Debate: Pre-owned

Murdo and I don’t particularly agree on trade-ins, I will trade in and buy pre-owned without thinking twice, whereas, Murdo always has a long, hard think about the publishers and developers before trading in a game. Then we remembered that our good friend, Colin, was a trade-in aficionado, so to speak. So, we let him join in the debate, and what we found was… well, this.

Murdo: Times are hard, for both consumers and publishers. We’ve got one of the biggest booms in trading-in for years and some of the biggest companies fighting against it. The likes of EA, and even Sony, are being battled against by hordes of gamers and their right to buy and play second-hand. But maybe, the gamers are to blame for the battle? I certainly agree with the companies anyway.

Blair: I know the companies want to make money from trade-ins and I know that having online unlock codes is the only way to do that, but I’ll still buy a pre-owned game if it’s cheaper (although, I do prefer new games) and I’d definitely trade in one of my own games to make up the cash for a new one. If I can’t afford the latest game and I can trade in a game that I’m not going to play anymore, I will. I’d never trade in a game that I really love, I’ll always keep them in my collection.

Murdo: Ahh, online passes. That annoying bit of paper inside some of the latest games. The companies are right in what they are doing with it, though. The revenue of each copy of a game that is sold should eventually feed back to the developers. They’ve spent hours building and testing the worlds we play in so why shouldn’t we pay a little extra as a way of saying thanks. You’ve already saved quite a bit buying second-hand.

Colin: I do agree that the companies should try and earn some money back on pre-owned sales and trade-ins, perhaps with DLC rather than completely removing features. If removing features is the way companies want to go I think it is fairer on the consumer if they get a chance to try the aspects of the game they will miss out. By this I mean that features, like online multiplayer, will become inactive after a period of time unless a code is entered or a pass is purchased. The gamer will still then have to pay to fully experience the game but have had a taste of what they are missing out on.

Blair: Do you really save enough by buying second hand to justify paying to play online, though? I like the idea of the online ‘locking’ after an hour or so; but people would exploit this by opting for the cheaper, pre-owned games when they aren’t too fussed about the multiplayer, perhaps only wanting to try it out. I just like trading in games to make up some money for another game, can you really fault that?

Colin: This system may be exploited but I feel it is much fairer on the consumer and the publisher will still make money off of the used purchases. I personally don’t fault anyone who trades in or buys used, almost all my games are bought that way. It allows me to play new releases for a price I can afford, if the game is good enough then I will pay to play online. However, if I get to try the features I’m missing then I’m more likely to pay to unlock them.

Murdo: This would be a great way to pull some money from the pre-owned market. Digital titles like Battlefield: 1943 have already used this system as a demo and it certainly helped me to decide whether I wanted the game or not. With certain features blocked off, the most likely being online, an hour given to test it out would be very beneficial for both sides. Some people who wouldn’t have unlocked everything might then decide to after trying the features but I fear this could be exploited greatly, especially with disc-based games. EA’s use of their ID in online games could help to prevent this though.

Blair: I like the things you get in the new boxes, such as DLC, which you might miss out on with pre-owned games, but online passes are just a hassle. The idea of having a ‘trial’ before you give money to the people who made the game is good, but it’s just like downloading a multiplayer trial from the PlayStation Store or Xbox Live Marketplace rather than having the complete game, which in the end, you paid for.

Murdo: The entire reason I love buying new is the chance to receive extras or special editions. Unfortunately, my dream of a shop selling only the extras, such as the postcards or figurines, from special editions hasn’t come true yet, but these are the things that add to the experience. If a big game has a special edition, I want it. Looking around just now, I can see my new Modern Warfare 2 night vision goggles, Captain Soap figurine, Pandora’s Box from God of War and more. These are just not offered with second hand games and make the whole thing that little bit more special. It doesn’t have to be as extravagant as these though, with the extra characters in ModNation Racers swaying me enough to one retailer. Second hand doesn’t make the same impact on me.

Blair: I love Special Editions, too. Figurines and everything rule, I wouldn’t buy pre-owned if these weren’t included and I would never trade these in. In fact, I once saw the Fallout 3 Collector’s edition (with lunchbox and bobblehead) pre-owned. I felt sick… and tempted to buy it.

Murdo: I would’ve!

Blair: I didn’t have the money…

Colin: I like special editions and the extras you get with them but I would much rather buy the game for a cheaper price. I have no problems trading in special editions either, if I’m not going to get the use out of them then I may aswell trade-in to get something I will play.

Murdo: Well apart from disowning Colin, I think we’ve done well here. None of us will be changing our ways any time soon but maybe we’ve made an impact on you. Next time you pick up that game in GAME, have a good think about what you’re buying into. Without the companies, we’d have nothing to play in the first place.

Blair: Anyway, while Colin and Murdo are bickering about trading Special Editions, we’ll pass it over to you. What do you think about trading in games and online passes?

 

Debate: Realism

Realism? Titles like Operation Flashpoint and Gran Turismo strive to perfect it, and are getting mind-blowingly close (sometimes), but what about the old arcade racers and shooters? Is there still a place for “un-realism” or do we really need to be simulating the entire experience? Blair, Colin and myself sit down to answer another one of life’s mind bending questions.

Blair: I’m not really bothered, Forza was a good one, I thought. Not too much of a sim and just fun. I’m honestly not sold on GT5 with all its realism, yet.

Colin: It depends on the type of game and what the player wants from it. If I was to play an F1 game then I want it to be as realistic as possible but if I played a Call of Duty title I’m looking for a fun, arcade feel. Getting the balance right between realism and fun is important in those games.

Blair: I like OTT games that just blow everything up. Sometimes. I like racers that give you an experience like the real world… sometimes. It all just depends, really. It’s all about how good the game is.

Murdo: For me, racers have to be arcade-y. Games like Split/Second and Burnout nail it on the head with the insane jumps and explosions. I’m awful at Forza and Gran Turismo, I need all the driving aids on and some sort of braking device, which is normally the other cars. Drifting round a corner at 100MPH with a building collapsing behind me is just perfect.

Colin: I love both, I rank GTR2, a sim, and Split/Second equally as my two favourite racing games. I don’t like Gran Turismo though, it has tried to be too realistic and isn’t fun for me. All games should have a element of fun, even if it goes for absolute realism.

Blair: I like the arcade style but it doesn’t suit all games. Some games need to be simulators, that’s just how they are. Although, I’m not sold with this new ‘Hardcore’ mode in Fallout: New Vegas where you have to live in the game as well as just play it.

Murdo: The ‘Hardcode’ mode sounds like too much hard work. I would never enjoy a game like that, one of the reasons I despise the Sims games. My only ever experience was me forcing my character to kiss Will.I.Am. That does not reflect me character though!

Blair: Wait, what?

Murdo: Moving on… I do like some realism in games, especially shooters. Operation Flashpoint 2 was almost perfect in its simulation and I have high hopes for the next iteration. Games like Call of Duty marry the arcade and sim styles well I think. Don’t even get me started on space shooters though.

Blair: I like the way Killzone 2 worked; the controls feel heavy, which make it feel more like you are controlling a character rather than a piece of cardboard with a gun attached. The gameplay itself wasn’t realistic, but you managed to feel what it would be like to be in that environment. Same goes for Dead Space, and that really built up the atmosphere.

Murdo: I’ve yet to play Dead Space but the trailers for number two are almost forcing me to pick it up. I’ve heard great things.

Colin: I loved Killzone although I never got far in the campaign. I enjoy playing both Call of Duty and Killzone, they have different feels and you can have different kinds of fun with them. I’m glad Killzone has the weighty controls as it provides an alternative to most other shooters.

Blair: I’m hoping they don’t ruin the ‘feel’ in KZ3 and DS2.

Colin: I hope they keep the same weight in Killzone 3, it was different and having an alternative is always good.

Murdo: Killzone is too weighty for me. I enjoy the campaign a lot but only because of the story. Running felt slow and sluggish after playing Call of Duty for so long and some guns felt weak. I’ll be buying Killzone 3 but only for the story. I might dabble in the online if some other TSAians do.

Colin: I’m pretty sure a lot will after the success of the clan in Killzone 2.

Murdo: We had a clan? Oh shi…

Colin: Someone said that once! I almost died.

Blair: The added ‘realism’ in GTAIV ruined it for me. I completely disliked it, the series was much better when it was OTT. The minute I stood on the bonnet of a car and then promptly fell off in GTAIV, I disliked it.

Colin: I hated that game for the very same reason. In an open world game like that I want to mess about and have fun. GTAIV felt like all the fun had been sucked out of it, it wasn’t really a GTA game then. The realism spoiled it.

Murdo: But it had Times Square… Before I descend into the horrible feeling of “I wish I was in New York,” I’ll pass it over to you, readers. Has realism been pushed too far? We haven’t even touched on sports games but that could take all day. Some genres need it to a certain extent but with so many racers at both ends of the scale and numerous other titles and genres refining their attention to detail and immersion, are we losing sight of the old (and fun) arcade way of playing games?

 

Gaming Is…

I don’t think I’ve ever told anyone this. I’m not scared of what they will think or perhaps even do, I just like to keep it to myself. Being an only child, I deal with things on my own, in my own way (I probably shouldn’t) and gaming is one of the best resources I have. It is much more than just entertainment.

My life has been full of those moments which change the way you look at things. I was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease at a young age and instantly I was given a list of don’ts and cant’s. No child wants to have their dreams crushed so quickly but mine were.

You see, I have always wanted to be a soldier of some kind. Militaria has been a big part of my life thanks to my dad and our ongoing collection of World War II memorabilia, it is a great passion of mine. Unfortunately, Crohn’s disease prevents anyone from enlisting in any of our great forces.

Every careers evening I attend or enlisting station I see, I ask if the rules have been changed. I never walk away smiling. My mum knows of my dreams, I think (I’m not very open), so convincing her to let me would be a battle in itself but, had things been different, I’m sure she would’ve let me.

I know there are plenty of other options offering the same thrills and experience of the army closer to home. These ideas are always simmering at the back of my mind but it wouldn’t be the same.

Enter, games. I’m probably part of a small minority but they are much more than just entertainment. Feel free to tell me I’m looking too much into it all, I won’t listen though. Ask anyone on my friends list, I play First Person Shooters a lot! Hours have been poured into Call of Duty, Medal of Honour and the like. I’ve bought all the classics and as many of the Collector’s Editions I can find.

Each of the more recent titles, I have completed three or four times on both consoles and no matter how extravagant the story may seem, I love them. They fill a void in my mind. There’s no can’ts or don’ts. I can live my dream for those seven or eight hours and No-one asks me for any medical conditions I may have.

Games are a way for me to escape my current situation. My life is in not awful by any standards. I’m happy. But every day, I wish things were different. When I fight side-by-side with Captain Price et al things are different. I become immersed and I love it. I’m ecstatic.

 

Review: Gold Fever

I love the concept of minis, I really do. The choice of platform can change the way games play so much in good and bad ways. Sometimes the PSP’s controls hinder the experience while other times, the PS3’s HD-ness can destroy the simple graphics but at least one of them is usually enjoyable. Some titles are perfect on both and are a pleasure to play but unfortunately Tik Games’ Gold Fever, another title in their Year of Minis event, definitely doesn’t shine on the PS3.

As with most Minis, the gameplay is quite basic. That’s not to say it isn’t fun though. Gold Fever is a Match-3 style game but instead of swapping coins to match the colours, you must flip coins on the grid to match the faces/sides. The aim is to join three or more coins of the same face, removing them from the grid and leaving their square “mined.” Once each square available has been mined once, the level is completed.

Simple, yes? Well as you progress, more colours are added to the grid and the layout is altered, often leaving coins separated from their partners. Gold randomly appears in the layouts and if these can be dropped to the bottom, you will receive an extra life. Power-ups feature too but very rarely and I never felt like I needed them (as with the extra life). The gameplay is fun and if you enjoy this genre, there are plenty of levels, but I never felt pressured by the timer.

As expected, the graphics are sufficient on the PSP. Although Minis are primarily targeted towards portable, on-the-go playing, the graphics on the PS3 must still be mentioned. I’m not sure if Sony could implement some form of anti-aliasing to smooth out Minis on the PS3, right now the game seems very blocky and dated. For this reason alone, I’d recommend playing on the PSP. For some, the coins may be a little small on the PSP’s screen but for me, they were fine. The controls on both work well though.

Between levels, the games supplies you with facts from the mining era and saves your progress, great for playing a few levels and then heading on to something else. You might want to mute your PSP or PS3 though. I know I comment on this a great deal when discussing Minis, but other titles manage to keep the audio fresh and subtle. Gold Fever doesn’t. The theme is very repetitive and the badly voiced “Ready, Set, Dig” is overly cheesy. If only Minis allowed custom music in-game.

Pros

• Great on the PSP
• Perfect for five minute plays
• Fans will love this variation

Cons

• Graphically suffers on the PS3
• Not challenging enough
• Repetitive sounds

While the gameplay isn’t flawed, there is little in the way of challenge. It is fun and great for a quick go but it should remain on your portable device. It’s a nice variation to the deluge of Match-3 games and fans will more than likely enjoy it.

Score: 6/10

 

Debate: iPhone Ports

Blair and I often sit up late at night debating life’s little problems and events. Lately, we’ve been talking a lot about Minis, Apps and the chances of seeing them cross over. Then we thought it might be even better to let you, the community, join in.

Blair: A lot of iPhone devs seem to be spreading out to other consoles. We’ve seen Angry Birds and Flight Controlannounced for Sony consoles, what do you think of this? It’s surely a good thing that they are becoming available for everyone, right?

Murdo: I wouldn’t say so. Much of their success has come from being so portable and cheap. Titles, like Angry Birds, benefit from the 59p price tag and the iDevice platform is perfect for them. They should stay where they are.

Blair: Angry Birds might have been 59p at the start, but with its jump over to Nokia, it’s gone up in price to £1.50 for ‘Level Pack 1′. Surely a full game with all the level packs would be worth £3 or £4?

Murdo: Angry Birds for the iPad is £3 and I still feel that is over-priced. The style of game doesn’t warrant a price tag above £2, although Rovio Mobile have done an excellent job of adding maps etc. Flight Control was an instant hit on the iPhone but without the touchscreen, it won’t feel the same. I’m glad there are rumours of Move support but that also rules out a Mini.

Blair: I’ve spent hours playing Angry Birds, I think that for £3 I’d get more than my moneys worth. Flight Control is great and I think it would work really well with Move but I don’t think it would be a great game for a home console. I can see Angry Birds working well but Flight Control would just come out when I want to show my friends what Move is all about.

Murdo: But would it really feel the same? The novelty of the iPad/iPhone is the touchscreen and how easy a game like Angry Birds plays. The games would play differently if an analog stick is used. No more flicking or multi-touch. Move would also feel very gimmicky for me. Playing Flight Control with Move be like scrolling through the Wii Home screen, very much a point and click game.

Blair: I agree that the touchscreen controls are fantastic for both of these games, but I can’t see the analog stick taking away too much from Angry Birds. As for Flight Control Move, it would be really precise and as easy as drawing a line. Anyway, enough about these games, what about games like Peggle and Plants Vs. Zombies?

Murdo: Funnily enough, I own Peggle on PC, PS3 and iPhone but I have only ever played the iPhone version. It is just so much easier to use and, again, the portable nature of the product is its biggest selling point. And Plants Vs. Zombies. Well I have that for the iPhone and iPad and I doubt I’ll be buying that on the Xbox in September. After ten minutes with the iPad’s multi-touch screen, the game flows so well and playing it becomes a delight. Whereas, I already feel the 360 port will suffer from clunky controls. Firstly there’s the terrible D-Pad. Alright, you could probably use the analog stick, but even that will get tiresome. These games belong on anything with either a touchscreen or mouse.

Blair: I’ve never played Peggle on an iDevice, but I’ve played a lot of it on the PC, and I think it works really well with the cursor and big screen. The PS3 version doesn’t have great controls, but it’s still the same amount of fun. Just less… accurate. I’ve never actually played Plants Vs. Zombies but I can imagine the 360 D-Pad being an annoyance. I think these PopCap games really belong on the PC. Tower defence on the PC is as easy as pointing and clicking, literally.

Murdo: It would be interesting to see some of the Apps, not games, ported. During the announcement and introduction of Minis, it was widely suggested that we would see Apps appear on the store but so far there has been nothing. Obviously the PSP isn’t as connected as the iPhone but a Map Mini would be a useful addition, or even just a Utilities feature. PS3 versions could also have many more features, with perhaps a facebook app similar to the 360′s. It does do everything remember…

Blair: Yeah, I’d love to see apps that you could use in-game on the PS3. TweetDeck? Yes please. But this is all just dreaming; we’re unlikely to get these kind of apps on the PS3 whilst not even having a stable internet browser, nevermind one that works in-game! PSP apps could work, but I’m not entirely sure about this. It would be an iPhone port too far.

Murdo: There’s definitely potential but it would have to be done in a very precise way. In-game usage would require a lot of hard work from Sony’s end. We all know how long the in-game XMB took and that’s still sluggish. With the rumours of a new browser coming and all these iPhone ports now console-bound, could we be seeing the maturation of the Minis and a new war between the console giants over additional Apps? I still believe certain games should be left where they are but the possibilities of other projects following on is an interesting thought.

Blair: As I said, it will be a good thing for more people to experience these games, and if Move is incorporated, it would be even better. I don’t like the idea of Apps too much, but I’d happily welcome any iPhone game to the minis or XBL Indie Games service. Well, we’ve talked enough, let’s see what the readers think of iPhone games on bigger platforms.

Review: Rocks n’ Rockets

Retro games aren’t really my thing. I’m one of the youngest staff members and the first console I owned was a PSOne so you can imagine giving me a game like Rocks n’ Rockets was forcing me back into an unknown era. Thankfully, it was a pleasant surprise.

After a little research, I found the basis of this Mini to come from Missile Command, a 1980s arcade game, and as soon as the main menu appears, this is clear to see. Two modes are available to play, the aptly named “Arcade” and “Marathon.” Both are very similar, with Marathon simply flinging endless waves at the player instead of a set amount on different maps, like Arcade.

For those of you that have played Missile Command, the gameplay will be familiar. The player must defend the cities from meteors that come in different forms, normal, ice and fire. Relevant rockets are supplied (water and fire) to destroy the hazards and if things get a little too hectic, a nuke-style bomb can be used to destroy all the rocks onscreen. Shooting the boulders with the wrong missiles will result in them growing and needing to be swiftly dealt with by more (correct) rockets. As the intensity of rocks increases, this feature becomes more and more prominent because of the overlapping paths of the falling debris.

Power-ups often float across the screen, in an attempt to relieve the player but I never really felt pressured until the last few locations, of which there are ten (with ten levels in each). The powers offer such things like repairs to the city, automated sentry bots to help you in battle, or just more rockets, a comforting feature during the latter levels. Unfortunately even with these features, the game begins to feel repetitive but the nature of Minis does not require you to play them constantly for long periods of time so this can go unnoticed.

For me, the best feature of the Minis is the option to play on PS3 and PSP. Unfortunately, some games suffer on the big screen but surprisingly Rocks n’ Rockets holds up well. In fact, I’d recommend playing on the PS3 over the PSP for one reason, the analog stick. A major fault of the PSP has always been the flimsy and awkward-to-use analog stick and a game like this suffers because of it. The D-Pad can instead be used but that also feels slower. Graphically, it also fairs well on the PS3 but the style of gameplay lends itself more to the PSP. It really is a hard decision as to which console to play on but remember you can easily copy your save between them.

Pros

• Quick and easy gameplay on the PS3
• Graphically pleasing
• Perfect for ten minute sessions on the go

Cons

• Feels sluggish on the PSP
• After 50 levels, the gameplay does become repetitive

Rocks n’ Rockets would be the perfect fit in a retro gamers life. The downfalls aren’t entirely its fault but there is a noticeable difference between the consoles. A touchscreen PSP or Move on the PS3 might have made the gameplay more enjoyable but for only £3.99 you can’t go wrong. As with most Minis, it’s the perfect remedy to the modern-day onslaught of FPSs.

Score: 7/10

 

Review: Super Stacker

We’ve all done it at some point in our lives. Either with Lego or just plain, ol’ wooden blocks. We stack ‘em, and we stack ‘em good. No doubt you were probably four at the time but that home-video will still make you smile and reminisce about the simpler times. And now that we are all grown up and playing with our lovely little black box, we need something to fill that tower-shaped void. Enter, Super Stacker, a downloadable title on the PlayStation Network.

Its presentation is simple enough, with clean and humorous graphics and very easy menus allowing the player to choose between single and multi-player modes and then game type. Three types are available: Stacker, Present Stacker and Unstacker. The latter is the only one to offer a real difference in gameplay but each mode is still very enjoyable and, in the later stages, quite difficult.

Like most other games in the puzzle genre, Super Stacker can become quite addictive (if you stick to the single-player aspects). Each of the game modes have forty levels, which is enough for most people. As expected, the difficulty slowly increases as you progress but I noticed a couple of levels where it ramped right up and returned to normal afterwards. Stacker has the player balance differently shaped blocks without toppling and Present Stacker is almost identical, except the tower must reach a certain point. At the other end, we have Unstacker, in which blocks must be destroyed carefully to avoid knocking the key block off the screen.

Multi-player is one of the biggest let-downs of the game. While the idea is solid and competitive versions of each mode work very well, the lack of online capabilities and awful implementation of co-op hinder the game’s appeal. Co-op relies solely on the “your turn, my turn” gameplay, which quickly becomes a bore and feels pointless. You’d be just as quick playing a single-player mode and passing the controller around. But as I said before, the competitive side is excellent. The screen is split, just like the olden days, and up to two players can stack off in all three modes. It makes for a very interesting duel, especially because of the vast number of choices available to complete each puzzle.

Most puzzle games come with a relaxing or catchy soundtrack that often becomes repetitive and Super Stacker is no different. The music does change depending on the “setting” of the level (some are based underwater etc.) but throughout levels and the menu, you are greeted with a looped twenty second tune. After thirty or so levels, I was scrambling for the mute button because sadly there was no option to play music from the HDD, which I expected from a game apparently using so little of the PS3′s power.

Blocks often make an interjection during the gameplay, with “oooh” and “uh-oh” becoming the native language for “you’ve placed me stupidly” and a quirky face will often follow their outburst. At first, this is all very amusing but then the same four or five faces start appearing and it too feels repetitive.

Trophies are an important detail to me. I like to see a developer put some thought into the requirements for the silverware. Super Stacker may not have the biggest scope for such things but, as you can see from the list, they feel tacked on. This isn’t exactly a flaw but for some people, trophies are a major selling point when it comes to PSN titles.

Pros:

• Addictive and challenging single-player
• Solid offline, competitive multi-player

Cons:

• Lack of online multi-player
• Terrible addition of co-op modes
• Sounds can get annoying

For the most part, I felt Super Stacker shouldn’t have been a full PSN title. It could’ve easily been a Mini, and not just because it would work so well on the PSP (aside from the multi-player). The inane trophies and co-operative modes wouldn’t be missed and the price tag would certainly drop. In fact, since releasing on the US Store for $10, the price has dropped but for a little extra cash, gamers could download titles such as Shatter and I’d advise them to. At least until the pricing is on par with the Minis.

Score: 6/10

 

Impressions: Modern Warfare 2 Insurgence DLC

Modern Warfare’s online side definitely doesn’t need any form of resurgence but three new maps and two remakes will definitely be welcomed by the massive online community. As with the Stimulus Pack, the price of 1200 MS points (£10.50) for Resurgence has been a major sticking point for most gamers but at roughly £2 a map, the hardcore players will definitely get their money’s worth.

Infinity Ward’s exclusivity deal is still in place with Microsoft, so PS3 users will have to wait for around one month to give the new maps a go. That’ll give you, the PS3 club, a chance to decide whether you want to give Activision even more money and I’m here to help.

The two remakes, Vacant and Strike, are perfect. Take this from someone who regularly still plays Call of Duty 4, these two maps have had all the necessary fixes and upgrades to warrant £2 each. Due to Modern Warfare 2′s lack of NVGs, Vacant has been brightened but an extra layer of detail is now visible. Strike also feels more vibrant, especially thanks to the added detail.

Both maps have been tactically revamped too. The hardcore CoD4 gamers may remember hiding in a corner of the house at C with a shotgun, easily allowing you to capture the flag during domination (I know I did it). Well I’m sorry to say, the flag has been moved. On the plus side, there’s now a backdoor to that house, which actually makes Search & Destroy games a lot more interesting. The only noticeable change during my playtime with Vacant was the mesh door at the rear of the building. It is now open!

Of the three new maps, Carnival is my favourite. The abandoned fun park is as bright and vibrant as the other maps feel but has some excellent vantage points. Sadly the chutes no longer work but the choke-points around the map can easily be used to protect the flag/bomb/whatever.

Another new map, Fuel, is massive. I’m talking bigger than Overgrown massive. With tunnels, plenty of three-story buildings and a surrounding battlefield of rocks, Fuel is an excellent addition to the Ground War mode. The main bulk of the shooting happens at the top of the hill, above both spawn points on either side, but if you can sneak around the back or perfect your long range sniping, multiple kills can easily be yours.

The last map in the Resurgence pack is Trailer Park. The hillbillies seem to have decimated their home-town but from what’s left, IW have conjured up an intricate network of paths. This map certainly calls for a lot of close-quarter shoot-outs so put those sniper rifles away, soldier.

Every single map is fun to play and as high quality, if not better, than the original Modern Warfare 2 maps. Without a doubt, I recommend buying this pack if you are still playing online after six months and if you bought Stimulus at £10.99, then this is a no-brainer. I’ll see you all online in a month, after everyone’s stopped moaning about the ridiculous price.

 

Review: Prison Break: The Conspiracy

First of all, let’s clear something up. I’ve never watched the Prison Break series. Never have, and now this far behind, never will. I’m probably missing out on some amazing TV but really, I have more important things to do. One such thing is to play the game of course. I wouldn’t blame you for having very low expectations simply because I did but thanks to LoveFilm it dropped through my shiny brown door and I actually put it in my PS3.

And I’m glad I did.

Obviously, I don’t know much about the Prison Break story lines but the game seems to follow the first season’s plot. You play as Tom Paxton, an undercover agent for The Company, and your job is to find out why Michael Schofield wants to be in prison. As you progress, you discover his plan but also a massive conspiracy, which throws a nice twist into the plot. Paxton is a new-comer to the series and eventually the game becomes all about him.

Prison Break certainly isn’t pushing the PS3′s hardware to the limits but everything, from character models to office equipment, looks decent and at times the lighting effects are quite good. A prime example is during the midnight hunts you must fulfil, where the search lights are constantly moving over the areas surrounding you (and even on you if you aren’t quick). The shadows cast allow you to easily determine safe cover and bypass the often tricky light pathways.

The characters all match their TV counterparts but seem cleaner, losing the gritty feeling I’d imagine the show (and any prison) possess. The voice acting also sounds perfect and the surroundings are nice and crisp. We aren’t talking Naughty Dog levels of detail here but everything flows well and I never saw any graphical glitches.

If stealth isn’t your thing, then this game should be avoided. Each of the nine chapters involve sneaking past at least one guard, who at times do appear to be blindfolded. A warning system of red bars easily shows the likelihood of being seen, making the stealth even easier. Some areas do require a trial and error approach but there is nothing too taxing, thanks to the R2 button allowing you to focus on the appropriate solution. Although it is possible to train your character and develop some buff looking pixels, combat can only be used against other inmates. This is extremely annoying when the only guard in the entire area spots you and the mission is failed. I’m sure a real Prison Breaker would put up a fight and ultimately win.

Which brings me nicely to the fighting controls. They are simple enough, with buttons dedicated to punches, blocking and dodging. The latter two do require some skill (or a lot of luck) but can be very useful when fighting two or more inmates. Once you have beaten and bruised your opponent enough, a finisher can be used to end the brawl. I only saw around four or five different finishers so they did start to become repetitive.

As you may have seen in the trailer, the gameplay involves regular acrobatics in the form of quick time events. These often felt sprung on me, as if the developers were scared I’d fallen asleep during the cutscenes (which normally wasn’t the case). Because of this, I frequently missed buttons or mashed the wrong one in a desperate struggle to regain control, eventually resulting in the checkpoint restarting. Not all QTEs were badly placed. Some were perfectly placed during the high tensioned areas, resulting in obscene amounts of tension.

When you aren’t swinging from the ceilings or sneaking in the back door, you will find yourself in The Yard. This outside space allows you to hone your fighting skills either by training or simply picking your opponent. To reach the top fighting level doesn’t take long at all and this is a great advantage in the underground fighting tournaments. These are introduced early on in the game but only properly usable in the second half. This feature exemplifies the repetitive nature of the finishers, mentioned earlier.

Similar to the singleplayer fighting tournaments is Versus mode, allowing two players to choose from a range of fighters and arenas to battle it out. I couldn’t find any online mode, which was a major omission, but the whole mode seemed tacked on and rushed in the first place. It wouldn’t be missed if it was removed.

Most of the mechanics are done well, with only a few let downs, but nothing new is really given to the player. If you enjoyed the TV show then you might find this to be a little lacklustre but it certainly isn’t an awful addition to the Prison Break series.

Pros

• Stealth mechanics work well
• Clean and crisp graphics
• Story progresses well

Cons

• Versus mode needs more thought
• Trial and error needed for some QTEs
• Fighting system could do with a few extra moves

The Conspiracy might not appeal to fans but to a Prison Break virgin, it is surprisingly good. Yes, there are flaws and it won’t win any awards but it should definitely at least be rented. Even just for the simple trophies.

Score: 7/10

 

Review: Section 8

One franchise that has sadly skipped the PS3 is Halo. The story is excellent, graphics improve with every new game and the multiplayer, well let’s just say Halo 2 was still being played up until recently. It is a brilliant game by all accounts and if anything that resembled it appeared on the PS3, I would gladly jump right in. That’s where Section 8 comes in. I’m not saying it was trying to imitate Halo’s finesse but it is very, very similar. Although, you’ve probably not heard much about this game. Section 8 is a sci-fi shooter. That pretty much sums it up.

The main focus of Section 8 is multiplayer, there is no denying that. The very first option you are given is the online side of things and the majority of the trophies are for the multiplayer. Once you enter a game, you can choose to burn-in (rocket in from the sky) freely or land right next to a squad member. Most players choose the more exciting approach and I constantly found myself trying to land on one of the enemies. It can be done but it requires a lot of luck. This is by far the most exciting bit of the gameplay but you must still be careful where you aim; the enemy can easily set up anti-aircraft guns.

Matches allow up to 32 players and are based around capturing and defending objectives (like the campaign). Players are given limited use of jet-packs and a lock-on ability, allowing the player to drop in all guns blazing or sneak past enemy defences and pick out the most dangerous targets. There is also a set of classes to choose from with the normal range of weapons available, from sniper rifles and pistols to assault rifles and RPGs, and perk-style add-ons can also be customised to perfect your load-out. The lock-on ability is great for RPGs and its limited use helps keep things fair. Vehicles can be called in for use if you rack up a big enough kill streak but they did seem overly complicated to use. Along with the capture and defend objectives are small, optional missions. These can range from defending intel to assassinating a key opponent and really help to keep players on their toes.

Controlling your character does work well though. If you are a fan of shooters then everything is in the “right place.” Obviously there are some slight alterations to accommodate the jet-pack but the main controls are consistent with other games. I would say that shooting while using your jet pack is very difficult but I expected nothing less. Judging the amount of damage you’ve dealt can also be hard to see and sometimes I felt as though I was only shooting at an opponent to see the shield and health meters lower, making the process rather dry.

Below the multiplayer mode in the main menu lies instant action allowing you to play against bots (who also fill any extra spaces online). Although this may seem like a nice addition, the AI are ultimately too easy to defeat. Your squad mates in the campaign also follow this trend. No matter how much they shoot at an enemy, very little damage will be done and at times they can be seen simply running in circles.

Section 8 does also offer a campaign mode but it feels a little tacked on. With a handful of levels and the gameplay consisting of run here, capture this and defend, you could easily go through the story in a few hours. It basically acts as a tutorial for the online mode helping you to understand the burn-in feature, test drive the vehicles and find the class most suited to your style but this could have easily been summed up in a twenty minute tutorial, similar to Warhawk.

The story is quite weak and I never felt the slightest twinge when what’s-his-name was killed but it is a great warm-up and some of the cut-scenes look very good. Less can be said for the characters models and a few textures. I noticed during the campaign they sometimes took a very long time to load, making me wonder what they did optimize during the extra development time. However, the battlefields are extensive and the buildings and vehicles hold up well visually, which is great for when you use the suit’s high-speed running ability. As I’ve said before, the gameplay is very repetitive and hardly challenging. If you do die, then you simple respawn from the sky and continue from where you left off. Exactly like the multiplayer. Not once did I feel under pressure from the enemy, or even that I was going to fail the mission.

If you don’t enjoy online warfare then I’d steer clear of this game. It is perfect for those looking to fill the Halo void but don’t expect the story to be of the same standard. There are plenty of other games offering the same experience but if the campaign mode was removed and some niggles fixed, we could’ve had the next Warhawk. Albeit in first person.

Pros

• Spawning is actually fun
• Solid multiplayer experience

Cons

• Campaign lacks any form of story
• Some graphics already look aged

A fun online experience but I can’t see this continuing to be played long into the future with so many other shooters available. The story may be a little lacklustre but if you simply treat it as a lengthy tutorial, you’ll have a great time online.

Score: 7/10