Holiday Review Guide: Part 3 - Nintendo Wii & PSP Games

Jak and Daxter: The Lost Frontier
Sony Computer Entertainment, High Impact Games
Available for PSP and Playstation 2

Jak and Daxter are back and on a mission to save their world from the brink of destruction due to Eco shortages. Along with Jak’s girlfriend, Keira, they speed to the end of the world to search for a new Eco source and happen upon new characters, locations and a whole new adventure.

The Lost Frontier lives up to the successful Jak and Daxter franchise with tons of fun platforming levels, new vehicles to ride around in and more. There are lots of new power-ups to explore but you won’t be able to switch back and forth between Dark Jak and normal Jak like the previous game. Dark Jak does make an appearance once in a while though.

This makes a great holiday buy either on the PSP or PS2 and I know fans of the series will be impressed with the new instalment.

Rating: 8 out of 10
Buy it!

Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars
Rockstar Games, Rockstar Leeds
Available for PSP and Nintendo DS

Now I’ve reviewed at Chinatown Wars before on the Nintendo DS, but now there’s a version for the PSP and I know Sony fans want to know if the game is worth the coin. The game still focuses on Huang Lee and his quest to return his stolen father’s sword and seek revenge on the people who took it. You will join up with the Triads and do all the usual car stealing and gun shooting missions you find in GTA games but in this version, the screen is wider, the radio station selection is bigger and there are more missions to complete.

The controls don’t exactly translate well over from the Nintendo DS version to the PSP and the multi-player mode only allows for 2 players on the PSP but overall, this is still a fun game. Fans of the GTA genre will find the same excellent Rockstar flare and humour here as the big console games.

Rating: 7 out of 10
Rent it!

Little King’s Story
Xseed Games, Cing & Town Factory
Available for the Nintendo Wii

Little King’s Story puts you in the role of a young boy, Corobo who is the newly crowned King of a whole kingdom. You must return your new kingdom to its former glory by training your subjects and defending your borders. Taking a page from the book of Pikmin, you must control your groups of soldiers, builders and more by pointing them towards their tasks.

Don’t let Little King’s Story’s childish exterior fool you into thinking this is a kid’s game because this title will have you massively frustrated after the second boss or so. Remember to save often and expect to die a lot. Achieving upgrades and exploring new areas will have you addicting to this title in no time.

Rating: 8 out of 10
Buy it!

Rabbids Go Home
Ubisoft, Ubisoft Montpellier
Available for the Nintendo Wii and Nintendo DS

The rabbids have finally tired of their party life and want to go home. Believing they live in the moon, they begin to steal tons of junk from around the world to build a tower that reaches their home. You need to help the rabbids race their shopping carts around and collect all the junk needed to complete their tower.

Moving away from the normal rabbids mini game genre, Rabbids Go Home has you racing through levels collecting items on a list and scaring humans in the typical rabbids’ humour. There isn’t much of a story here but the need to help the rabbids collect their items and complete their mission will keep you on your goofy path.

Rating: 7 out of 10
Rent it!

Holiday Review Guide: Part 1 - Celebrating Christmas in May

[I know I'm posting this late on my own website but these reviews actually did run in the Pulse Niagara before the Holidays, so I'm not completely behind. Besides it cold enough outside in St. Catharines right now that it could damn well snow, so consider this a good list of games to snuggle up with right now until the real summer weather kicks in.]

Assassin’s Creed 2
Ubisoft, Ubisoft Montreal
Available for Xbox 360, Playstation 3 and PC

The time has come for Desmond Miles to return to the animus and jump into the memories of a new assassin, Ezio Auditore da Firenze, in Italy during the Renaissance era. Experience the gripping story behind the murder of Ezio’s family and his journey to uncover the conspiracy behind it.

Ubisoft has raised the bar with an amazing new combat system which evolves with each new weapon, improved enemy A.I and a whole new in-game economy system for easy money making. The running through the recreation of Italy is almost as good as visiting the city in real life and the game has some of the best voice-over work I’ve heard in long time.

If you want to feel the thrill of the chase from your couch, then grab a copy of Assassin’s Creed 2 today.

Rating: 10 out of 10
Buy this!

Ratchet and Clank: A Crack in Time
Sony Computer Entertainment, Insomniac Games
Available for Playstation 3

Ratchet & Clank: A Crack in Time continues the story from Ratchet & Clank: Quest for Booty with Clank being kidnapped by Doctor Nefarious and Ratchet & Qwark continuing to search the galaxy for any clues to Clank and Dr. Nefarious’ location. Both our favourite heroes will learn more about their past then they possible could have ever imagined in this fantastic new adventure from Insomniac Games.

New elements in the game include the ability to fly between planets and complete mini games and seek out hidden objects in order to upgrade your abilities and ship. Also the game has new constructo weapons that allow you to customize various elements and it includes a special time pad puzzle system which records multiple holographic images of Clank and then plays them back.

With tons of mini challenges and an exciting story line, this makes a great game to spend all those long, cold winter nights with.

Rating: 9 out of 10
Buy this!

Borderlands
2K Games, Gearbox Software
Available for Xbox 360, Playstation 3 and PC

Borderlands is like the Fallout 3 for people with not a lot of time to play videogames but a lot of friends to play them with. Part RPG, part FPS, Borderlands puts you on the planet of Pandora where the last remains of a society once there to mine has all but disappeared. You and the few inhabitants that still remain scavenge for what you can and cling to the legend of the vault which apparently holds a vast alien treasure. You and your team plan to find the vault though under the instruction of a guardian angel – a mysterious woman who only talks to you.

Choose from 4 playable character types and explore the world of Pandora via the main quest and various side missions. You can choose to play solo or join up with 3 other friends at anytime during your campaign for co-op play. Choose to play in your world or theirs. The world of Pandora holds a vast amount of cool weaponry and gadgets to aid you in your mission and you even get to hop into a cool vehicle or two.

The Holidays are time to get together with friends and family and what better way to spend time with your favourite people then riding around in tanks and blowing up skags.

Rating: 9 out of 10
Buy this!

Left4Dead2
EA, Valve Corporation
Available for Xbox 360 and PC

The outbreak has happened again and this time you are following 4 new survivors in the Southern United States as they fight their way through hordes of zombies in order to make their way to safety. The game is broken down into chapters which can be played solo with A.I team members or with up to 3 other players with co-op mode. You do also have the option to play 4 vs. 4 multiplayer in various maps.

Fans of the Resident Evil series will be out of their element here as zombies move faster and tend to attack in packs. Even on easy I had trouble surviving this game but thankfully your A.I. teammates are great shots, so if you learn to take backseat to the action, you’ll survive to see the next level. This is definitely a nice change to the normal zombie game though and I enjoyed the movie like cinematic scenes and story line.

Left4Dead2 definitely brings new life to the zombie horror survival genre and this is one game you can’t live or unlive without this Holiday season.

Rating: 8 out of 10
Buy this!

Review: God of War III

God of War III
SCEA, Santa Monica Studio
Available for Playstation 3

Perhaps I’m just getting older and more sensitive but God of War III has to be the most violent game I’ve played in a long time. So violent in fact that I actually spent most of the game looking for alternative puzzle solutions because the obvious ones always ended in some poor person’s death. Don’t get me wrong – I like death and blood in my games as much as the next person but when you get to crush a person’s eyes out by pushing in the analog buttons, the line between reality and game gets just a little too thin for this gamer’s soul to bare.

God of War III continues the long and brutal journey of Kratos, the Ghost of Sparta as he seeks revenge against the Gods for the killing of his family. You start the game right where God of War II left off with Kratos on the back of the titan, Gaia as they climb the side of Mount Olympus in the middle of a great battle with the Olympian Gods. Kratos and the Titans are out for the blood of Zeus and won’t stop until he is dead.



The first 30 minutes of this game is epic which should automatically tell you just how great the rest of the game is. In those 30 minutes, you will have to fight a water horse creature, Poseidon, various minions of the Gods and more, all while you climb the side of Mount Olympus and throughout the body of Gaia. I’ve never seen so much action packed into the beginning of a game let alone the background of an environment. As Kratos battles his way towards Zeus, you see Titans fighting monsters, enemies and Gods in the background on such a grand scale that they make Kratos look like an ant.

I got a chance to play the demo for this game back a few months ago and I was surprised that it didn’t show off more of the advancements made in the series since the God of War II. I was half expecting to play the same old God of War franchise with updated graphics but was pleasantly surprised to find a ton of new elements that they didn’t even hint at in the demo like the new over the top combat moves and the combination of boss battles and level platforming.

The game is stuffed full of challenging puzzles, enemy combat, level platforming, flying mini games and even our favourite, the sex mini game. To say God of War III is full of variety is an understatement as every level is its own incredible experience full of epic boss battles, gorgeous environments and challenging puzzles. I barely finished this game and I played it on easy, so expect a grand challenge on normal game play and a torture fest on the hard difficulty. There’s even a harder mode that you unlock once you finish the game on any of its difficulty settings.

The controls were easy to pick up if you are okay with plain button mashing your way through the game but if you actually like learning combos, then plan on memorizing a lot of moves because this game has 4 weapons, each with their own list of deathly moves. The only move I couldn’t seem to master was the jump and glide move which sent me to my death more than any enemy did. The button just didn’t seem to react on time and I would plunge to my death before my wings would emerge.



If I were to pick only one thing that made this game so epic, it would be the graphics. Just play through the first 30 minutes of the game to complete the Battle of Olympus, so you can see all the spectacular battle scenes and background animations that made my mouth hang open in amazement. As you climb the side of Mount Olympus, you can see the epic battles in the background between monsters, Gods and titans that is just so mind-blowing that you just have to stop and watch. Of course, this is just the animation in the background, so imagine how beautiful the actual cut scenes are! Overall if you compare the graphics between God of War II on the PS3 collection disc to this game, the difference is light years away and especially when it comes to the characters. They were the most realistic looking this time around. Santa Monica Studios should be proud of how amazing this game turned out.

The voice acting was also stellar this time around with the usual voice talents of T.C. Carson as Kratos and Linda Hunt as Gaia but they also brought some new actors like Clancy Brown as Hades, Kevin Sorbo as Hercules, Rip Torn as Hephaestus, Adrienne Barbeau as Hera and Malcolm McDowell as Daedalus. Talk about one epic cast for one epic video game. The music was also phenomenal as usual with the traditional God of War soundtrack – beautiful music to crush heads to.

Overall, God of War III has tons of variety to keep you interested and lots of challenge to keep you busy but really any game that lets you kill Gods and lots of them will always make my top ten play list. I look forward to see what Santa Monica Studios comes up with for God of War IV which looks like a possibility. I guess you just can’t keep a vengeful Spartan down.

Rating: 9 out of 10
Buy it!

Review: Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
SCEA, Naughty Dog
Available on the Playstation 3

Playstation 3 owners pay attention because your game of the year has arrived as the latest title from Naughty Dog, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves. Nathan Drake is back and this time the developers at Naughty Dog have taken their sweet time with him and given him the best of everything. Once you play this game, you’ll never look at a Tomb Raider game the same way again.

When the first Uncharted arrived on the Playstation 3, it was a pretty game and it had potential but wasn’t mind blowing. Nathan Drake has since had time to learn and grow and he has finally found his wow factor.




Among Thieves is like that 4th Indiana Jones we actually wanted to see with an addictive storyline, blockbuster action scenes, great voice/mo-cap actors and an epic soundtrack. On top of those elements, Among Thieves is a videogame so instead of just watching the action, you get to play out the story which makes it all the more tasty.

Grabbing elements from movies like National Treasures and Indiana Jones (the good ones), Uncharted 2 follows our treasure-hunting hero, Nathan Drake on a new quest through exotic locations to find the lost fleets of Marco Polo and more. He is joined on his journey by a past lover, Chloe Frazer and an old partner in crime, Harry Flynn and plus a few other familiar faces along the way.

The game opens with a wounded Nathan waking up to find himself on a train car about to fall off the ledge of a snowy mountain. I loved this opening because you have no idea how he got there or how he got wounded - just that you have to get him to safety before the train car falls. It really puts you in the moment. While the game follows a complete linear structure with no room to explore Drake’s world beyond the paths laid out for you, one can complain as it is a beautiful path full of daring escapes and puzzles just waiting to be solved.

I was a little disappointed in the control layout and sensitivity in this game. I found most of my deaths were caused by control issues more then by anything else. For example, I died a lot because Nathan wouldn’t climb up a ladder and instead moved off to the left or right... right off a darn ledge or cliff. You spend a lot of time running from enemy gun fire in this game and the control scheme was not made for all these fast-paced moments.




Thankfully the rest of the game makes up for the control scheme and in no time, you will be addicted to this title. It’s almost like the developers managed to find everything good about videogames, add a yummy chocolate covered coating and then add them all together to make Uncharted 2: Among Thieves. The main campaign mode is much longer this time to finally make this a worthwhile buy plus you get additional difficulty modes and trophies to make a second play-through a great idea.

The multiplayer mode offers up a few recognizable game play modes like death match, plunder (capture the flag), etc that will actually impress those hardcore fans. With so few good exclusive multiplayer games on Playstation 3, Uncharted 2 might actually be one of those titles to fill the multiplayer void on the system. The 2 bonus boost abilities given to each character really add some cool elements to the game as well as added skin purchase ability. Once players tire of the main campaign, it’s nice to know that a good multiplayer element is waiting for you rather than something that was tacked on as an afterthought.

The combat play has been improved upon with a blind fire option to fire from cover and a better hand-to-hand option. In game, you’ll be astounded with amazing “By the skin of your teeth” and “Oh sh*t” moments which have you controlling Nathan through some of the most incredible game play moments in gaming history I have ever seen. Imagine fighting enemies as a building collapses around you or running from a helicopter’s spray of bullets as you scale buildings in order from escape it or even fighting enemies on top of a train as a speeds through an exotic land. Those are the moments that will have to glued to your TV.

I don’t think words can really explain how beautiful this game is. I could fill pages and pages full on amazingly detailed this game is. From the moment you watch Nathan walking through the snow; you know this is one of the best looking and most realistic looking games out there. Every location, every character and every single object has its own life in the game and you will take notice. Best example is the characters: since the first Uncharted, the characters have received new life – they look more textured, coloured and all the use of mo-cap actors really pays off. Each characters moves and looks exactly like a real person would - Nathan shields his face against fires, limps when he’s hurt and more.




The sound is probably my favourite part of the game. Call me a fool but something about the Uncharted 2 main theme really moves me, so much so that I almost cried a couple of times during the game. They say music can move the soul and this game’s orchestral soundtrack apparently moves my soul. Mushy stuff aside, the voice acting in the game is pro with the use of Hollywood actors like Claudia Black (Farscape) as Chloe and Steve Valentine (Crossing Jordon) as Harry. Nolan North also returns as the voice of sexy Nathan Drake. The in-game banter between the characters is excellent, so much so that you actually learn about Nathan’s previous relationship with Chloe just from their back and forth as you explore.

There is no doubt that the developers at Naughty Dog managed to finally make Uncharted the game it should have been. Playstation 3 owners should definitely have this game in their library and non-PS3 owners should consider buying the system just to play this game. I personally loved this game and plan to play it through at least one more time. Expect to see this game on my games of the year list in January.

Rating: 10 out of 10
Buy it!

Review: Patapon 2

Patapon 2
SCEA, SCEJ
Available for download via Playstation Network for the PSP

Pata-Pata-Pata-Pon! Yes, those unforgettable rhythms are back along with the cute and enduring little Patapons in Patapon 2. After spending several months attempting to remove those words out of my head, they are now again lodged perfectly in there day and night ... repeating over and over again. God, I love this game!

Patapon 2 picks up where the original game left off with voyage of the Patapons’ boat towards new lands. On the way there, the boat is attacked by a kraken that destroys the boat and causes the Patapon to wash ashore on a strange new world. There they are attacked by the Karmens, demons and other horrible creatures but they also discover a masked hero who has lost his memory. From here, the Patapon journey to discover the truth behind the masked hero and the faith of their people.

Like the previous Patapon game, your army of Patapons are controlled not by normal means, but rather by musical rhythms. You as their Tribal God have different drum beats (the shape buttons on the PSP pads) that you can use to drum out a specific rhythm or command to your army. The flag carrying Patapon understands your rhythms and will help the other Patapons to carry it out. You know that you’ve done a rhythm correctly when the Patapons repeat the rhythm back to you. In order to earn bonuses that strengthen your Patapons, you must keep the beat going without pause. Lose this beat and your Patapons will stop and you will have to find the beat all over again.

Your little army will have a diverse range of warriors from archers to spear throwers, and you can even find hero units along the way to lead this specific warrior types. Ultimately it is your flag carrier that is your most important unit though because if he dies, the unit will no longer follow you and its game over. Units can be upgraded and even born from a tree in Patapon camp, but you must collect items from enemies in stages in order to do this. The tree gives you access to a bunch of new Patapon types including a Patapon with a bird mount and a Patapon with giant fists.

This time around there is a multi-player mode available where up to 4 players must defend an egg against a bunch of enemies until they can bring it to an altar at the end of the stage. The egg usually contains a new item or character.

The music in this game is just a fun as the first time around. The jungle beats will have you singing them in the office and probably scaring your co-workers. The use of light and shadow in the graphics still makes this a very beautiful and artistic game and I love the newly designed Patapons.

Patapon 2 is another wonderful hit and a great reason to own a PSP, if you don’t already. Not only was I amused with this game but I had my 4-year-old nephew sitting quietly beside me watching me play with game on multiple occasions and he doesn’t sit still for much. Currently, Patapon 2 will available in stores as a download voucher or as a direct download on the Playstation store for $19.99, but however you purchase it, you must purchase it because this is an amazing buy for the price and I can’t see any reason for not buying it.

Rating: 10 out of 10
Buy it!

E3 2009: God of War 3 Demo

During the Sony press conference today, we got to see a full demo of the new God of War 3 which looked absolutely amazing. The game looks to include the usual quick time moves that usually result in Kratos ripping some monsters limbs off or smashing its face into the ground multiple times.

The demo showed what looked to be a huge boss battle with a titan that included the Sun God, Helios. I still kick myself for not playing God of War 2 when I had the chance and I don't plan to miss my chance to play this game.

Expect to see God of War 3 out in stores in March 2010.

Review: LocoRoco 2

LocoRoco 2
SCEA, SCE Japan
Available for the Portable Sony Playstation

If one had to sum up the first LocoRoco game in two words, those words would be "pure happiness" as the game was full of bright colourful graphics, lovable characters, cheerful music and addicting game play with all made you just want to smile. SCE Japan has come back with the next instalment in this series with Loco Roco 2 and this reviewer was more than happy to check the game out to see if lightening genius struck again for this series.

In LocoRoco 2, our little yellow blob hero, Loco, returns to fight the ongoing war with the Moja infection. The Moja were defeated in the original LocoRoco, now they have returned seeking revenge on the peaceful Loco planet. Accompanied by Bonmucho, the Moja’s leader, the Moja start to spread their illness across the land with the help of the wicked Bui Bui. The Bui Bui are basically the evil version of the Mui Mui who are Loco’s little Blue friends. The little LocoRoco’s have an upward battle for this jelly-bouncing blob, but it is nothing the little fellah can’t handle with a little tilt action.

Not much has changed in terms of the controls from the first game to the second, as you still have to help lead your little hero, Loco through the maze of levels by tilting his world and helping him jump over obstacles. As well, you can still split your loco into smaller, multiple versions of himself in order to fit through smaller areas or solve puzzles.

Each level has various amounts of fruit that will increase the size of your loco and how many tiny pieces you split into. This is important because some puzzles require a certain amount of tiny locos to solve and levels require a certain amount to fully complete. You can also collect gifts that can be used to decorate your Mui Mui’s house later in the game.

Each level also has mini bosses for your loco to bounce into oblivion in order to save the inhabitants of that level. New additions to the game include rhythm games within the levels and underwater levels that allow your loco to swim.

At first glance, LocoRoco may seem like a kid’s game but the game is deceiving. Each level has a final score that tallies your efforts on each level and though you can finish a level, you really have to use your head to earn all the locos you can as well as find all the fruit and gifts in the level.

While LocoRoco 2’s graphics don’t match the polygon count of say, God of War: Chains of Olympus, the graphics are colourful and diverse enough that you still love every minute you spend traversing through the game’s environments. The big and bright shapes in the levels jump out on the PSP screen which make playing this game not only easy but enjoyable as well. I don’t think anyone could look at this game and deny how adorable it is to look at.

Much like the addicting tones of Patapon, the main theme song for LocoRoco will probably get stuck in your head permanently from the moment you first hear it. The fact that it’s sung by a child makes it all the more cute to listen to. Each element in the game from the Mojas to the Mui Muis has their own music which really makes listening to this game as much as playing it. Music plays a huge part in the mini games as well, so I would suggest keeping your headphones handy with this game for those times when you can’t hear over loud noises in the room.

When you have market so full of first person shooters, it’s nice to see unique games like Patapon and LocoRoco getting the attention they deserve and the sequels that they deserve. For anyone who’s looking for something different for the PSP, then I can easily recommend LocoRoco 2 as the game to buy. The levels are fun, yet challenging and the music will definitely get stuck in your head.

Rating: 9 out of 10
Buy it!

Review: Resistance 2

Resistance 2
SCEA, Insomniac Games
Available for Playstation 3

Despite the success of the PlayStation 1 and PlayStation 2, Sony never really had a shooter that they could call their own. Killzone was supposed to fill that void but it could never live up to its potential. It was PlayStation 3 launch title Resistance: Fall of Man that gave Sony its first big in-house shooter. Resistance was set in an alternate 1950’s timeline where World War II never happened and humanity faced a far greater threat against a force known as the Chimera. Resistance was a solid launch title that went on to sell 3 million copies worldwide.

Two years later, developers Insomniac are back with their latest and much more ambitious offering - Resistance 2. Featuring a single player campaign spanning across the United States, an eight-player co-operative campaign with its own separate story and a 60-player online multiplayer, Resistance 2 is all set to deliver the definitive shooter experience for Playstation 3 owners.



The game begins exactly where Fall of Man ended, as Sergeant Nathan Hale wanders across the snowy field after destroying the Chimeran towers in London. He gets picked up a black-ops squad who later come to be known as the Sentinels. The Sentinels are a group of soldiers who, like Hale, are infected with the Chimeran virus, but somehow are not completely affected by it. Hale and the rest of the Sentinels arrive at their base in Iceland, which is under Chimeran attack. Unable to save the base, Hale and the rest of the squad are forced to abandon their base and flee to the US. Two years pass and Hale, now a lieutenant, is part of the Sentinels and leads their Echo squad.

On May 15, 1953, the Chimera launch a full scale attack on the United States. As Hale and his team make their way up to the surface from their secret underground base, you get the first glimpse of the scale Insomniac are aiming for with Resistance 2. You’ll witness the Chimeran invasion of the United States along the San Francisco Bay and be completely awestruck by the sheer magnitude of the scene. It truly is an incredible moment and it’s just the first of many such jaw dropping scenes you’ll encounter throughout Resistance 2’s single player campaign. From the lush jungles of Orick to the research facility in the Bryce canyon, every area you visit in Resistance 2 is diverse and captures the essence of 1950’s United States under an alien invasion perfectly.

The story in Resistance 2 is told completely through Hale’s perspective; the lack of a narrator does hurt the game, but since the story focuses of Hale himself, it never really becomes an issue. Apart from the usual cutscenes, Insomniac have chosen a very unique way of telling the story. Bits of the story are told to you via the communications headsets that Hale and his team wear. It’s your typical ‘save the world from the alien invasion’ story and despite a cliffhanger ending that is sure to stir up a lot of debate among fans, it manages to keep you entertained throughout, thanks to the feverish pace at which it unfolds (a huge step up from Fall of Man).

One of the complaints from the first game was that it lacked variety as far as enemies go. In Resistance 2, insomniac introduce a number of new Chimeran enemies, including a cloaked Chimera that can kill you in a single blow called the Chameleon, the brainless grims that simply charge at you, an elite group of Chimera known as the Ravagers and the various sentry drones. You also have huge bosses like the Leviathan, the Goliath, the Kraken etc. The enemy AI more than makes up for its lack of intelligence with sheer numbers. The boss fights, on other hand, are extremely disappointing.

Like all insomniac games, you’ll run into to a large arsenal of weapons. The new magnum that you get early on is quiet possibly the single best handgun ever to appear in a game. Not only do they pack a punch, but you also have the ability to detonate the bullets fired to cause increased damage to nearby enemies. Other weapons include a rail gun called the wraith that comes with a mobile shield, and a weapon called the splicer that fires saw blades. Most of the older weapons also make a return, including the fan favorites - the bullseye and the auger.

The game itself plays like the old Resistance, albeit a bit slower. The unique health replenishing system from Fall of Man has been replaced by regenerating health. The weapon selection wheel also makes way for a two weapon system. The battle set pieces in Resistance 2 are humongous; at times there are literally dozens of enemies and friendly NPCs fighting it out. Other pulse pounding moments include the ones involving the grims or the spinners as they mindlessly charge at you. On the flip side, the game is extremely linear and the story is never really fleshed out beyond Hale, which makes it feel very disjointed. It’s also a bit shorter than the first game with the campaign taking around 10 hours to complete on your first playthrough.

While the single player campaign never reaches the dizzying heights of a Half-Life title, the multiplayer modes are in a league of their own. Multiplayer modes comes in two flavours, co-op and competitive. The online competitive mode now features as many as 60 players in a single match. The game does a great job by dividing the players into squads of 5 each, resulting in battles that make you feel just a small part in a larger war. As the match nears its end, the game will makes sure all 60 players converge towards the centre of the map resulting in some intense battles. You get the usual deathmatch, team deathmatch and core control (capture the flag) modes. There’s also a skirmish mode where different objectives are given to your team, be it capturing a node or assassinating someone in the opposing team.



Completing the package is the class-based cooperative mode. Borrowing heavily from current-day MMOs, the 8-player co-op is unlike anything you have ever played before. As you and your squad move from one area of the map to another, the game will throw objectives that’ll change with each subsequent playthrough. Even the difficulty and the number of enemies are all scaled according to the number of players playing it. You get to play as either a soldier, a spec-ops or a medic. Each class has its pros and cons and finding the right balance is necessary in completing these maps. The scale of the single player campaign is also carried forward here. Not only does it throw a large number of enemies at you (around 100 at times), but most of the bosses from the single player also make an appearance.

Holding all three modes together is the XP system. No matter what mode you play, if you’re shooting someone in Resistance 2, you’re collecting XP points. The points are used to level up your characters and unlock cool extras like a new gun or a piece of armour. You also unlock a higher difficulty and an arcade mode once you complete the single player campaign. There are also 40 trophies to collect.

Graphically, Resistance 2 is pretty inconsistent. The polycount on both human and Chimeran models has increased and the textures are also much sharper this time around. It also sports much better lighting than Resistance: Fall of Man. But it lacks some of the spit and polish you would associate with a third generation Insomniac game. Thankfully, what Resistance 2 lacks in detail, it more than makes up in scale. Even with dozens of enemies on screen, the framerate remains rock steady.

Sound on the other hand is very impressive. The main theme is excellent but sadly it’s never used outside of the menus and a few cutscenes. As expected, the voice acting is excellent and the Chimeran troops sound as vicious as ever.

Resistance 2 is everything you would expect from a sequel. The epic single player and the varied multiplayer modes offer one of the most complete gaming packages available. While the single player may disappoint a few people, the multiplayer, with its wealth of options, will make sure you play this game for a long time. It’s an incredible shooter and is right up there with some of the PS3’s finest games. Don’t resist; Buy this

Rating: 9 out of 10
Buy it!

SCEA Announces Playstation Network Spring Fever Collection

Sony Computer Entertainment America is kicking off the PlayStation Network Spring Fever collection celebrating exceptional games and content releasing on PlayStation Store leading into Spring. Pulling from a renowned list of first and third party developers, the PlayStation Network community will be able to enjoy games like Flower, Burn Zombie Burn, Noby Noby Boy, No Gravity and Ragdoll Kung Fu: Fists of Plastic and more on their PS3 and PSP. Flower starts the PlayStation Network Spring Fever collection with its launch on February 12 following genre defining games like PixelJunk Eden and flOw.

With more than 164 games currently available for download, of which approximately 45 percent are exclusive in the US, the highly anticipated game lineup is sure to be a success. Beyond a plethora of hot games, the PlayStation Blog will feature a variety of developer posts and videos giving gamers a behind-the-scene look into the indie development scene and learn how PlayStation Network works with these developers to bring gamers the best original gaming experiences.

Players will find Flower and other PlayStation Network Spring Fever titles – launching weekly – as well as related trailers, developer blog posts, wallpapers and more in a dedicated PSN Spring Fever section on the PlayStation Store. Check back often as new titles are released along with additional content and media.

Gamers can expect to see these games blossom throughout PlayStation Network Spring Fever and many months to come:

Flower: The pioneers that brought you the award-winning PlayStation Network title flOw are back with another concept that challenges traditional gaming conventions. Playing as the wind, the player guides and grows a swarm of petals by interacting with other flowers and the surrounding environment.

Noby Noby Boy: Noby Noby Boy: From the creator of the critically-acclaimed Katamari Damacy comes a new generation of innovative, unique gameplay and distinctive visual styles. In Noby Noby Boy, players take control of a character named BOY and are tasked with moving, consuming and interacting with all that they see, stretching their bodies to ever-greater lengths.

No Gravity: A riveting 3D shooter for PlayStation Portable, No Gravity pits players against impossible odds as they complete a variety of missions set in space, including protecting allies, destroying enemy targets, navigating minefields and much more.

Wheel of Fortune: The popular television show re-imagined for the next-gen of entertainment, Wheel of Fortune is a casual game that captures the spirit of the classic game show, with high-definition graphics and online gameplay.
Burn Zombie Burn: Taking the best of classic, high-score focused arcade games and adding an unhealthy layer of B-movie horror polish, Burn Zombie Burn is a hilarious arcade-style shooter with zombie hordes and plenty of fire. The more zombies you set on fire, the higher your score multiplier and greater the challenge. With two player support, six arenas and multiple zombie types to face, Burn Zombie Burn promises endless hours of challenginggame play.

Ragdoll Kung Fu: Fists of Plastic: A fast-paced combat game with an imaginative look and feel, Ragdoll Kung Fu: Fists of Plastic focuses on fun with exaggerated ragdoll physics action and charming HD visual effects. Featuring accessible and intuitive controls, even novice players can orchestrate impressive attacks with ninja-like precision.

The Punisher: No Mercy: Designed with fast-paced, online multiplayer in mind, No Mercy utilizes the power of Unreal Engine 3 to give gamers the ultimate, arena-based first person shooter experience. Rooted in the Punisher’s rich comic book history, No Mercy will please comic book and action game fans alike.

In addition to these titles, PlayStation Network will also be launching Bomberman Ultra, Celfactor Ignition, Flock, Texas Cheat-em, Diner Dash, Comet Crash, Hammer Fall, Underfire,Watchmen,Worms, Zen Pimball and many more during this timeframe.

Plus all the existing blockbuster, exclusive titles already on PlayStation Network such as Crash Commando, Savage Moon, Echochrome, Pixel Junk Eden, PAIN, Ratchet and Clank: Quest for Booty and more!

November's Downloadable Game Reviews

Jeopardy
Sony Online Entertainment
Available on the Playstation Network

Game shows on the Playstation 3 are not in short supply this month with the Buzz Quiz series and now Sony Online’s newest version of Jeopardy. This classic game show has been keeping old people company for years and years with its familiar theme song and charismatic host, Alex Trebek, but now this trivia fest is available for download on the Playstation Network for you to challenge Grandma to a round or two.

You can play this game by yourself against the computer AI or you can play against 2 players at home or online. Each game has 3 rounds: normal jeopardy, double jeopardy and final jeopardy and each round has several topics with 5 questions each. Each questions is actual any answer which must be answered with a question. So basically if you watched Jeopardy on TV, there is no difference on how the games are played.

Always a fan of the Jeopardy show, this trivia game is a cheap and quick download to keep your brain gerbil running in his wheel and also a great game to play with gamers and non-gamers alike. The questions are varied in subjects so anyone will have a chance to get a few answers right even if they only watch reality TV and listen to Britney Spears music.

While the set and the theme from the TV show are present, I was disappointed to see Alex Trebek missing from the game. Actually there wasn’t even an actual announcer or host throughout the whole game, so expect to read your own questions and categories. The categories did repeat themselves sometimes which is good for the person whose plays all the time and wants to kick their friend’s butts, but bad if you want the game to remain fresh.

Buy it!

Age of Booty
Capcom, Certain Affinity
Available for Xbox 360 and PC

Age of Booty sounds like a bad porn name, but really it’s the latest downloadable game release from Capcom that promises lots of high seas mayhem. Pirates always mean fun so when you combined them with cartoon goodness then you know you’re in for a treat. This real time strategy game was honestly inspired by a running gag at Bungie Studios known as “Pimps at Sea”, so how could you not want to check it out?

Gameplay largely revolves around the manoeuvring of your boat around a sea. The player controls their boat by selecting a space on the map to travel to and if the ship becomes adjacent to a space containing an enemy like a ship or town, it will automatically fire upon it. If more than one enemy is adjacent, the ship will split its fire, firing at a different enemy every time. While each storyline game has a different goal, the main objectives always include capturing a certain number of towns.

To capture a town it must be bombarded until it has no health left. A bar then appears and the percentage the town is "captured" rises. The only way capturing can be halted is for an enemy ship to move next to the town, but capturing can be resumed if the enemy ship is destroyed. Resources found around the map or earned from towns in your possessions will help you upgrade your ship and even your towns.

This game addictive nature will keep you roaming the high seas for hours on end. The cute cartoon style graphics make it stand out from most strategy games and the price is great if you’re looking for some quick and skill-testing fun. Game does have a pirate storyline to put some purpose to your chaos but there’s really no Oscar winning tale here, so come for the game play. Online battling is what we keep you entertained long after the main quests are complete, so don’t be afraid to sink a few friends’ ships over the internets.

The sound effects were a bit annoying after you heard the same pirate voice say the same line for the 100th time, but at least they sound like real swatch-buckling pirates and not like the developers did the voice themselves or something. The game play isn’t anything complex, so don’t go in there expecting Age of Empire or Command and Conquer like graphics or details. This is simple high seas fun at its best though.

Buy it!

Mega Man 9
Capcom
Available for Wii Ware, Xbox Live and Playstation Network

I can only imagine how many piles of letters from original NES style Mega Man fans crying about how much they miss the old style games that Capcom's Keiji Inafune must have seen before he decided to create the new retro inspired, Mega Man 9. Of course, having digital distribution through the 3 major consoles now probably helped tipped the scales in Keiji's favour to push such a simple 8-bit game concept through the approval process of company that usually produces huge gaming titles like Resident Evil and Devil May Cry.

This ninth instalment in the Mega Man series has you playing as the famed Blue Bomber as he tries to clear Dr. Light’s name after the evil Dr. Wily frames him for turning the world’s helper robots evil in a plot to take over the world. Mega Man must face 8 robots in order to absorb their power and finally take on the evil Dr. Wily to stop his plan.

This is the first game in the series to include a female boss robot, Splash Woman which is a nice touch. The game features old favourites like Proto Man and Rush and the whole game is like one big trip down Mega Man 1 & 2 memory lane from the stage setups to the game play controls. Aside from the single player story mode, there are several challenge modes like time attack and endurance mode where you must meet certain requirements to complete the stages.

Along with the reminiscent 8-bit soundtracks, Capcom has brought back the tough as nails enemies and the monstrous level designs that will have you tearing your hair out as you die over and over again. I never touched a Mega Man game before I played this instalment in the series and so I was not ready for the demanding level challenges ahead.

Well I do believe fans of the series will love this game to death but also know that most newcomers like me will be overwhelmed with the high difficulty of the game play. What can I say, I guess the newer generation of games have made me soft with their save points, difficulty modes and check points. Controls on the Wii version were extremely difficult to work with unless you purchase a classic controller to play the game with, so unless you have one I suggest the PSN or XBLA versions of the game.

I wouldn’t suggest this game as a buy unless you love Mega Man games from the NES era or like throwing your controller a lot.

Forget it!


Siren: Blood Curse
Sony Computer Entertainment, SCE Japan Studio
Available for the Playstation Network

Back in 2003 Sony released a little know Japanese horror survivor game called Siren on the Playstation 2 and the game received little hype which caused it to fade into the background that is until recently when Sony released the remake of the game, Siren: Blood Curse to the Playstation Network in 12 episodic downloads.

The story begins on August 3, 2007 and focuses on an American television crew that arrives in Japan to investigate and document the legend of Hanuda, a "vanished village" where human sacrifices are said to have taken place thirty years prior. From here, a basic survivor horror game storyline carries out where you must fight for your life in a twisted and gory Japanese tale full of evil gods and maggot creatures.

Made in a perfect Japanese horror flick fashion, Siren: Blood Curse brings you into this hideous world of death and decay along with its characters to suffer the same confuse and fear that they must endure. The Silent Hill like environments and grainy movie film graphics like game looks fantastic and will have you playing it with the lights on.

Unfortunately the controls in this game were horrendous which made the surviving part in survival horror extremely hard. Characters took forever to move around and it was almost painful to watch them. The dark environments though great for the game’s atmosphere, made it hard to know where to go next and though you have the use of the “sight-jacking” system to look through the eyes of the nearby monsters, this was more dizzying than helpful.

Finally the biggest pain of this game is the download and installation process which took forever and a day. Each episode took about 10 to 20 minutes to download and then another 10 minutes to install. If you decide to check the game out, I suggest you download and play each episode one at a time instead of getting them all at once like me. Pausing the downloads will allow you to take a break in between each episode.

Forget it!