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.

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.

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.

It’s rare for video games to look to the literary world for direct inspiration, and you can guarantee there were plenty of eyebrows raised with the announcement of Visceral Games’ brutal action title, Dante’s Inferno. One man’s journey through the Nine Circles of Hell, as depicted in Dante Alighieri’s epic literary masterpiece The Divine Comedy, doesn’t exactly lend itself to the hack and slash genre. But if you think about it, it makes perfect sense. The Divine Comedy’s vivid imagery of Hell and all the horrific creatures within is the quintessential depiction of the Inferno, and a fantastic starting point for any game venturing into Lucifer’s playground. It might not be faithful to the source material but seeing Dante Alighieri’s terrifying vision come to life gives Dante’s Inferno a unique visual style. Now it’s just a case of whether substance can overcome style.

The story certainly strays wide of any substance, though it’s admirable enough to keep you interested throughout. Told via three distinct methods – CGI, in-game and animated cutscenes – Dante’s Inferno tells the story of Dante and his journey through Hell to rescue Beatrice, the love of his life. She made a dumbfounded wager with the Devil that if Dante remained faithful to her he would return home from the Third Crusade unharmed. Of course, it’s never a good idea to deal with the Devil and Dante eventually succumbs to temptation, unknowingly condemning Beatrice to the underworld for all eternity. It’s certainly an interesting premise, and while the small cast of characters are fairly bland, the use of CGI and animation to tell the story is impressive and serviceable enough to complement the gameplay and provide a good enough reason for venturing through the Nine Circles of Hell.

Of course it’s within those Circles that the bulk of the action takes place. Dante’s Inferno is, to put it lightly, a God of War copycat. From the use of light and heavy attacks, the fixed camera angles; the way you open doors, health and magic viles; the crate and lever puzzles and the QTEs to finish off enemies. The list could go on and on but I think you get the point. Sure, it’s derivative, but that doesn’t stop it being fun. Armed with Death’s own scythe and a Holy Cross, Dante’s certainly equipped to deal with any of Hell’s deadly minions. Combat starts out fairly basic with the scythe used for light and heavy combo attacks, and the Holy Cross as a useful ranged weapon, but eventually you’ll kill enough enemies to earn souls and upgrade both pieces of equipment to add an element of depth and variety to proceedings.

It’s here that Dante’s Inferno adopts some originality with holy and unholy upgrade trees. Whenever you grab an enemy for a brutal finishing move you can decide to either punish or absolve them, earning unholy or holy souls. These souls will open up more and more powerful abilities for you to buy for the scythe (unholy) and Holy Cross (holy) so choosing whether to punish or absolve an enemy carries a degree of strategy depending on what area you want to improve upon. As you reach the higher levels you’ll be able to purchase and utilise a variety of devastating moves for your two weapons and magic attacks, so there’s a lot of freedom to the combat allowing you to pick and choose which moves suit you. Combine this with different augmentations that give bonuses to particular areas and Dante’s Inferno has a case for stating its own identity.

It’s still very much derived from the God of War franchise with familiar and unoriginal combat; however, combining all of the light and heavy attacks with the Holy Cross and magic is wholly satisfying and stops combat from ever seeping into repetition. Plus, Dante’s Inferno has a unique setting and character designs going for it as well. Your descent into Hell will be a frightening one as you pass through each of the Nine Circles: limbo, lust, gluttony, greed, anger, heresy, violence, fraud and treachery. It’d be easy to fill each Circle with rivers of lava and molten rock, but Dante’s Inferno goes for a much more gruesome look, spectacularly earning its mature rating. Death is all around, whether it’s the terrified screams of lost souls falling from above, or even the architecture itself; often moulded from the limbs and vital organs of the deceased. Everything about it signifies our worst nightmares, and as you venture deeper and deeper the environments will begin to represent each stage of the Nine Circles. Lust is full of phallic shaped towers and other such imagery, while gluttony sees you travel through the fleshy innards of a giant creature, eventually appearing out of its mouth. Even the enemy designs follow a similar pattern, with the controversial unbaptised babies waiting in limbo and bulbous, vile creatures eating anything that moves in gluttony. They’re fantastically grotesque and a joy to rip apart with your scythe.

Sadly these brilliant designs don’t far outstretch the first three Circles. While everything at the beginning of the game is new and exciting, enemies are eventually rehashed in each subsequent Circle. The only new enemy types you have to look forward to are mages and a couple of the other enemies re-branded, and it doesn’t make much sense that creatures seemingly specific to gluttony will appear in violence later on. It’s a shame because the few enemies you are introduced to are great, but you end up fighting them throughout the majority of Dante’s Inferno’s seven hour playtime. Even the level design carries a similar fate. There are a few standout moments past the first three Circles, but that initial grandiose scale is lost as you’re shuffled from room to room, forced to fight respawning enemies till the exit door opens. The only thing in-between these rooms are simple crate and lever puzzles and some light platforming. The sense of exploration and awe from your first few hours in Hell eventually fade away as the level design turns to tedium, culminating in fraud (the 8th Circle) where you’re forced into ten identical challenge rooms before you can face off against the last boss. They’re monotonous, frustrating and disrupt any excitement that could have been built before the grand finale; ultimately reeking of lazy level design.

Dante’s Inferno starts off big, consistently introducing new enemy types and grand environments, but by the end of the game that initial excitement turns to repetition as you fight through wave after wave of the same enemy type in increasingly familiar territory. The core gameplay is enjoyable enough to keep it interesting and fun throughout, with myriad upgrades and a unique punish and absorb mechanic to sink your teeth into, so it’s a shame the rest of the game couldn’t keep the momentum going. It might not be original but if you’ve never owned a Sony system before, Dante’s Inferno is an enjoyable alternative to Kratos’ Greek adventures, though the rest of us may want to wait until March.

Are you bored of modern shooters and their emphasis on the latest high-tech weaponry, Middle-Eastern conflicts; the brutality of war and plot twists you can see coming from a mile away? Well,Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter might just be the game for you. There’s no story, no characters to care about and most certainly nothing that could be considered sophisticated. The emphasis is purely on shooting as many things as possible with as much absurd weaponry as Sam “Serious” Stone can handle.

It hails from the run-really-fast-backwards-whilst-shooting school of game design. A throwback to classic first-person shooters like Doom and Wolfenstein 3D; only the craziness has been turned to 11 and the tight corridors have progressed to vast, open spaces crammed full of respawing enemies. The foes Sam will come up against have no other attack pattern other than to shoot you, charge at you, or both. Their character designs are completely nonsensical, from screaming suicide bombers with no heads to six-armed monsters and giant scorpion-men equipped with mini-guns – there’s no rhyme or reason to any of it. As a result, gameplay is consistently hectic and nerve-wracking as enemies jump at you from all angles as you make a desperate dash for that last health vile. The amount of wacky foes Serious Sam HD can throw at you at any one time is staggering, although this does lead to some slowdown in the latter stages when the character count must be near the hundreds.

Of course, if you want to survive against such mind-numbing odds you’re going to need a hefty arsenal of weaponry. Sam’s come prepared with myriad shotguns, rocket launchers and machine guns as well as some more explosive firepower, like a handy laser gun and a cannon that fires giant cannonballs. Shooting is satisfying with enemies exploding into red paste upon death, and the controls feel tight and intuitive despite the jump from mouse and keyboard to controller. The level design is nothing to write home about, often locking you in an area and spawning enemies until you’ve defeated them all. Their basic attack patterns and your constant need to run backwards and fire eventually get tedious, despite the games short playtime. It’s still fun, but the frenetic pace and monotonous shooting is rather tiring, especially when you’re killing the same character types over and over again. You can draft in three friends for co-op but this strains the frame rate even further, and the competitive multiplayer options from the PC version have been removed here.

The new and improved HD visuals don’t add all that much to the original 2001 game. Weapon details are improved and everything has a nice new sheen to it, but a lot of the textures are still fairly poor with shadows often flickering in and out. On the sound side Sam’s plethora of cheesy one-liners are hilariously good, and the heavy metal soundtrack is as enjoyable as ever if that’s your thing. Its the sound effects that come out on top, though. A lot of the enemy noises are essential to knowing where they are and what kind of foe you’re up against. It’s surprising for a game like this to place such a big emphasis on sound when it comes to gameplay, but it works fantastically well.

In the end, Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter doesn’t warrant its 1200MP price point. There aren’t enough new features to cater fans of the series and the gameplay just doesn’t hold up for newcomers. It can still be a lot of fun, with large scale battles against multiple foes being a highlight, but the old school game design is showing its age, if it was even relevant to begin with. There just isn’t enough variety in the locations, enemies and basic gameplay to really recommend it.

Bioware’s original Mass Effect was praised by many for its engrossing narrative, captivating cast of characters, innovative and fluid dialogue system and the emphasis on your decision making and the way your choices would affect the superb sci-fi universe and those around you. It should have been one of the best RPGs of the generation, but for every positive there was a negative standing in the way. Technical issues such as bad framerate and slow texture fade-in hampered the presentation; the cover-based shooting was clunky and unintuitive, while the breadth of role playing options were all too often overwhelming, using various cluttered equipment and upgrade menus resulting in inventory management becoming an unpleasant nuisance. The fantastic story and characters made it a great game, but there was still plenty of room for improvement in other areas. Areas Mass Effect 2 has looked at and substantially improved upon whilst also refining the fundamentals that made it so great in the first place. It’s not rare in the gaming world for sequels to better their predecessors, but Mass Effect 2 is so far above and beyond the original it’s staggeringly good in almost every way.

Commander Shepard is back once again for the second chapter in this sci-fi trilogy. Mass Effect 2 is the predictable darker chapter, shifting focus away from the Alliance and the Council and focusing on the seedier side of the Galaxy and the characters that inhabit it. These are much more dire circumstances for Shepard and his crew, and the characters you’re forced to work for carry an air of mystery around their motives and why they need your help. It’s a fantastic new look at this universe, expanding out to the far reaches of the Galaxy and dealing with the underbelly of society whilst still retaining the series’ own personality. The narrative moves thick and fast with some excellent pacing, despite the fact you can always branch off for side quests and character-building missions. This is a phenomenal, gut-wrenching story and you can choose to play it however you want, whether it’s the poster boy Paragon, the no-nonsense Renegade or a mixture of the two. Your actions and the choices you make can affect the story in unimaginable ways come the final chapter, so there’s real weight to everything you do. It’s a completely engrossing tale from beginning to end, backed by fantastic writing and an amazingly strong cast of characters.
And it’s your relationships and interactions with these characters that make Mass Effect 2’s story as good as it is. The majority of your playtime will be spent recruiting a mix of deep, invigorating characters for your crew, and then earning and balancing their loyalty. They come from all races, all sexes, and each one is unique, interesting and just a joy to talk to. They’re completely fleshed out people with ever expanding back stories and motives, from “perfect woman” Miranda, to the quick-talking Mordin and the feisty Jack; each character is wholly memorable. On the surface they may seem like a stereotypical group, but delve deeper and you’ll reveal whole new facets to their personalities, their upbringing and the heart wrenching tragedies that inhabit their complicated lives. It’s such a diverse group, doubling the cast seen in the original Mass Effect whilst also upping the quality tenfold. Even Shepard has become much more of a character rather than just a vessel for the player. You’re always in control of his dialogue but he now reveals more and more character traits to provide the same depth and intricacies as everyone else.
Even minor characters are given a similar amount of time and effort. Familiar characters will return from the original Mass Effect, however large or small their role and whether or not they survived the first time out. Of course this may all depend on the player if you choose to import your Shepard from the first game. This much touted feature allows you to access a Mass Effect save and import it to Mass Effect 2, carrying with it all the choices you made in the first game. Did you save Wrex on Virmire? If so, he’ll make an appearance in Mass Effect 2. Who survived, Kaiden or Ashley? Your choices will have an effect on who shows up in the sequel. Minor characters you might have saved along the way will surprisingly reappear here, showing their gratitude; there are even hints at things to come in Mass Effect 3 as a result of what you did in the first game. Your decisions might not have as big an effect as expected, but seeing returning characters and the minor impact your choices have made is a bonus layer on an already phenomenal universe. If you don’t import your character these choices will be chosen for you, but they’ll never have the same emotional impact knowing that these events happened because of what you did in a game now two years old.

Of course, Bioware’s pedigree for storytelling was always a certainty to appear in Mass Effect 2, so those two years were spent improving every aspect of Mass Effect’s gameplay that couldn’t quite live up the quality we’ve come to expect from this RPG powerhouse. Although, interestingly enough, Mass Effect 2 has taken an unprecedented shift into shooter territory, streamlining the RPG elements into a much more accessible package. Gone is the convoluted inventory management, replaced with, well, nothing. Rather than looting new guns, armour and ammo types, you’ll find one or two of each weapon type, from assault rifles and snipers to submachine guns and the new heavy weapons. There are no stats displaying weapon damage, cooldown time, or anything like that; instead, each new weapon sees an improvement on the last – and can be used by all party members – and the different ammo types must be used to damage particular enemy shields and armour if you choose a class adept at using weaponry. If not, then you’ll probably favour the tech and biotic powers. All of these powers and ammo types will fall under your own characters four-tier skill tree, allowing you to improve upon their effectiveness. You’ll only have around four or five different powers to upgrade, so it’s a much more streamlined system to the one seen in the original Mass Effect, which revolved around twelve or thirteen powers for each character in your party.
You’ll still have full control over your party in Mass Effect 2, and the best thing about combat comes from combining all of your powers together to take down your foes. The combat movement has been much improved from the first game, replacing the clunky cover system with a one-button alternative that makes snapping to cover a breeze. Just moving around the battlefield is a much more intuitive and enjoyable experience, and everything about the shooting and your powers is tight and satisfying. You can still pause the action at anytime and use the wheel to dish out commands to your party members, but this time around it’s much easier to assign powers to the d-pad and keep the action flowing. You don’t have to, but it’s another improvement to the combat that elevates Mass Effect 2 to the top of the totem pole, competing with the best cover-based shooters on offer. At times it may feel like a Gears of War clone, but the tactics you can utilize with your squad and powers provides Mass Effect 2 with its own identity. The higher difficulties will definitely require more cohesion within your squad, and utilizing each person’s powers is the key to success. Different enemies will use different shields and barriers, and each power has an effectiveness towards each one, as well as the different ammo types. Combining powers together and easily moving your party around the battlefield is a joy unmatched by many dedicated shooters, let alone a story-driven RPG of this magnitude.
Even the side quests have seen a vast improvement. Thankfully the dreaded Mako is nowhere to be seen. Instead you’ll scan planets from orbit, the Normandy’s AI alerting you if there are any side quests (aka anomaly’s) on the surface. Once you’ve found one you’ll be dropped down directly to the location of the quest, ready for action. No more messing about with horrible vehicle controls and identical planets; each planet and side quest has a unique identity. Most will revolve around stopping a group of mercenaries or out-of-control droids, whilst others are a little more inventive, guiding you through a thick fog with markers or tasking you with navigating a wrecked ship, balancing on the edge of a cliff. They shake up the fundamentals for a brief period and are worth seeking out. Though if you do explore the Galaxy without finding any side quests, you can always scan for useful minerals instead. You can orbit pretty much every planet you find on the Galaxy Map, and the scanner will let you know how dense the mineral population is on each planet. Scanning itself isn’t the most exciting mini-game and it can get very repetitive, but it beats using the Mako. You just move a cursor across the planet’s surface, using vibrations to find various minerals that can be used to upgrade equipment you’ll find throughout your playtime. The majority of these upgrades apply to your whole party, much like the weapons, and can range from anything from specific weapon damage and accuracy to increasing the cooldown on biotic powers and even enhancing the shields and weapons on the Normandy. Other upgrades will apply to certain party members, so you can deck out your party and make them as powerful as possible.
To access these upgrades you’ll need to visit the tech lab aboard the brand new Normandy. In Mass Effect 2 it works as a HUB world for all your interstellar activity. As well as talking to all of your crew members you’ll also be able to explore its four levels, using the armoury to outfit your party and the captain’s quarters to customise your own armour. The armour of your party never changes, so you can only alter it for Shepard. A lot of it is just cosmetic, changing the colour and design on your suit, but you can also outfit specific parts to increase your health and other attributes in particular areas. The rest of your party’s armour and health is covered in the mineral and tech lab upgrades. It’s just another, simple way of covering all your bases in one move whilst also being able to customise your Shepard in a more personal way.

Visually Mass Effect 2 looks the part. The graphics are an obvious improvement on the originals and the 1970s sci-fi aesthetic is in full effect, complete with complementary film grain. Most importantly the technical hiccups that hampered the first game have been completely eradicated as well. The framerate is smooth as you like, even in large firefights; the poor texture load-in is gone and there’s only one elevator in sight – and you don’t even have to ride it. Everything that was ever frustrating in Mass Effect has been ironed out in the sequel to substantially improve upon the presentation. Bioware even went ahead and hired a plethora of top-quality voice actors to portray their exceptional characters. Martin Sheen is the pick of the bunch, but everyone turns in extremely well delivered dialogue to bring this cast to life. The synth-inspired soundtrack remains, and the sound design is fantastic, whether you’re just opening a door on the Normandy or a deafening rocket is exploding just meters away.
Some may argue that Mass Effect 2 is dumbing down on its RPG elements for the masses, but it makes it a far better game over the long haul. The combat can easily compete with the best in a crowded shooter market, and the powers and tactics available elevate it to the top. The un-wieldy RPG mechanics have been stripped down for a much more accessible experience, allowing you to forget about sitting in dull menus and concentrate on the action. The fabulous storytelling, innovative dialogue system and impact of your choices remains in full force, and that’s all you really need to make a great RPG: the actual role-playing. The commitment from Bioware in making this franchise the best it can be is astounding. With the praise the original received it would be easy to release more of the same, but they listened to the community and extensively improved on all of Mass Effect’s faults and even refined and bettered the elements that were so amazing to begin with. Mass Effect 3 can’t come soon enough.

Bayonetta is a very generous game. Past the 14 hour run time, through the epilogue, final credits and beyond, it never stops giving, providing plenty of surprises and spectacular moments that are sure to leave you picking your jaw up off the floor time and time again. Emerging from the mind of Hideki Kamiya and PlatinumGames, the comparisons to Devil May Cry are plentiful. But Bayonetta’s sultry female lead, ridiculous action, flawless combat and sheer over-the-top nature make it a cut above the rest.

Bayonetta is a mesmerising character. She’s impossibly sexy, moving her body in indistinguishable ways, clad in skin-tight spandex, massive stiletto heels with an array of stripper moves and seductive looks and winks towards the camera. It could easily be conceived as being misogynistic, but the surprising character development and the game’s daft sense of humour stop this from ever coming to fruition. In truth, she’s supremely confident, hunting down Heaven’s angels to dispose of in a variety of creative and gruesome ways in a convoluted mess of a narrative. Set around the forces of light and dark, witches, amnesia and almighty beings, it’s not the easiest story to follow or even care about. But Bayonetta’s development, interactions and relationships with other characters are enough to satisfy any story urges you may have.

Because, in reality, none of it really matters. Bayonetta is an action game – one of the most downright insane kinds. Armed with guns in her hands and on her feet, and a multitude of different kicks, punches and weapons, Bayonetta is big on variety. There’s a massive amount of combos here and the controls are highly responsive, keeping up with the games frenetic pace and your need to constantly move, evade and attack. Every part of combat has a satisfying feel to it, especially when you build up a large enough repertoire of obnoxious techniques and weapons to combine together to obliterate your foes. Ranging from shotguns to replace your pistols, a deadly Katana sword, giant metal claws and even the weapons dropped by enemies, there’s an opportunity to find the right combination of brutal contraptions and work with it. In fact, there are so many you won’t be able to afford them all on your first playthrough, so there’s a big incentive to play through on multiple difficulties just to unlock everything.

A few levels into ‘Splosion Man you’ll find a rather large scientist with a particular fondness for doughnuts. Upon picking him up and using him as your own human shield, an original song about doughnuts, and how much everybody loves them, begins to play that could very easily rival the greatness of Portal’s galvanizing hit, Still Alive. This is just one example of one of the many moments in Twisted Pixel’s ‘Splosion Man that will bring a massive smile to your face; along with many that will turn that frown upside down as you struggle through its fifty, or so, frantic, sensational and frankly explosive levels.

It’s the perfect way to kick off this years Summer of Arcade as you take control of a giddy little experiment-gone-wrong who loves nothing more than exploding. Every face button on the controller makes him ‘splode, and it’s your job to guide him through each of the game’s 2D levels, utilizing his special ability in a variety of different ways. Whether it’s ‘sploding up ledges, ‘sploding off walls, ‘sploding the evil scientists, and even ‘sploding barrels; I think you get the picture. Essentially, in its most basic form, ‘sploding works as a jump and an attack. When jumping you can perform three explosions before running out of juice and needing to rest a bit to recharge. This means you can make it across large gaps, or use the wall jump to make it up to higher levels. It’s basic platforming 101, but ‘Splosion Man throws in plenty of wacky ideas to mix up the formula.

Throughout the game’s first stage you’ll learn the basics to each mechanic, from ‘sploding off barrels to propel yourself higher, to using switches, dealing with moving objects and capitalizing on the different items you’re given – including Mr. Doughnut Lover. It’s easy to learn how everything works and how you need to use them to progress through the game, and the learning difficulty is just right so that once you become accustomed to the basics it will throw in some new ways to use them and shake up the formula. By the end of the game the ante is most definitely upped and you’ll need all your skills to succeed as impending doom is nearly always on your tail. It may come in the shape of deadly spikes, rising water or acid, laser beams or even giant robots, and the only way to escape is to hit a succession of inch perfect jumps with no leeway for the slightest of mistakes. It may sound and look impossible, but the learning curve is so good that you should feel comfortable by the time you reach the third and final stage, with only a few of the game’s most outlandish obstacles causing any amount of difficulty.

Now, don‘t get me wrong, ‘Splosion Man certainly presents a challenge – and there’s definitely some frustration – but it never feels like the game is overly hard and cheating you out of progressing. It’s your own skill stopping you from completing the level, and thankfully, if you’re finding it too hard, there is an option to skip ahead if you end up dying too much. For those that persevere, you’ll find a game that encourages trial and error, with each death teleporting you back to the last checkpoint – of which there are many – with no load screens in sight. You’re meant to experiment and try difficult sections over and over again until you get comfortable and are ready to go back and attempt to set a time in the time trials. It’s like a retro game but without the annoyance of limited continues giving you the game over screen every few deaths. Old school gamers can appreciate its approach, and new players should enjoy the high intensity action it offers.

Although you wouldn’t think this action and focus on precision jumps would transfer well to multiplayer, it does so surprisingly well. You can play with up to four players in a separate campaign consisting of another fifty levels. Here the gameplay changes a tad, consisting more of puzzles that rely on teamwork. Each player can ‘splode off of each other to get big jumps, so it’s a case of working together and getting the timing right to hit each jump successfully. It’s a lot of fun and the extra set of multiplayer specific levels adds longevity to what is already a relatively lengthy experience. For only 800 Microsoft Points, ‘Splosion Man provides plenty bang for your buck.

‘Splosion Man himself is certainly one of the characters of the year. Just like Twisted Pixel’s other effort, The Maw, ‘Splosion Man has a brilliant sense of humour. Its protagonist has an odd love of Arnold Schwarzenegger quotes, and he runs about the place like a kid overdosing on sugar. He’s not happy unless he’s exploding and he’ll let you know it, yelling out random phrases and spreading his arms out like he’s trying to fly. He’s a lunatic but it fits the Saturday morning cartoon style perfectly. It’s just a shame there’s a distinct lack of narrative because the other characters – however few they are – maintain the humour even in their brief appearances.

If you’re looking for a new Arcade game you can’t go wrong with‘Splosion Man. It has a certain charm you can’t help but love and the precision based, high octane gameplay is one you’re going to keep coming back to. The boss battles disrupt the pacing and the lack of a narrative is disappointing when you consider the added comedy value it could produce, but the gameplay far outweighs any of its faults. Some may find it too difficult but you’ll want to persist to the very end just to see one of the greatest endings in a long, long time. Trust me, it’s truly genius.

With summer comes the hot weather; a time for holidays with family and friends, playing sports down at the local park and relaxing with an ice cold drink by your side. Ironically enough, it’s also the time when most of us travel down to the hot, sweaty confines of the local cinema, as Hollywood assaults our viewing tendencies with myriad big-budget blockbusters spread out across the entire season. Of course this is enjoyable, but these summer blockbusters bring with them rushed and generally poor video game tie-ins that tend to do well in the charts above all else – making a quick buck off of the movies success. It’s become common knowledge in the industry that movie-games are rarely ever any good; we’ll find a rare gem every now and then, but ultimately we’re left disappointed that the movies’ better the games in every aspect.

So, with X-Men Origins: Wolverine kicking off the summer blockbuster season, it’s time for the inevitable video game tie-in to stick its adamantium claws where the sun don‘t shine. But wait, maybe I’m getting ahead of myself here, for all we know it could actually be good – I mean, first impressions are actually pretty surprising; while the film is rated for early teens, the game takes a much more visceral approach and grabs itself an 18+ rating. With the majority of the films target audience unable to even play the game, it’s apparent from the get-go that maybeX-Men Origins: Wolverine – Uncaged Edition isn’t just another rushed tie-in and can actually stand up on its own without the movie watching its back like a supportive, money-hungry entourage.

Hugh Jackman lends his voice and likeness to the game, and the story loosely follows the plot of the movie, butX-Men Origins: Wolverine – Uncaged Edition is its own beast. The gore won’t come as a surprise to those that know developers Raven Software’s credentials, having developed the ultra-violent Soldier of Fortune games; but it’s still no less shocking and surprisingly brutal considering the Wolverine character we’ve become familiar with on the big screen over the past ten years. This Wolverine is one we haven’t seen since the comics, one that has no regard for his own health and those around him as his deadly adamantium claws dismember and decapitate his enemies, spilling buckets of blood onto the streets in the most gruesome fashion. This amount of gore may seem like a cheap gimmick to rake up some extra thrills, but they effectively showcase Logan’s ferocious power and animalistic nature. He’s not a friendly guy, and with those claws you’d expect him to rip people limb from limb. Seeing it all unfold in motion is a refreshing experience when you consider the Wolverine-lite we’ve seen in the movies where blood rarely comes into play.

Of course, having a brutal, visual showcase doesn’t make for a good game, so luckily the gameplay can back it all up. As you would expect, Wolverine is essentially a brawler; it borrows elements from Ninja Gaiden, God of War and Devil May Cry so it’s all very familiar coming in. You have a decent amount of combos at your disposal within the four main attack types: light, heavy, lunge and grab; and combining all four together is the key to success, especially when implemented with the quick kills, special moves, counters and environmental kills. There are quite a few attacks to learn here, but the controls are intuitive enough and it‘s easy to get a hang of things, particularly when the game isn‘t all that difficult to begin with. The lunge attack can be used to take care of most enemies, and is especially effective across large distances – working as a long jump – and the quick kills, as you would imagine, are quick, easy and pretty ferocious; you’ll be stabbing people in the face and ripping their heads clean off, using their own mutilated arms against them, and even forcing their own shotguns on themselves. Combining this with the environmental kills where you impale people to forklifts and tree trunks, and you have a degree of variety to proceedings. Obviously, as you get deeper into the game these attacks won’t work on stronger enemies, but there are plenty of other moves and combos in your repertoire to keep the killing frenzy going and stop repetition from setting in – even if the game doesn’t always encourage it.

And the pacing and combination of other gameplay styles aside from the straight-up brawling helps as well. It may not sound terribly exciting but during the action down-time you’ll be pushing and moving objects to reach higher levels, balancing on boards and climbing ropes; jumping from platform to platform and scaling walls as you take part in some good old fashioned platforming. It provides a nice break from all the killing, and the mechanics aren’t frustrating enough to drive you to insanity – apart from a select few jumping sections where the camera is rooted to the spot. However, one aspect of X-Men Origins: Wolverine – Uncaged Edition that is guaranteed to bug you is the reoccurrence of two different mini-bosses. During the stages in Africa you’ll meet a large molten-rock monster known as the Leviathan; this is all well and good the first time you fight against him – using the dodge move to evade his attacks before lunging onto his back to deal out some damage – but when he appears another dozen times thoughout the game it can get pretty redundant. Add to this another, similar beast, in the Weapon X stages known as the W.E.N.D.I.G.O – who you defeat in the exact same way – and you’re in for some terribly boring encounters.

“Aside from this, though, there’s also some room for exploration. Wolverine is a fairly linear experience but there are a number of branching paths for you to find some collectables. There are a good number of dog tags hidden throughout the game as well as some Wolverine action figures – used to unlock four different costumes – and you’ll also find health boosts and mutagens to upgrade Logan’s skills and abilities with a degree of customisation. Mutagens work like infinite power-ups, as you progress through the game and collect them you can assign three mutagens to the three different slots in your inventory; it’s up to you to choose which one’s you want to utilize, whether it be three defensive options, three attacking options, or a mixture of the two. It’s a fun way to get the most out of Wolverine and add a little more oomph to the moves and abilities you’re most accustomed to using. You can also upgrade all of Logan’s skills as you earn experience from each kill and dog tag found; so, you can upgrade his claw strength, health and the power and longevity of his special moves as you progress to higher and higher levels – Logan becoming more deadly in conjunction.

And deadly is definitely the key word here, not just with his attacks, but also with his ‘nearly’ indestructible health. You see, Wolverine is similar to Superman in that he can’t really die; Superman games have never handled this very well, and the same can be said for any X-Men games. However, X-Men Origins: Wolverine – Uncaged Edition has got it spot on; you have two heath bars, one is essentially for his skin and clothing and once that’s worn down there’s another health bar for his internal organs; this reaches zero and it’s game over, bub. As you take damage, Logan’s clothes and skin will begin to rip off in real time, so you’ll actually see chunks of skin missing from his body as bullets rip through the flesh and explosions blow it clean off. It’s extremely cool to see as you literally get down to the bare bones. Of course, once you’ve taken out everyone it’s time for his healing ability to come into affect as you’ll now see all of his skin slowly grow back and cover up those gaping holes. You’ll want to take damage just so you can zoom in and see all the havoc caused on his body and the subsequent healing process.

Sadly, it could have looked a bit better. Wolverine doesn’t have particularly bad visuals, but they’re not exactly great either. While it’s cool to see the flesh ripped off his body, a lot of the time it just looks like random red splodges rather than actual muscle and organs. Hugh Jackman looks great though, and the other characters are admirable too; it’s just too sloppy with the presentation. You can clearly see that this was rushed to coincide with the movie release, so plenty of corners have been cut throughout. The in-game cut scenes are terribly compressed, leading to an awfully pixelated look, and you’ll also encounter plenty of graphical and gameplay bugs across Wolverine’s five acts, with Logan getting stuck in mid-air; plenty of texture pop-in, and some dodgy looking kills where his claws won’t quite line up right with the target. However, the worst of all came during one of the aforementioned mini-boss fights. After draining all of its health and going in for the last QTE finishing kill, the framerate slowed down to single digits and the boss unexpectedly disappeared, only to continue attacking me; it should have been dead already, but now I’m fighting something I can’t even see. Eventually I managed to go in for the finishing kill again, ripping off the head of something that’s not even there. Looking back it’s pretty hilarious, but it’s something that should have been caught during bug testing, especially since you encounter the enemy so many times throughout the course of the game.

X-Men Origins: Wolverine – Uncaged Edition is one of the best movie tie-ins in recent memory. The gameplay is a lot of fun, showcasing the bloodthirsty, animalistic nature of Wolverine with some cool, over-the-top gore; and the pacing and mixture of other gameplay styles, however small, keeps it moving towards its final conclusion. Sure, the repetition is there, but it doesn’t spoil the party like the production values do. There are just too many weak spots here with bugs and glitches, and fighting the same boss over and over again is just poor game design. The convoluted story also doesn’t help matters, jumping forwards and backwards through time with no real reasoning as it introduces plenty of throw-away characters and scenarios you have no reason to care about. It’s too confusing even if the plot of the movie is still fresh in your mind.

Sadly, this is another case of a game falling victim to the tie-in; cutting corners to meet a short deadline. If it were possible for more time to be spent fine-tuning everything this would be a much better game; as it is, it’s a competent action-adventure that’s probably better than its movie counterpart, and that’s all we can really hope for.