NeverDead is one of those games that looks good when advertised but just doesn’t quite live up to the hype. The game does many things that no other video game has done before but with its cheesy voice acting and repetitive nature I came away slightly disappointed.

NeverDead is essentially and arcade game at heart, with loads of weird enemies, crazy gun and swordplay and one strange story that is a lot of fun at first but after a few chapters you begin to realize it’s very repetitive.

The most annoying thing is that throughout the game all you seem to do is run from one area to another killing loads of enemies before you can move on to the next and throughout the game I am afraid that method is just rinse and repeat.

In every area there are these plant type enemies that spawn other enemies and once you kill that enemy others will appear in another part of that area. It wouldn’t be so bad but at points you get so over run with enemies that you find yourself completely dismembered and trying to roll around as just a head trying to avoid these little enemies that can suck your head into their belly for all eternity. (Yes I know I said enemy a lot)

The big feature of NeverDead is the fact that you cannot die but as I have said above you can if your head is digested, if this happens you will have to reload the checkpoint and it will always be ages away from where you died which can be very frustrating. You will constantly find yourself having your arms, legs or head decapitated from your body. An arm or leg being chopped off is quite amusing as you watch Bryce hopping around etc…. and you can regenerate body parts when your meter is full or you can jump over the body parts that have been dismembered (If they haven’t been eaten by the body part suckers first)

At the end of every big area you will face a boss battle. These boss battles can be tough and can take a little bit of working out as they usually only have one weak spot and can only be hurt with a certain weapon or with a certain method which is a good tough challenge.

NeverDead does have some good comical moments though and the conversations between Bryce and his partner Arcadia can be laugh out loud funny at times. As usual with Japanese games she wears a short skirt and even comments on this herself at one point which goes to show it does have very tongue in cheek humour. Bryce can even rip off his own body parts and use them as weapons, there are even certain puzzles that can only by solved by you making him rip off his own head and rolling it through air vents to get to other parts of the level. (There is even an achievement for ripping off his head and throwing it through a basketball hoop)

The controls are fast and fluid. Left and Right triggers fire your left and right guns. You start off with pistols but can find other guns later on such as SMG’s and assault rifles. You also have a sword which is very powerful and is the only weapon you can use to defeat certain enemies, this is controlled by holding your left trigger and using your right thumb stick to control which direction you swing it. This is a good addition and you get extra points the more accurate you are.

The story revolves around Bryce and his partner Arcadia working for an agency tasked with dealing with demonic incursions and you spend the game battling demons from the dawn of time on present day earth.

Overall this is a fun arcade type game where you just run around killing loads of enemies in different areas but the repetitive nature of this made me lose interest pretty quick. If you like your crazy Japanese hack and slash / shooter games then I recommend you pick this up but I feel that the majority of gamers will get bored pretty quickly.

Overall score:  6/10

The mechanics in Revelations have remained the same as its predecessors only slightly being tweaked offering a more fluid style. Ezio’s second hidden blade that offered variety in assassination options has been removed, and replaced with a quickly obtained hook blade. This has the same function as the hidden blade, but with a twist. Players can now quickly navigate plat forming sections of the environment by latching onto ropes. This is a welcome change to quickly escape guards, or just navigating the map with greater ease. The economics introduced in Brotherhood also returns enabling Ezio to purchase merchants, and gain income as the area becomes more stable and templar control is removed. As you gain control over the merchants they offer better equipment for you to purchase. The only truly new adjustment that has been made is the tower defense mechanic that is triggered when your multiples “Assassin Dens” are threatened. Once the Templers attempt to retake a den you must dive into an over complicated, mismanaged mini game of beating back their attack. This does not break the game in anyway, and fans of tower defense may warm to what it offers, but it does detract from what should be a story driven game. Ubisoft builds a great sand box to play in, but Assassins Creed is not a sand box game. You are offered the freedom to do what you want; however you do not able to what you want when you want to do it. One has to wonder if they continue to offer multiple distractions in this series, because they have lost their handle on the story, or it may just be a severe case of too many cooks in the kitchen.

Multiplayer has made a return and this must be the most polarizing multiplayer title on the market. Gamers either love it or they hate it without much middle ground to stand on. I have not spent much time with the versus game play, because I do not find it has much to offer. The game has a strict set of rules it wants you to play by, and once people begin breaking the rules the game breaks along with them. You are attempting to remain anonymous from the other players in the match, but once someone climbs to a rooftop the mystery is gone. Also if you are not playing the way designer’s intended you too your reward is decreased. If Ubisoft had tweaked the AI so that they would more mirror what players expect then the experience may have been more exciting. With gamers having a wide variety of choice this holiday companies are exercising more effort than ever to grab your attention. Assassins Creed Revelations is an improvement over past titles, but it does not reinvent the franchise. You can expect a strong helping of the same game play the series has delivered from the first three titles. I you are a fan, or have enjoyed the previous Assassins Creed releases then Revelations is a no brainer, but if you are not a long time fan then maybe wait Ubisoft out for the release of Assassins Creed 3.

The question is frequently asked by those who have passed on Assassins Creed until now “Is this a good place to begin playing the series”. With Revelations I would say “No”, because this is the title that puts a bow on many plot lines that have needed a conclusion. If you are looking for a solid entry point I would recommend beginning with Assassins Creed 2. The series seems to have taken a drastic turn after the second installment that drove them straight to the bank. Every title has refined game play, and added to the rather bland environment of the original game; however the plot has been rode hard and hung up wet. It is difficult to say that Assassins Creed requires a refresh, but it does need a more directed plot to untangle the multiple characters, and scenarios Ubisoft wants us to follow. It also does not help the series that fans are asked to be repeat customers every twelve months! Many of us have already sat down at the table, and drank the kool-aide so we have little choice apart from abandoning ship altogether. While it is difficult to let go of fan favorite characters Ezio’s time has past, and if the next title moves on as it should.  I am sure a great new hero will be born for us all to enjoy in the near future.
Verdict 7/10

Verdict 8/10

The Roxio Game Capture makes it very possible and simple to record your console gameplay on either the Xbox 360 or Playstation 3. It’s editing software is very simple to use and lets you add voice, text and other simple visual effects on your pc.

I tested this on the Xbox 360 and the great thing about this piece of kit is that it is very easy to use. The device is essentially just a black box that comes packaged with a set of HD Component cables and a USB cable which connects to your PC.

The setup is simple

1.       Plug the composite cables into the out side of the box and then into you TV

2.       Connect the xbox or PS3 composite cables from the console into the IN side of the box

3.       Plug the USB cable from the box into your PC

4.       Install the provided disc and the set up is complete

Here is a diagram showing how it is set up

Overall the hardware setup is very simple and the editing software is great to use. The only issue I found was that the standard video settings for the recording weren’t correct. After playing with the settings I found that the NTSC setting worked fine so if you are in a PAL territory and having issues then I recommend you try this fix and you should be fine.

For those of you with a new Xbox slim you will find that you don’t have the required HD component cables which is a slight annoyance as the ability to use a HDMI would have been a great feature but the software has a handy link where you can purchase the required cables at a reasonable price. You will still be able to play your xbox 360 at 1080i through the component cables which still looks good but some may notice a slight difference in quality that the HDMI does provide.

The video itself records onto your pc in standard definition but for the price of the product I think that this is a small price to pay especially with the fact that this is aimed as people who want to show off their gaming skills on youtube. The editing software even has a handy feature where you can upload videos directly from the editing screen to youtube.

Personally with the easy to set up hardware and the simple editing software I think this is a great piece of kit and with a price tag of only £79.99 you really can’t go wrong. I shall be using it to do some video reviews for the website. Check out an example below.

Roxio Game Capture
Sponsored Post

Viral video by ebuzzing

Overview:

Ever wanted to sky dive in a tank? Battle Masked Wrestlers on Mars? Or simply smack zombies with a Giant Sex Toy? Then welcome to Steelport, the new home of the 3rd Street Saints. Saints Row the Third is now crazier, more over the top than ever as Volition try to raise the bar. Set straight after its predecessor, the 3rd Street Saints had become celebrities across Stillwater with sponsored Energy Drinks, Giant Billboards and even Johnny Gat bobble heads and they own the city. However, when a seemingly normal bank robbery goes wrong, the Saints find themselves in front of a new enemy: The Syndicate. After a quick escape job off a plane, the Saints find themselves in a new, unknown territory; The City of Steelport. Not content with Stillwater and with a mix of revenge, the Saints plan to defeat the Syndicate and take over Steelport.

Presentation:
The overall presentation has a had a much needed makeover. Gone with the respect needed to play missions like the previous 2 games and instead; respect is used in a form of RPG style upgrades to improve your character. Such upgrades include more health, longer sprint, more ammo and many more which adds a new dimension the the franchise. The activities provide a good distraction from the main story and should add plenty more playing time, as well as the collectibles and Gang Operations. However, my favourite part of Saints Row 3 would have to be the custmization which was Saints Row 2′s saving grace. The customization options are insane from creating your character right down the speed of your cars; there is tons of it! You can choose a male or female character, they’re race, build, skin colour and their sex appeal (I’ll let you find out about the latter) and the clothing has never been so slick. If I have one gripe anout the customization, it would have to be the fact they have got rid of the layered clothing from previous games and have limited you preset clothing. A minor gripe I know, but it takes away that feel of uniqueness. Overall though, the game is presented brilliantly and is one of the best presented games I have played.
9.5/10

Gameplay:

The gameplay in Saints Row 2 was somewhat like marmite, people loved it or hated it. However, Saints Row 3 has overcome some of the issues and made the game a much more enjoyable experience and provides an injection of fresh air as well as tweaking the button layout. The most notable inclusion would be what is known as the ‘Awesome Button’ which is simply the sprint button, however a simple task such as entering car is now an over top entry as your character jumps through the window. Another use of this button is in combat. Simply by sprinting at your enemy and pressing the attack button, your character will do a crazy attack type which at times, can be rather funny and adds a touch of flair to your fights. Another rather funny inclusion is simply done by clicking RS and your character will proceed to do a testicle based attack and though it sounds like a pointless feature, it can be quite useful. Fans of previous games will be glad to find that the fine aim is now a simple press of LT instead of the previously awkward RS button layout. The game runs very smoothly 90% of the time, however I found that when there is a lot happening on screen it does cause the game to lag for a few seconds; though this has only happened to me twice so far. Another gripe is that there are still a few niggling glitches in the game such as falling through the map, cars getting stuck in the ground and the achievements are quite glitched as well. Also, I have noticed that there is no set Day/Night cycle and this is only changed while activating a mission/activity/shop Despite these faults, the game is still a solid experience and should be enjoyed by many.

8.5/10

Overview:

Ever wanted to sky dive in a tank? Battle Masked Wrestlers on Mars? Or simply smack zombies with a Giant Sex Toy? Then welcome to Steelport, the new home of the 3rd Street Saints. Saints Row the Third is now crazier, more over the top than ever as Volition try to raise the bar. Set straight after its predecessor, the 3rd Street Saints had become celebrities across Stillwater with sponsored Energy Drinks, Giant Billboards and even Johnny Gat bobble heads and they own the city. However, when a seemingly normal bank robbery goes wrong, the Saints find themselves in front of a new enemy: The Syndicate. After a quick escape job off a plane, the Saints find themselves in a new, unknown territory; The City of Steelport. Not content with Stillwater and with a mix of revenge, the Saints plan to defeat the Syndicate and take over Steelport.

Presentation:
The overall presentation has a had a much needed makeover. Gone with the respect needed to play missions like the previous 2 games and instead; respect is used in a form of RPG style upgrades to improve your character. Such upgrades include more health, longer sprint, more ammo and many more which adds a new dimension the the franchise. The activities provide a good distraction from the main story and should add plenty more playing time, as well as the collectibles and Gang Operations. However, my favourite part of Saints Row 3 would have to be the custmization which was Saints Row 2′s saving grace. The customization options are insane from creating your character right down the speed of your cars; there is tons of it! You can choose a male or female character, they’re race, build, skin colour and their sex appeal (I’ll let you find out about the latter) and the clothing has never been so slick. If I have one gripe anout the customization, it would have to be the fact they have got rid of the layered clothing from previous games and have limited you preset clothing. A minor gripe I know, but it takes away that feel of uniqueness. Overall though, the game is presented brilliantly and is one of the best presented games I have played.

9.5/10

Gameplay:

The gameplay in Saints Row 2 was somewhat like marmite, people loved it or hated it. However, Saints Row 3 has overcome some of the issues and made the game a much more enjoyable experience and provides an injection of fresh air as well as tweaking the button layout. The most notable inclusion would be what is known as the ‘Awesome Button’ which is simply the sprint button, however a simple task such as entering car is now an over top entry as your character jumps through the window. Another use of this button is in combat. Simply by sprinting at your enemy and pressing the attack button, your character will do a crazy attack type which at times, can be rather funny and adds a touch of flair to your fights. Another rather funny inclusion is simply done by clicking RS and your character will proceed to do a testicle based attack and though it sounds like a pointless feature, it can be quite useful. Fans of previous games will be glad to find that the fine aim is now a simple press of LT instead of the previously awkward RS button layout. The game runs very smoothly 90% of the time, however I found that when there is a lot happening on screen it does cause the game to lag for a few seconds; though this has only happened to me twice so far. Another gripe is that there are still a few niggling glitches in the game such as falling through the map, cars getting stuck in the ground and the achievements are quite glitched as well. Also, I have noticed that there is no set Day/Night cycle and this is only changed while activating a mission/activity/shop Despite these faults, the game is still a solid experience and should be enjoyed by many.

8.5/10

Graphics:

If you’ve played any of the previous Saints Row games, you will know that the grahpics are far from realistic as they have a cartoony feel to them. Despite this, the graphics did have a certain charm about them. In Saints Row 3, the graphics have had a welcomed make-over and I have to say that the game looks great. The facial features, the explosions and much more all look superb and make previosu games look distinctivley below average. Volition have done a good job with the graphics but I have to say, after the initial wow factor of the overhaul, I did begin to think that they could still make the graphics a lot better than they are. However, the graphics still look good and cna be enjoyed.

8/10

Audio:

Quite possibly the greatest part of Saints Row 3 is its Audio. Getting rid of the only negative first is that the game does have some fantastic songs, the tracklist is quite baron and boring and I found myself listening to the same songs over and over. However, that said, there are a few missions with memorable soundtracks such as Kanye West’ Power and Bonnie Tylers I need a Hero. Now that the negative is out of the way, I can begin with a seemingly endless list of positives. First of all, I’d have to say the selection of voices for your character may be short, but do provide they’re own dialogue script throughout the game and will have you laughing at many points and is very tounge-in-cheek. There’s even a zombie voice! The voices of other characters in the game are superb and Volition have recruited the help from celebrities such as Hulk Hogan, Burt Reynolds and adult actress Sasha Grey (if you have a spare 20 minutes on your own, google the latter). Add together with memorable characters such as Zimos, a pimp who speaks in auto-tune throught the entire game, and with a script that cannot be matched on any level when it comes down to humor, you have yourself an amazingly fun and hialrious experience. Explosions and gun shots are top notch and each gun feels unique in its own way. Overall, the audio is fantastic!

10/10

Summary:

Despite some gameplay issues and niggling glitches, Saints Row The Third is a highly enjoyable game and I encourage fans of the franchise and newbies of the franchise to go out there and give the game a play! There is replay value in the fact that there is Co-op, multiple choices throughout the game and imsply causing havoc, however this may only appeal to some. Personally, for me it is a buy but to others it will on be a rent. However, it has finally become a fully fledged franchise and should not be compared as a ‘poor mans GTA’ but its own, insane rival! Estimated Game time depending on how you play it; 6-20 Hours.

Plus:
+ Fantastic Voice Acting
+ Hilarious and Memorable Story
+ Nice new Gameplay Features

Minus:
- Glitches still abundant
- Graphics could look better

Overall Score: 9/10

DanDan217

Remember when you were younger and the adventures you went on? The amazing lands you traveled, monsters you slayed and priceless treasure chests looted – all in the space of a Sunday afternoon in the back yard.

Over the years wether it’s growing up, or games that tells you what to imagine and which path to follow, it takes a special something for a developer to say “Not all games have to be like this”.

At its inception gaming was all about that feeling of escapism and the chance to participate within a world you can shape simply by the choices you make or the evils you stand against.

Well other people also remember those golden times and for Bethesda, Skyrim is the answer.

Skyrim is set in mountainous hills, rolling tundra and lazy flowing creeks that cut through amber forests filled with various bushes, herbs and flowers. All of it is desperate for a hero (you!) to journey into and spend countless hours looking around every rocky crag for that extra herb, or the reward of finding a treasure chest or coin pouch by taking the time to look behind a weirdly shaped tree that caught your attention off in the distance.

The character selection has 2 sides to it. On one side it’s simple and not a number crunch stat sheet that just gets in the way unless you are into really into that sort of thing. And on the other side you can drop an hour or more right here. Like most bethesda games customisation is everything, so if you want an Orc female with a weak chin, plump lips and extra deep eye sockets all the tools are there to create that perfect someone to represent you. This is a fun time sink, but matters very little as you generally play the game in first person mode anyway. And despite smoother character modelling 3rd person mode still looks clunky and tends to remove you slightly from the full immersion of 1st person view.

The opening story is fast pace and suits perfectly as a set up for the game in full. You encounter a few different foes and can find plenty of equipment to easily arm yourself suitably by the end. The tutorial is a little lean, making the game booklet actually useful rather than sitting unused within the box. A couple of times I was left wondering if there was an easier system or controls only to learn hours later of such a function. It’s not enough to be a pain but a little surprising that management for weapons, shouts and magika which are your bread and butter abilities are only quickly glossed over.

Skyrim as a world is amazing. The depth and scope of how much you can do is simply incredible. If you want to run off and continue with the main quest line to decide the fate between the Nords and the Empire, or simply want to settle down and marry, farm lumber and do miscellaneous quests while mastering your skills, the choice is yours. Few games give you such a big playground to take in at your convenience. Even if only playing a couple of hours a night you will be left excited during the day thinking about your next adventure filled episode. Main and secondary quests are fun, well paced and fleshed out allowing for a different feel in gameplay rather than just kill X, fetch X or acquire X – a style of questing that has these days become rather overused generally in the MMO market. Quests are discovered by talking with people, finding quest items, reading books, discovering new locations or people asking for your help. This adds to the immersion and participation within the world rather than NPC’s with a giant glowing asterisk appearing above their head. And as you easily fall into Skyrim’s lands and world, you will already be talking and interacting with people regularly and the quests all appear nicely within your quest log. It doesn’t take long for you to have dozens of quests and plenty of options to spend your time enjoying.

Skyrim is not a game to rush through, the amount of story, loot and sheer beautiful scenery to see is something that has to be savoured. With the limitless ways in which to play the game, the amount of possible quests to be done and then adding a random dragon attack or 3 means no 2 people in the world will play this game the same way. Already it is fun sharing stories and encounters with friends then logging into your own world to add to your tales of adventure and conquest.

Bethesda has taken all the numbers and stats that are needed to run a RPG and placed them under the hood, then added various game difficulty modes to makes an awesome colourful role play that is accessible to anyone that want to experience true fantasy escapism. How they fit lands, races, monsters and countless hours of game play on a disk is incredible but will be great to play again for years to come.

Skyrim is a purchase not a rent. Keep it on your shelf and don’t be rushed. This is a game Gary Gylax would call into work sick to keep playing. You will play again and put as many if not more hours into it than the first time, simply due to how full and rich the world of Skyrim is.

10/10
BestestMates

The first question when looking at a game as dated as this is: can the graphics compete or does the game show it’s age? Anniversary is the first title in the Halo series to be produced by 343 Studios, and they’ve taken the opportunity to show us just how far games have come over the past 10 years by including a feature that’s both fun to use for those of us who played the original game and an education for anyone young enough to have missed out on it. By simply pressing the back button we can switch between the all new graphics and those produced by Bungie all those years ago. The new visuals are good enough to compete with those found in todays generation of shooters, with detailed textures and lighting models bringing the game right up to date. Press the back button and it’s difficult not to laugh at the graphics which back in the day we thought of as top notch.

One problem which does crop up is that, due to the memory limitations of the time, Bungie had to re-use sections of the campaign in order to flesh out the experience. When this is coupled with the fact that the kind of hand holding we’re used to these days is conspicuously absent from CE it’s commonplace to become lost in sections of campaign that look virtually identical. 343 have gone some way to combat this issue by adding in cleverly designed hints as to which way to go, but even then frustration does set in on occasion upon becoming lost.

Gameplay wise Anniversary will feel instantly familiar to anyone who’s played Halo games, and for those of us veterans from the xbox version it feels like slipping on an old comfy pair of shoes. This is because 343 made a point of remaining absolutely faithful to the original game, even going as far as ensuring that whatever glitches were there to begin with remain in the game. It’s the classic Halo gameplay of old and, thanks to the quality of the AI, enemies are just as challenging and encounters just as emergent as anything found in todays shooters. In fact as Anniversary for the most part shuns infinitely spawning enemies and the necessity of a constant forward push to stop enemy spawns I found the campaign more enjoyable than that found in any shooter I’ve played this year.

There are a couple of additions to the campaign which have been brought in to give some extra challenge and insight into the universe for Halo veterans, these come in the shape of skulls and terminals. Both have been seen in other Halo games before and work in very much the same way. The terminals in particular are of interest as they provide details on the backstory of 343 guilty spark and the forerunners.

For those of us who’ve spent countless hours over the years in the Halo universe the soundtrack has been one of the most iconic parts of it. I still get shivers down my spine on hearing the monks chant kick in on loading up a Halo game. Anniversary has had all of it’s soundtrack either remastered or completely re-recorded and once again the inspirational music beautifully complements the gameplay.

Halo: CE is so old a game that when it was released xbox live didn’t even exist and as such the only ways to play the game with friends were either on split screen or via xbox connect. It’s hard to believe that a franchise so intricately entwined with online gaming could have ever been limited in such a way and thankfully 343 have once again brought the experience up to date. 2 play co-op is available on xbox live and the title also ships with 7 new ‘classic’ multiplayer maps taken from the entire history of Halo, both xbox and PC. These maps have been built using the Reach engine and are incorporated into that online experience. For anyone yearning to see the pistol returned to it’s status as a death dealing uber weapon it’s good news that the ‘classic’ playlist caters for just that taste. As for the rest of us the inclusion of these maps is just one more reason to make this package a must buy.

Verdict: 8/10. Classic

Modern Warfare 3 has been out for over a week, selling more than any previous titles and smashing all types of records.

Most reviews have been giving the game near on perfect scores but does it really deserve the high praise?

No one can argue that Infinity Ward, Sledgehammer games along with Activision Blizzard have created a cultural phenomenon and exceed with delivering a fast paced online shooter with easy matchmaking and addictive gameplay with millions of people logging on to get that next killstreak or Prestige level.

The motto from the developer is obviously ‘If it isn’t broken then don’t fix it’ as nothing major seems to have changed from the previous title. It looks as if they are still using the same engine from COD 4 which launched back in 2007, yes the title does run at a fluid 60FPS which gives it the speed of an old Quake / Doom corridor shooter but we have come a very long way in this console generation since then and it looks very dated. I personally feel that the developer has been very lazy and with the size of the company I am surprised they haven’t invested in a new and more polished engine.

No other game seems to have driven such a divide in opinion in the gaming community. You just have to look at the ridiculously low user rated metacritic score and various gaming forums to see that. Most of it could simply be put down to fanboyism but if you look closely a lot of it is genuine hardcore fans of the series.

Many people are unhappy with the same old game being shifted out every year with no innovation. I have lost count with the amount of times I have seen people write that this could have been a map pack.

The single player campaign picks up from the end of MW2 with Captain Price and Soap trying to track down Mackerov. The story takes you all over the world from New York to London to Paris as well as various Middle Eastern Countries. It’s the usual action packed and linier campaign that you have come to expect with an average story at best. (I personally preferred Homefront’s campaign) and I have to say the story sequence in which you see a family with a young child getting blown up is tasteless, uncomfortable to watch and unnecessary. It seems a desperate attempt to re-ignite the sort of controversy that Modern Warfare 2′s No Russian level attracted.

With all that said if you are a fan of the series then you will definitely enjoy it even though the campaign is pretty short. On normal you should expect to finish the campaign in around 5 hours where as on Hardened it took me just over 7 hours.

With the multiplayer you can expect the usual modes but Infinity Ward have added a new weapons upgrade system which allows you to add proficiencies to your most-used guns, boosting range or stability, or reducing recoil. There is also a new support system which replaces killstreaks for those of us who can’t seem to stay alive long enough to earn them. With this system the streaks are not cancelled when you are killed which is a relief for the noobs out there as well as the more objective based people out there as points earned go towards the streak.

The maps are small and full of corridors which make for fast and frantic games especially with the annoying kids running around with huge sniper rifles quick scoping you every 10 seconds. There is also still the annoyance of too much going on in the air sometimes especially if the other team is doing rather well. You can have attack helicopters an AC130, UAV’s etc all up in the air at once which can be very frustrating sometimes.

New game modes have been added and the most enjoyable one so far has to be the Kill confirmed mode which plays like team deathmatch but with the added mix of you having to confirm your kill by picking up the dog tag from the enemy you have killed. It mixes up the gameplay with the fact you can pick up dog tags from enemies your team mates have killed and even pick up the tags from allies to deny kills from the enemy.

Fans of the series will undoubtedly enjoy the multiplayer and I am under no illusion that with the huge fanbase the series will keep selling well for a few more years yet, but coming from a fan who has played every Call of Duty game and ranks COD2 as a launch highlight for the Xbox 360 and has COD4 as the most played game on my system I am left with a bitter taste in my mouth with the lack of innovation of this recent title.

With all the nit picking and grumblings aside this is the best selling gaming franchise of all time with a huge fanbase so obviously Activision Blizzard are doing something right. The campaign and multiplayer are still fun to play but myself along with many others are concerned that with the lack of innovation they will eventually ‘Guitar Hero’ the franchise and stick out the same game rehashed year on year until we are all sick of it.

Verdict 7/10

Modern Warfare 3 Hardened Edition is available from Tesco Direct.

I had the opportunity to have a two hour play session on Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning. It was an awesome experience to say the least.

I started off from the beginning of the game watching a cut scene with these small creatures having a chat whilst pushing a cart with a dead body on it. This body is then dumped into a well  and you then find out this character is you.

So you’re the undead then and it’s you’re quest to escape this place (The Well of Souls) which feels like a tutorial mission more than anything. It’s a dungeon of sorts with many enemies to kill as you escape. Reckoning feels very much like Fable with is combat system and after about 40 mins or so of play you are introduced to this gorgeous open world.

The open world is very Fable and even has a button on the D Pad to enable you to turn on or off the ability to harm innocents so I just had try it out by turning the safe system off and started killing some of the civilians in the town of Fatewater. The whole town obviously wasn’t happy and all the remaining civilians started attacking me. I definitely recommend leaving the safe system on.

Early on you come across an old wise man outside the town of Fatewater who offers to tell your destiny, you learn from him that as your character was reborn you do not have a fate like everyone else so are free to make your own.  This is where the game then starts with the usual RPG character select screen where you can choose from a variety of character classes. The class system is called the Destiny system and it evolves as you progress through Amalur, with certain missions resulting in further destiny cards being unlocked.

The early quests I was given were easy fetch type quests like searching for a medicine for a dying character or finding a wise old man. I only assume that as you progress through the game for a longer period the quests become more complex. I was given the option of many side quests but just didn’t have the time to take them on.

The graphics are just beautiful and with the combat you can choose from your usual melee attacks with a sword or you can use magic with a selection of different spells to choose from by using the RT button which brings up a radial menu with them all to choose from.

As I have said before it feels a lot like Fable so isn’t really a traditional RPG. To me it felt like a blend between an RPG and an action game. There are only 2 attack buttons with no button combos to learn, X  and Y are for your primary and secondary weapons and the way you do different moves with those buttons is to time your button presses.

I tried out the safe system by turning it off and started killing some of the civilians in the town. The whole town obviously wasn’t happy and all the remaining civilians started attacking me. I definitely recommend leaving the safe system on.

After two hours of play I feel as if I have only scratched the surface of Reckoning. The story seems strong and with the added addition of the Fable like qualities this is definitely a game I am interested in. You can even buy a house and get married (Very Cute)

Overall a brilliant experience. Bring on the full title which is due for release on the 10^th Febuary.

Now check out this awesome 22 minute gameplay video