Entertainment is written in the stars

IN my 32 years I’ve often been accused of needlessly ‘staring into outer space’ daydreaming.

And with one of the natural world’s most awe-inspiring light shows set for tonight (Dec 14th) I have every excuse to repeat the act with a purpose.

Tonight’s night sky will provide the backdrop to one of the best meteor showers show of the year.

The Geminids shower is usually considered the best opportunity for younger viewers because the show gets going around 9pm or 10pm.

Despite the optimal viewing time is around 2am there will be plenty of scope for the spectacular.

According to Nasa there will be approximately 50 meteors per hour.

And while tonight’s show is said to be the best, the show will continue until Thursday (Dec 16th) night.

Earlier this year my girlfriend and I tried to get a glimpse of the Perseids meteor shower by driving up onto the moors near Cadover Bridge.

Somehow the sky was clear in the centre of Plymouth, but when we reached our pitch the sky had almost completely clouded over.

However between the few broken cloud formations we did see about five shooting stars, including one which left an incredible green trail in the night sky.

With the current cold snap hitting the UK, most night skies are particularly clear meaning that now is almost the perfect time to see a truly spectacular natural light show.

This week’s show is the last real chance is seeing shooting stars this year.

However visitors to Nasa’s Asteroid Watch website (www.jpl.nasa.gov/asteroidwatch/newsfeatures.cfm?release=2010-385) will be able to get key advice on when is best to catch them in the New Year.

The website offers tips and guidance on the best places, dates and times to view the meteor showers.

As well as gazing skywards this week I’ve also been laughing out loud at former Nirvana drummer and current Foo Fighters front man, Dave Grohl.

That guy is possibly one of the funniest guys in rock.

And here’s the evidence to prove it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3eOR6b6TAZw&feature=related.

If you check out the clip starting at 30 seconds you will discover the reason why people in Derriford may have heard uncontrollable laughter from Herald HQ in recent days.

He’s a legend. ‘Wirwee?’ For sure.

Here’s the best of the latest games releases and the latest charts:
Title: TRON: Evolution
Platform: PS3
Genre: Action
Price: £49.99
Hit count: 73%
It’s amazing that it’s taken 28 years for TRON to be revitalised on the big screen – the 1982 original movie is certainly showing its age these days, but the thought of a person getting sucked into a computer world and battling it out in games for real is one you’d have thought developers would have jumped on countless times.
Evolution does an effective job of bridging the old and new movies in terms of content and offering up an above average licence tie-in from a pure gameplay perspective.
A mixture of futuristic wall running, disc-throwing combat and vehicle racing is executed well, making for enjoyable action fare, but there’s no standout differentiation from the melange of movies-turned-games currently on the shelves.
What made the original movie such a cult classic was true innovation, and it seems that the game could do with a healthier dose of that, too.

Title: Def Jam Rapstar
Platform: Xbox 360
Genre: Music
Price: £49.99
Hit count: 79%
The karaoke revolution has transformed the way we interact with our consoles, as USB microphones grant gamers young and old access to the musical career they could never have imagined (or deserved in most vocal cases).
And it’s now gone a step further as the dedicated world of rap is laid out for you to get stuck into on Xbox 360.
From Beastie Boys classics to more current beats from Busta Rhymes, the vocal challenge won’t be lost on anyone who’s tried it – timing is everything and some of these tracks are too darn quick for anyone but professional rappers to master.
But you’ll have a hell of a time trying, and you can upload your most polished performances for all to see through the Xbox Live community set-up for the game, which impressively also allows you to edit down your video recordings and add bling-bling after effects.
It’s unlikely to produce the next Eminem, but is a cool interactive rap music collection nonetheless.


Title: Gran Turismo 5
Platform: PS3
Genre: Racing
Price: £49.99
Hit count: 90%
Six years in the making, the wait is finally over.
And for gamers keen to pore over every pristine detail of the hundreds of vehicles on offer and the exquisite track environments, it’s the moment they’ve all been waiting for.
Gran Turismo 5 does deliver in pretty much every respect, but perhaps a feeling of over-production lingers throughout.
This is almost to the point where, unless you’re a motoring perfectionist happy to tinker and tweak your engine for hours on end, you might find the overall gaming experience akin to that of handling expensive bone china – handle with care.
You rarely feel free to throw your car around like a good old ’arcade racer’, but then this has never been the objective with GT5.
It’s the thinking man’s racer with a true connoisseur’s car collection.
And for that reason alone, it’s worth parking up in your gaming garage.


Title: Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit
Platform: iPhone
Genre: Racing
Price: £2.99
Hit count: 80%
Hot Pursuit delivers what pretty much all Need For Speed fans crave – instant racing gratification. Whether you’re trying to take down a perpetrator, outmanoeuvre another cop or beat the clock, you’ll struggle to put your iPhone down as you get behind the wheel for one mission after another.
With more than 20 challenges to conquer in the career mode, the simple premise of putting your foot down and steering is enhanced by different race objectives, and a selection of weapons such as tyre-puncturing spikes and road blocks can be employed at strategic points in races to give you a competitive edge.
What Hot Pursuit lacks in depth, it makes up for in cheap racing thrills. And what’s wrong with wanting a bit of that on your iPhone?



GAME CHART ALL FORMATS FULL PRICE
1. Call Of Duty: Black Ops
2. FIFA 11
3. Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood
4. Gran Turismo 5
5. Just Dance 2
6. Michael Jackson: The Experience
7. Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit
8. Wii Party
9. Wii Fit Plus
10. Professor Layton And The Lost Future

Leisure software charts compiled by Chart Track, (c) 2010 UKIE Ltd

Hackers go online to wage war

WITH much of the focus on the ongoing battles in Afghanistan and recent skirmishes between North and South Korea, a smaller - but possibly just as explosive - war has been largely overlooked.
Those troublesome types behind the WikiLeaks website have been under attack - and not just by just about every government across the world.
'Unknown' hackers tried to prevent the release of hundreds of thousands of classified US State Department documents by attacking the WikiLeaks website.
Earlier this week on Twitter the online whistleblower said its website was "under a mass distributed denial of service attack".
However to ensure the impact of its sensational disclosures it released some of the documents to leading national newspapers in Spain, France, Germany, England and New York.

The website later returned to normal service and published the documents leading to mass political denials and speeches.

The documents included 'harsh' criticism by US embassy staff of their host governments, including Russia and China, and unflattering pen portraits of world leaders.

They also disclose how last year Arab rulers urged the Americans to take military action to halt Iran’s nuclear programme.

In a typical denial-of-service attack, remote computers commandeered by rogue programmes bombard a website with so many data packets that it becomes overwhelmed and unavailable to visitors.

Pinpointing the culprits was impossible because the internet’s structure does not allow for the tracing back of the data packets used in such attacks, computer security expert Bruce Schneier said.
Hackers have used denial-of-service attacks over the years to target corporate and government websites.
Last month political bloggers in Vietnam said they were victimised by cyberattacks designed to block their websites to stifle government dissent. Other targets have included US and South Korean government websites in 2009 and computer networks in Estonia, which were crippled for nearly three weeks in 2007 by what were believed to be Russian hackers.
In the weeks leading up to the 2008 war between Russia and Georgia, Georgian government and corporate websites were hit with denial-of-service attacks. The Kremlin denied involvement.
James Lewis, a cybersecurity expert and a senior fellow at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, said it was unlikely the US or some other government would use denial-of-service attacks against WikiLeaks.
His best guess was "a bunch of geeks who’ve decided they’re annoyed with WikiLeaks".
For many it's a difficult subject to be drawn on. Do you choose to side with the free-speech promoting WikiLeaks chaps? Or do you side with the guys who'd rather not see these documents released for fear of a 'reaction' from upset states?
Surely if a minister, leader or state is prepared to propose something with a means to an end, why should it be secret? If something is discussed in private then it's easy to understand, but if it is freely discussed by an open democratic state why hide?
Anyway, winding my neck in here are the latest games reviews and games charts:


Title: Red Dead Redemption: Undead Nightmare
Platform: PS3
Genre: Action
Price: £24.99
Hit count: 92%
Red Dead Redemption was another smash hit for Rockstar in its own right and, mirroring its successful strategy in releasing additional content for Grand Theft Auto 4, the developer brings us Undead Nightmare.
The new offering gives the wild-west title a much needed shot in the arm for gamers who may have already completed the original single-player story.
This time around, Marston’s out to combat a fever plaguing the town – which essentially is zombifying everyone (and everything).
And so begins a brilliant series of missions, played out in much the same way as the main game, but with a few interesting twists.
Not only are the people not what they seem anymore, but zombie horses with unlimited stamina, mad bad bears and a whole lot more bring a creepy vibe to the game.
Once the eight-hour, single-player quest has been completed, a couple of new multiplayer modes should also be explored – Undead Overrun proving to be particularly enjoyable – as you and online pals team up against wave after wave of spooky enemies.
As always, this is top quality free-roaming fun.


Title: Football Manager 2011
Platform: PSP
Genre: Football Management
Price: £29.99
Hit count: 88%
Let’s do the time-warp: And no, I’m not talking about dressing up a bit weird and putting your hands on your hips.
Much less energetic, but significantly more engrossing, is slipping the Football Manager 2011 disc into your PSP and losing yourself in the time-warp that is the virtual world of football management.
It’s the epitome of long-term, on-the-go gaming, as you turn the club of your choice into Champions League challengers.
And the options are endless: A staggeringly huge database of players to pick from with all the transfers included from the summer transfer window, improved positions tactics screen and much better graphics in the 2D game engine all take the already polished experience to another level.
Plus, the game ’skin’ has also been updated for a fresh new feel.
It’ll give you a headache trying to think about how so much data has been packed onto one little disc, but save your grey matter – you’ll need it to secure world football domination...


Title: Need For Speed Hot Pursuit
Platform: PS3
Genre: Racing
Price: £49.99
Hit count: 91%
Console racer fans have had plenty to get their teeth into in 2010 and Need For Speed Hot Pursuit has made a late winter burst to grab the top spot on the podium going into the lucrative Christmas period: And it blows the competition away.
Not only does it benefit from the same super-tight controls and jaw-dropping visuals that developers Criterion constantly delivered in the Burnout series, but it also offers up a cops and robbers-style career mode that sets it apart from the host of similar titles on the shelves right now.
Blasting through this mode from both sides of the law will show you just how differently the same stretch of road can play out, depending on your driver objectives.
Also, it's surprising just how much strategy you'll need to deploy to reach the later stages, where the cream of the souped-up motors come out to play.
Add to that an incredibly satisfying online experience, and you have a game that's sure to hit the spot in stockings around the UK this Christmas.

 

Title: Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood

Platform: Xbox 360

Genre: Action Adventure

Price: £49.99

Hit count: 90%

The critically acclaimed Assassin's Creed experience is back and better than ever, as Ezio returns in an epic struggle against the powerful Templar Order.

Now a legendary Master Assassin, Ezio must journey into Rome to strike at the heart of the enemy.
And this time, defeating the corrupt tyrants entrenched there requires not only strength, but leadership, as you (Ezio) must command an entire Brotherhood that will rally to your side.

This team-attacking capability is one of the major new developments for the stunning series – which is also enhanced by a host of new Renaissance-era gadgets and gizmos to help you in your epic quest.

Yet again, the graphics are stunning and the story is as engaging as ever.

When also considering the full-blown multiplayer mode added to the Brotherhood offering, gamers will find an embarrassment of action riches at their disposal here: All of which should see Ezio-mania live on for some time yet.

 

Title: EA Sports Active 2 - Kinect Compatible

Platform: Xbox 360

Genre: Fitness
Price: £79.99
Hit count: 85%

Clear a space in the lounge and transfer all fragile valuables into another room, as EA Sports Active 2 – the home-based workout in a box – comes to Xbox 360.

Making full use of the Kinect hardware’s motion sensing capabilities, this title comes complete with new leg and arm straps as well as a heart monitor, which can track every press up and sparring session you complete.

And it’s the community element of the title that really adds a new dimension to the experience – with users able to track their fitness data through automatic uploads and then compare with the progress of friends.

And the sheer scale of exercises to tackle is enough to make you exhausted, with more than 70 different tasks available to mould into your perfect personal fitness program.

Alternatively, you can try out the ones designed by professional personal trailers.

All in all, Sports Active 2 is a fab way of showing what motion sensing gaming can bring to the party, so get your shorts and sweatbands sharpish.

 

GAME CHART: ALL FORMATS FULL PRICE

1. Call Of Duty: Black Ops

2. Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood

3. Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit

4. FIFA 11

5. Just Dance 2

6. Wii Party

7. Wii Sports Resort

8. Professor Layton And The Lost Future

9. Kinect Sports

10. New Super Mario Bros. Wii

Leisure software charts compiled by Chart Track, (c) 2010 UKIE Ltd

The comedy value of the internet

THERE have been a number of things which have kept me smiling in recent weeks.


And they’ve all appeared online.

Firstly did you hear about the planned search engine ‘Groggle?’

Before you click off this page thinking I’m referring to some Google rip-off just a read a little more.

Groggle was due to be launched by an Australian to allow the nation to find the best-priced ‘grog’ in nearby stores.

Ingenious idea right?

Well, it was until search giant Google complained at his effort to trademark the name, prompting a six-month legal wrangle.

Now the name Groggle has been changed to a more conventional title, Drinkle, ahead of its launch in 2011.

Secondly, and don’t ask me how the hell I got onto this but... has anyone ever looked at pet dating websites?

I’m not sure exactly HOW I found this the other day but hey, it made me giggle.

Basically www.datemypet.com is apparently the leading online dating website created exclusively for pet lovers.

The website claims “whether you are looking for a life partner, a buddy for your pet or just someone to hang out with, here you’ll be able to find exactly who you are looking for – pet lovers like yourself”.

Let’s just hope most of the owners on the website don’t look like they’re pets! Eek.

And finally, remember the campaign last year to rock Simon Cowell’s world and send Rage Against The Machine’s classic rock anthem ‘Killing In The Name’ to the top of the charts?

Well, campaigners have come up with an even whackier idea to truly funk up the system.

A couple of weeks ago more than 20,000 people had backed a campaign to get a recording of four-and-a-half minutes of silence to top the charts this Christmas.

Supporters have signed up on Facebook to back Cage Against The Machine which aims to put avant-garde composer John Cage’s silent work 4’33" in the top spot.

A similar internet campaign last year saw Rage’s anthem beat 2009 X Factor winner Joe McElderry’s song The Climb to the Christmas number one.

The winner of this year’s X Factor is expected to be a strong contender to top the charts this Christmas.

So who’s up for making December 25 a ‘silent night’?

Ho ho ho...



Here are the latest releases and games charts:
Title: Call of Duty: Black Ops
Platform: PS3
Genre: Shooter
Price: £54.99
Hit count: 9/10
As the bar is raised ever higher with each passing year, so the pressure intensifies on the Call Of Duty franchise to remain at the pinnacle of the first person shooter genre.

And Treyarch has done it again, posting a shooter that would be a standalone success if it were only the multiplayer mode that came on the disc, let alone the incredible single player story.

Set in the 1960s, and following the fortunes of Black Ops’ Alex Mason for the most part, the game produces as refined (and brutal) a shooter as you’ll have ever experienced.

You won’t miss the departed campaign co-op, and you will absolutely love the vehicle missions, atmospheric music and incredible explosions aplenty.

All action lovers shouldn’t even bother putting this on their Christmas lists – they need to go and get this now.

Title: Pro Evolution Soccer 2011
Platform: PSP
Genre: Football
Price: £29.99
Hit count: 7/10
The battle for footballing supremacy always looms large on the next-gen consoles each year, and the PSP also hosts its own soccer showdown between FIFA and Pro Evolution every 12 months – the Carling Cup to the Champions League, if you will.

Here, much like its big brother, PES 2011 relies heavily on its ‘total freedom’ gameplay system where players have full control over every pass and shot through the addition of a permanent power bar.

On the small screen, a few hours with PES 2011 makes you realise that not too much else has changed though, in terms of presentation, licensing and overall reinvigoration of the series.

The game engine has certainly freshened up the experience, and there’s no doubt that you’ll score the kind of goals that FIFA could only look at and long for.

So what’s the final score this year? Probably a well fought draw.

Title: Blacklight: Tango Down
Platform: PS3
Genre: Action
Price: Check PSN store
Hit count: 8/10
Like many shooters launched in the last couple of years Modern Warfare 2 seems to have stolen the march.

So much so in fact that many, including the actually quite good ones, get overlooked.

And Blacklight: Tango Down is one of them.

The multiplayer-focused first-person shooter isn’t the most original, but it’s cheap, fun – oh, and violent as hell.

It boasts 12 maps and a Black Ops mode which enables you to play with four others.

You progress quickly through the game earning rewards quickly as you go.

These lead to all manner of upgrades – including some pretty gnarly weaponry.

Title: Goldeneye
Platform: Wii
Genre: Shooter
Price: £34.99
Hit count: 9/10
It’s a brave developer that takes on the legendary Goldeneye game for a remake.

It’s still the stuff of legend for those old enough to remember marathon multiplayer sessions with four of you huddled around one TV in split screen mode. But things move on, and with Pierce Brosnan controversially ousted from what really was his Bond film, Daniel Craig brings a more brutal flavour to the 2010 versions, which thankfully turns out to be a fantastic first person shooter in its own right, with just enough nods to its glory days.

And it all boils down to gameplay.

Goldeneye has one of the best executions of FPS shooter mechanics using the motion-sensing controller, plus there’s the option to play in analogue-style classic controller mode – something for gamers of all generations.

And yes, the old split screen is back, alongside today’s customary online gaming options, which will once again bring a kind of multiplayer mayhem to your TV that will warm the cockles on a winter’s evening. Bond is well and truly back, whoever’s playing him!

Title: Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II
Platform: PS3
Genre: Action
Price: £49.99
Hit count: 7/10

So, the epic story continues, as players once again assume the role of the devastatingly powerful Starkiller – Darth Vader’s secret apprentice – set during the largely unexplored era between Star Wars: Episode III Revenge Of The Sith and Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope.

What ensues is a truly beautiful recreation of this intergalactic world, which Star Wars fans really shouldn’t miss out on.

However, beyond the beauty and scale of the level environments, The Force Unleashed II comes up short in several departments.

The over-the-top powers at your disposal somehow lessen the experience, while the well-considered combat mechanics feel like they weren’t developed to their full potential.

This is all a crying shame, because this should be a rip-snorting action title, but ultimately the core gameplay failings and brevity of the main story make this an opportunity missed by Starkiller, Vader and co.

GAME CHART ALL FORMATS FULL PRICE

1. Football Manager 2011

2. FIFA 11

3. Fable III

4. Just Dance 2

5. Professor Layton And The Lost Future

6. New Super Mario Bros. Wii

7. Fallout: New Vegas

8. Medal Of Honor

9. Star Wars: The Force Unleashed 2

10. The Sims 3

Leisure software charts compiled by Chart Track, (c) 2010 UKIE Ltd

Blockbuster release: just invite friends

IMAGINE the plot... man wants to buy him mother a pair of slippers for Christmas.


He can’t find them on the high street and fears his cherished mother’s festive gift wishes will fall by the wayside.

So he goes online.

And there, buried in the listings he finds them... on Amazon.co.uk.

Okay, admittedly it needs some work.

Maybe a few cameo appearances by the great and good of Hollywood, some Spielberg magic and some Lucas special effects.

But hey, it’s got to be worth a shot right?

I mean, a FILM about Facebook?!

“Invite your friends,” could be one tag line; “you have a notification – see THIS film,” could be another; or rather “I’m going to write a status update to make my dreary life sound interesting”.

Ring any bells?!

Well. I just can’t get my head around it. Are we seriously that out of fresh ideas that we need to turn to the fb phenomenon?!

Whatever next?

Ok, some may say it’s worth seeing because of the character behind the website’s creator but come on.

Meanwhile it seems the Call of Duty guys have taken a step closer to basing a film on a game.

By the look of the screenshots of the latest instalment it looks awesome.

And the game’s developers backed down to strip away the feature allowing you to play as a member of the Taliban.

Controversial to say the least. But then again. If they simply invented the idea to generate publicity for the game I think it worked.

Anyway, sorry for the lack of updates recently. No excuse.

Work and life overtake, well blogging.

Fortunately there have been a number of game releases in recent weeks which must have kept you ticking over.

Here’s the best of the best:


Title: Medal Of Honor
Platform: Xbox 360
Genre: Shooter
Price: £49.99
Hit count: 5/5
Medal of Honor, until now, has had its feet firmly in the past with Second World War recreations firing FPS imaginations across the console generations. But now the series has been brought bang up to date as Afghanistan becomes the virtual battleground for shooter fans, and Medal Of Honor sets about establishing itself as a premier FPS experience with Call Of Duty: Black Ops on the horizon. And it succeeds.
A cram-packed eight- to 10-hour single player campaign is perfectly complemented with an engaging multiplayer experience that uses a host of ’career development’ devices to keep you coming back for more, in the shape of medals, ribbons, unlockable character upgrades and three character classes to master.
Visually stunning, the control gripes throughout are minimal, and Medal Of Honor has set a pretty high benchmark on- and offline for Call Of Duty to hurdle.
Let battle commence...



Title: Castlevania: Lords Of Shadow
Platform: Xbox 360
Genre: Action
Price: £49.99
Hit count: 4/5

To be mentioned in the same breath as other 3D action adventures such as Devil May Cry and God Of War is interesting territory for the Castlevania franchise to move into.
To so many hardcore gamers, the series is about side-scrolling 2D action and nothing more. But this move into a three-dimensional world has done the series well, and Lords Of Shadows is a blast to blitz through, offering up a good 20 hours of hacking, slashing, puzzle solving and epic boss battles from the fantasy world.
It’s a gorgeous looking game, enhanced by a sprinkling of Patrick Stewart’s vocal talents and a pretty tasty story to follow, too.
While fans of open-world adventures may feel restricted in what appear to be wide-open environments, falling into the more linear playing style required doesn’t stop Lords Of Shadow from having plenty of surprises up its sleeves.
Action fans should enjoy Gabriel’s whip cracking tour of vampires, werewolves and much more besides...

Title: Pro Evolution Soccer 2011
Platform: PS3
Genre: Football
Price: £49.99
Hit count: 5/5

Many PES hardcore fans will have done the unthinkable last year – defected to FIFA. For all those licensed bells and whistles and undeniable superiority in game quality, it still felt like moving to the dark side.
Pro Evo has always been considered the "real" football title for "real" football fans, but they were all let down badly in 2010.
Thankfully this year PES is back on form, but in a very different guise, with all in-game assistance turned off. That’s right, you’re on your own from the very beginning, but it’s well worth putting the hours in, because once the control penny drops you’ll be knocking out through balls and clipped passes and 30-yard screamers the likes of which FIFA can only dream of.
It’s a relief, because in many other ways – licences and commentary in particular – Pro Evo still seriously lags behind. But fear not, if you’re the kind of Pro Evo fan that always forgave these eccentricities, then you’ll be in your element with the 2011 version.
Thank goodness... Pro Evo’s back!


Title: Halo: Reach
Platform: Xbox 360
Genre: Shooter
Price: £49.99
Hit count: 5/5
It’s been touted as the last hurrah for the Halo series, delicately crafted by Microsoft’s Bungie development team, and pretty much all that fans want to know is whether Halo: Reach proves to be a fitting send-off for the series.
And the answer is a resounding yes.
With a single player campaign packed with more meaty Covenant conflict than you can shake a carefully customised armoured fist at, and a mulitplayer experience that easily rivals the very best online action out there right now, Reach is an instant classic.
Fans of the series will revel in the epic storyline, while newcomers will wonder why they’ve dodged Spartan advances for so long. Refined combat, a host of strategic armoury options, and an Xbox Live community ready to effortlessly rack up millions of online hours of glorious FPS fun and frolics – what are you waiting for, Reach out and touch one of the finest shooters ever created.

Game developers enlist Taliban for new title

ELECTRONIC Arts is finding itself in the crosshairs of game industry critics.

With it striving to create a game as authentic as possible, its latest Medal of Honour installment is making a few enemies.

According to reports the multi-player mode allows players to play as a member of the Taliban.

Needless to say the decision to allow this element in the game has caused quite a stir.

But then of course look at other decisions made by game developers.

The Nazis have to be the number one ‘baddies’ in most war games.

And the accent of those in others seems to resemble that of Russians.

But I’m pretty sure that neither World War Two or the Cold War were being fought when a computer game was released casting the Germans or the Russians.

The problem is that the Afghanistan war is as fresh in the mind as it ever has been.

Not a day goes by when you switch on the TV or radio and hear mention of another British or coalition forces casualty.

So to many, the decision to cast the Taliban is in rather bad taste — especially as it’s fair to assume that Taliban fighters will win a substantial number of online multiplayer games.

One thing’s for sure, it would be a pretty short game if you played the part of a Taliban suicide bomber.

Joking aside, will it prevent people buying the title? Of course not.

The franchise is huge — grossing more money than most Hollywood films.

But I feel a line needs to be drawn.

Much like the level of violence in games such as GTA.

Yes it’s make-belief, but shock-tactics surely shouldn’t be a unique selling point.

But here’s Jeff Brown, senior director of corporate communications for EA, reportedly selling his side of the story.

“I think this is all nonsense generated by people who haven’t played a videogame in the last 20 years,” he said.

“This is not a shock to anyone who plays videogames. In a conflict game like this, someone has to be the bad guy .. ‘The Hurt Locker’ won the Academy Award, but this makes the distinction that game makers can’t portray a contemporary war.”

Here’s the best of this week’s games:


Title: Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days
Platform: PS3
Genre: Shooter
Price: £49.99
Hit count: 4/5
This is certainly one shooter that’s not for kids, but how those youngsters will be praying for their birthdays to fly past so that they can get their hands on Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days.
For every moment that exposes this game for the raw and brutal crime shooter it unashamedly is, behind the blood and gore the dedication to getting this game right also shines through.
A much more engaging and immersive experience, you follow the eponymous duo (who are probably the most disturbed criminals to have graced a video game) through the gritty Shanghai underworld. Improvements on the original have been made in almost every area of the single-player game, while multiplayer boasts some ingenious and truly innovative modes.
This includes Undercover Cop, which instructs one member of the robbers’ group to blow his team’s plans to complete a bank robbery.
Guaranteeing there’s a traitor in your crew only serves to heighten the tension, and Dog Days delivers that, as well as quality shooter gaming, in spades.



Title: Lara Croft And The Guardian Of Light
Platform: Xbox Live Arcade
Genre: Action
Price: 1,200 Microsoft points
Hit count: 4/5
Lara’s big budget outings are fairly few and far between these days, but this Xbox Live Arcade adventure is a reminder of just how much fun you can have with the intrepid explorer.
Taking a different gameplay tack to the traditional over-the-shoulder shooter style approach, Guardian Of Light lives within an isometric third-person set-up, as you navigate your way through a number of levels, each containing tombs to explore, a multitude of beasts to battle and no shortage of puzzles to solve.
Using the left analogue stick to move and the right one to aim your weapons works really well, and has a slick, simple arcadey feel to it.
The levels are engaging and tough work – each just long enough to feel substantial, yet not that expansive to make you feel like the challenges and rewards on offer are unobtainable.
Graphically, this does suffer a little, as it’s not the cutting edge engine or arty minimalist treatment that can work so well. But this is good old arcade gaming fun, which the look complements, and you should check it out.


Title: Space Shuttle Mission Simulator
Platform: PC/Mac
Genre: Simulation
Price: £34.99
Hit count: 4/5
Spaceflight enthusiasts who scoff at the likes of Buzz Lightyear trivialising the world of outer space will be delighted to hear that Space Shuttle Simulator takes things altogether more seriously and gives PC and Mac gamers probably the closest thing you’ll get to sitting in the cockpit yourself.
The developers have made it a labour of love to accurately recreate the 3D virtual cockpit setting, the shuttle itself, international space station and satellites.
Right from the Commander or Pilot’s seat, you can experience the lift-off shakes and roar of the engines, after which the success of mission procedures rest in your hands, including the ever so tricky manual guiding of the shuttle to a safe landing.
A whopping 22 missions should keep you busy enough, and with the developer even recommending that you study the real shuttle manual to get more out of the game, you know this is one simulation that should keep space enthusiasts seriously entertained.


Platform: PC
Genre: Fighter
Price: £29.99
Hit count: 4/5
Coming from the creators of the Guilty Gear series, BlazBlue should quite rightly be held in high regard before you’ve even slipped the disc into your PC.
And it’s a relief to say that such fighter hype is well justified.
The hand-drawn 2D sprites on 3D backgrounds will take your breath away, but you’ll need all the puff you can muster as the action explodes in glorious high definition. Mastering the basics is crucial, but after that the true depth of BlazBlue’s combat system really comes to the fore.
It forces players to master combos, anticipate opponent onslaughts and fight tactically, all in a stellar blaze of multicoloured flashes and flourishes.
Put simply, this is a fighter that raises the bar for those to come, and makes you wonder what you ever did with your online gaming time before this – you can even take on Xbox 360 fighters!



GAME CHART ALL FORMATS FULL PRICE
1. Toy Story 3

2. Red Dead Redemption

3. Dance On Broadway

4. LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4

5. Art Academy

6. Just Dance

7. Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels Starry Skies

8. Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

9. Super Mario Galaxy 2

10. Madden NFL 11


Leisure software charts compiled by Chart Track, (c) ELSPA (UK) Ltd

Addicted to a 'fantasy league' world

BESIDES playing Uncharted: Among Thieves on my PS3, working at Herald HQ, and seeing my squeeze and friends, I rarely find time to do much else.

Until now.

Last Thursday I stepped forward and signed up to a fantasy football league.

And just when I thought I couldn’t squeeze much else into my life, space has become readily available.

It’s my new addiction. And man is it fun.

For years I’ve ignored the taunts and calls from friends to sign up.

But now for some reason, my resilience buckled.

Quite how fantasy football used to work before the internet is beyond me.

But now, in its web form, it is a thing of beauty for fans of football.

Fantasy football sees individuals create a team of 15 players using £100million of virtual money.

That team of players then plays in real life, scoring points (in the virtual world) for goals scored and assists and minutes played etc etc.

The points you gain are totalled up after every game with your players’ points boosting your standing in the league you’re in.

For the record, in a league of two (the other team being managed by my brother), I am a close-running second after the first fixtures of the season.

And in the second league I am 11th out of 14.

Admittedly not the best start but hey, I’m a beginner.

And if anyone questions why on earth so many people would be interested in something purely fun and bordering on being dangerously addictive to the point of despair, ask yourself this: How can 1,871,027 people be wrong?!

That is a MASSIVE number of people who are in the same position as me.

And that’s just the Barclays Premier League fantasy football league.

I find it staggering that so many people — supposedly the majority being based in the UK — are fantasy football followers or, as I like to put it ‘Armchair Alex Ferguson’s’..

Personally I think the whole fantasy football thing is brilliant for meeting people.

It’s amazing that you can get into a dozen conversations with ease while watching the TV in a pub.

If you listen carefully you’ll hear an “oh well at least Lampard’s goal just bagged me four points” from a Man Utd supporter or something similar.

Check it out: http://fantasy.premierleague.com/M/myleagues.mc.

If you’re too late this year seriously have a think about next year.

Aside from breathing it’s surely one of the most addictive things known to man.


Here are the best games from the last two weeks:
Title: Madden NFL 11
Platform: PS3
Genre: American Football
Price: £49.99
Hit count: 5/5

While the English Premier League season gets under way this weekend, across the pond the NFL season is rumbling into action, too, signalled by the release of American Football’s standard-bearer across all consoles — Madden.

The franchise has been around for 21 years, would you believe, and each annual incarnation is ultimately judged on the improvements made from the last version.

Here, there are plenty of reasons to be cheerful.

The new GameFlow system seriously speeds up games, as AI chooses plays from your tailored selection, while dual analogue controls allow you to now control a player’s upper-body movements to help you glance off onrushing opponents.

Online Team Play is another major addition that you’ll love, but the lack of overhaul to Online or Offline Franchise modes may disappoint some diehards. Overall though, it’s unmistakably Madden, and an annual gaming event you shouldn’t miss out on.


Title: Predators
Platform: iPhone
Genre: Action
Price: £1.79
Hit count: 5/5
It’s amazing to see that there’s still mileage in the Predator franchise, and while the films may have taken a turn for the worse since the original was released, the video game incarnations have actually turned out to be pretty good fun.

Predators on iPhone puts you in control of one of the most savage beasts ever known and essentially works you through a series of human killing sprees, gradually developing your Predator powers, teaching you new killing techniques and rewarding you with ’honor points’ for the many different ways that you choose to dispose of your enemies.

From beheading to body splicing, this is a bloodthirsty title with just enough cartoony charisma to keep it from being unsavoury.

It’s adult nonetheless, and the customisation of your blades, helmet and other unlockable armour also adds a dash of character development to the claret coloured action.

Predators doesn’t pretend to be anything other than an all-out action gore-fest, but it succeeds in this aim superbly.


Title: We Sing Encore!
Platform: Wii
Genre: Singing
Price: £29.99
Hit count: 4/5

The Wii’s answer to Singstar and Lips, We Sing was released to great fanfare last year, yet ultimately failed to deliver on its promise offering the least depth in gameplay of the singing trio.

As such, entitling the sequel Encore is probably something of a misnomer, as few gamers would have been crying out for more.

However, this version, boasts a host of new features, including the option for four singers to sing together on four mics, while there’s an impressive 40-strong track list, too.

Artists as varied as Gloria Gaynor, Lady Gaga and Florence And The Machine all make the line-up, plus there are now fully singable Rap and R&B songs.

A host of party modes certainly improve the group experience and singing lessons allow you to fine-tune your vocal talent (if you have any).

All in all, Encore is a step in the right direction for the series, but there are still some better console crooners out there right now.


Title: Disney Pixar: Up
Platform: PC/Mac
Genre: Action/Adventure
Price: £4.99
Hit count: 4/5
Up has been trumpeted as the biggest and best Disney/Pixar release since Toy Story.

It was high praise indeed for the high-flying adventures of Carl Fredricksen and his young sidekick, Wilderness Explorer Russell, but did the video game meet similarly high expectations?

In a word, no, but fans of the film will find more than enough to keep them entertained for a little longer on Mac or PC, as you take charge of the four main characters from the movie — Carl, Russell, Dug the lovable dog or Kevin the prehistoric bird — while also enjoying the choice of playing as a single-player or with a friend cooperatively throughout the entire game.

It’s predominantly a fun 3D platformer with a few puzzles and beasties to get the better of along the way, and special items such as Carl’s hearing aid and Russell’s trumpet have their own fun uses, too.

While there’s nothing ’new’ about what’s been done here, the kids will still love it - and you can’t really go wrong for a fiver!



GAME CHART ALL FORMATS FULL PRICE
1. Toy Story 3

2. Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

3. Dance On Broadway

4. Starcraft II: Wings Of Liberty

5. Red Dead Redemption

6. Just Dance

7. Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels Starry Skies

8. LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4

9. Super Mario Galaxy 2

10. Battlefield: Bad Company 2

Leisure software charts compiled by Chart Track, (c) ELSPA (UK) Ltd

How to lose friends and alienate people

Chapter One: Try leaking 91,000 ‘classified’ files onto the internet about the Afghanistan war and see how many British or American servicemen friend request you on Facebook.

One reported ‘22-year-old military intelligence analyst’ is about to feel the wrath of the US Government after being arrested as the chief suspect in the international scandal.

Earlier this week he allegedly leaked the secret reports and documents onto the WikiLeaks website entitled under the title ‘Afghan War Diary, 2004-2010’.

The reports, while written by soldiers and intelligence officers, and mainly describing lethal military actions involving the United States military, also include intelligence information, reports of meetings with political figures, and related details.

The US Government has said WikiLeaks has “blood on its hands” after publishing the details.

And you have to agree. I haven’t read all 91,000 documents but I’m guessing there will be a fair bit in there which might be read by some as being well... controversial.

Surely things are labelled ‘secret’ for a reason?

Sounds like treason to me.

Only time will tell what the outcome of that leak is. But I wouldn’t want to be in the shoes of the suspect that’s for sure...

Visit: http://wardiary.wikileaks.org/.

 

Meanwhile it’s been announced that West Country soul star Joss Stone has been unveiled as the latest 00-Devon... sorry, Bond girl.

A digital version of Stone will star as the femme fatale Nicole Hunter in James Bond 007: Blood Stone, the agent’s new video game.

Stone said she played her Bond girl a “bit like a posh version of Paris Hilton”.

Daniel Craig stars as the voice of 007 in the new game, and Blood Stone also features the voice of Dame Judi Dench as M.

And here’s the most exciting part — GoldenEye screenwriter Bruce Feirstein wrote the storyline for the game.

James Bond 007: Blood Stone will be in shops this Christmas for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Windows PC.

School’s out and the gaming world is slowing down in terms of big new releases.

But if you’re looking for games to keep you buzzing during the summer holidays, don’t worry, there’s plenty on offer online.

Title: Limbo
Platform: Xbox Live Arcade
Genre: Platform / puzzle
Price: 1200 Microsoft points
Hit count: 5/5

A boy in search of his sister. That’s all you’re told. And so begins a dark, intriguing and challenging 2D platform puzzler.

The old adage of less being more has never been more directly demonstrated in a game that relies on black and white alone for its colour palette, minimal audio and no spoken or written dialogue.

It’s sparse, but sensationally so. Progressing your young protagonist through the four to five hours of incredibly atmospheric gameplay will present a serious challenge to even the most seasoned of adult puzzle gamers, but don’t let that put you off.

Puzzles are there to be thought about, played around with and then overcome with a whoop of success and warm feeling of gaming satisfaction.

Limbo has this in spades, with excellent pacing and increasing of difficulty as you move into more industrialised environments and the harsher puzzle mechanisms you have to master.


Title: Battlefield 1943
Platform: PS3 PlayStation Network
Genre: Action
Price: £9.99
Hit count: 4/5

The Battlefield series has already built up a strong following through its full-price releases in recent years, but this budget bargain on PSN more than matches the full-scale titles with a widespread war offering across three islands in the Second World War-era Pacific Ocean.

Choose from the US Marines or Japanese Navy and take to land, sea or air to join in the fight, whether you’re more of a lone sniper or an aerial bomber.

It looks gorgeous, plays like the beautiful open-world battlefield that you’d expect and, while a few of the modes are missing from this incarnation, there’s still plenty for you to get your teeth into online, and 16 human players buzzing around an island in a game of ’capture the bases’ is easily one of the best multiplayer experiences around right now.

Title: Monkey Island 2 Special Edition: Le Chuck’s Revenge
Platform: Xbox Live Arcade
Genre: Adventure
Price: 800 Microsoft points
Hit count: 4/5

Back in the day when 286, 386 and 486 PCs ruled the gaming waves, you simply couldn’t beat a good old point-and-click adventure game, and the Monkey Island series sat squarely at the top of the tree.

Where the original game occasionally floundered, this sequel came to the rescue, improving in pretty much every way, and now it has been graphically and sonically remastered to provide possibly the purest way to enjoy Le Chuck’s Revenge.

Purists may want to hark back to the original VGA graphics (which can be done here), but you’d be crazy not to accompany this with the incredible new audio and voice acting that can be layered over the top.

The point-and-click controls have been usurped by direct character control of Captain Threepwood, which is a shame, but this is a minor grip in an otherwise marathon and deeply satisfying adventure.

If you’ve never played the series before, dive in now.



GAME CHART: ALL FORMATS FULL PRICE

1. Toy Story 3

2. Red Dead Redemption

3. Dance On Broadway

4. LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4

5. Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11

6. Super Mario Galaxy 2

7. 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa

8. Just Dance

9. Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels Starry Skies

10. Crackdown 2
Leisure software charts compiled by Chart Track, (c) ELSPA (UK) Ltd

Reading: The future

READING and literature must not be “swept away” by new technologies that are commanding more of children’s time — according to a top playwright.

Sir Tom Stoppard has this week warned that English and the humanities are vitally important to a child’s education and should not be sidelined.

True. Fair point... and well put.

But isn’t it a wise move to try and adapt to the next generation?

I mean sure, I enjoy a good book. And there is something about peeling off the yellowing pages to an aging release.

But in this ever changing world, surely we need to get more and more kids interested.

What nine-year-old wants to spend his pocket money on getting a bus to the book store to buy the latest paperback?

They’d rather spend their money on buying the latest video game or DVD.

And that’s why I love the likes of the Nintendo DS.

Somehow those clever types have found the balance between education and play releasing all these word and number-based brain games to appeal to the masses.

It could be argued that while many traditionalists lambasted the release of the so-called electronic books (e-readers), they are helping to expand the ways in which we read.

Personally I think there is a balance and, while video games like GTA are hardly ‘educational’, other titles on different titles cause more good than harm.

Look at the likes of Wikipedia too.

While admittedly anyone can change an entry on Wikipedia, how good is it as a learning tool?

Anyway, changing the subject quite dramatically (because being random is SO much more interesting than being normal), has anyone ever googled ‘Chuck Norris’ and clicked on the fifth link down?

Now THAT is funny.

So, onto more important things... to celebrate the release of the Transformers: War for Cybertron video game, Game On has teamed up with our friends at Activision to offer five lucky readers the chance to win a copy of the game on Xbox 360.

Transformers: War for Cybertron is a third person action shooter set on the Transformers’ war-ravaged homeland.

Join the Autobots as they struggle to save their homeland or aid the Decepticons in their search for devastating power.

It’s your choice. Cybertron is locked in an epic civil war, spawning one of the most brutal rivalries of all time and this is your chance to take up a front row seat.

Q: Transformers can be referred to as … ?

a). Robots in distress

b). Robots in disgrace

c). Robots in disguise

Email your answers to tnichols@theplymouthherald.co.uk including your name, address AND phone number. Please include 'Transformers competition' in the subject line.

Usual competition rules apply.

==================

Here are the best new releases and the latest gaming chart:

Title: Transformers: War for Cybertron

Platform: PS3

Genre: Action

Price: £49.99

Hit count: 5/5

So often movie tie-in games fail to make the mark.

That said, Transformers: War For Cybertron thankfully bucks the trend — mainly because the third installment isn’t out yet and there is no story (yet) to tell.

The title takes gamers on a dark journey through Cyberton — the home of the Transformers — with the evil Decpticons trying their best to gain control of the powerful dark energon to rule the universe.

What many gamers will find ultimately cool is the fact you can choose to either be an Autobot or a Decepticon — with the full range of weapons.

The graphics in this third person shooter are tip top and anyone born in the late 1970s or early 1980s will not be disappointed with the gameplay.

The multiplayer is also a must with a huge variety of characters waging war in a robotic world.

It is by far the best Transformers game yet.

Like it? Love it.

Title: LEGO Harry Potter: Episodes 1-4

Platform: PS3

Genre: Action

Price: £44.99

Hit count: 4/5

He’s the hero that every kid longs to be, and now his gaming status is set to go into overdrive as Harry Potter is immortalised as a LEGO character for Episodes 1-4.

Throughout this game, players get the chance to experience the magic and adventure of Harry Potter in a uniquely LEGO way – with all the quirky humour you’d expect from the blocky-headed heroes.

Although the action will focus on Harry, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, a whopping 100 more characters have been worked into the game world.

Also, you can attend lessons, cast spells, mix potions, fly on broomsticks and complete tasks to earn rewards.

The pacing of the early levels where you learn your spells and attend lessons are much better-suited to younger gamers, but playing cooperatively will add an additional layer of ’educational’ depth and that is where the real fun is to be had at Hogwarts.

Spellbinding stuff...

Title: International Cricket 2010

Platform: Xbox 360

Genre: Cricket

Price: £39.99

Hit count: 3/5

As the World Cup is proving, a high-energy sport such as football can be translated to the gaming world with great results, whereas the somewhat more pedestrian cricket arena can be harder to engage with in a virtual sense — despite all the bells and whistles.

International Cricket 2010 remains largely untouched from last year’s Ashes release, which will be a disappointment to those fans who were hoping to see a host of fielding, bowling and batting glitches eliminated.

For all the high-impact ’FIFA-style’ menu systems and music selection, it’s still just cricket and likely to only really appeal to hardcore cricket fans.

The over-the-shoulder views of play, whether batting or bowling do, however, add an excellent extra dimension to the gameplay, making everything feel more involved and closer to the action, which is a major improvement on previous releases and a hint that the sport may yet be able to hit the console big time.

Title: Mini Ninjas

Platform: Mac

Genre: Action

Price: £29.95

Hit count: 4/5

Two ninjas are out to conquer an ancient evil – sounds like the kind of violent beat ’em up you wouldn’t let your kids near.

But no, these are mini-ninjas, bringing a sense of humour and a whole lot of fun to this 3D platform adventure.

Displayed in alarmingly crisp and colourful cel-shaded graphics, even the button-mashing beatings you dish out don’t end in deaths, as enemies return to their pre-cursed animal states. And use your possession of animal powers wisely, as rabbits build up your stealth and bears your brute force.

This is just one of many magical tricks available to you in addition to the core fighting skills — keeping your progression through the amazing game world fresh and innovative.

The lack of a cooperative multiplayer mode is an obvious and confusing oversight, but when you have more than enough fun yourself flipping from one ninja to the next, don’t let that put you off.

Great stuff.

Title: Green Day: Rock Band

Platform: Xbox 360

Genre: Music

Price: £49.99

Hit count: 4/5

The Beatles have already conquered the Rock Bank genre, so how will a more modern-day set of musical heroes cope when the stage is all theirs on the 360?

Well, if you’re a big fan of Billie Joe Armstrong and co, this is like manna from heaven, as you step on to the stage and into the shoes of the multi-platinum, Grammy Award-winning band that jump-started the punk-pop revival.

The graphical likenesses of the band members is great, with a perfect blend of high-energy and mellow tracks to hone your rhythm gaming skills to.

It’s a shame that some of the band’s earlier albums seem to have been slightly neglected on the track list, and the career mode doesn’t quite deliver on the historical journey in the same way as the Fab Four, but overall fans of the band will lap this up and should enjoy rocking out for weeks to unlock the dozens of collectable images and rare unreleased video content lurking beneath the game’s ultra-polished surface.

Game chart:

1. Red Dead Redemption

2. Super Mario Galaxy 2

3. 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa

4. Rooms: The Main Building

5. Just Dance

6. Wii Fit Plus

7. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

8. The Sims 3: Ambitions

9. UFC 2010: Undisputed

10. Wii Sports Resort

Leisure software charts compiled by Chart Track, (c) ELSPA (UK) Ltd

Is Apple's fruit an iCon?

SO the iPad has been named as one of the coolest gadgets of 2010.

Rightly so I feel. I’ve not actually held one, or even seen one in the flesh (or metallic casing), but it does look pretty sexy in every picture I’ve seen.

More to the point, a world-wide search has begun to find its missing USB port and SD card slot.

I find this issue winds me up even more than the ridiculous price bracket it has here in the UK.

NOTE: £429 for the cheapest (16GB) wifi version and £529 for the cheapest (16GB) 3G version.

Lord Jobs says the iPad bridges the gap between the iPod and a laptop.

Maybe the price yes, but not in its user-friendly sense.

I mean, a glorified mass storage device WITHOUT USB port? What is the point in that?

Of course the answer is simple. Apple want people to download movies and games etc through iTunes.

I’d rather transfer movies and games etc from my home mac onto it.

And there’s the reason. They want us to spend more money on filling it full of software.

While writing this I’m now told you can actually buy an ‘adapter’ for the iPad to allow you to connect other mass storage devices in order to transfer data.

I mean come on. The question has to be: a). is the iPad what the world has been waiting for? A technological breakthrough equivalent of what toasters did to bread?

Or b). Is the iPad a technological breakthrough designed to milk every last penny out of its buyers.

I’m not a betting man but I’d go for the latter.

I’m also sure the world will prove me wrong and each and every one of us will have at least one in our household in the future.

But for now I’m reserving judgement.

Anyway, it’s been a bit of a blinding fortnight for games releases.

Half the reason for my relative no-show on here has been down to those nice people at Rockstar for giving us Red Dead Redemption.

Here are the reviews:



Title: Red Dead Redemption

Platform: PS3

Genre: Action

Price: £49.99

Hit count: 5/5

Rockstar Games releases don’t come along that often, but when they do, they’ve almost always been worth the wait, and invariably justify every last bit of hype that surrounds them. Well, here we go again, as Red Dead Redemption comes swaggering into town, jingling its polished spurs with every step and gunning down pretty much every sandbox action adventure opposition that dares to stand up to it. A huge open-world environment set in the final years of the Wild West is the backdrop to the story of former outlaw John Martson’s adventure across the American frontier. So much to pack in to so few words, but let’s just say it’s an essential purchase – huge rolling regions of towns and outposts, cracking characterisations, a morality system based on your own gaming actions and Western-themed mini games are all in the mix. And, of course, you can ride horses. Yee-hah, just get a rootin’ tootin’ move on and buy it!




Title: Split/Second

Platform: Xbox 360

Genre: Racing

Price: £49.99

Hit count: 4/5
The Burnout series has turned lavish, explosive arcade racers into a fine art, and there’s no doubt that Split/Second is aiming squarely at a similar gaming market. The intricacies of suspension, engine tuning and other simulation options are forgone for the fabulous feeling you get from blowing up a trackside building to wipe out the two cars in front of you. Yes, your drifting around corners and jumping and slipstreaming all add up to god-like power-plays that can transform a track – and a race running order – in seconds. And that’s your key skill as you progress through 12 extreme racing episodes, unlocking more motors from the credits you earn and more lethal races for you to enter. It’s big, ballsy racing from the outset, with sharp reflexes and a power-play sense of timing required to succeed. Burnout may have blazed the trail, but Split/Second is certainly following up with a fiery flourish.



Title: Alan Wake
Platform: Xbox 360
Genre: Action
Price: £49.99

Hit count: 4/5

Alan Wake will have been a game on the radar of action thriller fans for some time, and after what seems like an eternity (over five years), you can finally get your hands on it. Alan Wake is a famous novelist with a serious case of writer’s block, which he seeks to cure by upping sticks from New York and settling down in the village of Bright Falls. However, when night falls in his new place of residence, the shadows that have haunted the area for decades rear their head again, sending Wake on a superb psychological adventure, delivered masterfully in TV-style episodes. The pacing is impeccable, with Alan’s atmospheric narrative musings building the tension and moving the story on seamlessly. It’s darn creepy too, with numerous freaky beasts lurking in the shadows to scare your socks off. If story-driven chillers float your boat, a trip to Bright Falls will be one visit you never forget...



Title: Skate 3

Platform: PS3

Genre: Skateboarding

Price: £49.99

Hit count: 4/5
EA has taken the skate-gaming world by storm with its Skate series, riding toe-to-toe with anything that Tony Hawk can turn out, and producing what is arguably a more authentic analogue experience than its competitors. And for the third instalment we’re moving out of San Vanelona to an all new urban playground called Port Carverton. And that’s not all that’s new – a career mode brimming with devilish skate challenges awaits all newcomers, as you set about building a your own board brand. And you can get a little help from your friends here, too. Co-operative gaming allows you to tackle challenges together, get yourselves photographed in action in the same shot, and a host of teammate-based benefits. The online aspects of Skate 3 are what makes it really stand out from the crowd, but even if you’re more of a solo skater, there’s more than enough in this new city to keep you kick-flipping into the early hours.