 each I think); the more flags you hold, the easier is it to deplete their tickets. There are four combat classes, assault where you get access to many assault rifles, and have the ability to resupply comrades with ammunition to earn extra points. Engineer has access to silenced SMGs and RPGs, as well as the ability to repair friendly vehicles, or hi-jacked enemy ones. The Medic class can revive recently killed team mates, as well as supply health packs to those who have been badly wounded in a gunfight; this class can use machine guns. The Recon class has access to sniper rifles, and can stay back from the main fight a spot enemies (all players can spot, but recon class can spot from a distance and pick off enemies). Recon can call in mortar strikes on a position. The maps are huge and destructible, virtually every building and tree can be razed to the ground and huge craters appear in the ground where mortar fire rains down. You can play with 4-squad mates, whom you can chat with, and you can respawn on them if they're in trouble or safe, depending on how daring you are. Respawning is the best of any online shooter, you only get killed on spawning if you spawn on a squadmate in imminent danger. You can spawn quite safely in the team's base. Vehicles play a huge part, with different kinds of choppers and tanks and others to take the attack to the enemies. The guns looks and sound fantastic, and with the volume turned up and 'War Tapes' sound setting on, it really immerses you into a proper battle. Be warned, if you're used to playing Call of Duty, there is a steep learning curve to get used to the heavier feel of the game, but once you get through it, there is no game better at making you feel like part of a battle or part of a team. It's the best online shooter out there, so give it a go.

I really enjoyed this game; the ability to climb on nearly every building in several city and rural locations is both a brilliant idea and extremely well executed. The graphics are very impressive, especially when you look over the city from a viewpoint, and I found the story to be interesting to the end, with the sci-fi twist that I was not expecting. The gameplay is fun too, despite a lack in variation of missions, the fun you can get just sneaking around stealth killing guards and civilians is unmatched by any other game, and there are tons of collectibles to found from viewpoints, to flags, to templars to assassinate. If you haven't had a go at the AC series yet, I recommend you play this one.

Growing up playing Mario Kart, I had some difficulty adjusting to Forza Motorsport when I first played the second in the series; but I'm so glad I spent the time to get to grips with it. Forza Motorsport 3 is a near perfect racing game. Each car is meticulously modelled to look and behave realistically; the sounds, the in-car view, the race courses are all stunning. The career is very deep; I've played nearly 60 hours and I'm nearing the end of my final, 6th racing season. There are over 100 events in which to compete to earn money, which you can then spend on cars, paint jobs and tuning set-ups from the storefront. There are some unbelievable car designs on the storefront, from police cars to Mass Effect 2 art-inspired designs. The game has been backed up with DLC too, all of which is included in the Ultimate Edition of the game. There are over 500 cars to choose from here, but beware if you don't have a hard drive, there is a hefty 1.3GB+ to install if you want to enjoy the full experience. The only downsides of this game are lack of dynamic weather and day/night conditions; perhaps this will be added in the next instalment.

Gears of War is a good game with fantastic action set-pieces and an almost creepy setting, with a human colonised world being destroyed by a ground-dwelling species known as the Locust. The voice acting is great, the graphics, for its time, were spectacular, if a little drab, and the story is solid. The multi-player aspect, I never really got into, as I was always outclassed and obliterated by other players. The ability to do co-op campaign takes this game from a 3/5 to a 3.5/5, and defeating the final boss with my mate on the hardest difficulty setting is easily my biggest achievement in gaming so far.

Halo 3 ODST is a decent game on it's own, but with the full Halo 3 multi-player experience packaged with it, it makes this an awesome deal. The campaign is interesting, with varied locations and classic Halo battles with the Covenant; although you don't play as Master Cheif, it doesn't detract from the experience. Firefight is a good addition, but the ability to go on Xbox LIVE would have made it much more interesting. Nonetheless, it is fun whether you go it alone or with some friends.

Modern Warfare 2 is a puzzling game. On the one hand, it has refreshing locations and a great multiplayer and co-op option. On the other hand, the campaign was hilariously ridiculous and the DLC support was extortionate. I had fun with MW2 multiplayer, the gun selection is fantastic and the new killstreaks are great, but it's nice to get away from them now and again in the Barebones lobby. Spec-Ops is a nice little addition, but it's essentially just short missions to complete with one friend and in my opinion doesn't match the fun I got out of zombies on World at War. It is fun to use weapons being used in modern combat today, and the frenetic nature of the multiplayer is addictive, but sometimes frustrating. The campaign is borderline insane, in plot, but it is fun. It's on the short side and quite easy to beat even on Veteran, but some of the set-pieces are very memorable. My score is positive overall, 3/5, and I would recommend anyone who hasn't had a go yet pick it up cheap and dive in.

Halo 3 is a fun game, loaded with content and full of replay value. The campaign is most fun to play co-op, and makes completing Legendary much easier given someone stays back and provides a constant respawn relief. The story rounds of the trilogy nicely and there's a couple of twists, but overall Halo 3 isn't about the story, it's about the action and this is where it remains one of the best ever released on Xbox 360. The multi-player element is fantastic, with balanced weapons and good maps and modes. There is little more amusing than both yourself and an enemy beating each other down after a lengthy battle. Forge mode is good, although I'm not a particularly creative person, there are some super maps to get from those who are.

Gears of War 2 is a great game. The campaign is fun, while the story is a bit naff, playing with a mate is a great experience and the fun you can get out of wiping out horde after horde of locust makes this one of my favourite games. Horde mode itself is brilliant, especially with mates and you achievement of surviving waves 1-50 is one of the highlights of my gaming career. Multi-player is the only downside, I've never got to grips with it really but it can be fun in short doses, but be prepared to get slaughtered if you're not a hardcore player.

Call of Duty Black Ops doesn't do much to advance the series or change up the 'winning formula' that Call of Duty 4 established. Developed by Treyarch, they have once again made only refinements to the multi-player experience. The removal of juggernaut and stopping power perks is a good idea, as well as toning the kill-streaks down. But there's still some questionable decisions. RC-XD and second chance being the main negatives of the multi-player experience. Luckily, there are lobbies to avoid the nuisance of the aforementioned perks. The ability to go split-screen online is a massive bonus, and the 2 zombie maps included are good for a few hours. The campaign was poor and although slightly longer than Modern Warfare 2, it was boring and generic **** and with no ability to play the game any differently to the millions who have likely played it. Nonetheless, the content including multi-player and zombies, including the top-down Dead Ops, are all decent but fail to break any new ground for the series.

Mass Effect 2 is a stunning piece of entertainment. I loved the original, and at first I didn't like some of the changes made to game-play, with less of a focus on precise levelling up and equipping suit and weapon upgrades. It wasn't until the final mission on my first play through that I realised this was something special. The graphics are spectacularly polished and, despite some minor hiccups in the game-play, it is an engaging story with fascinating characters, all of whom have superb voice acting behind them. The soundtrack is spectacular and the set piece cut scenes are phenomenal, making it one of the best games ever made. If you love sci-fi movies, like I do, then there's a good chance you'll love Mass Effect 2.