Games Reviews
Fight Night: Round 4
Platform: Xbox 360, PS3
What’s it about:
EA SPORTS' Fight Night Round 4 is one of the most anticipated games of the year. Building off Fight Night Round 3, one of the best-selling and critically-acclaimed Xbox 360 launch games, Fight Night Round 4 promises to be equally as ground-breaking and revolutionary.
With an all new physics-based gameplay engine, truly unique and differentiated boxer styles, the fastest and most true to life representation of the "Sweet Science," and the most impressive boxer roster ever including the return of the legendary Iron Mike Tyson, EA SPORTS' Fight Night Round 4 takes video game boxing and fighting to an entirely new level. In Fight Night Round 4, you are only one clean punch away from victory, or from getting put on the canvas.
What do we think:
Its been a long time in the making after the revolution that was Fight Night: Round 3 and its lived up to its expectations. The game has a great roster of fighters that you can add user-created characters to with fast-paced action that encourages you to think on your feet. The character creation tools are tight as well, giving you free reign to create any likenesses. The fight commentary and sound effects have been much improved in the game as well, giving you a truly realistic feel in fights. That said the controls take a lot of getting used to, but the introduction of face button usage will make it a lot more accessible to boxing fans. All in all Fight Night: Round 4 is a pure knockout!
Score: 8.5
Red Faction: Guerrilla
Platform: Xbox 360, PS3
What’s it about:
Set fifty years after the original Red Faction, Red Faction: Guerrilla puts you within a third-person, open-world completely destructible Martian setting. Take the role of an insurgent fighter with the Red Faction, and battle for liberation from the oppressive Earth Defense Force.
Open world: Carve your own path wreaking havoc across the vast, open-world environment of Mars, from the desolate mining outpost of Parker to the gleaming EDF capital city of Eos.
Fully destructible environment: Using improvised weapons, explosives, and re-purposed mining equipment and vehicles, tear through fully destructible alien environments and tear down the enemy EDF presence brick by brick.
What do we think:
If you’re looking for a straight forward shooter, Red Faction Guerilla will disappoint. The fun really comes into the explosive nature of the game – destroying buildings and other structures to weaken the enemy. The game works great with a long, challenging single-player campaign with great visuals and sound. Though the game can get repetitive, it really shines in multiplayer mode. Destroying buildings and bridges at key moments is thrilling as is the recreation possibilities that truly make this challenging and fun with friends.
Score: 8
Terminator Salvation
Platform: Xbox 360, PS3
What’s it about:
In Terminator: Salvation, you are John Connor, a soldier in this post-apocalyptic world, and it's up to you to lead your squad of loyal fighters in a desperate battle for survival against the superior forces of Skynet and its deadly Terminators. Use the environment and objects in it to provide cover and protection as the T-600 and T-7T shoot relentlessly at you and your squad from all angles and the lethal Aerostat blasts you from above.
What do we think:
The movie turned things around with a darker, grittier feel to the Terminator franchise. While the game has got the postapocalyptic feel of LA down and excellent music the creates tension when it needs to the overall mechanic of the game leaves much to be desired. The combat can get repetitive which is saying a lot when the game takes only about 6 six hours to complete. In the end though the game can be fun, it definitely doesn’t deserve the full retail price on the shelves – look for discounts soon or try and pick one up second hand to feel you’ve got the best out of this one.
Score: 6
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Platform: Xbox 360, PS3
What’s it about:
Summon the wizard within you. In the game of Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince, players return to Hogwarts to help Harry survive a fraught sixth year. Engage in exciting wizard duels, mix, and brew magical ingredients in Potions class and take to the air to lead the Gryffindor Quidditch team to victory. You may even get sidetracked by Ron's romantic entanglements as you journey towards a dramatic climax and discover the identity of the Half-Blood Prince.
What do we think:
Another Harry Potter movie means another game to cash in with it. Children and fans of the reluctant wizard will get a lot out of the game with many of references to the original Harry Potter fiction and interesting powers to use. This is a shame because overall the game really only consists of three different activities that can get old fast. The story is also difficult to follow if you don’t already know it from the books or movie. In the end, this one is only for hardcore Potter fans.
Score: 6.5
inFAMOUS
Platform: PS3
What’s it about:
A massive explosion rips through six square blocks of Empire City, leveling everything and everyone in its path. At the center of the blast crater a lone man stands up miraculously unharmed... gifted with incredible powers. From the creators of the award-winning Sly Cooper series, Sucker Punch brings you inFAMOUS, the first open-world action/adventure title by SCEA for the PS3. Players experience what happens when a real person suddenly starts developing super powers. Exact revenge? Protect the innocent? Maybe a little of both? These are the situations you'll face as you play inside of a richly interactive and organic living city. A place where your actions create broader reactions in the citizens and landscape around you. inFAMOUS lets you unravel an evolving mystery, experience fame and/or infamy and battle powerful, iconic villains... all the while giving you the feeling of becoming a modern day superhero.
What do we think:
Some felt that Sony needed to release the game to make it in time for its key competitor – Prototype. After playing both, it is quite evident that there was no rush, Infamous is by far the better of the two. Moving around the city is easy and exciting with fast combat adding to the power upgrades found through missions. The side mission are also fun and you’ll find yourself wanting to finish every one in each city before you even realised! The story is told with great visuals and voice acting that add to the overall feel of the game, making your progression that much more fulfilling. Though the game is marred by clipping other visual glitches that have no place in such a high value game, these can be overlooked due to the experience of playing the game, which is in truth very hard to put down once you’ve started!
Score: 8.5
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