Category: Review

Revisiting Batman: Arkham Origins - Part Two

5/16/2014

By Ben Mapp

Of course, Arkham Origins was a game not without its faults. And as you'll know from all of the reviews which have been out since October, there are a good few! Firstly, the game broke the pattern in the series by being the first installment not to take a huge leap (or – in fact – any leap) in gameplay.

Looking back - Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes

5/15/2014

Click for Source

By Graham Osborne

The Metal Gear Solid series has spanned multiple console generations, from the 90’s to present day, and the storyline is becoming more and more convoluted as time goes on. Possibly as an attempt by Hideo Kojima to sabotage the franchise, allowing him to move on (he’s been trying to escape since MGS2!)

Revisiting Batman: Arkham Origins - Part One

5/14/2014

By Ben Mapp

Released on October 25th 2013, Batman: Arkham Origins was the third main entry of the infamous Arkham series. It was a prequel to Arkham Asylum, taking place in a period of time where Batman is still in the process of meeting his deadliest enemies for the first time. Arkham Origins was meant to be the culmination of the task which began in Arkham Asylum and continued in Arkham City, to take the best elements of both stealth and action genres and have them married in a beautiful, bat-filled ceremony. The finest elements of both games should have merged with clear references to the twisted, iconic asylum of the first game as well as the giant urban prison of the second. The main question everyone was asking however – did this game live up to the infamous ‘Arkham’ reputation?

Looking Back - What was actually wrong with Fable Anniversary?

5/14/2014

By Ben Mapp

Back in 2004, Fable gave a surprising and interesting take on the fantasy genre. It was often inventive. But never innovative. It was clumsily made in fact with a strict targeting system, clunky gameplay and an even more dire control scheme, as well as splurging a rather uncreative storyline when compared to other fantasy RPG’s. Anyone who has ever played a fantasy game knows that complex stories can be mesmerising when done properly (Dragon Age: Origins anyone?), but Fable never once attempted it within its own narrative. Fable’s story felt safe with very little risk taken on behalf of the characters or in-game events, but in its own way, this was fine. This was just Fable. It was just how Fable was.

Review - Ratchet and Clank: Into the Nexus

11/21/2013

By Graham Osborne

Spanning nearly two console generations, Ratchet and Clank is probably the longest-running franchise for Sony at the moment. It’s had its ups and downs, but the series has aged well.

Into the Nexus is the conclusion of the “Future” series of Ratchet and Clank that began with Tools of Destruction on the PS3. As far as endings go, it’s pretty good. Nothing amazingly special, but not claw-your-eyes-out terrible.

Review - BioShock Infinite: Burial at Sea, Ep. 1

11/21/2013

By Luke Kirby

Bioshock fans rejoiced last week as Burial at Sea Episode 1 was released, taking fans to an all-too-familiar yet alien setting.

I’m sure most are aware that Burial at Sea allows players to roam around Rapture prior to its demise and before it became hell, a thousand leagues below the surface. When I found out this was a feature I was undeniably excited and during the first section I found myself completely ignoring both Elizabeth and my waypoint to have a look at Rapture during its prime. Irrational Games have done a great job placing us into an environment that, up until now, we have only been able to imagine.

A look back on Pokémon X

11/16/2013

By Luke Kirby

Unless you’ve been living in solitude for the past 18 years it’s fairly likely that you’re aware of a little franchise known as Pokémon. Pokémon Red & Blue came out on the Gameboy in 1996, but the franchise has come a long way since its handheld release, with the popular anime series, manga, home console games, toys, books and cards - which were the most addictive thing, and despite not knowing how to play the card game according to the rules, I still spent all my weekly pocket money on one or two smaller card packs.

Jump to present day and we have Pokémon X & Y, the sixth generation and the first Pokémon game for the Nintendo 3DS, now including a grand total 718 of the creatures. When I first saw screenshots and the trailer my first thought was that they are finally making progress with the franchise. Having not played Pokémon Y I won’t be able to comment on any major differences; the only difference I’m aware of is the Pokémon exclusive to each version.

XCOM - a game where you kill your friends

11/14/2013

By Josh Foote

With the release of the expansion pack Enemy Within tomorrow, I thought it would be good to write up a retrospective of my experiences with last year’s hit XCOM: Enemy Unknown and look at the new features to be added to one of my favourite games of recent memory.

Review - Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Blacklist

9/20/2013

By Christopher Money

Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell first came to our screens in 2002 and has had a massive following ever since. Thus far, there have been six mainstream releases in the franchise and one handheld exclusive. When it first came into being, while stealth was by no means a new game genre with the likes of Metal Gear and Thief in years past, Splinter Cell learned from both the mistakes and successes of its predecessors, and subsequently delivered a gaming experience that was like no other. That’s not to say it was without its problems by any means – every game has its flaws; in my experience, the game suffered from a tendency to expect utter perfection from the player, which improved as the franchise continued.

Here comes Blacklist, then – a new, "revised" Splinter Cell in the form of another cover-based shooter with some stealth aspects, but its a tried and tested formula.

Review - Total War: Rome II

9/9/2013

By Jamie Kennett

Last Tuesday saw the release of the latest instalment in the Creative Assembly’s genre-defying strategy series; Total War. After the 19th century Japan of the previous game, Shogun 2, the latest one takes us back to that old crowd-pleaser; Ancient Rome. Total War: Rome II is set during the same period of the infamous nation’s history as its predecessor from 2004, being that the player oversees control of the faction from the late 3rd Century BC -towards the end of the Roman Republic- and well into the establishment of the world-changing Roman Empire. Utilising the same game engine as the honourable Shogun 2, whilst at the same time revisiting some of the [better] gameplay from the first Rome game, there is many a good feature of this latest release, and only a few bad ones. Read on for the rest, naturally.

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