Plot Summary (Spoilers Follow) : Joseph remains depressed after the attack and has stopped going to work. 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, shoots 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 watching Tamara’s transformation in those few brief seconds, with all of its complexity and raw emotion 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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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.

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.

Following on from The Battle of Forli, Ezio is back in Florence to retrieve the Apple of Eden from evil priest, Girolamo Savanorala. History buffs will know the priest and the events of the Bonfire of the Vanities, in which he burned items that were deemed sinful, so there’s a degree of historical interest here. However, Savanorala is never really given much of a role; instead, the majority of The Bonfire of the Vanities will revolve around Ezio assassinating nine of his best lieutenants.

This set up is very similar to that of the first Assassin’s Creed, albeit contained within the city of Florence and without all of the repetitive investigative work. Instead you’re given nine targets on the map and have free reign to assassinate them in whichever order you choose. Each assassination will provide a certain challenge and a particular skill set, whether it’s fighting your way through guards, infiltrating an area undetected and so on. There’s a nice amount of variety to each target and each area is set up with multiple ways to get the job done. While The Battle of Forli focused on measly escort missions, The Bonfire of the Vanities gets back to what made ACII so good in the first place. Executing a perfect assassination is still undoubtedly satisfying.

The new area you can explore is fairly sizeable, offering new springboards that change Ezio’s freerunning to some degree, and new viewpoints and templar lairs to explore – although there are still no new Achievements. It’s not much but it’s an improvement that extends the playtime on a much more substantial piece of DLC. However, The Bonfire of the Vanities does carry some glaring presentational issues that dampen the experience somewhat. Audio regularly cuts out during cinematics both with speech and background noise, sometimes both. And some scenes seemed to be missing sound altogether.

The Bonfire of the Vanities is a definite improvement on the disappointing Battle of Forli, though it’s still difficult to call it a must-buy. The new assassination missions are a lot of fun if you’re itching to jump back into Assassin’s Creed II again, and for around two hours of gameplay you can’t argue with the price. But if you’ve had your ACII fill then there’s nothing here, or in the Battle of Forli, that will convince you otherwise.

Even if it is a little worse for wear these days. Set roughly ten years after the events of the first game, Bioshock 2 sees you back in Rapture in the hefty shoes of a Big Daddy prototype, referred to as Subject Delta. After a prolonged opening you awaken to discover you have the new-found ability of free will, only your Little Sister has now gone missing. This is a bond greater than most because being away from her for too long will gradually shut down your body, sending Delta into a coma. If you want to make your escape from Rapture you need your Little Sister safely in tow. Unfortunately, getting to her is going to prove rather difficult considering she’s the daughter of Sofia Lamb, the new leader of Rapture now Andrew Ryan is out of the picture. She houses the same kind of warped philosophical intent as Ryan, and you being alive complicates any of her attempts to kick-start the Little Sister project to use the ADAM for her own needs.
This basic premise sets up your journey through the deepest bowels of Rapture, and the story is intriguing enough to hold your interest throughout. You’ll meet a wide variety of characters, each with their own motives and views on the current state of affairs, whether it’s in person or via the audio logs spread across the city. Each one reveals a little bit more about the mysterious goings on from myriad points of view. They’re not as interesting as those in the first game, but the fierce debates between Ryan and Lamb are definitely a high point. The only gripe is that Lamb feels shoehorned in as this protagonist towards Ryan’s power, almost ignoring Fontaine despite his large relevance to the first Bioshock. Lamb is never mentioned in the first game so the story here feels rather disconnected, like a side-story rather than an expansion on the main fiction. There’s still a degree of fan-service but the story doesn’t hold the same weight and sense of purpose in the overarching narrative.
The gameplay, on the other hand, is an improvement. Being a Big Daddy doesn’t substantially change much. You’re still a prototype of the very first so you don’t have a heavily-armoured suit or anything like that, so you’re still susceptible to the same kind of punishment as in the first game. However, you will get your hands on some new weapons and plasmids, including the deadly power drill. This works as a melee weapon, allowing you to get up close and personal with any Splicers foolish enough to venture your way. It’s satisfying to use and the rest of the weapons are a huge step-up from the first game as well. Bioshock 2 offers a completely different arsenal with new weaponry like the rivet and spear guns, and retooled shotguns, machine guns and grenade launchers, among others. There are various ammo types for each gun and augments for specific weapons, often providing a chance for extra damage, whether it’s setting enemies on fire or electrocuting them. And you can also find weapon upgrade stations to improve damage, clip size, accuracy and so on. The basic shooting mechanics haven’t really changed from the first game, but each weapon is a lot more fun to use, especially when combined with the different plasmids.

Combining the two together is now much more fluid and enjoyable as a result. In Bioshock you had to switch between plasmids and weapons, only being able to use one at a time. In Bioshock 2 you’re essentially duel-wielding, allowing you to better combine plasmids and weapons together. It’s difficult to imagine it any other way since it works so well; shooting bolts of electricity from one hand whilst the other uses the speargun to pin an enemy to a wall. It’s extremely satisfying and unlike combat in any other shooter. There’s a lot of fun to be had experimenting with what plasmids and weapons work well together, especially when you begin to combine multiple plasmids like incinerate and insect swarm or decoy and cyclone trap with a peppering of bullets from any number of weapons.

And all of this experimentation will come to fruition during the protection sequences. After defeating a Big Daddy you can now choose to harvest the Little Sister then and there, or, since you’re now a Big Daddy yourself, you can adopt it. Adopting a little one will allow them to lead you to any dead bodies flowing with ADAM – the valuable resource used to upgrade and purchase new plasmids and tonics – so you can earn more before deciding to harvest or safe them. Of course, putting her down to abstract ADAM with her oversized syringe will attract any nearby Splicers hungry for the stuff. You don’t want to disrupt the process and get yourself killed at the same time so it becomes imperative to lay down a few traps to slow down the horde. You can utilize trip wires, proximity mines, mini-turrets, plasmids and so on, and positioning traps becomes an important strategy that must be mastered to avoid being overwhelmed. Laying down mines in each nearby corridor before setting up a circular death-zone around the Little Sister and getting into a defensive position all become viable strategies, and every person will tackle each protection situation in a completely different way. A premise that sounded unappealing due to the lacklustre section in the original Bioshock becomes one of the standouts in Bioshock 2. It shakes up the fundamentals of the gameplay and allows for experimentation and strategy to shine.

Especially when you go up against some of the new enemies. The Splicers have largely remained the same with regular foot soldiers, Spider and Hoodini Splicers, only now there are also Brutes. These tough new guys work like tanks, throwing objects at you from afar before charging up close with exceptional force. You’ll need a different strategy to beat them and they offer a fun alternative to the Big Daddies. However, the Big Sister’s offer the most substantial challenge, even in their reduced role. They were touted as being a constant menace but they only really appear once you’ve dealt with every Little Sister in an area. There’s plenty of warning before they show up so you will need to prepare for their arrival. The Big Sister’s are definitely the toughest enemies in Bioshock 2, using phenomenal speed and a mixture of ranged and close quarters moves to disorientate and damage. The best way to deal with them and any other enemy type is to research. Bioshock used a still camera to capture pictures to reveal damage bonuses with certain weapons and plasmids, but Bioshock 2 opts for an easier approach, handing you a video camera. Now you can record a battle, using as many different attacks as you can to record and earn multiple damage bonuses. It works pretty much the same as in the original but it’s been simplified and works much better here.

Visually, Bioshock 2 is an improvement on the original. Rapture has taken a beating over the past ten years so there’s plenty of detail in the cracks. Everything looks great, although, as is usually the norm with Unreal Engine games, the textures sometimes take a while to load in which can zap you out of the immersion. The sound design is also terrific, from the voice acting and general creepiness of an underwater city. Your heavy Big Daddy footsteps are suitably loud and water pinging off your helmet is a nice touch, and the sweeping orchestral score is brilliant once again.

But with a game so focused on an immersive atmosphere and narrative, it’s odd to see multiplayer included in Bioshock 2. Featuring different variations on common multiplayer game types, like team deathmatch and capture the flag, there’s a nice degree of variation here with a unique Bioshock twist. You’ll be capturing Little Sisters and even hopping into the suit of a Big Daddy for an explosive bonus. And even the different turrets and research come into play. After killing an opponent you can hold down a button to fill up a research bar and earn extra damage against that person until they kill you. It’s a cool feature that maintains Bioshock’s personality in a multiplayer suite very similar to Modern Warfare 2 in its progressive levelling system. You can even choose different layouts for weapons, plasmids and tonics so there’s a certain amount of customisation. It might not disrupt the dominance of the biggest multiplayer games out there, but Bioshock 2’s effort is surprisingly enjoyable and well thought out.

Bioshock 2 has been faced with adversity since its conception and come out on top. The story feels disconnected and isn’t as strong as its predecessor but the gameplay has been improved upon for a much more enjoyable and fluid combat system. The art of protecting the Little Sister’s is a fantastic new element that encourages tactics and experimentation, and Rapture is just as fun to explore as before. There’s a sense of déjà vu despite the all new environments, and it doesn’t have the same variety the luscious greens of the Botanical Gardens or the dizzying lights of Fort Frolic had, but Rapture is still a beauty to behold despite its rigorous destruction over the past ten years. If you wanted more Bioshock then Bioshock 2 delivers with aplomb. You just might not realise how much you missed it until you go back.

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.

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.

As a result, the story in Battle of Forli is difficult to understand if you haven’t played Assassin’s Creed II since its release back in November. Picking up straight after the close of memory sequence 12 it carries on as though nothing has happened, so if you don’t remember the specifics it’s going to be hard to follow. Your main task boils down to helping Caterina Sforza, who you helped on your way to Venice during the main game. Her castle is under attack due to some late story implications, so you’re tasked with helping her and her children, as well as fulfilling some of your own needs. Battle of Forli also fills in some late story blanks, such as how Ezio got a hold of the codec map, or why Leonardo da Vinci ended up at the villa. Only small details, but they at least pad out the story a little more.

The gameplay is essentially part of the main game so there’s nothing new to see here. The majority ofBattle of Forli consists of large scale battles with a miniscule degree of sneaking and climbing towards the end. Anyone who’s ever played ACII before knows that crowded battles were never the game’s strong point so it’s disappointing that it’s basically all Battle of Forli consists of. Even Niccolò Machiavelli, one of the most well-known and influential men in history, is reduced to a combat-hardened sidekick. It would have been nice to give him a bigger and more respectful role, much like da Vinci, but at the moment he’s a killer just like you.

At around 40 minutes Battle of Forli is also an extremely short piece of DLC. The cheap price of 320 Microsoft Points can justify it, but for such a small amount of content and the same gameplay we’ve already spent 15 hours playing, it isn’t really worth it. Newcomers will get the most out of it since it fits in with the rest of the game as though it was always there to begin with – arguably like it should have been – and those wanting to pick up the flying machine Achievement without going back to play the rest of the game will be pleased with its involvement. But as a stand-alone piece of DLC Battle of Forli is significantly lacking in all areas. Hopefully sequence 13 can remedy things, but I have my doubts after this underwhelming effort.

It’s also not much of a seller for its movie counterpart. The story is essentially non-existent throughout. I managed to gain more information on the plot by watching the movie trailer than I did playing the entire game – it’s that barren. All you really need to know is that the game takes place roughly two years before the movie. A private military group called the RDA have travelled halfway across the galaxy for an expensive, rare mineral found only on the planet Pandora. The indigenous creatures on the planet aren’t too happy about humans invading their homeland, particularly the 10 foot tall, mysterious blue species known as the Na’vi. Things start off relatively peacefully with ongoing negotiations between the two factions carried out via the use of Avatars – human/Na’vi hybrids utilised by the RDA. The player character – man or woman, whichever you choose – happens to have the right DNA to use an Avatar, and so you’re thrust into the exotic and dangerous world of Pandora.

The game fails to really tell you any of this important narrative information, and the poor dialogue and monotone voice acting doesn’t help matters. However, the plot’s biggest failure comes half an hour in when you’re asked to choose which faction to fight for, the RDA or the Na’vi through use of your Avatar. This is supposed to be an impactful scene, choosing whose beliefs and morals you want to dedicate the rest of your playtime to. But it’s made redundant because you’re never given any exposition to allow yourself to make a logical choice. All it really boils down to is whether you want to shoot stuff with advanced weaponry or hit things with sticks. I may be underselling the Na’vi slightly, but choosing them is a poor decision I made first time around.