Rocketmen: Axis of Evil

Rocketmen: Axis of Evil , available from Xbox Live Marketplace for 800 points, is a game that tries to play homage to the early comic book style of science fiction with finned rockets, Venusians and dastardly Martians.

The trial of this top-down action “dungeon crawler” style game starts off quite well allowing you to customise your characters traits such as the gender, race, class and clothing colour. Presentation wise it all looks quite good. Comic book style cut scenes with voiceovers are used to further the tongue-in-cheek storyline and the art design suits the retro Sci-Fi style of the game and could have been taken from a 1930’s episode of Flash Gordon.

The game is simple enough to play. Wade through the level shooting anything that moves while picking up the occasional time limited weapon upgrade such as a shotgun or laser cannon, with the aim of completing the primary mission objective.

However, there are some major flaws. Although the isometric backgrounds are decent enough the animation of the lead character is pretty poor as if only half the number frames have been drawn. Criminally as you move through the level you are cut off from returning to any previously trodden area unless it’s part of the level design, thus if you like to explore a level fully or return for pickups you are going to be disappointed. Finally the enemy AI, if you can call it that, isn’t anything special with the difficulty of the game induced by throwing swarms of mindless enemies at the player.

I really tried to like this game. The old retro Sci-Fi feel of the game provokes distant memories of watching black and white episodes of Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers, but unfortunately the game is spoiled by its flaws and the gameplay is a little too bland for my tastes.

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Triggerheart Exelica

It looks like it’s been a quiet few weeks for demo’s and arcade games for the Xbox 360 while I’ve been away but I noticed there were a few new titles to try out.

Originally released in the Japanese arcades a couple of years ago (2006) Triggerheart Exelica, now on Xbox Live Arcade for 800 points, is a traditional top down vertical shoot ‘em up with the usual formulaic mix of hordes of enemies, end of stage boss encounters and an obscene amount of enemy weapon fire to dodge.

The trial game allows you to play the first stage of five, choosing from one of two humanoid weapon systems known as “Triggerhearts”. There isn’t too much difference between the two apart from the onscreen representation of these cute anime inspired mecha girls and the different fire patterns employed. Exelica uses a wide fire pattern while Crueltear has concentrated straight forward fire only.


The novelty of this game is the use of the anchor. Fired straight ahead via the “B” button this allows the player to grab enemies, spinning them around the triggerheart before hurling them back to cause damage. If an enemy is too large the anchor acts as a lock-on allowing you to concentrate on dodging incoming shots which is extremely useful for the end of stage boss encounters.

Triggerheart Exelica takes no prisoners and it won’t be long before all but the most proficient shoot ‘em up players see the “continue” screen. As a result of the difficulty it’s hard to see how this could appeal to the casual gamer, but if you’re a die hard fan of shooters then this is worth a try.

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N+ Leaves a Positive Impression

This weeks Xbox Live release for 800 MS points is N+, a game that stays true to the “game play over graphics” philosophy and looking beyond its minimalist art design there lies a highly entertaining action puzzle platform game.

The game is split into fifty odd episodes with each episode split into five levels. The aim is simple, guide the ninja to the exit in as little time as possible before the time runs out while avoiding any hazards. At the start of each episode you’re allocated 90 seconds and the remaining time is carried over from level to level. However each level is littered with gold which can be collected to increase your time.

Depending on the level there could be a number of hazards standing in the way of your ninja and the exit. Some are passive that effect the level like doors, trapdoors and launch pads, while others such as homing missile turrets, laser drones, and gauss turrets will have a very detrimental effect on the ninja’s life expectancy. Death at some point is inevitable, but luckily you have an infinite number of lives until the timer runs.

Each level gets progressively more difficult and you have to rely not only on your reflexes but also some grey matter to figure out the best path to the exit. It’s addictively compelling stuff, something simple yet very playable.

N+ has a retro feel to it. Not only do the simple graphics feel like they could have originated from a decade ago, but the choice of music and text font all solidify that feeling. To some this brave style choice may be a bit too bland but I applaud the minimalist approach to the design and in this case less is certainly more.

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Commanders: Attack of the Genos

The second game to hit Xbox Live Arcade this week, Commanders: Attack of the Genos is a turn based strategy game based in an alternate history. In this timeline the secrets of the atom have been discovered by the start of the 20th Century and by the mid 1920’s the human genome has been cracked and a genetically enhanced race, the Genos have been created. Unfortunately racial division soon arises and the Genos are forced to flee and after a number of years eventually retaliate and attack.

On a basic gameplay level this is an Advance Wars clone, albeit using a 3D engine rather than a top down sprite based approach. The mechanics of the game are very similar with both movement and attack handled using an underlying grid based system and a selection of unit types available to command which have inherent strengths and weaknesses against other unit types. For example scouts are strong versus infantry but weak against anti-armour units.

Unlike Advance Wars however each unit has a number of action points which can be spent on movement and attack rather than just a fixed movement allowance followed by an attack. This should give a bit of flexibility as you could time your movement to allow a couple of attacks or alternatively forgo an attack altogether to move further during a turn, but in reality this means you have to constantly check the number of action points remaining and in this sense it loses some of the fluidity of movement that Advance Wars has mastered.

Commanders: Attack of the Genos looks quite good, the landscape isn’t particularly interesting, it's functional at best, but the 1930’s art deco style of units and buildings is nicely done and makes a change. The story unfolds using 2D static character portraits with the obligatory speech bubbles when characters converse and although they would seem to be in contradiction to the 3D game engine they work quite well, it's just a shame the portraits are a bit bland and aren't more interesting to look at.

Although Commanders: Attack of the Genos isn't on a par with the the game it pays homage too, I found the trial game to be entertaining and it's good to see another turn based strategy appear on Xbox Live. The full version costs 800 MS points to download and features 15 campaign missions and support for off-line and on-line multiplayer.

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Discs of Tron

Tron. I remember the movie fondly from my youth, mainly because of the amazing (for the time) special effects and the game related theme. I’ve not watched the movie since as there’s no doubt my rose tinted spectacles would be shattered in an instant.

This little trip back down memory lane brings us onto one of the weeks Xbox Live Arcade releases, a port of the original arcade game Discs of Tron, released back in 1983.

The game is based in an isometric view of the arena, the player character Tron is closest and the opponent Sark is at the far end, both players are perched on disc shaped platforms. The aim is simple, throw discs at Sark whilst avoiding any thrown back in return, and defeat him by either knocking him off the platform or hitting him twice.

The left joystick controls player movement and the right controls an aiming reticle shown on the arena walls. The aiming controls however feel a bit hit and miss and are not sensitive enough for precision aiming and you will frequently find the need to correct your aim. Up-to three discs can be thrown at a time which can be ricocheted off the arena walls rather than being thrown in a straight line allowing you to create an attack spread which is more likely to catch Sark off guard.

There’s not much more to the game really. It’s a fairly straightforward affair with the arenas getting more complex as you advance and it kind of reminds me of futuristic game of squash but with deadly consequences. The trial version of the game looks OK but sounds pretty dire with only the occasional splash of music or sound effect.

I can imagine that this game would have ridden on the crest of a wave of the films popularity but once you take the film out of the equation there isn't a huge amount here that will appeal to the modern gamer.

The trial game lets you try out the first couple of single player arenas whilst the full version offers enhanced graphics and multiplayer for 400 MS points.

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Chessmaster Live and Poker Smash

There were a couple of new releases on Xbox Live Arcade this week. Both games, Chessmaster Live and Poker Smash, will set you back 800 MS points.

Chessmaster Live

There’s not a great deal I can elaborate on with this game. It’s a more than competent chess game based on a reputable chess engine, but don’t expect an exciting sensory experience.

The board can be viewed in either two or three dimensions, the latter of which can be rotated and panned and looks as good as can be expected. The 2D board doesn’t offer anything more exciting, feels a little out of place on an Xbox 360 console and reminds me of those portable magnetic chess games you can buy.

The actual chess engine itself seems decent and offers different personalities to play against in single player with the full version featuring full online play. Chess is one of those games that you either really like or just pass on. Personally I’ve never really got into the game, but if you like giving the old grey matter a workout then the trial is worth a go.

Poker Smash

Second up this week is Poker Smash, a puzzle game featuring five columns of rising blocks faced with kings, queens, jacks, aces or tens. The aim is to clear the blocks in either rows or columns by matching various poker hands before the blocks reach the top of the table.

Cards can only be swapped horizontally which will invariably leave you with some that can’t be matched in time and in these circumstances the limited numbers of bombs available to clear “bottleneck” areas are vital. Additionally time can be slowed down, draining a time meter, giving you a few additional seconds when under pressure.

Poker Smash looks pretty good with some vibrant effects when combinations are matched but the male commentator audio soundbites started to grate after a while. Regular readers will know that puzzle games aren’t really my favourite genre and unless a game offers something new and exciting then they don’t hold any lasting appeal for me. I had fun for about 30 minutes with Poker Smash but by that time it had unfortunately overstayed its welcome.

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Rez HD Review

I missed out on Rez the first time it appeared on the Dreamcast, and also its subsequent port to the PS2. An enhanced version is now also available from Xbox Live Marketplace for 800 MS points and this time I’m not going to miss out.

The story is a simple one providing enough detail to form a setting for the game. In Rez, you’re a hacker infiltrating a super network controlled by an artificial intelligence. Known as Eden, the AI has recently begun to question the meaning of its existence and has started to shut down. Your task is to enter cyberspace and infiltrate the core to re-awaken Eden.

Rez HD is an on the rails shooter and thus the player has no control over movement as you follow a predetermined path through each level. Emphasis is instead placed upon aiming as you guide the onscreen laser reticle over swarms of viruses and projectiles holding down the “A” button to get a lock-on to each target. Up-to a maximum of eight targets can be simultaneously locked-on ready for a laser attack when “A” is released.

Throughout the game you can pick up a couple of different power-ups. The red “overdrives” are in essence smart bombs and when activated with a press of the “B” button clear all onscreen enemies for a limited period of time. In addition blue "progress items" can be collected to increase your evolution bar, which when filled will see your character evolve to the next form. The evolutionary form of your character acts like a life counter. Every time you are hit by a virus or projectile you will devolve to the previous form until eventually only appearing as a wireframe spherical object. Once in this vulnerable state if you’re hit again then the infiltration of the mainframe was unsuccessful and its back to the menu screens.



Visually and aurally Rez HD is a treat. Yes the graphics are simple by design mainly being a mix of wireframe and polygons, but splashed with such a vivid colour palette that they’ll burn themselves onto your retinas. Of course it’s all the more perfectly realised now it's all in high definition and in widescreen.

The background music, all trance, builds from the first tentative beats of the track to a full-on crescendo as progress is made through the level. Not only that but the sound effects for your laser shots form part of the music and vary depending on the number of locked-on targets. This all sounds excellent in stereo but if you have a 5.1 channel surround system hooked up to your Xbox 360 then this is the way to experience the game.

The game itself is short with the core of the game featuring only five areas, the first four of which are split into ten "layers" as you delve deeper into the network. To clear each area you will need to progress through each layer before finally defeating the boss at the end of the level. To help longevity there are some extras to play around with, once unlocked, including extra levels, additional game modes, and the ability to apply different visual or aural effects to the game. The original version of Rez (is this now Rez SD?) is included but is only really here for historical completeness.

Although Rez HD is short, it represents excellent value for money for what is one of the best Live Arcade games available at present. A game that attacks the senses and is perfect for a quick blast whenever the mood strikes. Sit back and enjoy the ride!

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Turning Point: Fall of Liberty Demo

Turning Point: Fall of Liberty is yet another FPS to be set in that highly plundered period of World War II but promises to offer a new perspective on events. The whole premise of Turning Point is based upon the idea of an alternate timeline. A reality where the then diplomat Winston Churchill hadn’t survived a collision with a New York taxi cab on December 13th 1931, and thus didn’t become the hugely influential prime minister of the United Kingdom. In this timeline the tide of Nazi Germany domination couldn’t be stopped and the United States is about to be invaded.

At the start of the demo you find yourself in New York atop the semi completed structure of a skyscraper during the initial air invasion. Your task is to navigate your way down from this precarious position to street level far below. Unfortunately the first segment of this demo as you immediately get control is flawed, requiring the player to negotiate a series of narrow girders. Although as long as you don’t jump off you can’t really fall to your death, merely grabbing the girder and hauling yourself back up, as an introduction to unfamiliar controls this design leaves a lot to be desired.

Once free of the platforming the game picks up slightly leaving you to follow a fairly linear path to the end of the demo. To keep the feeling of tension high and the player on their toes a smattering of pre-scripted events are also thrown in for good measure.

The game itself looks passable but I certainly wasn’t overly impressed with what’s on show in the demo. The controls were all fine and I liked the introduction of the context sensitive “B” button that’s used for actions such as climbing or descending ladders and grappling enemy troops.

Turning Point is one of those demos where you just have to wonder why the publishers released a demo. The premise is a sound one and there are some good ideas lurking in the depths but surely releasing a game build which is sub-par with some obvious bugs and flaws does more harm than good? When an enemy’s body disappears right in front of your eyes, the third person view doesn’t show weapons even though you’re carrying them, and bullet collision detection is dubious you have to question the logic behind the decision.

However, according to the developer’s blog the demo is several months old. There’s still reason to hope that this game can improve, but unfortunately the seeds of doubt have already been sown.

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Devil May Cry 4 Demo

Capcom’s Devil May Cry series has been around since 2001 and the highly anticipated fourth installment is due to be released next month. A demo of Devil May Cry 4 was released onto Xbox Live Marketplace last Thursday (24th) and should be available on the Euro Playstation Network later this week.

In previous games the lead character was Dante, but the demo introduces you to the new character Nero via two playable missions to showcase the different aspects of the game. The first mission "Exterminator" allows you 10 minutes to experience the core of the game as you move from area to area in an opera house plaza clearing enemies with the odd simple puzzle thrown in. The second mission “Executioner” lets you play a couple of set piece battles, firstly against some “Icy Frosts” before the final showdown with the impressively huge flaming boss character “Berial”.

The controls are all fairly straight forward and moves and combos are slowly introduced throughout the demo. Like Dante, Nero has both a sword for melee and a gun for ranged attacks but his right arm is not human and has a couple of “Devil Bringer” attacks that can also be used. There are some great attacks to play around with in the demo. Whether it’s launching enemies into the air or grabbing enemies and hurling them around with his demonic arm when “B” is held down, which is particularly great to watch against the boss “Berial”, all of them look impressive.

Both sword and gun attacks can be charged up for additional damage by either holding down the left trigger or “X” respectively. As with the previous instalments in the series each encounter is graded and the key is to try and chain combos together, not only to dispatch an enemy as fast as possible, but also to get the best rating.

The camera, which for the majority of the game provides a fixed viewpoint of the action, can only occasionally be moved by the player and it does take time to adjust to this, especially as the viewpoint will change as you're running along or between areas which can cause some disorientation.

The demo of DMC4 looks fantastic, with some great looking cut-scenes, decent character and enemy designs and a great boss encounter. However, the game mechanics all feel very familiar and don’t seem to have changed significantly from its predecessors, which on the one hand will appeal to fans but may alienate newcomers. The demo is well worth investigating and fans will be happy with what’s on offer until the games release.

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KUF: Circle of Doom Demo

Kingdom Under Fire: Circle of Doom is a fantasy third person hack and slash action role playing game. A demo of the game is now available from Xbox Live Marketplace and is a rather chunky 1.2GB download.

According to the written prologue, which you can view if you’re really desperate, the world was once ruled by a pair of deities, Nible the lord of light, and Encablossa the lord of darkness. Each lord would take it in turns to rule and shape the world as they see fit and then after an age had passed hand over the reigns of power. However as is usual someone always gets fed up with the arrangement, in this case Nible throws his toys out of the pram and refuses to hand power back to Encablossa, thus igniting a war between the forces of light and darkness.

Upon starting the demo you can choose from one of two selectable characters. The final version of the game features six characters but in this instance you can play as either Leinhart an assassin, or Kendal the paladin. As you’d expect each character has strengths and weaknesses and specific weapons and armour types are only available to certain characters.

There are quite a few controls to get your head round in KUF:CoD but the demo will walk you through both the controls and item management. Different weapons can be assigned to both the “A” and “X” buttons whilst “B” and the right trigger are used for special abilities and the two shoulder buttons reserved for item assignment. Although this kind of configuration allows easy access to attacks, abilities and items as with most RPG’s item management forms an essential part of the game and you will frequently have to re-assign buttons as you find better equipment or learn new abilities. The tutorial can be skipped at any point but it’s worthwhile putting up with it the once before deciding to head off into the unknown world.

Any kind of attack, whether it be melee, ranged, or the use of an ability will cost “SP” points to perform. Your character has a total number of “SP” points available indicated by a blue bar at the bottom of the screen but once depleted the character will no longer be able to attack or use abilities. Although the SP bar does replenish fairly quickly (or via potions) having depleted can leave you vulnerable to attack for a period of time. This is compounded by your characters complete inability to block any type of attack.

Along the linear path that your character travels “idol sanctuaries” will be found. At these locations the player can buy, sell or synthesise items together. Alternatively you can choose to sleep and enter the dream world, a place where you can learn new abilities and discover more about the characters and the story.


KUF:CoD looks quite good. The demo environments all look OK and the main character models are decent enough but there is a lot of screen tearing throughout. Unfortunately I found the AI to be very poor with groups of enemies standing around and quite happily ignoring the player until trigger points are crossed. Similarly when fleeing to a previously cleared area enemies will only pursue you so far and will suddenly break off and return to there original stating location.

The camera is frustratingly poor, needs constant attention, and will frequently get obscured by a bush, tree or other object whilst fighting large groups of enemies. By holding down the left trigger you can change the camera to an aiming view. However this view seems rather pointless because although I could see a group of enemies and fire at them they were invulnerable until a trigger point was crossed. Once triggered the group would be upon you in seconds leaving only enough time to loose off a couple of ranged attacks.

On a positive point the game has a wealth of equipment and special abilities with which to customize your character. Levelling up a characters hit points, sp points, and luck works quite well with a pot of “attribute” points that allocated how the player sees fit.

I wouldn’t say that KUF:CoD is a terrible game, just average. It does quite a few things competently enough but there are some key areas in the demo that it falls down on, not the least of which is that it is repetitive. If you’re a fan of hack “n” slash RPG games then it’s worth giving the demo a cursory glance.

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Boogie Bunnies

Boogie Bunnies is a new puzzle game that has recently been released on Xbox Live Arcade for 800 Microsoft Points.

The aim of the game is to match three or more groups of “bunnies” in varying colours either horizontally or vertically by launching bunnies from the bottom or the left / right sides of the screen. Every time bunnies are successfully matched the “bunny bar” will fill up and once filled the player will advance to the next level. Every few seconds an additional row of bunnies is added to the top of the screen marching the crowd of bunnies further on and edging them closer to the trap (pit, water), which they will fall into, at the bottom of the screen.

There are a few minor variations in the game-play to that outlined above as every now and then the bunnies will dance acting as a double point’s multiplier for the duration. In addition red bunnies, in the roll of suicide bunny, will explode clearing the surrounding area when matched.

Boogie Bunnies is a very colourful game and has a nice isometric perspective of the action but doesn’t really break any new ground with this genre of game. Apart from being able to launch bunnies from the sides of the screen as-well as from the bottom the principles are similar to older games such as Puzzle Bobble.

With it’s cute graphics and bunnies that yelp “yippee” when successfully matched this game is probably more suited to the younger generation and is just a bit too saccharin sweet for my tastes. However, the game still plays well enough and I’m sure plenty of people will find it addictively engaging.

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Metal Slug 3

The Metal Slug series of games have been around for quite some time now and spawned a host of games on a number of platforms. I've even got a copy of Metal Slug 1st Mission and Metal Slug 2nd Mission for my Neo Geo Pocket Colour, that ill fated hand-held that I thought was particularly good for the time.

This time it's the Xbox 360's turn to receive a port of Metal Slug 3. The game is a run and gun side scrolling shooter which sees you taking on hordes of enemies, rescuing prisoners for power-ups and taking on the obligatory boss at the end of the stage.

During a stage you will come across different types of "Metal Slugs" (vehicles), increasing your firepower and overall effectiveness, and are essential for ensuring your survival if your reflexes are as bad as mine. One nice aspect about this game is the branching paths that are available within a stage adding to the games replayability as you explore the different routes available.

The controls are nice and simplistic with the left joystick used for movement and for the direction of fire with "X" used to shoot, "Y" to throw grenades and "A" to jump. Graphically things all move smoothly and the sprites, some of them surprisingly huge, look great.

The full version is available for 800 Microsoft Points and is well worth a look if you're into arcade shooters.

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Undertow

Undertow has been available on Xbox Live Arcade for a couple of weeks now. It’s a small download at only 49Mb and to unlock the full game will set you back 800 Microsoft Points.

Undertow takes place after the polar ice caps have been melted covering the planet in water from an attack perpetrated by an unknown aquatic alien race.

The game is a side scrolling shooter where the player must fight for possession of strategic control points to achieve victory. Both the player and the opponent have a number of “tickets” (points) available which decrease in speed depending on the number of control points that have been conquered. The player will win by forcing the opponents “tickets” to zero.


Conquering a checkpoint is simply a matter of wiping out all opposition in that sector and waiting until it changes to your teams colour. Of course once you’ve taken a control point there’s nothing stopping the opponent taking it back, and thus control points swing back and forth between the player and the opponent during the course of a level.

The controls of the game are very straightforward using the left stick for movement, right stick to shoot, left trigger to drop a depth charge and right trigger to boost. In addition “X” can be held down for a continuous boost and the D-pad is used to select one of the four different unit types available to the player.

As you’d expect each of the different unit types have strengths and weakness but the player can interchange between them during the level if so desired. The “Marine” is fast and agile and has a decent shooting range, the “Dragoon” is slower than the marine but is better armoured and has a very powerful short range attack, the “Corsair” is fast and fires long range missiles but is lightly armoured, and finally the “Destroyer” is the slowest class but is heavily armoured and has the most powerful, but slowest firing weapon in the game. Each of the four units can be upgraded three times during the game once enough points have been racked up from destroying units and taking control points which increases there overall effectiveness.

Jotted throughout each level you will also come across various power-ups such as the “Frenzy” which doubles damage for 30 seconds, “Depth Charge” packs to add three depth charges to your arsenal, or “Health” packs to restore your unit to fighting fitness once more.

The trial lets you play the first three single player missions; “Training”, “Tide Pool”, and “The Line” from the first campaign. The game does have a story and the action is punctuated between levels with cut-scenes, but to be honest I didn’t really find them to be that enthralling.

Undertow looks great with some gorgeous backdrops and some nice graphical effects and I found fighting for control points with the tide of the battle swinging back and forth to be an enjoyable change from the shooter norm.

The full game offers multiplayer co-op as-well as versus modes and if you like playing the occasional shooter then this would be worth trying out.

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December Dashboard Update

As of yesterday a new dashboard update was made available for the Xbox 360. You’ll be prompted that there’s a new update ready to install as soon as you sign in and connect to Xbox Live. Similar to previous updates the process was quick and installed without any problems.

The new update features some fairly drastic cosmetic changes to the dashboard that are immediately noticeable. Overall the new interface improves both the look and the usability of the dashboard and the continual improvements to the system are always welcome.

Marketplace

Apart from categories that have been renamed, the most obvious addition to the dashboard is the new “twist” menu used to navigate the “Spotlight” and “New Arrivals” categories. This new interface allows you to move left or right across a series of sub-menus as well as up or down to select one of the menu items.

The “Game Store” category now groups together all Xbox Live Arcade games, demos and the newly introduced category “Xbox Originals”. At present there are seven Xbox original titles that can be downloaded for 1200 Microsoft points including Halo, Crimson Skies, Psychonauts, Farenheit, and Fable. Original games are selectable from a nice menu using the original “black and green” colour scheme of old with all titles displaying the box artwork.

I personally think the “Xbox Originals” downloadable service is a decent feature, although the price point may need to be reviewed as most original Xbox games can still easily be picked up in stores or online for a similar price or less. However, this service offers a level of convenience that I think most people will appreciate.

Xbox Live

Friends and messages have been combined to allow for the new “Inside Xbox” news feed item. According to the default message that’s available at present news will be refreshed every Thursday.

Personal profiles have now been extended allowing you to add some additional information about yourself (should you so want to) showing your real name, location, and biographical data. Personally I prefer anonymity with regards to my real name but the additional “bio” certainly allows far more flexibility rather than trying to squeeze information into the “motto”.

The new “Friend Sharing” functionality, which allows you to view other people’s friend’s lists is quite interesting. I’m generally fairly nosey when it comes to what other people are playing and what they’ve managed to achieve, so this is an added boon for me.

Games

The Games blade generally looks to have undergone a bit of a face-lift with the category “Games Library” grouping together downloaded arcade games, demos, and Xbox originals. It also seems like the achievement list has been optimised once again as it seemed noticeably quicker.

Media

Although not a vast amount of changes in this area the “Twist” interface is now included and thankfully videos are now grouped.

For further details see Xbox.com

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Mass Effect Impressions

Mass Effect was released last week and I'm about ten hours into the game at the present. Overall I'm really enjoying the game but it's a love-hate relationship. There are so many things that feel so right about the game, but on the other hand there are a few annoying glitches that get on my nerves.

The feeling of playing in a Sci-Fi space opera is spot on. So far the bits of the galaxy I've explored are very well detailed and the amount of work that Bioware have invested in the history, the alien species, culture and technology is notable. New information when discovered appears in the "codex" (an in-game encyclopedia) and although not all of it is essential reading it provides the "icing on the cake" (which is not a lie!) of a well rounded game universe.

The game looks great, even fantastic most of the time but unfortunately it's let down by frequent texture "pop-in" which you can't help but notice, and the occasional bout of frame rate stutter.

As you've no direct control over individual team members and can only issue team orders like "follow", "move to location", or "take cover" the AI of your team members is very important. Sometimes I’ve felt it has been lacking in this department, resulting in team members standing still in the open and taking fire rather than finding cover. I've even had times where they've got stuck behind objects until you notice he/she/it has been left behind and return to point them in the right direction.

For me "Mass Effect", at present, is a flawed gem. I'm happy to continue exploring the known universe but you can't help but feel like the game has been released a little too early just to ensure it's available for the Christmas market.

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The Orange Box: Half-Life 2 Review

Released about three years ago on the PC to mass acclaim Half-Life 2 is now available on the Xbox 360 as part of The Orange Box. If you've not played either the PC game, or the Xbox port released back in 2005 then you're in for a treat.

In the first game Half-Life, our protagonist Gordon Freeman was involved in an incident at the "Black Mesa Research Facility" which resulted in a dimensional portal being opened to an alien world. Half-Life 2 kicks off an unspecified amount of time after the events of the first game as Gordon finds himself on a train on route to City-17 and learns that the world has been conquered and humankind enslaved by an alien force known as the "Combine".

What follows is a series of story driven events split into a number of seamlessly merging chapters as Gordon tries to escape the Combine forces that are hot on his heels, and help the resistance movement fight back against there alien oppressors.

Although I've summarised the story rather succinctly I don't want to give too much away. The unfolding story line, witnessed first hand without cut-scenes and narrated though dialog and characterisation is excellent and certainly one of the highlights of the game. Even though Half-Life 2 is now a few years old I still found myself very impressed by the emotional expressions shown by non-player characters and struggle to name another FPS game that can show the same mastery.

The world that the developers, Valve, have created is both believable and full of interesting locations. The urban setting of City-17 and its network of canals compliment locations outside of the city like the abandoned settlement of Ravenholm, or the hideouts along the coast-line, ensuring that repetitive locations are kept to a minimum.


Unlike a number of recent games where the player can only carry up to two weapons, Gordon can carry all the weapons he comes across during the course of the game. Although the actual number available just runs into double figures there's a good assortment, including the trusty "crowbar", sidearms and fully automatic weapons. The much touted "Zero-Point Energy Field Manipulator" also known via the much catchier name of the "Gravity Gun" is the key innovative weapon and can be used in a variety of ways both defensively and offensively to grab, throw and manipulate environmental objects.

Throughout Half-Life 2 not only will your reactive shooting skills be tested but also your grey matter will be called upon to solve puzzles that stand in your way. The puzzles nicely act as a change of pace, sometimes allowing for a breather, but always keeping the game feeling fresh and stopping the action from becoming monotonous.

I've not mentioned much about the look of the game up to this point, but even though the "source engine" is now a few years old this port is still looking great today. As an an extra benefit this (Orange Box) version features HDR (High Dynamic Range) imaging to further enhance the visuals. Audio is yet again decent with good voice acting for characters, although Gordon is once again silent throughout, and some pumping background music kicking in at key moments. The radio calls between Combine troops as they relay information to one-another, or the audible radio "white noise" and monotone beep as they're killed are excellent examples of how sound effects when used correctly enhance a games atmosphere.

The greatest negative I can say of the game are the "loading" points. Although they're not poorly situated they do detract from the game as suddenly everything comes to a halt for the 20 or so seconds it takes to load the next portion of the map.

It took about 16 hours to play through Half-Life 2 and as part of The Orange Box represents incredible value for money as this game alone is first class. Highly recommended!

See also: The Orange Box: Portal Review

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Word Puzzle / ScrewJumper

There were a couple of new releases on Xbox Live Arcade this week, namely Word Puzzle and ScrewJumper. Each title will set you back 800 Microsoft Points.

Word Puzzle

Word Puzzle is based upon word searches, the kind that seem to be popular in puzzle magazines, whereby the player is given a grid made up of seemingly random letters with a list of words to be found either horizontally, vertically or diagonally on the grid. To make it more difficult it's possible that the word may be reversed, or a multi-dimensional grid employed to force the player to spin the grid in order to locate the word.

The gameplay isn't complex and it's therefore easy to pick up and play. To enliven the game the developers have thrown a few extra things into the mix, such as word combos, and pretty backgrounds. The trial lets you try out the "Arcade" and "Survival" modes for a limited time and all in all this is quite a decent puzzle game to add to the Xbox Live roster. However, 800 Microsoft points is a bit too steep a price in my opinion.

ScrewJumper

The other game released on Wednesday was "Screwjumper". Players must choose a character and free-fall into various structures diving through platforms at velocity to destroy them (green objects) whilst avoiding or destroying hazards (red objects).

The destruction of the reactor core at the end of the free fall is the primary objective. If enough objects have been destroyed on the way down then the reactor will have no shielding, leaving it exposed and vulnerable. Before the reactor explodes you must escape by jetting back up the structure, once again avoiding the hazards.

The game doesn't look great, but I can forgive this if it's both playable and fun but unfortunately ScrewJumper is lacking in both departments. Not only are there problems controlling the character whilst in free fall, but the aiming reticle used to lob your sticks of dynamite at hazards is just as bad to use.

After a couple of attempts to get into the game I decided that this certainly wasn't something I would consider purchasing.

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Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock Demo

I gave the Guitar Hero III demo that's available on Xbox Live Marketplace a run through yesterday in preparation for the UK release later this month on the 23rd. The demo offers five different songs to try your guitar thrashing skills on including "Lay Down", "Rock You Like a Hurricane", "Even Flow", "Hit Me with Your Best Shot", and "The Metal".

Apart from "Even Flow" by Pearl Jam I'm not familiar with the other tracks, but I found them all enjoyable enough to play though and thought they provided a good example of the different styles of music that would be available in the final release.

The fundamentals of the game remain unchanged, adopting the "if it ain't broke, why fix it attitude". And to be honest I can't really see how they could, or would want to change the core gameplay to make it much better. Players still hit notes and play chords as they scroll down the virtual guitar neck using the five "fret" buttons and "strum bar" on the guitar controller. Your performance is measured via a "rock" meter varying in colour from red (poor) to green (good) and if you miss too many notes in a row then apart from being greeted by the jeers and booing of the audience you will also find the "Song Failed" message staring you in the eyes.

The demo includes a comprehensive tutorial on how to play the game covering the basics and advanced techniques, and is well worth a look if you're new to the series. The tutorials also explain how the "battle mode" works, which is a new mode introduced this time around for "boss" battles and player vs player.

All in all the game is shaping up quite nicely and I'm looking forward to the retail release version as not only does it provide a lot of fresh new tracks to try out, but also I'm afraid I just can't resist that new wireless "Gibson Les Paul" guitar controller.

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Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare Impressions

Last Friday saw the release of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, the eagerly anticipated first person shooter from Infinity Ward. I've spent sometime over the weekend playing the game and I completed the single player campaign yesterday. Now before you start thinking "This guy's got too much time on his hands", it must be stressed that the single player game doesn't last that long at all (maybe 6 hours) and can easily be finished in a few days or in one session if so inclined.

Although the single player game is undeniably short it provides a fun and enthralling experience with some very intense moments when all hell breaks loose on the battlefield. I don't think the single player game is breaking any new ground in terms of game mechanics, it's all very familiar, but what "Infinity Ward", and thus the game, excels at is providing an experience that fully immerses you in a war zone and makes you feel part of a gigantic war effort.

The game does provide an overall storyline and I was very impressed by the use of the in-game engine to relate key events, especially when viewed through the first person perspective of a character. Ever since the first trailers appeared and the game was demonstrated the graphics engine has been lauded. And it certainly doesn't disappoint with some truly glorious visuals that surely must rank as some of the best seen on the Xbox 360 to date.

On a final note, I've yet to try out the multi-player game modes but I hope to give these a shot over the next few weeks.

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Need for Speed: ProStreet Demo

It's approaching that time of year again where one should try and be kinder to their fellow man or woman, turkeys are gazing nervously at the farmer and a new "Need for Speed" title, in this case ProStreet, is about to be unleashed upon the masses.

Ahead of its release later this month you can sample the demo which is now available on Xbox Live Marketplace at a pretty decent download size of 655MB.

The demo lets you try out two game modes, each one with a different track and preset car. "Nevada Highway" is a straightforward speed challenge whereby you, and seven other competitors, have to pass through four speed checkpoints as fast as possible with the winner being the player with the highest cumulative speed total. The other track on offer is "A-54 Interloop" which is a standard two lap race around a street circuit.

When you've selected your race you're taken to the race day menu, which just seems to show some of the car entrants for the race with various people wandering about fawning over the cars but with no real interaction from the player. All you can really do is start the race and I hope the final release utilises this menu screen a bit better.

To help the player you can choose from three levels of driver assists before the race starts (casual, racer or king). "Casual" helps the player by managing the braking with some adjustments to find the best racing line, whilst "King" leaves the driving to the player.

Personally I preferred setting the assistance level to "King" as I found that the other two levels, especially the first, interfered far too much with the driving experience and it just didn't feel right.

Visually the game looks pretty good at this stage and should be able to hold its own against most of the 360 racers out there although it's hard to tell from the demo tracks whether it will be top-of-the-class. For me the "A54 Interloop" track was the better of the two available as the Nevada Highway was mainly a series of straights, which is fine for a speed test but doesn't really present much of a challenge.

If you're into the "Need for Speed" franchise then it's worth trying out the demo as a taster of things to come but with so many quality racing titles already available for the 360 we'll have to wait and see what this offers compared to its competitors as the demo doesn't really give much away.

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