There is no other way to put it, this is one of Caprica’s best episodes yet. The plot is at once action driven and emotional, providing a subtle look into our own online culture and an exposition of great acting.

Plot Summary (Spoilers Follow) : Joseph remains depressed after the attack and has stopped going to work. , Compounding his depression is that he grows increasingly isolated from his son, who is becoming disobedient and skipping school to hang around Sam in the Tauron neighborhoods. Joseph hopes to become closer by taking Willie to a fishing spot where the family went before the accident, but Willie is bored. A Caprican teen makes fun of Willie for being Tauron, so Willie beats him while Joseph looks on in horror. Sam suggests that they both need closure, and Joseph agrees to enact the Tauron funeral rights.

Life is not treating Daniel well either. After publicly pledging to stop making a profit on holoband on Sarno’s show, the board of Graystone Industries will be voting to fire him. As he lies awake at night, Amanda reminds him of the hard times they faced when their family was first starting out. The next day, he marches into the board room with the Cylon prototype, pitching it as the next big innovation: a race of beings completely obedient and subservient to humanity. To demonstrate this, he orders the robot to rip off its own arm, unaware that Zoe-A is inside of it. Daniel wins the vote.

In V-world, Tamara-A is desperately seeking a way out. She believes a woman named Vesta, who leads a gang in the illegal areas of the net, can help her. Vesta, shots Tamara and is shocked when her Avatar doesn’t disappear. Vesta and her associate Heracles hope to use this ability to their advantage. They take Tamara into an online game called New Cap City, a virtual copy of Caprica city with no laws. Using Tamara to distract a major player named Chiron, Heracles manages to copy his avatar. Using the avatar as a disguise, he and Tamara sneak into a vault to steal money from Chiron. However, an alarm is triggered and guards rush in. Tamara uses her body to shield Heracles before erasing the guards. Having discovered that Tamara is dead and that she cannot “wake”, Vesta hopes to exploit Tamara’s unique abilities. Despondent, Tamara hugs Heracles, only to take his guns and mow down all of Vesta’s gang. She tells Heracles to find her father in the real world.

After Joseph receives the ceremonial Tauron tattoos to bid his wife and daughter farewell, Heracles arrives at the Adama house. He tells Joseph that Tamara sent him. Shocked, Joseph informs the him that Tamara is dead and chases him out into the alley when he flees scared. As her father lies there, Tamara ominously walks down a similar alley in V-world with guns in her hands.

Since Caprica premiered, one of the critical questions that plagued the early episodes was “Where is Tamara?” Here we are given an explosive answer. Genevieve Buechner gives a magnificent performance in this installment, graduating from minor character to full blown star. It is a pleasure to watch Tarama evolve from a vulnerable pawn and awaken to her own confidence and power in V-world. The ending comes as a complete shock and the watching Tamara’s transformation in those few brief seconds, with all of its complexity and raw emotion is makes it a classic moment in the series.

Indeed, the scenes in V-world were incredibly impressive. One of the unique abilities of Caprica is the ability of its directors and artists to blend genres. Notable instances from past episodes include the wonderful way the talk show format was blended into the Sarno episode. Here, a visually stunning homage to neo-noir serves as a perfect way to demonstrate the danger and mystery of V-world. More broadly, New Cap City serves as a great way of reintroducing the themes of violence and decadence which permeate Caprica and reflect back on our own society. After watching this episode, a viewer won’t be able to pick up an FPS without asking question of where we are heading as a society.

The actors who make up the Adama family are more than worthy of praise as well. Throughout the episode the emotional bonds between Sam, Joseph and Willie are palpable. It feels as though the characters have a long history with one another, despite the fact that the writers only provide modest hints at explicit events. Combined with Tauron rituals, which make wonderful use of classical mythological motifs, the Adamas feel like a real family, complete with the emotional and cultural baggage being part of one entails. This is also true of the scene between Daniel and Amanda. The playful yet caring banter between them is pitch perfect. It was as though Paula Malcomson and Eric Stoltz actually had been married for years.

With a beautifully crafted plot and some of the finest acting in the series yet, this installment of Caprica stands out even among the high quality works that have populated the first season. Viewers would do well to hook themselves into the net tonight to enjoy this classic episode.

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Join Alucard and friends in a fun but extremely repetitive romp through Castlevania!

Count Vlad Tepes Dracula has had it bad for years now. Every time he manages to get back to his feet after unwanted sleep, he is always slain by a vampire hunter of some sort. He probably got fed up with more than twenty years of games featuring his demise, since he got a few of his evil pals and decided to star in a multiplayer version of Castlevania, dubbed Harmony of Despair.

While ol’ Drac’s plan might seem like a sound one, rounding up some of the more powerful bosses from the series, but its execution might backfire on him. The side of good has also put together quite a team of heroes to counter the forces of evil, with characters from a number of Castlevania games, like Alucard, Shanoa and Soma, each armed with their own set of unique skills and abilities.

Levels are based of some of best segments of series, as are the bosses. Each of the six stages take a huge span, which is blatantly zoomed out at the beginning of each session. If you have the slighest of interest in Castlevania, you’ll love the graphical treatment given to each of these levels. Sadly, the game does little to make each of your runs through these any different from the last and thanks to a grind heavy loot system, you’ll practically memorize everything by the time you are through with the game.

Up to six players can join forces online, taking their persistently leveled characters through both normal and hard modes of each of the six levels in the game. Items, weapons and armor can be bought through the in-game store, but most of the better equipment comes from chests and boss ‘drops’. These fall under something MMO players have come to dread over the years, a random drop rate. Each time you run through a stage, you have a certain chance to get rare items, which can be slightly improved by equipping certain items that boost your luck stat, but are generally random.

That means that if you are after that certain sword for your Alucard, you might never see it or get it in your first try. The random nature of obtaining equipment makes for much of Castlevania HD’s replayability but also is its weakest feature. There are just so many times you can kill Dracula in hard mode before you just want to downright quit the game. Sure, there’s plenty of characters you can dedicate in leveling and getting items for, but due to the nature of the game and the lack of variety, I can only see the most hardcore of Castlevania fans playing this game in the long run.

The multiplayer lobby system is also a source of some of my frustration with ‘Despair. Quite simply, out of the thirty attempts I made to join a game, only a third was successful and thanks to an extremely slow and cumbersome interface, finding a game online proves to be more trouble than its worth. Once you find a working game, however, Castlevania HD is at its best and most fun form. Sure, it might seem weird to see three Jonathan Morrises running around whipping skeletons.

On the other hand, for newcomers to Castlevania, some of the characters’ unique moves might pass them right by thanks to how little there is in form of tutorials in the game. Shanoa for instance, a character introduced in the DS game Order of Ecclesia, sports a special power that helps her cling to gold buttons in the levels, helping her reach otherwise inaccessible spots, or her ability to absorb enemy spells and use them as her own. Unless a new fan has enough interest to actually research what little there is to be read about unique character abilities in the game’s meager how to play screen, he or she will just treat all the characters as the same hack ‘n slash grunt, which might work with a few of these heroes but certainly not all.

The degree of difficulty at the start is also another strike against the game. While playing it online with friends or strangers is by far the recommended way of playing Harmony of Despair, there is a single player mode which proves to be incredibly tough to play through in the beginning, with an underpowered and undergeared character. Boss encounters for the most part have the nack to completely destroy you if you are not prepared, which can add to the frustration of playing alone, even in the normal difficulty setting. HD’s main focus is obviously the multiplayer, and if you aren’t much of a team player, you’re bound to be annoyed at how unfriendly the game is right off the bat.

There is promise of new levels and characters in form of DLC, but I’m afraid most of the player base will have already dwindled by the time it hits. You are still bound to find little pockets of the more dedicated of players, though, who are after the rarest of items playing online, but thanks to the repetitive nature of the game, there won’t be that much to be after in the long run.

The game’s achievements are also extremely reliant on grinding, so even the most hungry of achievement junkies will have to work overtime in order to secure the maximum amount of points out of Castlevania HD. For me, though, there’s only a number of times I can finish off the friendly but incredibly pale Count. You’re probably sick of seeing me, right?! I’ll put out the candles on my way out of your castle, Vlad!

When a game starts getting called art, something in my head just goes bananas. It’s like a siren, warning me of an incoming air raid. That happens due to how often this has been happening over the past few years and how generally, said games just fall flat when I actually get to play them. Limbo is the newest of said titles, the first of Microsoft’s yearly Summer of Arcade, a special selection of XBLA downloads that’s been going on for a while.

A critical darling the last few game shows like E3 and GDC, Limbo is a game that has great aesthetics and a fresh presentation, all while the while sporting incredibly simple gameplay and an even barer plot. A little boy is looking for his sister in a dark forest… and not much else. The problem with Limbo, though, is that the content doesn’t really follow the presentation in terms of quality, and even the beautiful art has some blemishes that are bound to pinch a lot players’ nerves.

When I said this game’s simple to play, I wasn’t beating around the bush as there are only two buttons you have to worry about: jump and activate. Like any side-scrollers, there are plenty of obstacles to worry about, along with deadly traps and puzzles. These puzzles range from simply pushing blocks to more complex gravity dependant connundrums.

Part of my frustration with Limbo comes from how these puzzles and traps are dealt along the way. Thanks to the often times very dark presentation – this goes two ways in this game, but for now, ‘dark’ as in lack of light – some traps come out of nowhere, killing you off and forcing you to restart. At other points, foreground and background objects blend and what seemed to be in reach turns out to be scenery, often resulting in gory deaths.

Gore is another aspect of the game that might turn some people off. Even though the entire cast of characters, creatures and objects are presented as puppet-like shadows against a grayish background, deaths are very graphical. Thanks to the minimalist presentation, a lot is left to the imagination, which makes Limbo a game not recommended for kids. Some of the graphical violence can be turned off, but the dark tone of the game is enough to make up for more of the atmosphere, which is what makes up for most of the charm, but also for one of its blemishes.

Another topic of contention that has been buzzing around the web is how short of a game Limbo turns out to be. In its defense, I can positively say it lasted as long as I wanted to play it. That can go both ways, I admit. The pace of the game does not slow throughout its short one to two hour span, other than the occasional puzzle stump.

On the other hand, thanks to the many frustrations I had playing this, I was just about done with it when the credits hit. The tune of presenting puzzles by death is played all too often in Limbo, which makes it extremely difficult to jump back to. It’s one of the most diminished of returns on Xbox Live Arcade, even if you take into account its few hidden collectibles that are part of its achievement list.

Limbo is just one of those games that seemed to have been born out of an incredible set of concept art images, with gameplay sewn around it. It’s simply beautiful to look at with very unique art, but when things start moving, it quickly becomes an annoyingly frustrating mesh of clever ‘oh-I-got-it!’ puzzles that are blemished by a not so clever ‘oh-my-god-I-want-to-turn-this-off’ trial by death style that is sure to get in a lot of nerves, as it did mine.

Transformers fanatics have been clamouring for a quality video game of their favourite transforming robots ever since the show began way back in 1984. Atari’s 2004 effort, based on the Armada TV series, was a step in the right direction, but since then we’ve suffered through multiple tie-ins to Michael Bay’s big-budget movie extravaganzas that have failed to be anything other than mediocre-to-average action games. Developer High Moon Studios looks to change this declining formula with Transformers: War for Cyberton, taking events back to the Transformers home world and focusing on solid third-person mechanics mixed with the unique twist of transforming characters. Is it more than meets the eye, or another failed attempt at recapturing our childhood heroes within the video game spectrum?

Things certainly get off to a positive start with Hasbro confirming War for Cyberton as official canon in the Transformers mythology. The story is set before the events of season one of the Generation 1 (G1) TV show, once again pitting the heroic Autobots against the nefarious Decepticons. However, with the vast time difference things are slightly disparate so you’ll get to see how many of the Transformers met each other, and how they changed before their time on Earth. You’ll encounter the first meeting between Megatron and Starscream as their complicated relationship begins its rocky path, and even see how Optimus earned his heralded Prime status. It’s certainly an interesting look at early Transformers lore that should satisfy hardcore fans of the series and those with a nostalgic fondness for the franchise. And the narrative does a good job propelling the action forward, portrayed like a series of the TV show or even another animated movie.

Though, perhaps the best part about War for Cybertron’s story is the characters themselves. They may not have much depth or complexity, but each Transformer has more personality than we’ve seen from the franchise in years. During each level they’ll constantly talk to one another, trading the kind of amusing banter we’ve seen from Gears of War’s COGs over the past few years and referencing throwbacks to the original TV series that fans will eat up. The voice actors do a good job with the work they’re given, especially Peter Cullen – as usual – and the way gears and pistons will shift and re-adjust on each characters body really helps bring these recognisable robotic mechanisms to life. Even the steel world of Cyberton has its own distinct flair, even if influences like Blade Runner are often times evident. It’s a truly gigantic world, filled with luminous structures, large-scale space stations, over-arching highways and ancient archaeological sites, all shifting and consistently working like you’d imagine a mechanical world would. And all of this is littered with drop ships, laser fire and a multitude of robots fighting and transforming in and out of their different forms. It really gives the impression of a large scale war that’s so far been omitted from previous Transformers games.

And that’s complemented by the Autobot and Decepticon campaigns. Each one fuels this impression of large scale war as objectives task you with restarting powerful space stations, defending areas from capture and aiding the skies with AA guns. The war between each faction is an ongoing struggle and you’ll get to experience both sides of the conflict as you split time between Megatron, Soundwave, Brawl and so on; and Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, Ironhide and the rest of the Autobots. You can choose to play through each campaign simultaneously, or do it chronologically – starting with the Decepticons – giving the story a much better sense of cohesion. Though, through both campaigns, you’ll spend the majority of your time shooting a whole bunch of robots. War for Cyberton takes plenty of inspiration from recent shooters, notably Gears of War and Halo. The third-person shooting has a distinct Gear of War feel to it, so it’s very satisfying, if a tad derivative. There are myriad weapons to help you in your fight, ranging from variations of assault rifles, shotguns, snipers, and so on; so there’s a nice mix of both long and short range combat, and even a few turret sections to spice things up as well. Combine this with your deadly melee attack and the added firepower achieved when you transform, and there’s certainly a fair amount of variety to the combat. And the transformations aren’t just a cheap gimmick either. Most of the time you’ll be using it to quickly travel from one location to the next, but it has its uses in combat as well, allowing you to move across the battlefield quickly and flank enemies. Each vehicle is Cybertronian so they can hover and strafe from side to side; and with the added firepower that comes from transforming into a tank, for example, it can become an excellent means of destruction as well. The combat can still get tedious towards the end, but with both campaigns lasting around four to five hours each, it’s not long enough to get truly monotonous.

And there are plenty of thrills to be had throughout each campaign with some spectacular set pieces, gargantuan boss battles and a general level of high-energy combat. It can also be pretty tough in spots, with any sustained time under enemy firepower resulting in a quick death. You definitely need to be tactically aware and cautious, though the lack of a dedicated cover system is a baffling choice. It makes some sort of sense when you consider the transformations, but with its similarities to Gears of War, and the fact allies and enemies will take cover; it’s odd that you have to make-do with manually standing behind objects to find refuge. However, if you do find yourself in a spot of bother you can always draft some friends in to help, with drop-in, drop-out co-op. Each level has three playable transformers so you can either play with friends or leave it up to the AI. The AI is poor, often running into walls, getting lost and generally being useless. With friends, it’s a lot more enjoyable, and the different classes guarantee the experience will be slightly different depending on your character choice.

There are four classes to choose from: scout, scientist, leader and soldier, and each class has its own special abilities and weapons. For instance, the scout is the speediest of the bunch, able to use stealth to get in close, while the leader supports the team with damage modifiers or shield barriers. Neither class pays much dividends in single player since the AI is too dumb to realise when you need healing (an ability of the scientist), or any other ability for that matter. But with other humans, particularly on the higher difficulty settings, you can utilize the skills of each class to effectively kill each enemy in the most sufficient manner. However, the classes definitely come into play a lot more in the multiplayer; specifically in Escalation. Here, you and three buddies must survive waves and waves of increasingly difficult enemies. You’re probably thinking of Horde, but it actually shares more similarities with Call of Duty: World at War’s Nazi Zombies than anything else. As you kill enemies you’ll earn money that can then be bought to buy ammo and health before eventually unlocking doors to new areas and new weapons. It’s an interesting dynamic that relies on teamwork as you combine your funds together and share the load. It’s also very tactical if you mix and match each of the four character classes, so you’ll begin setting up drone turrets and shields, while one member is tasked with healing the others or providing a big damage modifier when the going gets tough. It’s a lot of fun, though you’ll be gasping for a cover system by the end.

After the Prince’s cel-shaded and ridiculously easy adventures in 2008’s Prince of Persia, Ubisoft have seemingly abandoned their new direction for the series, opting to revert back to the original Sands of Time trilogy withPrince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands. It may coincide with the release of Jerry Bruckheimer and Disney’s big-budget movie adaptation of The Sands of Time, but it has little to do with the movie (sorry, no sexy Jake); instead, filling in the gap between the first game and its sequel, Warrior Within. As a result, The Forgotten Sands feels more like a side story to the trilogy, rather than a fully-fledged sequel. However, the new additions to the platforming gameplay should please those looking for another Persian-themed acrobatic adventure, even if it’s a fairly by-the-numbers affair.

The Forgotten Sands‘ story sees the Prince return to his brother Malik’s kingdom to pay him a friendly visit. Though, unsurprisingly for the unfortunate Prince, the kingdom is under siege from a vast army hell-bent on its destruction. Malik’s plan to relinquish this new threat is to awaken a mystical army he has sealed in his palace, convinced the army will help him defeat his foes rather than oppose him. Needless to say, Malik is off the mark and the awakened army curses the land, turning everyone but Malik and the Prince into sand and unleashing a deadly swarm of sand monsters upon the kingdom. The rest of the game’s eight hours follows the two brothers as they attempt to stop this horrifying threat in the most predictable of manners. The narrative does a decent job propelling the adventure forward, but with only four characters the story is fairly slim and there’s also a big, missed opportunity to tie The Sands of Time and Warrior Withintogether. It feels disconnected from the trilogy, and without a constant female companion, the Prince loses some of his wit and charm, even if the original voice actor returns.m

e of his wit and charm, even if the o

In contrast, the basic platforming fits snugly into the trilogy’s blanket with myriad wallrunning, shimmying, leaps of faith and pole swinging. Anyone who’s ever played a Prince of Persia game before will find immediate comfort in the familiarity. In fact, it sticks so closely to the series’ blueprint that the camera will pan around each new area you enter, revealing the course through each of the intricately designed levels. However, The Forgotten Sands is less about plotting your course through each acrobatic obstacle and more about performing the requisite moves. The platforming feels a lot faster as a result, though it does remove some of the complexities of working out each navigational puzzle. But there’s reasoning behind the change in the form of the Prince’s multitude of new abilities; from solidifying streams of water, to dashing in mid-air, and creating solid surfaces out of nothing. Each ability is effortlessly implemented into the platforming to give it a fresh new look as you juggle each ability to progress through the surplus of obstacles. The Forgotten Sands is at its best when you’re switching from one ability to the next, solidifying and wallrunning across a waterfall before dashing across a large gap and landing on a previously non-existent platform. It’s all very deliberate and linear, but there are definite thrills to be had and it can get fairly tricky later on – something 2008’s Prince of Persia never did.

Disappointingly, however, the changes aren’t always enough to shake that overwhelming sense of familiarity. After three Prince of Persia games you know what to expect here, so it feels like a step back for the series rather than the type of progression a sequel to 2008’s title may have offered. It’s still enjoyable, but those last few hours do get fairly monotonous, and the laboured combat certainly doesn’t help matters. The amount of enemies on screen at any one time is impressive – with fifty or so usually littering the battlefield – but with only a select few enemy designs they eventually outstay their welcome, especially when the primary means of defeating them is by hammering on one button over and over again. You can throw in a couple of dodges and kicks, but ultimately the combat boils down to a severe case of tedious button mashing. Elemental attacks shake things up a bit, but until you’ve upgraded them fully using the skill tree, they’re largely unspectacular, doing little to unsettle the Prince’s slow and samey attacks. Even the boss battles, that were so prominent and enjoyable in 2008’s effort, are ankle mashers here as you continually bash at your sizeable opponents gargantuan feet. When the same bosses appear over a dozen times, it only compounds the misery.

Visually, The Forgotten Sands doesn’t stand up to most modern releases. The environments could do with more detailed textures, and there’s not a ton of variety in the locations with most areas of the palace looking identical besides from a few minor palette changes. The Prince himself, has an odd character design that’s hard to adjust to, especially with his lion-esque face, and there are a few constant glitches that disrupt the game’s graphical fidelity and certain areas of the gameplay, such as boss characters becoming stuck behind invisible walls. These are possibly tell-tale signs of a game rushed through development to coincide with the movies release, and that’s probably the only reason The Forgotten Sands exists.

It may not be a movie tie-in but brand synergy is definitely the aim here. As a result,Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands is a decent entry in the series but it’s nothing we haven’t seen before. If you’re gagging for another dose of the Prince’s acrobat prowess then there’s an enjoyable, yet unspectacular, platforming aspect here with some cool ideas. It’s just disrupted by some tedious combat and shaky presentation that do little to alleviate the familiarity of a Sands of Time “side story”.

riginal voice actor returns.

When you think of a Jerry Bruckheimer or Michael Bay production, you think of big-budget, high gloss, action sequences with fast cars, multiple explosions and plenty of hair-raising moments. Vehicles are engulfed in flames left, right and centre, flipping into the air and careening out of control; buildings collapse upon the streets, shop windows are blown out, helicopters swoop down across the road and city centres are completely and utterly demolished amidst the chaos and destruction of this grandiose action sequence. Now, gather all of these jaw dropping elements, roll them into one package, and make them the defining feature of an intense arcade racer. That’s Split/Second in a nutshell, and it’s as crazy, exhilarating and fun as it sounds, even if that initial excitement may not hold up in the long run.

To provide a basis and rationalise this over-the-top action, Split/Second is set up like a season of a reality TV show. The city, and location of all of this destruction, is actually a gigantic set created by the minds of the show, providing the structure for the myriad carnage that appears in every race. There’s no sort of outlandish Running Mansituation here, each driver is competing for the season championship with the show consisting of twelve episodes with six races in each. It’s a simple but effective setup, spreading out each race and event into bite sized chunks so you can easily go back and improve upon past results. The actual reality TV show portion doesn’t venture past its initial concept, acting as a backdrop for the action rather than any sort of narrative push. The “next time on…” videos before and after each episode are a nice touch, exemplifying the TV show premise. But they’re minimal in the grand scheme of things.

The majority of your time in Split/Second will be spent racing through this city, from the tall skyscrapers of the downtown district, to the bustling local airport, the docks and even a giant dam not too dissimilar from Hoover’s very own. There’s a nice variety to each track and most of them will intertwine within one another to create a sense of cohesion within the city. However, what makes each track memorable and fun to play are the power plays. These packages of volatile carnage are the fuel that keeps Split/Secondaccelerating. As you race you’ll fill up your power play meter by performing well, whether it be drafting behind an opponent, drifting around a tight corner or jumping over a conveniently placed ramp. Multiple actions will fill up this meter allowing you to use the environment as a lethal weapon. Split/Second will always be compared to theBurnout series because of their obvious similarities, but while Burnout is all about using your car as a weapon, Split/Second is all about the environment. As opponents move into range a target will appear and with the simple press of a button the track comes to life with explosive ferocity. Immobile cars and trucks will ignite at random, flying into the road as helicopters disperse of explosive payloads and entire buildings come crumbling down.

And they’re just the level one power plays. The meter consists of three separate bars, each one able to trigger one power play at a time. However, filling up all three will grant you the ability to unleash the grand scale devastation of the level two power plays and route changers. These will shape and deform the tracks themselves, opening up completely new paths as giant skyscrapers collapse to the ground, Boeing jets crash land right on top of you as you narrowly swoop under the wings and massive ships slide off the dock and into the water, crushing any cars unfortunate enough to be in the way. Words do not to justice to how spectacularly awesome each power play is. The sound muffles before bellowing to life as the phenomenal explosion and particle effects engulf the screen and the cacophony of the epic, techno-infused score is turned up to eleven. It’s an unadulterated attack on the senses, and the sublime framerate keeps up with the increasingly electrifying action. When you’re flying along at a hefty two-hundred miles per hour, the amount of expletive-laden amazement as you narrowly avoid an out-of-control train is unparalleled in any other genre, let alone other racers.

The problem is that the initial excitement doesn’t last forever, and the power plays eventually lose some of their edge. There’s no doubting the brilliance of seeing them for the first time and reacting to them on the fly; your first few hours with the game will be a phenomenal experience. But after you’ve seen them all, each power play becomes a strategic element rather than exhilarating eye candy. You learn to utilise specific power plays to produce the greatest effect, saving up for some of the bigger events and using them at the opportune time to wreck multiple opponents at once. It’s an evolution of play from the first few hours that goes someway to stunting the looming fear of repetition. It does eventually set in, especially later on in the career when the tracks begin to repeat themselves, but the racing mechanics are fun enough to keep things entertaining. The controls are intuitive and fairly weighty, focusing on quick movements, to avoid wrecking, and big drifting. There’s a real skill to amassing a perfect drift, and later on in the career hitting a perfect line becomes paramount to success.

Though, this is due to the rubber band AI more than anything else. Split/Second isn’t too difficult until some of the latter stages of the career, but unfair AI is a common problem throughout. It’s testament to the game’s focus on power plays that this unfair AI often occurs, since being in the lead isn’t a particularly fun experience when you can’t trigger the game’s main selling point. As a result, you’ll often find the following pack extremely close behind, often catching up six second gaps within two. Even when you know your car is much faster and you’re driving the race of your life, the AI finds a way to pass you with relative ease, performing impossibly good drifts and respawning from wrecks in the blink of an eye. Dropping from first place to fifth is such a common occurrence it would actually be quite comical if it weren’t for the frustration involved. That’s not to say Split/Second is a hard game – it’s usually pretty easy to wreck opponents with a decent power play, and you’ll normally be given ample opportunities to pass them – but the rubber band AI does cause some unwieldy races where the AI will pull ahead rather than keeping at a more realistic, surmountable distance.

Of course, these problems don’t persist once you enter the multiplayer, though this does present some of its own problems if you jump in too early. There’s no cap on the type of cars players can use, so most online races will result in a few players using the best cars in the game while the rest are in mediocre-mobiles. It’s not impossible to win, or at least finish in the top four, using a poorer vehicle, but the odds are definitely stacked against you. Most races will wind up with two or three pulling ahead while the rest of the pack are left in the dust, so it can seem very unfair and supremely frustrating. It’s probably not worth entering the multiplayer until completion of the majority of the career, so at least then you’ll have a decent arsenal of cars to choose from. Once you do, the multiplayer is an enjoyable experience that should extend the lifespan for anyone wanting to stick with Split/Second. It has the same problems as the single-player in regards to repetition, but with friends it’s suitably fun blowing each other to smithereens and progressing through the linear levelling system, even if there aren’t any rewards to gain from it.

There are also a few more game modes to try your hand at as well. Besides from a basic time-trial – which is extremely enjoyable with the addition of scripted power plays – and elimination modes, Split/Second also features three modes that feel right at home with the absurdity of the rest of the game. Air Strike and Air Revenge revolve around an evil helicopter hell bent on destroying you. You’ll need to drive fast and avoid its missile strikes to survive before Revenge lets you fire back as avoiding and drifting fills up your power play meter. Survival is just as crazy, as massive trucks unload explosive barrels into your path with points earned for overtaking. It may not have a vast amount of game modes, but the ones on offer provide a decent distraction and change of pace from the regular racing.

Though, it’s that regular racing and its penchant for power plays that will putSplit/Second on the map. It may have its problems with repetition and unfair AI, but there’s no doubting the joy to be had engaging in its phenomenal action. The power plays are an inspired concept for a racing game and they’re executed to perfection with all the Hollywood gloss you would expect from a big-budget summer popcorn movie. Forget the latest first-person shooter or action-adventure, Split/Second is the biggest action game of 2010 and it’s all witnessed at two-hundred miles per hour. It doesn’t get much more thrilling.

It’s rare for games from Europe’s Eastern Bloc to receive as much attention as games from the West and the Far East. The most successful titles from this region have been the Serious Sam and S.T.A.L.K.E.R series, but there’s always been something oddly appealing about this particular “genre” – if you can even call it that. Their storylines are typically fairly unique while the developer’s ambitions spread far and beyond the technical limitations that befall them. These games may have their fair share of flaws and system crashes but you’re almost always guaranteed a gaming experience unlike any other. Metro 2033 has surprisingly seen a fairly substantial promotional push, elevating it from the realms of obscurity most Eastern Bloc titles are condemned to. This may be due in no small part to its Western influences, opting for a more linear, scripted experience; but there’s no denying that signature Eastern European flavouring is still there, whether that’s a good thing or not.

Metro 2033’s setting is definitely inspired by the region, not just because of its obvious Russian backdrop within the city of Moscow, but also because it takes place after a nuclear apocalypse. The famous streets of the Russian capital have become a desolate wasteland; the air is toxic to breathe and the freezing cold weather ravages anything and anyone in its path. The last remaining survivors have taken shelter in the city’s sprawling underground metro network, using train stations as towns and small mine carts to travel between them. It’s a bleak way of living; the dark, cramped and grimy underground is no place to lead a healthy life and it really hits home when you hear kids talking about the sky as though it’s some kind of supernatural myth that only a few people have ever seen. The only rays of light are the lone guitar player strumming a sombre mix, or the laughter emitting from the make-shift bar as the locals drink their sorrows away. It’s a depressing environment and Metro 2033 does an exceptional job capturing the atmosphere, both in the stations and outside where many dangers lurk beneath the eerie shadows.

Because while this metro life isn’t anything special, at least it’s something. Outside the safety of the stations are numerous mutated creatures, strange anomalies and even Nazis; though it’s the mysterious “Dark Ones” that pose the biggest threat to this underground community. You play as Artyom, a unique person in that he can somehow resist the supernatural powers of this dangerous foe. With the whole metro in danger he’s sent on a mission to warn the others and try to put a stop to this threat. It’s an interesting premise with plenty of intrigue, and as the story begins to unravel you’ll meet a multitude of enjoyable personalities as you venture deeper into the metro and even emerge topside. The pacing is a bit off towards the end, but the story and atmosphere will keep you coming back until you reach the final credits.

Though if you want to get there you’re going to need some heavy weaponry and the relevant equipment. You can only carry one type of each weapon at a time (pistol, automatic and heavy), with the ability to use throwing knives and different types of grenades as well. Your starting weapons are fairly poor, and the opening few hours of the game can lead to some frustrating moments as you deal with the inaccurate and inconsistent shooting. Any sort of long range attacks are futile, and even at close range you’ll find shotguns are pointless, even against other human opponents. It can take four or five shots from point blank range to down certain enemies, while at other times it will only take one or two. It’s too inconsistent to be of any fun and I found myself using the revolver more than anything. Some will find it a refreshing change of pace since you’d imagine these old weapons would be rather worn down and unwieldy, but it can negate the gameplay at times and turn off any newcomers.

However, if you stick with it things eventually improve as you find and buy more improved weaponry. The shotguns remain poor throughout, but getting your hands on some powerful assault rifles opens up the gunplay and it’s much more enjoyable as a result. Most of the weapons will still feel a tad inaccurate, even with scopes, but it really makes you plan each conflict, especially when you need to make each shot count due to the sparsity of ammo available. Metro 2033 presents an interesting dynamic with its in-game currency, using actual bullets as money. You’ll find a range of worn-down, homemade bullets throughout the game, but it’s the shiny, military-grade equipment that’s worth the big bucks. You can choose to use your top quality bullets in any of the game’s towns to buy more low quality bullets and even new weapons. But if you want you can even use these bullets to deal out some extra damage. It provides some unique dilemmas as you debate whether you want to risk using your currency as a means to deal out extra damage or save it to buy more low quality ammo in bulk. The only problem with this system, and Metro 2033 in general, is that it doesn’t really explain the mechanics. The shop menus are confusing with all the different types of low and high quality ammo, and it’s never really explained that you can use both types in your current firearms. It could have done with some extra tutorials and explanation.

Of course, if you do find yourself outnumbered and outgunned with little ammo to spare, you can take the stealth route. It’s not a necessity, but Metro 2033 certainly provides the means to be quiet, with silent throwing knives, silenced weapons and the ability to turn off light sources and lurk in the shadows. When done right it can be extremely satisfying as you silently take out guys unbeknownst to their friends in the next room. However, more often than not the stealth mechanics are a lot like the shooting: inconsistent. At one moment missing with a throwing knife will go unnoticed, while at another time it will alert every enemy in the area. It’s tough to pull off stealth when one mistake will alert every guard to your position, even if only one enemy saw you for a split second before dying. There’s no general area for them to search, they just know where you are and there’s no way of hiding again.

Visually, Metro 2033 is impressive for the most part. The use of dynamic shadowing and lighting looks fantastic in the gloomy tunnels of the metro, and it really complements the frightening atmosphere achieved with the mixture of supernatural, survival horror effects and howling sound design. Topside, things aren’t as impressive with some poor, low-res snow and ice textures. While the character models, particularly in the faces, are substandard with awkward animation and lifeless eyes. Some of the best moments come from your time spent using gas masks, whether it’s on the toxic surface of Moscow or trudging through a radiated tunnel. The frantic breathing of Artyom, mixed with the steaming up of the mask, and even the crackle of the glass after an intense battle is fantastic and really adds to the tension as you begin to run out of clean air. The use of air filters never really plays into the gameplay if you loot enough, but the effect really adds to the game’s terrific atmosphere.

And it’s this atmosphere that makes Metro 2033 worth experiencing. The metro tunnels might not have the art deco of Rapture or the vast, desolate wastes of the Capital Wasteland, but the underground world 4A Games have created is truly spectacular in its bleak outlook and frightening circumstances. Its mix of survival horror and an intriguing narrative will propel you on, it’s just a shame the shooting and stealth mechanics aren’t always on the same level. There’s no doubt the gunplay improves later on in the game, but a frustrating moment is never far off as you deal with weapon inaccuracy and annoying bullet sponges where there should be none. It’s certainly an impressive debut title and one of the best games to come out of the Eastern Bloc, but its basic mechanics could have done with some extra polish.

A successful, Stephen King-inspired horror novelist, whose dressing style features a suit-jacket with leather elbow pads, isn’t someone you’d expect to be an action hero. However, the titular protagonist of Remedy’s long awaited psychological action thriller,Alan Wake, is surprisingly adept at wielding all manner of powerful firearms. Maybe it should have been expected given Remedy’s pedigree for cinematic action with the brilliant Max Payne, but since Alan Wake’s announcement back in 2005, we’ve seen a variety of different ideas come and go, from the vast open world to dynamic weather cycles, deadly tornadoes and everything else in between. It’s been hard to gauge what exactly Alan Wake is, but the wait is finally over, the game exists, and it’s an intriguing third-person shooter with a heavy emphasis on story and the creative ways it tells it.Alan Wake might not be what we imagined, but the unexpected nature of it is as mysterious and enjoyable as the story it weaves.

Having written multiple bestselling novels, Alan Wake has spent the last two years suffering through a severe case of writer’s block. With his mind stumped for ideas, he and his wife Alice head to the idyllic, small logging town of Bright Falls, Washington in America’s Pacific Northwest. After setting up their cabin, things take a turn for the worse and Wake finds himself waking up after a car crash, with no recollection of how he got there. He’s missing a week of his life, Alice has mysteriously gone missing and members of the town have turned into axe wielding maniacs, controlled by a malevolent darkness intent on stopping Wake and his efforts to find Alice. It’s an interesting premise, with the narrative building and building towards its conclusion, introducing many engrossing scenarios, enjoyable characters and clever plot twists. The writing is fairly strong throughout, with Wake narrating, via inner monologue, in a similar style to any number of psychological horror novels. At times it can border on the realms of parody, but it’s so self aware, even referencing Stephen King, or Jack Nicholson in The Shining, that it never goes over the edge.

The twists and turns will keep you engaged, but the narrative is extensively complemented by intelligent and anomalous storytelling. Episodic gaming is certainly nothing new, but it’s rarely contained within a single game. Alan Wake is set up like any serialized TV show, with six self-contained episodes within the games overarching narrative. This presents short, one to two hour tales that escalate in excitement before the inevitable, shock-inducing, cliff-hanger ending. You can easily play these episodes one at a time, but after each cliff-hanger it’s hard to put it down; you just want to keep playing to find out what happens next. It’s extremely effective and the fantastic pacing and flow allows for plenty of pay-off and action in each episode, much like a gripping TV show.

Throughout your adventure you’ll also find hidden manuscript pages. They’re written by Wake, though he has no memory of ever writing them, and over time the words begin to come true, integrating into the narrative. Collecting them isn’t compulsory but you’ll want to seek out each one since they help pad-out the story and sometimes provide a different perspective on events. It might seem like an odd choice to reveal what’s going to happen before it does, but it works well, adding tension before the situation is brought to life, exemplifying the role these manuscripts have on the fiction. Disappointingly, however, the writing is a little uneven here, encompassing many clichés and over-exuberant metaphors – whether purposeful or not. You must also read each one in the pause menu despite Wake’s inner monologue. It breaks up the flow of the action when they could have easily been read in conjunction with the gameplay.

While there’s a degree of downtime for exposition, Alan Wake is still, primarily, a third-person action adventure. Wake moves with a fantastic sense of weight that gives a real, satisfying feeling to the movement. Jumping can be a tad iffy, though there isn’t a great deal of it to be done, with a small amount of environmental puzzles here and there. For the most part you’ll be exploring the dark, foreboding forests and abandoned structures of Bright Falls. At night, the forest truly comes to life with some phenomenal lighting and weather effects, creating deservedly eerie shadows. The sense of atmosphere is almost unparalleled, with the density of growth moving with the howling wind as an oppressive fog lurks above the ground, composing a genuinely nightmarish landscape within the game’s sublime attention to detail and authenticity. Bright Falls looks and feels like a real, living, breathing town, and that makes it all the more frightening. Alan Wake doesn’t go for cheap, jump thrills; it’s the sense of dread and apprehension of what’s to come that gets the heartbeat pumping. Your enemies are created from the shadows, able to attack from any angle provided there’s no light source to stop them.

Because light isn’t just a guide to the next safe haven, it’s also your most reliable weapon against the darkness and the transformed townsfolk known as ‘The Taken’. Wake always carries a flashlight with him, and mixed with the more conventional weaponry, they form a potent combination. To kill your foes you’ll need to drain the darkness from them by focusing your flashlight beam on their bleak figures. Once the darkness has gone they’re susceptible to damage from your arsenal of weaponry, whether it’s a revolver, double-barrelled shotgun, pump-action shotgun or hunter’s rifle. It’s an enjoyable mechanic, utilising the light before going in for the kill, separating it from other third-person shooters, however minimally. And while the movement feels very weighty, the shooting is precise and intuitive. The beam from your flashlight is clear to see and the bullets follow its path allowing for some accurate shots.

However, Alan Wake isn’t like a Silent Hill – putting you up against one or two enemies at a time – but goes much further, and you really have to manage the crowd. Because of the darkness, your enemies appear from everywhere and you really have to watch your back. There’s a useful dodge move, complete with stylish use of some cinematic slow-motion. But to successfully survive you’ll need to exercise other light sources. The flashlight is highly effective at draining the darkness and knocking enemies back, but when you find yourself surrounded, flares, a flare gun and flashbangs prove immensely useful. Flares might not be able to drain the darkness in an acceptable amount of time, but using them will propel enemies back, away from its light, allowing ample time to reload and plan the next assault. Flare guns, on the other hand, are Alan Wake’s equivalent to a rocket launcher, able to destroy multiple enemies at once, much like the flashbangs and the frag-like effect they have on ‘The Taken’. Combat inAlan Wake is an immense juggling act between these different methods of destruction. ‘The Taken’ attack in droves so you really need to use every tool in your arsenal to survive, particularly on the higher difficulties. It’s clear Remedy learned a lot when developing Max Payne, and they’ve applied their methods here to create an extremely gratifying shooter.

Sadly, it does run out of steam before the ten hour story comes to a close. The combat is enjoyable, but Alan Wake is a one-trick pony, so repetition eventually sets in. Combat is strong enough to stand up on its own, particularly when you factor in some of the sublime set-pieces, but it would have been nice to see a little more variety to proceedings besides from the few short puzzles. It certainly doesn’t help that the enemies are severely lacking in any sort of variety. You’ll spend the entire game fighting the same five enemy types, both in look and attack patterns. There are a few poltergeist moments as the darkness manifests itself in inanimate objects, but these moments are more about avoiding attacks than fighting back.

It’s also awfully linear. Your next objective is clearly marked on the mini-map and the path there is essentially a straight line, more often than not. It’s a drastic departure from the open-world game we thought Alan Wake would be, and while the linear path helps the narrative, it would have been nice to see a bigger emphasis on exploration. You get a sense of its previous scale in some of the short driving sections, but otherwiseAlan Wake is a linear journey. If you do veer from the obvious path, there are some collectibles to find, however. Besides the manuscript pages, you can also find things like coffee thermoses and crates of supplies. They’re not particularly exciting, and definitely not worth coming back for on multiple playthroughs, unless you crave the Achievements. However, there are some worthy Easter eggs to find, and a brilliant, in-game, Twilight Zone-style TV show called Night Springs. You’re supposed to be saving a friend from grave danger, or running from the darkness, but find yourself transfixed by this delightful little TV show. It’s a masterful inclusion, and along with the local radio station, augments the game’s already superb atmosphere.

It’s a shame that same atmosphere suffers during the day. While the night sections are decidedly impressive, the visuals take a pounding once the sun comes up. There’s no doubt the draw distance is amazing, but shadows are extremely jaggy and low-res, along with the textures, and there’s a degree of pop-up during driving sections. At night it gets substantially better, though there are some problems with screen tearing, and certain shadows still look poor. Animation also looks odd and is downright terrible on faces, especially the lip syncing, so it does take some shine off of the presentation. However, whoever compiled the soundtrack deserves a medal. David Bowie, Roy Orbison and Johnny Cash, anyone?

Remedy said they spent so long developingAlan Wake because they wanted it to be as perfect as possible. While it may not reach the realms of perfection, it’s still a stunning title that’s almost worth the long wait. The Finnish developers have built a believable universe surrounded by a strong narrative, impressive storytelling techniques and enjoyable combat with a unique twist. It has its flaws with repetition, linearity and some poor presentational issues, but this is a world ripe for a sequel to improve upon every single aspect. It might take another five years, but you can guarantee it will probably be worth it.

Clint Eastwood, John Wayne and co. may have satisfied our Wild West thirst on the big screen, but the world of gun-slinging outlaws has never really materialised in any meaningful way on the videogame circuit. Red Dead Redemption could go some way to filling that void this May, but until then, if you’re looking for some rootin’ tootin’ shootouts at dawn, Lead and Gold: Gangs of the Wild West could be a good way to pass the time.

Lead and Gold is a third-person, team-based online multiplayer shooter, so it has a fair amount of depth for a downloadable game. There are four character classes to choose from, each utilising different weapons and special abilities. The character designs are instantly recognisable from any Western, while still veering away from being too stereotypical. They’re a lot of fun with a stylish, cartoony look, and knocking their hats off is an entertaining effect no matter how minuscule.

However, you’ll be choosing your class based on their skills rather than their appearance and choice of disposable headwear. The gunslinger is the easiest to use, touting a heavy revolver and the ability to use the fanning technique to shoot off multiple rounds in quick succession. The trapper is the sniper of the group who can also set down traps to ward off anyone sneaking in behind, or to protect an objective. The deputy uses a carbine rifle so he’s best at medium to long range, while his ability to tag enemies will help himself and his teammates. While last but not least we have the blaster, a big old brute who likes nothing more than getting up close and personal with a shotgun and a pouch of dynamite.

Finding which one works best for you is a good way to start, but you’ll want to vary your time between multiple classes to get the most enjoyment, and more importantly, help your team. Besides from certain classes working well on particular maps or in specific game modes, they also let off synergies that will affect the player and any teammates in their vicinity. Each class has its own synergy effect, so you’ll want a team with multiple classes to get a dose of each buffer. The gunslinger radiates the accuracy effect, so any teammates nearby will receive improved accuracy, while the deputy radiates the damage effect and so on. It encourages teamwork as you’ll want to stick together to best exploit these different effects. And if you’re playing well, they will eventually become more powerful, sometimes turning the battle in your teams favour.

Rather than use a persistent ranking system, Lead and Gold’s player progression only works on a match-by-match basis. It’s disappointing that you don’t feel like you’re progressing and moving up after each successive match, but within the context of the game it works fairly well. You’ll still gain ranks by playing well, but besides from bragging rights come the end of the round, ranking up will also strengthen your synergy effect. As you gain ranks your synergy will eventually become more effective, so playing well as an individual will also benefit the team.

And the maps and game modes do a good job maintaining this emphasis on team work. With names like Prospector’s Peak and Bad Blood Valley, the game’s six maps are similar to the characters with their recognisable Western traits. From a mining town, an Indian campsite, a farm, a bank and even the mines themselves, there’s a nice variety to the maps and they all look fantastic. The level design is very well balanced for each game mode the maps are used in, with multiple paths, vertical levels and buildings to occupy. The game modes are staples of any modern day shooter, starting with your typical team deathmatch through to zone control and objective destruction. There’s a game mode for everyone and the Western twists are fairly enjoyable with gold replacing flags and huge powder kegs rather than bombs. It’s often quite frantic, but the shooting mechanics are satisfying, if a little inaccurate at times.

The only real problems Lead and Gold faces are because of its net code. You’ll often be kicked back to the menu, the game may even crash on occasion and there are some issues finding enough players at times, particularly if you’re searching for specific game modes. A patch can fix all of this, but it remains to be seen whether the player count will increase or not. Though, for its budget price the gamble could be worth taking. It’s a stylish, good looking game; the shooting mechanics work well and the emphasis on teamwork, plus the variety in the maps and game modes, is very impressive. If you’re a fan of Westerns or team-based multiplayer, Lead and Gold: Gangs of the Wild West ticks all the right boxes. It just remains to be seen how long the online community will last, especially if the network problems aren’t fixed.

Sam Fisher may have lost his daughter, killed his best friend and seen his life begin to unravel, but his troubles are nothing compared to the tumultuous few years Splinter Cell: Conviction has endured. After a debut trailer depicting an old, downtrodden Sam Fisher – long hair and beard in tow – involved in hand-to-hand combat in broad daylight, the team at Ubisoft Montreal took early criticism on board and carriedConviction back to the drawing board for some much needed redesigning. The Sam Fisher we’d come to know had officially gone MIA, disappearing from the grid as we were left wondering if he’d ever see the light of day again. After a few years and a couple of extra delays, Fisher is finally back – faster, deadlier and more aggressive than ever. Forget about lurking in the shadows and avoiding detection, this Fisher is the ultimate hunter… and he’s angry.

With his daughter dead and nothing left to live for, Sam is out of the game and looking for answers. The story in Splinter Cell: Conviction is a much more personal affair for Sam, though it’s not long before he’s dragged back into the world of international espionage as a dangerous threat faces American soil. With the promise of some answers, Sam reluctantly agrees to help and the plot quickly begins to resemble a season of 24 or a Jason Bourne movie. It’s definitely an intense thrill-ride, filled with plenty of plot twists, intrigue and revelations. However, it’s the storytelling and presentation that stands out above all else. There are no loading screens and no camera cuts so the narrative is constantly moving, keeping up a frenetic, exhilarating pace. The camera moves through each environment, seamlessly transitioning between new locations and in and out of gameplay. It’s extremely slick and looks fantastic, especially when combined with Ubisoft Montreal’s unique visual technique of projecting objectives and keywords upon the environment. Each element of the presentation maintains the story’s quick pacing and keeps the player immersed in the game world.

It’s a refreshing change for the series that should appeal to a wider audience in much the same way the gameplay should. Splinter Cell purists may find the changes to the gameplay mechanics too simplified, but Conviction follows the natural progression of the stealth genre over the past few years, opting for a more action-oriented approach if the player so desires. It’s no longer about waiting patiently in the shadows and watching enemy patrol patterns; Sam is a whole lot faster than his appearance lets on. He can now quickly move from cover to cover, shimmy along ledges faster than the Prince of Persia and acrobatically traverse the environment with enough speed to avoid detection and prime for the next kill using his Krav Maga combat techniques. These kills are satisfyingly brutal, often utilising the butt-end of a pistol, any degree of rapid-fire hand-to-hand takedowns or a variety of good old fashioned choke holds. Once again it’s very similar to the pace and ferocity of the combat in the Jason Bourne movies, especially when combined with the new “mark and execute” feature.

This much touted new feature provides the biggest gameplay departure for the series but it works exceptionally well. If you see any enemies you can “mark” them with the press of a button and then hit “execute” to automatically dispatch them all with a few headshots in quick succession. It might sound like a “win” button but it’s balanced in such a way that it doesn’t make the game too easy. You have to earn the ability each time by first killing an enemy with hand-to-hand combat. This only counts once so you can’t build up multiple “mark and executes” by killing a few enemies in a row, there’s a limit, so you have to decide when and where you want to use it. Once that’s done you only have a set amount of “marks” to use and this number varies depending on what weapon you’re using and how much you’ve upgraded it; usually surmounting to about two or three at a time. Once you’ve become accustomed to it, “mark and execute” quickly becomes a useful and strategic tool in your arsenal. Each area is set up with a certain number of enemies and multiple routes to tackle them from. For instance, there could be a control room with three guards inside; in past Splinter Cell games you would probably find some way of sneaking past them. In Conviction, you can mark two of the guards by peeking under the door, before climbing onto the roof, dropping onto one of them through the skylight and hitting “execute” to dispatch of the other two. It looks extremely cool and planning each conflict with “mark and execute” in mind adds a whole layer of strategy to proceedings, particularly when you factor in context sensitive objects in the environment, human shields and so on. The only problem comes when you activate the “execute” and an enemy moves behind a solid object. The bullet will still hit him so it looks odd, but these moments are few and far between so it’s not overly bothersome.

Of course, to get into these prime positions there’s a good amount of sneaking to be done. Luckily, Conviction has one of the best cover systems available. One button will move you in and out of cover while another will move Sam to any nearby cover of your choosing. It’s extremely intuitive, never sticking to the wrong object or becoming stuck, so moving through the environment feels great. It’s also helped by another redesign to the game’s HUD. Instead of over-exuberant shadow and sound meters, you’ll know if you’re hidden simply by the colour bleeding out of the screen. If it’s black and white, you’re hidden; if the colour comes rushing back in, you’re out in the open. It’s an impressive effect that lets you know how hidden you are in the simplest way possible. Though if you are discovered, a silhouette will appear of your “last known position” so you know where the enemies think you are. They’ll search the area en masse before eventually spreading out, so you can use this to your advantage by sneaking around to flank them, laying down a remote mine, and so on. Generally speaking, the AI can be fairly intelligent in these situations when playing on Realistic – which is advised for any experienced gamers. They won’t always rush in, choosing instead to sit back and encourage you onto them and their awaiting ambush.

If this happens you may have to shoot your way out by utilising Conviction’s hefty arsenal of weaponry. There are multiple pistols, submachine guns, assault rifles, shotguns and gadgets so Conviction doesn’t really bare the mark of a stealth game. And true to form you can opt to shoot your way through the majority of the game if you so desire. It’s no way near as fun as the stealth route and the shooting is a little loose, but the game never really encourages you to play it stealthy unless you want to complete the P.E.C. (Persistent Elite Creation) challenges. Though this feels like a moot point considering the points you earn from completing these challenges can only be used to upgrade your weaponry (and armour in the multiplayer). Besides from adding silencers and upgrading the amount of “mark and executes” you can use, there’s nothing really stealthy about any of the upgrades. And it’s easier to play through the game using the vastly-more-accurate silenced pistol than any of the bigger guns, so they feel largely unnecessary. While the option is there, the worst parts of the game are when you’re forced to go in guns blazing, so playing the rest of the campaign like that is inadvisable.

However, the same can’t be said for the multiplayer, depending on the game mode. All of your upgraded weapons, gadgets and armour; upgrade points and P.E.C. challenges carry over from the single player and can be used in Conviction’s plethora of multiplayer game modes. “Hunted” can be played with one or two players and tasks the player with killing a set number of enemies over 6 multiplayer specific levels. Each level is split up into areas with 10 enemies in each, with the overall number coming to 40. You’ll need to play stealthy because any detection will call in an extra 10 enemies, making your job that much harder. It’s a lot of fun whether in single or multiplayer, though it’s the weakest of the bunch. “Last Stand” is a simple survival mode similar toGears of War’s Horde mode. Though, rather than just surviving, you’re also tasked with protecting an EMP from enemy gunfire, adding another degree of difficulty onto the waves and waves of enemies trying to kill you. This is one of the only times your heavy weaponry will prove useful as it’s less about stealth and more about setting up defensive positions and protecting yourself and the objective. Of course, if you do get a chance, setting up a two-man, eight-enemy “mark and execute” is always helpful in its devastation. “Face Off” is the only competitive mode, pitting two spies against an area full of enemies and themselves. Points are awarded for kills, with extra points for killing each other. It’s brilliant fun taking down the regular guards whilst also using their behaviour to find where your buddy is and trying to take him out as well.

Though, if you want to survive Conviction’s best multiplayer mode you’ll need to work together. The co-op campaign is a prologue, adding another four or five hours onto the seven hour single player adventure, extending the fiction furthermore. 4 of its 5 levels are from the “Hunted” game mode, which is a little disappointing, but there’s a decent amount of story driven changes to differentiate them in particular areas. It’s a real challenge when you consider the amount of enemies in each level, so you’ll really need to work in tandem to avoid being detected and utilize the two-man “mark and executes”. Some may be disappointed the popular “merc vs spy” competitive modes are missing, but Conviction’s multiplayer package is a terrific bundle of modes, culminating in one of the best co-op campaigns going.

And it’s the changes to the gameplay that make Splinter Cell: Conviction such an enjoyable, modern, stealth-action game. The stealth has been improved by a sublime cover system and minimalist changes to the HUD, while the ability to shoot yourself out of trouble and the addition of “mark and execute”, and all the strategy that entails, makes this the most accessible Splinter Cell to date. With an engaging story, impressive presentation and voice acting, and a variety of multiplayer game modes,Conviction has a lot of quality worth experiencing.