Valkyria Chronicles

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Rating: 4.5/5

Platform: PS3

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A boldly refreshing strategy RPG that is both beautiful to look at and fun to play.

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The Good
Exceptionally beautiful visual design
Unique combination of turn-based strategy and third-person movement
Wonderful, subtle soundtrack
Eliminates multiple genre-specific frustrations.
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The Bad
Foolish AI
Story is very slow to get moving.

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You haven't played anything quite like Valkyria Chronicles. At first, you might think this is due to its striking visual design, but this is a case when beauty isn't just skin deep. By usurping elements of third-person shooters, it offers tactical freedom few strategy role-playing games approach and should become instantly appealing to genre fans and newcomers alike. The game has some drawbacks, including some questionable artificial intelligence that may cause you to scratch your head in confusion. Yet for all its small flaws, Valkyria Chronicles is great fun, and likely to charm your pants off to boot.

The land of Europa may not be exactly of our world, but Valkyria Chronicles is a fantasy version of our own familiar Earth and tells a war story culled from multiple real-world conflicts. It is 1930, and the war between the East Europan Imperial Alliance and the Atlantic Federation spills into Gallia, a small, neutral country that, unfortunately, is also overflowing with a resource called ragnite. Our hero is the well-meaning Welkin, a Gallian student who becomes the unwitting hero of Squad 7, a militia unit comprising a few friends--and a few skeptics. The squad's story is told through scenes organized as episodes and chapters in a book, an effective if slightly disjointed narrative device that emphasizes the storybook visuals. It takes a while for the story to get moving, and you'll be eight or nine chapters in before the fantasy elements truly kick in and the plot begins to gather momentum. But this is a subtle journey, and you will eventually grow to appreciate the understated manner in which the plot unfolds. And the most memorable moments, such as one in which Welkin and the bright-eyed Alicia care for a wounded enemy soldier, are genuinely heartfelt.

It only takes a glance to appreciate Valkyria Chronicles' unique visual design, and you will appreciate its beauty the more you play. The game resembles a watercolor painting in motion, but light crosshatching within textures and gentle edges ensure it looks like no game you've seen before. The pastel color palette is soft but vivid, and it all looks brilliantly cohesive and whimsical. This charm is further accentuated by comic-book onomatopoeia that splashes on the screen during certain events. For example, when you gun down an enemy, you may see "rat-a-tat-a-tat" pop up on the screen to accompany the blistering gunfire. But if you look past the strong art, you'll notice some equally slick technology. The impressive transition animation between the overhead strategic map and the fully 3D environs of each character's turn never gets old, and the game maintains a high frame rate no matter how much high-intensity action may be occurring onscreen.

Terrific sound effects and a fantastic, unassuming soundtrack accompany the outstanding visuals. Yet presentation only gets you so far, and fortunately, Valkyria Chronicles follows through with the thoughtful tactics genre fans expect, delivered in a manner so inviting that even those who usually avoid SRPGs will find something to love. Forget the usual staples of map grids and restricted movement. As with most similar turn-based games, you'll begin each turn by selecting the unit you wish to maneuver, but once you've done that, you zoom in on that character and take full control of him or her from a third-person perspective. From here, movement feels much like that of a third-person shooter, though an action bar limits how far you can travel before that move is finished. Of course, this isn't actually a shooter; you can't freely shoot at enemies during this period--rather, you get a single chance to perform a chosen action. Depending on the unit, that might mean sniping an enemy shock trooper, healing a friendly, or repairing the Edelweiss, your ever-important tank.

This system is both unique and liberating, because it retains much of the challenge of traditional RPGs while removing the limitations we've come to expect. Maps are often huge and throw surprises at you like sandstorms and searchlights, which layer complications onto general tactical considerations, such as unit weaknesses (scouts are vulnerable to shock troopers but can traverse great distances, for example) and cover opportunities (you can crouch behind sandbags or hide behind walls). Yet for all its complexities, Valkyria Chronicles is never difficult to interact with, and it's a wonder that some of its user-friendly features are so uncommon in the genre. You can save at almost any time midbattle, and you can reuse the same units within a single turn, though ammo restrictions and reduced movement capabilities will keep you from exploiting this particular facet. And while you can permanently lose a recruit, you have a few turns to revive him or her by calling in a medic, at which point the unit is removed from the battlefield (but can be resummoned or replaced).

But while your lost units can be replaced by others, you'll want to hold on to the ones you have. That isn't because you will lose an experienced unit; you don't level individuals, but rather, an entire class at one time. Every scout, for example, is at the same level regardless of which one you send to battle. Rather, it's because each soldier is incredibly individualized. They are all physically unique, and their oft-amusing voice-overs paint each unit in broad strokes, which will keep you invested in the ones you like the most. It's hard not to get attached to the meek engineer named Homer when he proclaims his loneliness when separated from his peers. Certain units also bring distinctive status effects to the battlefield, and in some cases, you may earn a new weapon after battle and can assign it to a particular favorite. All of these facets elevate your units from being random recruits and help draw you in to the game's slow-starting narrative.

The individual missions are terrific, placing a variety of interesting obstacles in your way and forcing you to use environments to your advantage. Mines may be scattered about, sniper towers allow you to get a bird's-eye view, and trenches might offer makeshift cover. Some of them may take a few tries as you get a feel for the map, but rising to a mission's challenges on the fly is highly satisfying. Maps such as a desert locale swirling with sand and littered with cover opportunities are visually appealing and offer plenty of tactical possibilities. Other levels, such as one in which you must knock down obstacles to delay a tank's slow progress, are clever and fun, while elements that are simply annoying in similar games (such as late-arriving groups of reinforcements) offer additional challenge without feeling cheap.

While it's easy to appreciate Valkyria Chronicles' individuality, it does suffer from a few noticeable issues, the artificial intelligence chief among them. Your AI foe often takes actions that will boggle your mind. Tanks waste entire turns driving ahead, only to return to the exact same spot. The AI will summon a half-dozen reinforcement snipers, which can't return fire during the player's turn, when you have multiple nearby shock troopers ready to take them down in a single turn. Scouts run directly toward entire groups of soldiers. When this issue is prominent, the challenge--and therefore the sense of reward for a completed mission--is somewhat diminished. The sensitive collision detection can also be a bit awkward, so you aren't always able to maneuver a character around with as much freedom as you like, and the camera is an occasional annoyance in close quarters.

But in a game as smart and delightful as Valkyria Chronicles, it's easy to look past these issues and take comfort in its fun and intelligent take on a genre that has plenty of room to grow. Yet while it is a fantastic new step forward for strategy RPGs, it's a lovely and enjoyable game in its own right, and if you own a PlayStation 3, you should also own a copy of Valkyria Chronicles.

Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe

Published : 15/12 - 2008
Platform : Product Reviews, Xbox 360 Games
Author: Tomas Ratas
Product page on Testfreaks: Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe
Manufacturer: Midway
Product name: Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe
Manufacturer ID / UPC: 00031719300747
Price : PS3 - 2899 INR, XBox 360 - 2499 INR

You got your Mortal Kombat in my DC Universe; you got your DC Universe in my Mortal Kombat! OK, anyone born after the eighties, probably will not get the Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup reference, but it is certainly appropriate for this game. Taking a storied franchise as the DC Universe and pitting it against the Mortal Kombat world could make a great game or just a miserable experience. A game like this one could be easily made with no back story and be just a pure punch fest with new skins on Mortal Kombat style characters and sell plenty of copies to the comic/Mortal Kombat fanboys.

Thankfully, Midway Games enlisted comic writers Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray to flesh out a back-story and turn this game into something special. Although Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe does not fit into the “proper” Mortal Kombat universe or current DC Comics continuity; it does remain true to the characters. Even the Fatalities that are the highlight of any Mortal Kombat game have been toned down for the DC superheroes into the more tame “Heroic Brutalities”.

Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe is built on the Unreal Engine 3 and gameplay looks and feels similar to the original Mortal Kombat series with improved graphics. It is a 2D fighter with three dimensional components. There are four attack buttons represented by the A, B, X and Y controller buttons, the shoulder buttons allow blocks, sidesteps, regular throws and the initiation of Klose Kombat”.

Unlike previous Mortal Kombat games, each character has a unique set of normal movements instead of the standard attacks assigned to all fighters. Pressing the proper button and joypad motion sequences on the controller performs special attacks and movements.

Game Play features one or two player modes. The single player can choose from Arcade, Story Mode, Kombo Challenge and Practice Modes, while two player mode allows head to head fighting. Since this is the Xbox 360 version, you can also go on Xbox Live for Ranked Matches, Player Matches, Private Matches, Join or Create Rooms and check out stats and Leaderboards.
Under the Extras menu, Biographies and Character Viewers, Arcade Ending Viewers and Credits can be found. With the Options menu, the player can control settings for the Controller, Game Play, Audio, Video and Storage Device.

If you have played any of the previous Mortal Kombat versions, game play is similar to previous versions. The fighting screen features Health Bars, Round Timers, Victory Skulls, Combo % Meter, Rage Meter and Kombo Breaker.

To keep things interesting Midway has thrown in a few mini games such as Klose Kombat, Free Fall Kombat and Test Your Might. All three can occur within the standard Mortal Kombat battle.
Klose Kombat provides allows a tight camera view of the fight. It can be triggered by pressing the RB button or pressing the B and Y button simultaneously. Once activated, the aggressor is able to attack using the four face buttons. The attacks continue until the timer expires or the maximum numbers of hits have landed or if the victim successfully initiates a “Kounter” move to stop the Klose Kombat. Kounters occur when the victim performs an “evade” when matching the opponents button presses displayed on screen.

Free Fall Kombat occurs when fighting near one of the Free Fall Kombat Zones. Once initiated, the combatants start a freefall with the initiating player who is the aggressor on top and attacks the victim with the four face buttons similar to Klose Kombat. A successful Kounter causes the players to switch positions in the Free Fall making the victim assume the aggressor position. When the fall ends the player on the bottom receives the most damage.

During Freefall, positions can change multiple times. There is also a Super Move Meter during the fall, landing several successful blows fills this meter up, once enable, the aggressor can unleash a devastating attack. However, the Super Move does leave the attacker open for a Kounter for a much longer period.

Finally, the Test Your Might game is initiated along horizontal transition zones, such as building walls. Once this attack commences, there is a damage meter on top of the screen. As the combatants crash through multiple walls, the attacker hopes to land as many blows as possible, while the defender attempts to neutralize the damage before the timer expires. A skull symbol at the end of the meter indicates the victim’s Health Bar has been fully depleted and defeat awaits at the end of the mini game.

In addition, there is the Rage Mode which allows your player to be possessed by the fury of the Kombat Rage and can absorb several consecutive attacks before being interrupted. Players in the Rage Mode, can break through an opponent’s blocks, cause double damage to their opponent and not be knocked out of an attack; although, the player in Rage Mode can receive normal damage from their opponent.

As with all previous Mortal Kombat games, there is the Arcade mode where the player picks a character and fights through a ladder of opponents who become increasingly more difficult to defeat.

Kombo Challenge involves performing ten sets of move strings for each individual character. These challenges become increasingly more difficult as you move up the sequence. The Kombo Challenge adds additional playability, but can be frustrating at times in figuring out the correct sequence of movements, pauses and button presses.
Specifications:

Mortal Kombat Vs DC Universe
For the first time ever Scorpion, Sub-Zero and the Mortal Kombat warriors battle with Batman, Superman and other popular DC Universe Super Heroes. Choose your side and challenge your opponents with a new fighting system including Freefall Kombat and Klose Kombat along with dynamic multi-tiered environments. Plus, pick your favorite character from MK or DCU and pursue a fighting adventure in the new single player mode with an intertwined storyline and two unique perspectives. Game Website : http://www.worldscollide.com/Category : EntertainmentESRB : T - TeenRelease Date : Available NowNumber of Players : 1 - 2
The main selling point of Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe is the Story mode. Battles are interspersed by cut scenes revealing the back story of why the two universes are intertwined and why heroes are fighting villains, as well as heroes. The basic plot of the game is the DC and Mortal Kombat universes are merging due to a teleportation accident which amalgamated the villains: Shao Kahn and Darkseid.

This fusion causes the release of dark energies which imbues the various characters with Kombat Rage causing them to attack whoever is in the vicinity, be it friend or foe. This sets up battles such as Flash vs. Batman, CatWoman vs. Lex Luthor, Wonder Woman vs, Shazam, etc. In addition, these dark energies cause the characters to shift universes, and realities to merge. The main protagonist in the story is Dark Khan who is the conglomerate of the merged Shao Kahn and Darkseid.

Story mode features the ability to choose to play the Mortal Kombat or DC Universe point of view and the story’s perspective changes with the selection. You will need to play both sides to get the story totally fleshed out.

Of course the first thought running through any comic book geeks head is that Superman in a fist fight, 99% of the time is a no brainer. However, this dark energy and magics have weakened Kal-El to make him an equal to other characters in combat. Superman and Raiden are considered the most powerful playable characters in the game.

Fighting occurs in several well known locales from both universes. Fight arenas range from the Shaolin Temple, Themiscrya, Gotham City, the NetherRealm, and the Fortress of Solitude. These environments include several breakable objects which can be destroyed or cracked open during battle.

Playing Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe felt like a throw back to the earlier versions of Mortal Kombat, which is actually a good thing. Fighting felt familiar, yet there are enough new additions to make it feel new. Each character has their own set of moves and attacks which provides plenty of replayability for the gamer, as it will take more than one or two sittings to master a characters fighting style.

Sometimes, fighting does feel like button mashing, but if you take the time to invest in getting to know a certain characters attacks, then play will become much more enjoyable.
Graphically, the game looks very good, although some character models seem too plastic like such as Wonder Woman. Otherwise, the DC characters are in their recognizable uniforms other than the Hal Jordan Green Lantern character who seems to be wearing a non classic version of his costume.

The voice acting is passable with the Mortal Kombat characters sounding better. Whoever provides the voice of Superman, does not seem to fit the character. The soundtrack of the game has some classic Mortal Kombat sounds including the ever popular “Fight” opening before each battle.

Now the biggest disappointment for the hard core Mortal Kombat fans is the lack of the usual Fatalities. Since this is a DC branded title, the Fatalities have been toned down significantly. As mentioned previously, DC Heroes do not kill, but instead perform “Heroic Brutalities” For instance Superman will pound opponents into the ground, Green Lantern’s crushing ring sphere, or the Flash’s cyclone punch are just some examples. Each character has two finishing moves, so there is plenty of variety.

In addition, with the large character pool available for both universes, it is surprising that the only unlockable characters are Darkseid and Shao Khan.

Conclusion:
Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe is a throwback to earlier versions of the Mortal Kombatt series and that is meant as a complement. The seemingly ill-fitting DC Heroes and Villains mesh nicely with the Mortal Kombat characters, creating an interesting back story and lets the gamer get their fight on. Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe provides enough variety and action to let the casual gamer enjoy the Mortal Kombat franchise, while providing classic Mortal Kombat gameplay for the fighting genre fan.
Pros:Harkens back to classic Mortal Kombat gameplayInteresting backstoryExcellent fighting game
Cons:Voice acting needs workSome character models look a little too plasticyViolence has been racketed down
Grades:
Overall : 4/5
Design : 4.5/5
Performance : 4.5/5

Get Mortal Kombat Vs DC Universe Wallpapers & Snapshots

TNA iMPACT

Vitals: Game: TNA iMPACT
Company: Midway , Midway Studios LA
Genre: Wrestling
Released: 9/9/08
ESRB: Teen MSRP: $59.99

It seems silly to list the pros and cons of a sport where large men in diapers gouge each other in the eyes and sit on each other’s faces during scripted matches. Either it’s your thing or it ain’t. Similarly, your personal preference regarding “professional wrestling” will be the largest determining factor in whether you get much enjoyment out of TNA iMPACT! The game is average enough on all counts that people will either love it or loathe it based on very little else.

TNA iMPACT! has, on initial glance, a decent number of options. You have exhibition and story modes, and match types range from the standard one on one and tag team options to the more “extreme” modes such as “Ultimate X”.

Story mode will be the main mode people will use to unlock the large but initially unavailable roster of wrestlers. After creating a custom wrestler (using a very large number of customizable sliders for style and attire), you learn that you were once the TNA superstar “Suicide.” As “Suicide,” you refused to take a dive in the championship match and were subsequently beaten to a pulp by corrupt wrestlers, only to wake up in a Mexican hospital with a convenient case of amnesia. The only thing you know is that you love mixing it up with bulky men who have a proclivity for face-painting, so you venture back into the ring on a quest for redemption and revenge. Simplistic? Occasionally offensive? Check and check. In other words, just your average TNA storyline.

As you climb the ranks from Mexico back to the US, you will unlock new moves that you can add to your repertoire. A nice feature is that the more complicated moves you land on your opponent, the more style points you rack up, which you use to unlock the new moves/wrestlers/bedazzled chaps, and so forth. It really encourages you to mix up your moves to maximize your point total.

Lots of customization options and a story worthy of Anton Chekhov are all well and good, but if the game doesn’t play well, it won’t amount to much. In the ring TNA iMPACT! is the proverbial mixed bag, doing some things competently and botching some others badly.

Graphically, the game is underwhelming. Wrestlers animate fine and have a decent amount of detail to them, but the arenas are small and fairly static. The sounds of the arena aren’t terribly dynamic, only achieving a crescendo when someone executes a finishing move or gets hit over the head with a chair (the latter being my favorite thing about the game. Maybe a chair-to-face mini-game in the next iteration?).

The controls are easy to pick up, but this is both a blessing and a curse. You have your basic punch and kick which can in turn be pumped up using the strong modifier or the run button. You can also grab and throw your opponent, as well as reverse any move he attempts. The problem is that most moves are context sensitive, so while it’s pretty easy to bust out a cool-looking move, such as a drop kick or piledrive, it’s harder to actually bust out the move you intended. Also, many maneuvers are mapped to the same button. You’ll find yourself performing the wrong action more than once, especially in the corners.

The main problem with the game is clipping and hit detection. For example, if you are performing a flying move to punish an opponent on the mat, the standing animation will cause you to pass right through his body and crash to the ground, where you are vulnerable to his counterattack. This is irritating in multiplayer, but in story mode it can be the difference between victory and defeat. Reverses are also a bit too frequent and don’t require much in the way of careful timing, making the longer and more elaborate moves risky to pull off.

All these issues aside, the game can be fairly entertaining for a short while in multiplayer as you are pounding on a friend with a folding chair, or splitting his legs in the air to get just the right angle for a boot-to-groin special. The action is pretty shallow though, and most folks will likely tire after seeing the same few special moves performed ad nauseum. TNA aficionados may have the fortitude to unlock their favorite characters and arenas, but for everyone else the effort isn’t really worth the hassle.

Gameplay: C+

Look: B-

Presentation: B-

Value: C+

Overall: C+

Tomb Raider Underworld

Rating: 4/5
Price: PC – 999 INR Xbox 360 – 2199 INR PS3 – 2499 INR
Requirements: 3.0GHz processor, 1GB Ram, 8GB HDD Space, 256MB Video card

Category: Nintendo DS, Nintendo Wii, PC, Playstation 2, Playstation 3, Xbox 360

Description for my rating:

Lara returns once again in Tomb Raider Underworld, arguably the most anticipated game bearing the name of the femme fatale for quite some time - but anticipation is not always delivered upon, is it.

Tomb Raider is considered a classic game series by modern day gamers, as the early instalments of the series were something completely different to anything else before it - not least because of the title character, Miss Lara Croft. It is possibly the only series around now which has survived simply because of the popularity of it’s lead character, but with the technology available to developers nowadays, Tomb Raider is in danger of losing it’s appeal if things do not improve vastly, and Tomb Raider Underworld was tipped to be the starting point for the series’ resurrection.

Whether or not Tomb Raider Underworld meets that challenge is debatable to be honest, but in my own personal opinion the game is a bit of a let down once again - something which is now becoming a trend with Tomb Raider titles. Yes Lara is still a great lead character, but the gameplay itself remains much the same as it has for years now and it is in desperate need of a complete overhaul if it is to compete with other action adventure titles around now such as Uncharted Drakes Fortune, Metal Gear Solid 4 and even the likes of less acclaimed titles such as Prince of Persia.

Tomb Raider Underworld is set amongst darker surrounding and circumstances than previous titles as the title would suggest. Lara has some troubles in the beginning and she is rushing to escape her own vast mansion as it is burning down around her - a flashback kicks in to show her two weeks previously taking care of some of her fathers unfinished dirty work which leads her to learning about her mother and other characters featured in previous Tomb Raider titles and most importantly, the mythical Hammer of Thor. To mention the quest you must head out on would be an instant spoiler so we’ll leave that for now, but the storyline is originally intriguing but soon treads into familiar territory and before long you will begin to feel you have played the entire game somewhere before.

Needless to say you, as Lara, must venture across dark and seedy environments to progress on your quest, unravelling various mysteries along the way but as usual it will never be as easy as it sounds. The usual bizarre creatures are there to make it awkward for you, but the games difficulty level is a touch easier than you would expect so disposing of these is rarely much of a challenge. Though Lara does have an impressive array of moves at her disposal, many of which are new, so that is one improvement on previous versions. The frame rates are more than capable of making these moves look smooth and effortless, too.

To be honest it is hard to say a lot more about the game which you will not consider pointless, as everything you will come across has been touched on in previous Tomb Raider titles - in some form at least. The environments are the same as usual, the enemies are the same as usual, the ultimate aim is pretty much the same as usual too - it does get predictable very early on, but as you are Lara Croft, you will keep playing on anyway.

Graphically, Tomb Raider Underworld is not what it perhaps should have been. Similar to the recent Quantum of Solace title, such a huge game franchise deserves far better than what it has received from the developers - it should have been groundbreaking, but instead it looks rushed despite being equally impressive as the majority of games hitting shelves right now. Fans of the series will probably be satisfied though, except from the weirdo’s out there who actually find Lara (a video game character) attractive and want to see her as close to life like as possible.

Tomb Raider Underworld has some good moments, but they are far too rare for this title to be considered a success in my view. A video gaming legend such as Lara Croft deserves far better than this, and this puts more pressure on her next title as it could be the end of her beautifully formed career if it all goes wrong again next time. No a must have by any means.

Fable II

Rating: 4/5

Price: Xbox 360 – 2195 INR

The original Fable title, released back in 2004, firmly established itself as the leading action role playing game exclusively available on the XBox, and Fable 2, once again exclusive to the XBox 360, looks to reaffirm the series’ position at the top of it’s genre.

As we have all come to expect from Lionhead Studios, and in particular Peter Molyneux, Fable 2 had promised so much from the moment it was announced and throughout all of the press releases, development screenshots and trailers through to what we have in front of us today - proper working demo’s and the ability to write about Fable 2 from a hands-on perspective.

In Fable 2, five hundreds years have passed since the days of Fable - which your hero of Oakvale brought an end to the Jack of Blades - but once again the sleepy yet intriguing vicinity of Albion is in dire need of a hero, and believe it or not, that is where you come in once again.

At the beginning you are able to choose between playing as a young boy, or a young girl. Do not let the fact that both characters are young fool you - both will soon develop into highly capable, skilled and experienced adventure characters that you will not be able to help growing attached to as you progress through the world of Fable 2 in their shoes. It will not take you long to realise these kids are tough - tougher than children their age really should be to be honest, but they do not remain kids for long so it does not give the game a sense of absurdity by any means.

As you begin to get into the game you will cross paths with a trader known as Murgo who has all kinds of goods, most of them completely useless, to offer you. However he does have some items that are worth having - notably a music box which is said to grant a wish to whoever comes to have it in their possession, but at a price of five gold coins you will have a little work to do before you can your hands on it and this is ultimately where the game kicks off with any real meaning. To earn the five gold coins that you need to purchase the music box you will need to complete a few quests which you will be given by various people that you come across.

The quests can be a little tedious as they make the beginning of the game drag a little at times, but there is just enough about each quest to keep you going to the end and the rewards of completing them are certainly worth the effort that you put in. Especially seems the music box does not just grant a wish, but according to a mysterious woman named Theresa, it also has magical qualities which makes obtaining the music box too intriguing to resist. One of the first quests you have to complete will charge you with tracking down a number of arrest warrants which have blown away throughout the Bowerstone area of Albion. You may at times find yourself a little lost as the areas in Fable 2 are so vast, but a trail of gold dust will help guide you back to the heart of the action.

Other quests will require you to find a tramps grog which has been stolen, and to clear beetles from a warehouse with a pop gun. If you played Fable, you will know that one of the features of it was the ability to choose whether or not to help people throughout the game, giving your character a unique personality as you progress as you see their presentation and popularity change amongst other civilians of Albion as depending on the choices you make. This feature is again prominent in Fable 2, allowing you to take a path of good or evil in almost every situation that you are faced with.

The storyline, as fans of Fable and role playing games in general would expect is terribly deep and will take all kinds of twists and turns depending on the paths you take and the decisions you make as you progress through the Fable 2 world, but rest assured whatever path you choose in Fable 2 you will find nothing but gripping plots and there is rarely a dull moment to be found. A particularly enjoyable touch to Fable 2 is the choice you are given when caught breaking the law - you can choose to resist arrest, accept a fine or do community service - with resisting arrest being the most fun, accepting a fine being the easy way out, and doing community service facing you with a small but usually simple quest to complete.

The overall presentation of Fable 2 is as close to flawless as you could expect from a game of this type. The graphics are by no means life-like when compared to recent works of art such as Metal Gear Solid 4, but in the world of Fable 2 you would not want things to look ‘real’, so it is certainly not a criticism. The detail level is high, and the animation of the characters is as smooth as anything you will have seen before.

For fans of role playing games Fable 2 will be a relatively short game if you are playing it simply to complete it, and by the admission of developer Peter Molyneux it will only take you around ten hours to do so. However if you want to get as much as you can from the game and to experience all quests and minigames within Fable 2 as well as the multiplayer modes and trading aspects of the title, Fable 2 will give you far more in terms of gameplay hours than most other role playing titles you will get your hands on such is the depth built into the game. You will also want to play through at least twice, if not to play it as both a boy and a girl, then to take the paths of both good and evil.

Fable 2 is a must buy for all role playing game fans, and may even be the excuse some gamers have been waiting for the invest in an XBox 360. For those who do not typically enjoy role playing games, Fable 2 is probably not the best game to introduce you to the series. It has a lot to offer, but may prove too deep if you are a gamer more used to every day fast-paced fun-focussed titles.

Dead Space

Rating: 3.5/5
Price: PC – 999 INR Xbox 360 – 1999 INR PS3 – 2499 INR
Requirements: 2.8GHz processor, 1GB Ram, 7GB HDD Space, 256MB Video card

Description for my rating:

Isaac Clarke is a space engineer, who fixes problems in intergalactic mining ships, which go to distant planets and asteroids to harvest their abundant minerals. The USG Ishimura, the largest vessel of its kind, has some trouble on board – and Clarke and his crew are sent to check it out.

Clarke’s spacecraft crashes into the Ishimura, where he finds that an alien presence has either taken over or killed most of the crew. What follows is a weakly-scripted tale on an alien race that attaches itself to humans, and turns them into zombies. Playing as Clarke, you and your two teammates – Hammond and Kendra – are now mankind’s last hope. It’s a struggle to stifle a yawn here.

After splitting up, you don your special space-mining suit and roam the spooky corridors alone; trying to fix the ship and fragging any alien you came across: tiny and fast critters and huge mutants. In fact the character art and designs are the best part about the game – be it the wretched aliens or Clarke’s masterfully-crafted suit. Developers Electronics Arts (EA) has excelled in the lighting and shadow effects-pivotal factor for horror fictions.

Dead Space delivers on each front: good design and graphics, great gameplay, smart enemies, and so on. In fact, the zero gravity portions of the game are particularly noteworthy.
You can jump from one surface by simply pointing your crosshair to the desired location and pressing the key. Couple that with zero-gravity portion battles and puzzles, and you have one of the most innovative gameplay modes in recent times. Now if only EA would take this and develop a whole game around it.

As for Dead Space, the game is worthy buy, and fans of BioShock and the System Shock series will have a good time with it. Horror aficionados might be left a little disappointed, but the game makes up for that by providing a fairly lengthy campaign, making this one a worthy purchase.

FARCRY 2

Far Cry 2 is the sequel to Far Cry and was developed by Ubisoft Montreal. The developers for the original Far Cry are not involved in the development of Far Cry 2. It is a first person shooter game. In January of this year, they announced that Far Cry 2 would be available, not only for Microsoft Windows, but also for the PlayStation 3 and the Xbox 360. All three versions will be shipped together in the 21st of October of 2008 in North America and a few days later in Europe.

GAMEPLAY
Gameplay is concentrated on the player’s character as he manhunts through a made up area of Africa. The gameplay is completely open-ended because the player can ally with anyone. The player’s choice is a free-for-all, which allows the player to be in control of the game and the pace of the game. Rather than the use of individualized maps, the game is set in a vast Africa landscape that ranges from jungles to the enormous and treacherous deserts. The actual area for gameplay is about 50 square km. Members of the Ubisoft Montreal team traveled around Africa focusing on photographing the animal and plant life. The Ubisoft Montreal team is going to use what they captured on film to kick unbelievably realistic detail into the game.
The choices of action the player takes may have large and lasting effect on the environment. Some of the missions may take special force to complete but if the player floods an area to complete that mission, it may stay flooded for future missions.
A variety of vehicles will be available to the player. Enemies will include human mercenaries, and the creatures that were part of Far Cry will not be featured in the game. Additionally, the player’s untamed abilities from Far Cry Instincts will not be part of Far Cry 2. However, a sweet new weather system has been added that changes the weather according to the abilities of the player. For example, if the player is doing great and kicking it, the sky will be clear, but if the player runs into trouble the sky will turn dark and stormy.
SETTING AND VISUALS
Far Cry 2 is realistic in that the player will have to use a map to get around, use tools to recover from bullet injuries, and pat themselves down when on fire. Weapons break down over time, giving them a dirty look. When the weapons are aged they will jam and actually explode in the hands of the user. Many different types of African wildlife can found in the game.

The wildlife can distract the enemy and share with them your presence. All the big animals that are featured in the game are herbivores, like buffalo, zebras, gazelle, impala, wildebeest and so on. The game does not feature large predatory animals because with the realistic effects, the predators would need to feed on something. The player will have the ability to tag objects and locations of their choosing like cars, sniper towers and ammo pickups for monitoring.
MULTIPLAYER
Multiplayer mode tries to include the super-sleek effects of the single player mode like fire propagation and to provide as much access to gameplay as possible. This allows for a larger playing audience because a wide variety of skill levels is available. Players can design their own maps in the map editor.
One map can support up to 20 players. The game comes with 14 maps predesigned to be anywhere from small to outright immense.

MODES
There are four different modes in the game: 1. Deathmatch 2. Team Deathmatch 3. Capture the Diamond (like capture the flag) and 4. Uprising (each team captain must capture certain points on the map and then assassinate the captain of the opposing team.)

CLASSES
The multiplayer mode is based on class. Each class gets to pick a main weapon and a side arm; they also get to carry explosives. Players can advance weapons by spending 3 blood diamonds. Blood diamonds are earned by killing other players and completing objectives. The upgrade for weapons cascades from operation manuals, maintenance manuals and bandoliers.
The six classes include:
1. Commando- he specializes in mid-range attacks.
2. Sharpshooter – he specializes in long range attacks.
3. Guerrilla- he specializes in short range attack and ambush tactics
4. Rebel- he specializes in fire and heavy explosives
5. Gunner- he specializes in intense weapon power
6. Saboteur- he specializes in stealth tactics with his silenced weapons.