The Charge:
It’s You Against Your Friends!

Opening Statement:
I remember a time when EA’s long running Need for Speed franchise was a yearly powerhouse, 6.1 litre big block seal of quality that always delivered. Five years later, following half a decade’s worth of half-baked storylines featuring undercover detectives, corrupt officials, and racing-obsessed crime bosses and it seemed this once-proud staple could no longer entice gamers to put the pedal to the metal. Electronic Arts has taken desperate measures to regain their sure footing as a third party giant, shaking things up by spreading the NFS brand across several promising developers. Last fall brought gamers the successful simulation-heavy NFS: Shift, now on the other end of the spectrum, Criterion Games (developers of the crowd-pleasing Burnout series) seek to kick start thrills by revisiting the whole late 90s police chase obsession with Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit. Is it a chase worth pursuing, or does it sputter out before the finish line?

Twenty bucks says he's NOT listening to My Chemical Romance.

Facts of the Case:

Forget storylines about drug deals gone south and large scale “chopshoperations”, NFS: Hot Pursuit is about one thing and one thing only; speed. This is a war revolving all around speed. One side of this conflict seeks only to cross the finish line first; the other side to shut down these illegal racers and take back the streets and roadways of the fictional Seacrest County.

The Evidence:
There were whispers of discord when it was announced that Criterion would be reawakening the NFS: Hot Pursuit brand that it would of course just be Burnout with a new label. As a diehard supporter of the high impact racing icon, I can only cry out that this is not the case. NFS: Hot Pursuit is not Burnout Paradise under a new coat of paint. It’s something much better. This game of Cops vs. Cruisers hits every mark a successful racer should, and then goes the extra mile with one of the best competitive online components I’ve ever played, and a dealership full of licensed vehicles (something other Criterion racers have always lacked). Lambroghinis, Mercedes, Porches, Cobras, Mustangs, Chargers, Challengers, Nissans, McLarens; they’re all here, and they’re on both sides of the law. Imagine a world where James Bond enforced the traffic laws and hunted down the likes of Vin Diesel, Steve McQueen, and Bean Bandit. Now open your eyes and embrace the digital reality. This is the greatest game of dinkies you will have ever played.

Y'know, the Reventon would've made a pretty sweet Batmobile.

Seeing as NFS: Hot Pursuit was released within weeks of Sony’s juggernaut Gran Turismo 5, I feel the inevitable comparison must be scattered to the winds. This is not GT5, it’s not Forza or NFS: Shift. This is an arcade styled racer through and through and it plays as such. The controls feel heavier than the usual Criterion fare, even more so than my preferred racing underdog, Split/Second; but within a few races, gamers should have the tight drifting controls down pat, and that’s when the fun comes in. Racers must drive hazardously and ridiculously fast to build up precious boost. Drifting around corners, driving into oncoming traffic, pulling off breathtaking near-misses all dole out small amounts of potent nitro. The police also earn boost, albeit not by driving like a maniac, just by maintaining enough high speed to stay in pursuit. Unlike fare such as Burnout, NFS: Hot Pursuit prefers boost to be used in small amounts at opportune times, such as when exiting a drift or when trying to accelerate after a crash. Using it when the vehicle is near top speed is pretty much a waste. Not that boost is the only weapon that makes up this beast’s arsenal. Oh no, determined drivers will find themselves armed with upgradeable equipment that make the races very interesting to say the least. Items are all available from the start, but are in limited supply and must recharge after use, side-stepping the dangerous Blue Shell trap that many racing games crash into.

Which is more of a weapon; a banana peel or Blue Thunder?

The shiniest option though is the new Autolog, a sort of gaming Facebook that keeps players constantly connected to anyone of their friend’s list that is playing Hot Pursuit, even when embroiled in the single player campaign. Progress is linked, online and off; allowing gamers to build experience (known here as “bounty”) quickly, ascending through each side’s 20 ranks to score equipment upgrades and hot new cars. More impressive is the way NFS: Hot Pursuit ranks gamers against their friends, sort of like a personal leaderboard; a leaderboard that only judges your skill against your gaming buddies. Believe me, it’s fun to leave a personalized written smack down on a buddy’s wall after shattering his best time on a particular event.

2 of your Friends like your latest PWNAGE!

Speaking of events, NFS: Hot Pursuit is bursting at the seams with all variety of racing action. There are one-on-one contests between a single racer and police unit, there are stylized time trial and vehicle unveiling events, there are equipment challenges, vanilla flavoured races and then there is the race to end all races, the Hot Pursuit event itself. This is an eight car survival event which pits four racers against four police interceptors. All weapons are available, and there are no holds barred. If it seems white knuckle at first, try it online against less predictable human opponents. Just keep in mind that even though there are points for the racer position or most busts for the cops, this is essentially a team event, and the reward for a team victory far surpasses that of the solo prizes. Myself and a fellow gamer online have started trying to perfect a tag team manoeuvre in which he boosts ahead of our target, threads the needle of my roadblock and drops a spike strip, allowing almost no chance of escape. We’re talking about real meat and potatoes styled gaming. I can see NFS: Hot Pursuit’s online community far surpassing Burnout Paradise and reaching up to join the hallowed halls of the online first person shooters in terms of a social experience. With the ability to seamlessly switch between Cops and Racers, and the sides being randomly swapped at the start of each online event, it’s easy to take as much fun from the newest Need for Speed as one wants to.

Coincidently enough, the greatest equalizer is still slamming into anopponent at 160 mph.

Visually, Hot Pursuit is a sizzler. Seacrest County is immense, and explodes with life. The highways can be choked with traffic (all licensed cars as well) at certain hours of the day, turning each race into a 100 mph speed differential slalom run. Helicopters and aircraft streak across the sky, and each race contains at least one gorgeous vista view that gamers may risk a crash to watch in awe, especially with the amazing shifting weather conditions. Crashes are Criterion’s usual thing of beauty, with shrapnel and paint stripping from the cars with each impact. The soundtrack detonates through the speakers with a pleasant blend of hard rock, some light hip hop and funky British styled techno. When a race is interrupted by the five-o, the soundtrack quickly switches over to a score that Hans Zimmer or Mark mancina would be proud to feature on their resume..

Rebuttal Witness:
If you find yourselves amongst the unwashed masses who lack a viable internet connection for gaming, alot of “Hot Pursuit’s” fun is stripped away. It’s still a great game, but it feels more like a half; like playing a PS1 era racer nowadays. Or perhaps I’m still shell shocked from the phenomenal eight player Hot Pursuit events.
The freedrive option, which opens up Seacrest County for exploration allows for some great use of the in-game photography. Sadly, the overworld map in nonexistent in this mode, forcing gamers to depend on a less than handy mini-map to find their way around an environment that dwarfs Burnout Paradise. Nitpicking, I know.

KELSEY GRAMMER! Pull the vehicle over to the side of the road!

Closing Comments:
I only wish I had been given the chance to play Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit prior to the holidays, as it would have surely commandeered a spot on my Best of 2010 list. Personally, I personally find it to be a much more enjoyable time than the daunting GT5, and a worthy successor to the Need for Speed name. It’s a drop dead gorgeous game with a rocking soundtrack, pulse pounding gameplay to keep gamers welded to their controllers, and a robust online component. There’s already a plethora of bonus events available for download, and if the online support is half as frequent as what Criterion supplied for Burnout Paradise, Hot Pursuit enthusiasts are in for a fun year, no matter which side of the law they find themselves racing on.

The Verdict:

I’m hoping with J this latest success, Criterion will announce at E3 2011, their decision to adapt M.A.S.K into a chaotic arcade racer.

- J

Platform: Sony Playstation 3/Microsoft XBOX360 (PS3 Version Reviewed)
Developer: Criterion Games
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Release Date: November 16th, 2010
Rated: E(10+) for Everyone 10 and up.

The Charge:
“Welcome… TO DIE”

Opening Statement:
Konami can go straight to hell. Do you hear me, you greedy bastards! I’ve already given you six hundred dollars worth of quarters playing X-Men: The Arcade Game in the arcades throughout the nineties.

Now you want me to pony up on Xbox Live and PSN to play it again? Forget it!

Hey, wait a minute. Where did my credit card come from? Hey, I never entered that… wait… “Download Complete”? What the—?

Grumble, grumble. You win this round, Konami.

Facts of the Case:
Experience the classic 1992 X-Men arcade game right in the comfort of your own home! Choose from some of your favorite classic X-Men characters including: Cyclops, Colossus, Wolverine, Storm, Nightcrawler, or Dazzler. Fight your way through hundreds of Sentinels and battle classic super villains such as Pyro, The Blob, Wendigo, Nimrod, The White Queen, Juggernaut, Mystique and the Master of Magnetism himself, Magneto!

There is no reason for Dazzler to be here.

The Evidence:
A beloved arcade beat-em-up, X-Men was a game created by a group of Japanese programmers who, having never actually read an X-Men comic before, spent the morning leafing through some vintage back issues before getting down to some light programming after lunch. Anachronistic story elements and bad English translations aside, this is pure vintage nineties multi-player action at its most cruel and unfair refined.

Best known for its groundbreaking six-player “double cabinet” housing, this arcade brawler let up to six players (or up to four, if you had a cheap arcade that refused to shell out for the fancy version) take on members of the X-Men to battle Magneto and a nonsensical grouping of other people who have never once been on the same page in an actual comic before. And for some reason, the Sentinels are only five feet tall, and they work for Magneto.

In the arcade, X-Men was at its most frenetic and fun with as many wealthy friends as you could muster up — and they better be packing serious coinage. While not exactly a hard game in the pejorative sense of the word (you mash buttons until everything dies) the sheer volume of enemies thrown against you, and the utter lack of health regeneration or healing ensured you were pumping in a quarter every sixty seconds or so.

There is no reason for Shadowcat to have this haircut.

Now faithfully ported to Xbox Live and PSN, the game looks smashing. The cinematic have been touched up into HD, and the gameplay looks better than it ever did on a flickering cathode ray tube. Controls are tight and work exactly as expected. This is a three-button game: attack, jump and MUTANT POWERRRRRRRRRRR (a button you will be hitting a lot, much to the annoyance of all other game players not playing Colossus). Gamers even get the choice of playing the Japanese edition of the game, which (gasp!) actually adds power-ups into the game, which is a much-needed improvement. Even the HUD gets a new high definition revamping. Everything looks tight.

Konami has even been kind enough to assume you may not have five extra controllers (or friends) hanging about, and have included online co-op gameplay. Joining a game on Xbox Live was effortless, if a bit on the boring side. The game is no easier or harder with the addition of human players — just more crowded on-screen. Aside from a few on-screen slowdowns here and there, online gameplay works like charm. It doesn’t exactly capture the magic of being elbow-to-elbow with your friends, screaming curses at Magneto (“Master of Magnet”) in the arcade, but it’s a nice addition.

In terms of gameplay, X-Men: The Arcade Game hasn’t aged particularly well. This was a clumsily executed game back in 1992, and it remains so now. Characters walk as if encased in chocolate pudding. Forget about the jump button — just do not even press it. Odds are good you will not even connect with an enemy. Even if by random chance you manage to propel yourself forward, any aerial attack you make will lead to immediate punishment by enemies who will magically evade your attacks and retaliate with laser beams, or flaming breath. As for AI sophistication, forget it: you can beat the entire first two levels by standing completely stationary and jamming on the Attack button. Every enemy (including the bosses) will be kind enough to indulge you by walking directly into your fists.

A slightly irritating (yet faithfully accurate) feature is the inability to change characters once committed to a Player number position. If you pick Cyclops as Player 1 — even in a single player game — you’re stuck with the guy, just like you would be standing at the six-player arcade cabinet.

This has never occurred in the comics.

Rebuttal Witness:
X-Men: The Arcade Game is the textbook definitional of tremendously poor replay value. With no financial penalty in place, the game allows for endless continues at the push of a button, so a ruthless player can simply jam on the MUTANT POWERRRRRR button to kill all on-scree enemies, die and re-spawn with full charges, then rinse and repeat. You will beat the game in twenty minutes if you do this.

Closing Comments:
X-Men: The Arcade Game is a faithful port of a beloved arcade classic, warts and all. The fresh coat of HD paint looks and sounds fantastic, and the game is no better or worse than you remember it.

If you enjoyed it the first go-round in the arcades of your youth, you’ll have a blast (especially with a living room full of friends) but the one-note gameplay and short duration make this an expensive trip down memory lane.

The Verdict:

Platform: Microsoft XBOX360 (Xbox Live) / PS3 (PlayStation Network) (XBOX360 Version Reviewed)
Developer: Backbone Entertainment
Publisher: Konami Digital Entertainment
Release Date: Dec 15, 2010
Rated: E10 (Everyone 10+)

Bask in the glorious cover art as Arne Meyer spills the beans over at the Playstation Blog:

UNCHARTED 3: Drake’s Deception features the return of famed fortune hunter Nathan Drake and follows him through a gripping, action-packed storyline that will take you all over the world. In his search for the fabled “Atlantis of the Sands,” Nathan Drake and longtime friend and mentor Victor Sullivan set off on a daring trek into the heart of the Arabian Desert. But when terrible secrets of this lost city are uncovered, their journey becomes a desperate bid for survival that will force Drake to confront his deepest fears.

Throughout UNCHARTED 3, you’ll be taken to spectacular new locations around the globe,that will showcase all of the work we’ve taken on to take acclaimed physics, particle and visual effects to a new level.

Competitive and co-op multiplayer will return as a key ingredient to the UNCHARTED 3 package, where all of the new features we have planned will combine with our signature single-player cinematic gameplay to create a unique action-adventure multiplayer experience that can only be found in the UNCHARTED universe.

Oh, and there’s one more thing – UNCHARTED 3: Drake’s Deception fully supports high-resolutionStereoscopic 3D.

Also, THIS:

The Charge:
Dark times need a dark hero!

Opening Statement:
Konami’s Castlevania series is no stranger to dabbling in the 3rd dimension, usually with mixed results. Castlevania: Lords of Shadow marks the first entry in the series for the high-def generation, and the latest attempt at bringing the monster-slaying opus into the 3rd dimension. Does Spanish developer Mercury Steam (Clive Barker’s Jericho) triumph where others fell short? Or is this one another whip to the face for classic Castlevania fans?

Call me "Emo" one more time...

Facts of the Case:
The tenuous link between Heaven and Earth has been severed. The souls of the dead linger on the mortal plane while creatures of vile darkness prey on humanity. In these dark times, the faithful huddle fearfully in walled settlements and villages, fighting desperately to survive. Into this gloomy scene steps Gabriel Belmont, Knight of the Brotherhood of Light. Gabriel seeks the means to resurrect his late wife, a recent victim of the evil plaguing the lands, and if he can banish the darkness that curses humanity, then mores the better. He isn’t the only player on the board however, and standing in his way are the demonic Lords of Shadow.

The Evidence:
I’ll get this out of the way immediately: What links there are in Castlevania: Lords of Shadow to previous games in the long running series are tenuous at best. Outside of some offhanded references to 2003’s Castlevania: Lament of Innocence, this is very much a completely fresh approach to the series. Forget about Dracula and Death, Alucard and Simon Belmont. They aren’t here, and they aren’t coming.

So now that you know what NOT to expect, I can tell you that Lords of Shadow is primarily an action platformer in the same vein as God of War III or Dante’s Inferno, however there are elements included that elevate it above either of those peers. The combat system delves closer to the Devil May Cry/Ninja Gaiden side of things by leaning on timing rather than the mashing of buttons. Beyond that, after the first section, the combat becomes all about balancing your extremely potent dark magic and your recuperative light magic. These respective powers can be used to inflict a healthy portion of extra damage or heal Gabriel depending on whether you go dark or light. Said magic can be recharged periodically, but to get the full use, you’ll need to gather orbs by killing opponents and then deciding which of the types you want to recharge via a click of the right or left analog sticks. It sounds complex, but it’s effortless in the heat of battle, and one good recharge of your light magic can get a near death Gabriel back into the fight with a dose of whip-powered healing. One good dose of dark magic can quickly decimate an otherwise powerful foe. It’s a great way to mix things up, and really causes you to think about what you’re doing in the heat of combat.

"Nathan Drake is a pansy!"

Thinking is very necessary, as Lords of Shadow can be downright vicious when it wants to be. Even weaker foes are threatening in numbers, and while many of the fights can be lengthy melees, the game thankfully doesn’t throw wave after wave of fodder at you to whittle you down. Enemy designs and attacks feel great, inspired even, and keep you on your toes (mastering the dodge mechanic should be your first priority). There are a ton of earned abilities and sub-weapons, each of which adds new combos or magical abilities to the lengthy list, and a variety of tactical approaches that one can take to make life easier. Sure you can mash and pray for salvation, and you may even succeed, but the experience will be that much more frustrating for it. The experience itself is an epic trek through 10 diverse chapters of game that should run you in the neighbourhood of 20 hours or more to finish. There’s very little in the way of backtracking, the puzzles are pretty well thought out for the most part, and the locales you visit remain unique and interesting throughout. The game, amazingly feels stuffed to near bursting with content, and the presentation never falters.

Right from the game’s lavishly beautiful opening sequence, Castlevania: Lords of Shadow should make one hell of an impression. Gorgeous texture work brings the beautiful art design to life in smashing fashion. Every character in the game looks absolutely gorgeous in motion, with wonderfully unique designs that hearken ever so slightly to Castlevania’s past, and yet remain wholly fresh. Some of the creatures look as though they could have been ripped from Pan’s Labyrinth director Guillermo Del Toro’s warped imagination, and the lush lighting sets a wonderful mood in each and every corner of the vast world. The game remains smooth throughout, with no noticeable drop in framerate or screen tearing, even when bosses get huge (and they get HUGE) or multiple enemies come out to play. The sound is equally fantastic, filling the room with booms and bone crunch. The voice acting features several notables, including Robert Carlyle, Patrick Stewart, and Jason Isaacs, and all of them do a phenomenal job (Stewart does a particularly fantastic job as the game’s chief narrator). There’s a ton of dialog in here, and all of it sounds perfect.

"Must... resist... urge to yell like Tarzan!"

The music is suitably gothic and epic, and continues the trend by being top notch stuff. Longtime fans may lament the lack of their favourite symphonies or harmonies (see what I did there?), but honestly, the music included just sounds so damn good that I didn’t miss a thing.

Konami doesn’t often grace us with a package this well presented, but this is easily the best thing they’ve put to market for sheer production value and presentation since Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots.

Rebuttal Witness:
I wish I could say that Castlevania: Lords of Shadow is a perfect game, but alas, there are a few chinks in the armor. The level design isn’t always logically sound, and hidden passages that should be clearly visible are hidden off screen or behind obstructions, while other clearly visible paths are barred by invisible walls and actually exist solely as backdrop. This slightly bipolar design also extends to some tricky jump situations where in one level, a certain approach works fine, only to grant you a quick return to a checkpoint when attempted in another area. It’s a little sloppy to be certain, and I did hit one or two roadblocks along the way. The fixed camera sometimes exacerbates the issue, but it’s usually something you needn’t fret over. The game works far more often than it doesn’t and what flaws that do exist are pretty common in the genre as a whole.

"This might take a while..."

Closing Comments:
Castlevania: Lords of Shadow is the real deal; A true triple-A production and a glorious new beginning for those who can get past the legacy of the past games. The technical polish and top drawer presentation are held aloft by rock solid mechanics, an intelligent plot, and some surprisingly deep features. Forget what you think you know about Castlevania, and step into the shoes of one of the best games of 2010.

The Verdict:

Platform: Sony Playstation 3/Microsoft XBOX360 (PS3 Version Reviewed)
Developer: Mercury Steam
Publisher: Konami
Release Date: Oct 15th, 2010
Rated: M (17+) for Mature

The Charge:
There is a new enemy. There is a new war. There is a new warrior. He is Tier 1.

Opening Statement:
Electronic Arts’ long running Medal of Honor series returns to active duty after a few years on the sidelines. With World War II so passé, and Modern Combat all the rage, EA has thrown you off the bird and into the warzone of post 9/11 Afghanistan. Does EA answer the Call of Duty? Or is this one Black Op you’ll be denying?

"We've got Rangers on the ground!"

Facts of the Case:
In early 2002, following the disastrous terror attacks of September 11th, 2001, the US Armed forces alongside a coalition of willing Countries launched an offensive campaign into Afghanistan, proclaimed to be the World’s first “war on terror.” Medal of Honor puts us into the boots of two very different branches of the Armed forces; the scalpel, elite Tier One special forces operators, and the Sledge hammer, the US Army Rangers, as they battle their way through the Shahikot Valley during Operation: Anaconda.

The Evidence:
Much has been made of EA’s return to the Medal of Honor series and the approach to realism that the developers at Danger Close (Formerly EA Los Angeles) were taking. The marketing tells us the game was constructed with the aid of real Tier One SpecOps bad-asses, with creative energy focused on making a game that thrives through its authenticity rather than being shackled by it. In this regard, they have definitely succeeded. While the “Modern Combat” of Call of Duty has been content to build Hollywood blockbusters out of laughable fictitious bad guys, replete with scenarios out of the latest Bay/Bruckheimer joint. Nukes, invasions of DC, renewed Communist aggression and a sweeping Hans Zimmer score have been the order of the day. Medal of Honor travels a more somber path, paying respect to the fighting man of the modern battlefield, and acknowledging real conflict with real gravitas. The action has an air of desperation , something it has done for World War II since its inception. Somewhere along the line, the messages of both series were lost in a muddle of multiplayer mayhem, carnage, and spectacle, but MOH brings things back into sharp relief. If Call of Duty: Modern Warfare is a summer blockbuster, than Medal of Honor is a gritty indie film.

"Hooh-AH!"

From the opening moments, the single player game ratchets the intensity while placing the player squarely into believable situations. The game is linear, and relies on scripted moments to guide the player through, but the level design never feels anything but natural, and there’s never a moment where the game settles into a groove or becomes routine. What’s most amazing is how the developers have managed to keep things fresh through the entirety of the (admittedly brief) single player game. Level transitions aren’t seamless, but they make logical sense, shifting you from the boots of one character to the controls of an Apache attack helicopter and on to another Ranger or Tier One Operator as each mission ends. There’s overlap in the cutscenes and each playable character’s storyline overlaps with the others. It really gives you a great feeling of being a part of a larger canvas. Events continue to backbuild and lead into one another until the final batch of missions hits, and they are doozies. There was at least one mission in there (the first Ranger mission) that left my hands sweaty and shaking by the end, things get THAT intense. I don’t recall that ever happening with a first person shooter before.

The controls also differentiate themselves from the competition with added choices that compensate for the more tactical approach to gameplay. When crouched behind cover you can peek and lean to take shots from behind cover by holding a left shoulder button. You don’t stick to cover a la Killzone, but the mechanic allows you to make quick shots and return to cover by releasing the analog stick. You can hold both of your left shoulder buttons to use the feature while aiming through ironsights, which may take some dexterity, but again, works to your favor if you can master it. Then there’s the pistol quickdraw, which allows you to pull a pistol and fire a rapid shot in a split second while aimed at a target with a simple click of the analog stick. It’s much faster than reloading or switching weapons when those damn bastards just won’t go down.

"Tier One's get Beards... AWESOME beards..."

In a rather unprecedented move on EA’s part, the multiplayer portion of Medal of Honor was farmed out to the architects of Battlefield: Bad Company 2, DICE, who in turn built a fully featured multiplayer game out of their Frostbite technology (the single player game utilizes the Unreal 3 engine). The end results take elements of Bad Company 2 and combine them with Call of Duty stalwarts like experience points and unlocks for killstreaks. There’s a healthy selection of game modes that mix things up and play to the strengths of both series. If you’re a CoD fan, and Bad Company was a little too team oriented for you, than this just might make for a satisfying alternative. On the flip side, if you’re a Bad Company 2 player, Medal of Honor offers up a slightly less sprawling experience with many of the same features at a faster pace. You won’t rank up in a weekend, and there’ll be no shortage of punters in the online arena. Thankfully it isn’t overrun with cheating bastards or 7 year olds, or cheating bastard 7 year olds… at least, not yet. Worth noting, the “Peek and Lean” and “quick draw” mechanics from the single player game are missing in multi-player, which is kind of a drag.

Medal of Honor’s Unreal 3 powered single player campaign provides one hell of a stunning looking experience. The framerate is rock solid, the lighting is top drawer stuff, and smoke and mist looks terrific. Everything from the searing desert to the cold peaks of the harsh Afghanistan terrain is rendered with clarity and attention to detail that rivals the very best looking first person shooters on a console (yes, even Killzone 2). There are some jaw-dropping visuals here, from the opening sequence in a darkened village to the final conflict on a moonlit frozen mountain. Some screen tearing does pop up from time to time, and there were a few instances of typically Unreal 3 texture pop-in, but they certainly don’t diminish from what is one hell of an amazing looking game. The multiplayer pushes DICE’s proprietary “Frostbite” tech to a level just beyond what was seen in Battlefield: Bad Company 2’s multiplayer earlier this year. The slightly more confined levels and the lack of a significant amount of vehicles probably helps.

The sound design again puts realism up front, with a script that stays pretty close to reality without diving into Hollywood action clichés. One or two one-liners pop up from time to time, but overall the lingo, which the developers claim was actually written by the Armed Forces consultants, sounds genuine and is actually quite engaging. It’s also virtually constant. There’s a TON of dialogue in here. The score, by Iron Man composer Ramin Djawadi, is pure Black Hawk Down, all strings and harsh guitar, but it’s used in subtle fashion rather than overpowering the game with bombast. It isn’t constant, but when it does fade in, it underscores the action and heightens the emotions perfectly. Last, and certainly not least, are the booming gunfire and the ear-rattling explosions, which are suitablyeffective and fill the room. The sound package definitely measures up to the awesome visual package.

"Is that Ride of the Valkyries I hear?"

Rebuttal Witness:
Medal of Honor does borrow at least one annoyance from its chief competitor; the painfully short single-player campaign. My first run through (which was on the “Hard” difficulty) took me a little over 6 hours to run through. Bad Company 2 and Modern Warfare 2 were roughly the same length, and had considerably more downtime or aggravation per hour, yet Medal of Honor left me considerably more wanting. The ending itself was a more than adequate, entirely satisfying conclusion that put a cap on what was a universally fantastic experience, but I just wish there was more of it. That’s perhaps the best testament to the quality of the single player game.

I did have a few issues with staying online, but I’ll chalk that up to the pre-launch timeframe in which I was playing.

"Nothing like a tear through the woods on an ATV!"

Closing Comments:
EA’s diligence in design, ambition, and chutzpah has payed off in a huge way. Medal of Honor is nothing less than a triumphant return to the glorious highs of the franchise’s early years. Elements of the gameplay are unique, innovative and flawlessly executed, and the presentation is absolutely stunning. Top it off with some kick ass multiplayer, and you have the perfect all encompassing package! It may not penetrate the social bubble that is today’s Call of Duty fanbase, and the single player campaign will leave you yearning for more, but it’s not only one of the best games I’ve played this year, but one of the best shooters of this console generation.

The Verdict:

Platform: Sony Playstation 3/Microsoft Xbox360/Windows PC
Developer: Danger Close/DICE
Publisher: EA
Release Date: October 12th, 2010
Rated: M (17+) for Mature

The Charge:
A new world will rise from the ashes of the old.

Opening Statement:
Square Enix once again attempts to bring their long running giant robot series to North American shores, this time with an American developer at the controls, and a pretty huge shakeup in the gameplay department. Does their gamble pay off?

"AMBUSH! pyew! pyew! pyew!

Facts of the Case:
In the year 2171 AD, a cold war rages between the two dominant world powers, The OCU, and the UCS (essentially huge amalgamations of the old school East and West). When an unprovoked attack on the New York City orbital tower of Percival sparks an all out war, Dylan Ramsey, a civilian test pilot, finds himself pulled into the conflict. The weapon of choice in this future war? Giant robot fighting machines called “Wanzers”.

The Evidence:
I was never much of a proponent of the Front Mission series, though my love of giant bipedal robot killing machines knows no bounds, it was tempered by my relative distaste for turn based strategy. With Front Mission Evolved, Square-Enix, through North American developer Double Helix (Silent Hill: Homecoming) has taken quite a chance. Fans of the long running series, barely represented on North American shores, have been bitching and moaning about the transition to 3rd person action game since the first mention of this particular title. They feel as though Square-Enix has betrayed the small but reverently loyal fan base that the series has amassed over the years, and in some way, perhaps they have. For me, personally, the shift was a more than welcome change.

"Sorry, you're weapon only has a range of four hexes! I'm six hexes away! Nyeah nyeah!"

The guys at Double Helix have no doubt spent a ton of time with From Software’s long running Armored Core series. The venerable Mecha series immediately comes to mind the moment you kick in your jets and start skating around. The controls have that same smooth feel, the giant war machines move in virtually identical fashion, and even the button layout is very similar, having you using the shoulder buttons on your controller to fire shoulder and arm mounted weaponry on your left and right sides respectively. If you’re one of those hardcore giant robot guys who’s played a ton of AC, Front Mission Evolved will be an easy fit.

Anyone who enjoys a good giant robot shooter also loves to customize their 100 ton implement of robotic genocide, and again, Front Mission Evolved delivers. There’s some robust customization tools that allow for the swapping out and replacing of virtually every piece of your walking tank, complete with a healthy assortment of projectile weaponry and melee tools. It’s not quite as robust as what you see in Armored Core 4 or Chromehouds, as your machines do maintain a similar feel in terms of speed and agility, but there’s enough of a change to make it worth your while.

Where Front Mission Evolved really changes things up is in the storyline, and the level design. Other Mech shooters love throwing you up against fodder, and are often structured in a non-linear “choose your mission” structure, with meta-narratives that are spread through ancillary things like e-mail messages (I’m looking at you, Armored Core). FME’s storyline hits the ground running with some awesome cutscenes and a tale of violence and war. It’s not pioneering storytelling in video games or anything, and it certainly borrows some elements from “Giant Robot Anime 101”, but there are distinct characters, some endearing, some repulsive as hell, and there’s a narrative flow to the action that really helps to immerse you into the ongoing war.

"Who needs machine guns when I got this big ass club!"

Rather than chucking gigantic bullets and rockets at foot soldiers and tanks repeatedly, the game almost immediately introduces enemy robots, and combat becomes a hectic game of boost, shoot, dodge, and scramble for health and ammo replenishes. It doesn’t take most weaponry long to chisel through your mech’s metal, and while the proper reflexes may make things easier, combat is no walk in the park. There are some boss fights in here that require mad skills, close timing, and incredible patience. Thankfully the checkpoint system is pretty forgiving.

The level layouts are pretty linear, but varied and interesting as well. The game doesn’t often degenerate into an all out shooting gallery, and the combat is mixed up quite a bit. The levels are also pretty lengthy for this type of game, but mix things up perfectly without overstaying their welcome.

Every so often a mission pops up that requires you to hop out of your towering collection of steel and guns and go human-sized against other human opponents. The experience here is functional, but entirely rudimentary. You crouch behind solid cover and shoot at anything your crosshairs lands on. Shooter fans may find these segments rather blasé when you compare them to something like Gears of War, but I enjoyed them for the altered perspective from the remainder of the game’s combat, and they come in at the perfect times to break up the robot sections and keep things interesting. I’ll also readily admit that I mght have pooped my pants just a little bit the first time I had to fight an enemy “wanzer” on foot. It turned out to be disappointingly easy, but it was still impressive.

"Maximum Firepower, bitches!"

Rebuttal Witness:
While the “core” gameplay in Front Mission Evolved delivers, the presentation is a bit more of a mixed bag. The visuals, while diverse, are pretty simple, with rudimentary textures that get the job done, but run the gamut from average to ugly. Some of the lighting gets pretty garish, particularly on the opening levels set in the streets of New York City. Many of the levels, including the New York level, feel sparse and empty, with simple geometry and little in the way of depth or detail. The levels get a little more colorful as you go, and there are some simple tricks like light bloom that elevate things to the point that things almost look appealing. The Mech designs capture that classic Battletech chunkiness and generally look awesome in motion, but it’s kind of a shame that the backdrop in which these cool looking robots play is so vanilla.

The ‘on foot’ levels suffer from similar blandness, and the human characters look rather plain. The general lack of tricky lighting effects combined with the rather lackluster facial animations and the wretched in cockpit camera view during cutscenes gives the presentation a very dated, borderline “last generation” feel.

The sound is a little more passable, with a decent enough, if slightly generic soundtrack, and passable voice acting that manages to deliver the anime-lite script decently enough. It never quite thunders like you feel it should, and the rattle and hum of giant machine guns doesn’t shake the foundations like you want it to. It isn’t bad at all; it sure gets the point across, but it doesn’t stand out either.

There is a solid multiplayer component included as well, complete with Call of Duty style ranking mechanics and unlockable weaponry. The problem is that the unlockable weaponry completely throws off the game balance, with noobs being utterly useless. It breaks the game completely. There’s also a significant dearth of maps and gameplay types, which will definitely limit the longevity. If you can find a dedicated community of mech modders to hang with (maybe some refugees from the long terminated Chromehouds servers) and get some action happening, this COULD be the kind of game you stick with, as long as Square-Enix can pump out some new maps as DLC.

Lastly, there’s the question of the Front Mission legacy. As soon as “Evolved” was announced, the small but vicious cult of fans of all things Front Mission immediately lost their minds. The series has traditionally been a turn based rpg strategy title, complete with slow and arduous turns where each opposing force moved their mecha like chess pieces on grid based terrain. The knee-jerk hate reaction is not at all surprising, given the series pedigree as a strategy title. There’s nothing worse to the braniacs than the “dumbing down” of their complex game of war into just another shooter. So, if you’re a fan of the series, know that the story is a decidedly western imitation of what has been a very complex and multi-game spanning, nigh impenetrable story, and there’s not a lick of strategy to be found. If you can accept “Evolved” as a continuation or a side story, or a look at the setting from a different perspective, you may very well find yourself satisfied. However if the idea of playing a shooter set in your beloved tactical world makes you wretch, give up now and walk away. Let those of us who enjoy this sort of thing have our good time.

Closing Comments:
At its heart, Front Mission Evolved is a competent mech shooter with fun mechanics and a solid story that will no doubt appeal to fans of the genre. The narrative drive kicks it a notch above Armored Core 4(or Armored core: For Answer as well), even if the gameplay is ever is ever so slightly more shallow. Stick around for the smooth controls, the lengthy (by today’s standards) campaign, and the Anime storyline, but don’t count on getting much longevity from the multiplayer, unless you really devote yourself. If you like giant robots, there’s currently no better option on a console.

The Verdict:

Platform: Sony Playstation 3/Microsoft Xbox360/Windows PC (PS3 version reviewed)
Developer: Double Helix
Publisher: Square – Enix
Release Date: September 28th, 2010
Rated: T (13+) for Teen

The Charge:
Experience 48 hours of hell!

Opening Statement:
When you look down through the lengthy list of high profile titles that hit shelves in 2007, Kane & Lynch: Dead Men certainly distinguishes itself as one of the least likely titles on there to receive the sequel treatment. It’s probably most well known for single handedly annihilating the integrity of one high profile gaming site in particular, skirting a healthy dose of controversy to go along with middling reviews. Here we are, three years on, and lo and behold, here comes Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days. Does this unlikely sequel succeed where the original fell short? Or is this one dog that should be put down.

Facts of the Case:
It’s been a few years since our “Dead men” went their separate ways, and Lynch, now working for a British mobster named Glazer, has pulled Kane in for one last job. They’re in Shanghai, China, tasked with smuggling weapons out of China and into Africa. They stand to make a lot of money, enough for Kane to settle down and retire, and for Lynch and his new gal live happily ever after. Things go wrong right from the get go, and after the wrong person dies, Kane & Lynch find themselves scrambling to get out of Shanghai alive, with every armed thug, cop, and mobster in China hoping to put a bullet or seven into their domes.

The Evidence:
I’ll just get this out of the way ahead of time, I was a fan of the original Kane and Lynch. I picked it up before reading any reviews, played the hell out of it, and was shocked when I finally started reading what others thought about the game. The cold reception that IO’s crime drama received soured me on video game reviewers and review sites, and I really haven’t recovered to this day (how hypocritical of me). When the sequel was announced, I was excited. When I saw what the mad geniuses at IO Interactive (best known for the Hitman series) were doing with the presentation, my excitement doubled.

"The Rogaine convention went bad when execs revealed that the popular product was actually fake..."

The gameplay is pretty standard fare for your average 3rd person shooter. Kane and Lynch 2 doesn’t rewrite the formula or anything; you move ahead through linear levels, taking cover behind any object that looks solid enough to take cover behind, and you rock and roll with whatever firearms you have on hand until the bad guys fall down. What differentiates the game is a sense of realism that permeates the cover mechanic and keeps you on your toes. It’s possible for enemies to hit you even when you’re in cover, and should a foe manage to get an angle of fire on you, things can go bad in a jiffy. This keeps you from turtle-ing up in one position and waiting for reloads, and keeps you moving about as you scramble for safe spots. It helps maintain the chaotic pacing of the firefights and keeps you in the game. It this chaotic nature that really keeps Kane & Lynch 2 feeling fresh. Moments of silence are few, and when they do hit, they are unsettling, ushering a sense of paranoia rather than safety. The firefights often hit with explosive force, they are frenetic and immersive, buoyed by the game’s unique presentation.

It’s the sparse production and “processed” look of the presentation that truly lies at the heart of Kane & Lynch 2. IO Interactive have mimicked the Youtube generation, presenting the game as though it were a poorly shot bit of video footage ripped from a stray cel phone cam or maybe a hand held 8mm. The camera is jerky, often extra close, grainy, pixilated, and every light source bands across the screen as though it were reflecting off of a tiny CCD lens. The effect is at once striking and disorienting, but it works. It feels intimate for a shooter, and in spite of the chaotic movements and the frantic pacing, the action generally doesn’t get disorienting. There’s an option to remove the shaky cam (but not the lo-fi filters), but it also takes some of the life out of the game as well. Still if you do find the camera disorienting, it can help with your enjoyment of the game. Graphically, the grain and digital noise are layered over a solid foundation of decent character models and texture work. The city of Shanghai feels remarkably well rendered and authentic, with a ton of light sources and crowded streets. It all has an air of realism that you don’t often see in shooters. Every bullet hit registers, whether on a crook, car, barrier, or innocent bystander, and there’s some subtle motion blurring in use on things like spent cartridges from your rapidly firing weaponry that makes things look pretty awesome in motion.

"Don't you wish you were as cool as me... check out my bitchin' skullet as I leap over this display case! OOH! Timex Inidiglo watches are on sale!"

The visual hook is backed up with some incredible sound design. There’s very little in the way of backing music, with every scene in the game punctuated by the resonant gunfire, explosions, and surrounding city. Even quiet scenes feature rustling and distant noise that fills the soundstage and is entirely convincing. This is some incredible soundwork that booms through a good surround sound system with all of the clarity and immersion of the best Hollywood flicks. Voice acting is also excellent, and wonderfully mixed. Everything from the roar of a high powered rifle to the tinkling of spent brass and shattered glass sounds phenomenal.

One of the most intriguing parts of the original game was the rather unique take on multiplayer, and it’s back in Kane & Lynch 2, in a much more fleshed out form. For starters, the entirety of the single player campaign is now playable in online co-op form, something criminally missing from the original. The co-op mode is about what you would expect, and a few of the levels make for a fun way to blow through some action with a friend in tow. It’s the game’s signature “Fragile Alliance” mode that is the real draw. Players take the role of a team of crooks on a heist, and each grabs as much loot as they can carry. The fuzz is onto them, however, and on top of that, each player can betray his gang and kill allies for their score. The more you score, the faster you level up, however you’re also marked as a traitor, and when you’re buddies get fragged, they respawn as SWAT. It’s a very strategic scenario, where the best players will succeed by avoiding the temptation to backstab early, and pace it so that there are enough of you left to make it to the getaway vehicle without being overwhelmed by the law. There’s also an undercover cop mode, where one player is notified of his “cop” status and must do what he can to halt the other players, the trick being he must wait until AFTER the heist has taken place. It’s intense as hell. There’s also your standard deathmatch mode in “Cops vs. Crooks”. It’s a robust suite of online features, with the requisite persistent levels and unlockable content you find in most online shooters these days. It’s hardly going to supplant Call of Duty for the masses, but it’s a different kind of game that’s targeted towards a more cerebral breed of multiplayer gamers. If you’re looking for something off the beaten path, give it a try.

Rebuttal Witness:
Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days is chock full of shooting. The entire game is a slow and steady forward crawl where every square yard of ground is gained with hundreds of rounds of ammunition. There’s very little in the way of downtime, character development, or story beats. The chaotic presentation serves the shooting well, but the mechanics are straight forward and as simplified as third person shooting gets. You snap to cover, spit lead, and avoid being hit by the lead spit from the mobsters, killers, cops, and soldiers who stand in your way. The first half is paced perfectly, with one or two truly twisted moments, and one level in particular that really shocked the hell out of me. When you near the finish the game starts just throwing wave after wave of tough to kill assholes in your direction, which slows down the pacing to frustrating levels. The final two chapters are pretty awesome, and make up for the third quarter’s total frustration, but there also isn’t much of an ending to speak of. You make it to the final objective in the last chapter, and you know it’s the end, but there’s no snazzy cutscene or story beat, just credits. Weak, and yet, I really don’t know how it could have been handled any differently.

"First those Army of Two guys, now this! And only 4 days until retirement!"

While many were inclined to bash the “last-gen” gameplay of the first game in the series, there was a great story in place, and a solid squad mechanic that worked well enough. All of the ancillary bits have been completely stripped out to focus on the shooter core, and the shooting lacks the sophistication of something like Gears of War or Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune. The game is buoyed entirely by the unique presentation, but beneath the youtube/cel-phone camera sheen lies a rudimentary shooting experience. If you’re a fan of third person shooters, you’ll definitely find something to like, and the robust online mode certainly helps add value to the package, but the single-player campaign may not be the engaging experience some might expect.

"That SWAT guy on the left is on short time... he just christened a boat..."

Closing Comments:
Kane & Lynch remains a franchise entirely targeted at a specific group of gamers. It lacks the sophistication of some of its peers, but it wraps things up in a uniquely dark presentation that feels like it is an integral part of the game’s make-up, rather than a layer of filters applied as an afterthought. The single player campaign, while pretty awesome, is brief, chaotic, and doesn’t change gears much. Yet, the multiplayer component is deep, unique, and addictive, making for a worthy overall package.

The Verdict:

Platform: Sony Playstation 3/Microsoft Xbox360/Windows PC
Developer: IO Interactive
Publisher: Square – Enix
Release Date: August 17th, 2010
Rated: M (17+) for Mature

Get your virtual cash ready, August closes out the summer with a digital buffett of downloadable goodies. Meanwhile, there’s not much happening on the retail front, with only 3 games worth talking about (4 if you hail from the USofA and like Football) in the promising, ultraviolent Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days, the epic Mobbed up open world sequel, Mafia II (That collector’s edition is mighty pretty!) and of course, Team Ninja’s much hyped return to Nintendo’s classic Metroid franchise, Metroid: Other M.

Stock up on Xbox Live Points cards and PSN gift cards while you can!

August 4th

- Castlevania: Harmony of Despair (Xbox Live Arcade)

August 10th

- Madden NFL 11
- Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World (PSN Store)

August 17th

- Kane & Lynch 2: dog Days (multi)
- Ys Seven (PSP)

August 18th
- Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light (Xbox Live Arcade)

August 24th
- Shank (PSN Store)
- Mafia II (multi)
- NHL 2K11 (Wii)

August 25th
- Shank (Xbox Live Arcade)
- Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World (Xbox Live Arcade)

August 31st
- Metroid Other M (Wii)
- Hydrophobia (Xbox Live Arcade)
- Valkyria Chronicles 2 (PSP)
- Dead Rising 2: Case Zero (Xbox Live Arcade)

This is a wierd month, digital content being so prominent in the face of a sparse retail month. I’m all over Kane & Lynch 2, being one of five fans of the original. I’m sure Mafia II will be in my home as soon as it hits as well. What August releaseas are you most looking forward to? Or are you planning on clogging the internet tubes with downloads?

Opening Statement:
From Sega, and developer of cult-RPGs, Obsidian Entertainment (Neverwinter Nights 2) comes a new take on the action RPG. Forget outer space and fantasy kingdoms; Alpha Protocol is the world’s first tactical espionage Role player. Will it manage to successfully infiltrate your collection? Or will you be disavowing any knowledge of its actions.

"Who are you calling GENERIC!?"

Facts of the Case:
Michael Thornton has just been recruited by Alpha Protocol, an organization of rogue agents who operate outside the proper government channels and use whatever tactics they can to ensure global stability while furthering American interests. Mike’s inaugural mission takes him to Saudi Arabia in search of missing experimental missiles, one of which was used to knock down a civilian airliner. It’s up to Thornton to unravel a conspiracy involving terrorist groups, politicians, and the worlds largest weapons manufacturer, and with a mole inside the organization, he must trust no one in his search for the truth.

The Evidence:
I’m not sure what exactly it is that plagues Obsidian Entertainment. Born from the ashes of Black Isle, a name whispered with reverence amongst old school PC role-players, their output would never suggest they were responsible for legendary titles like Fallout 2, Icewind Dale, and Planescape: Torment. They’ve spent the majority of their time clinging to the coattails of Canadian RPG powerhouse, Bioware. Hitting first with a sequel to Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, which saw its final act completely and savagely gutted to make a Christmas release date. They followed that up with an ambitious sequel to Neverwinter Nights, which arrived a technical mess, and still remains barely playable on cutting edge hardware. Whatever circumstances surrounded these noble misfires, be it Lucasarts’ aggressive development schedule, or Atari’s floundering fortunes, the guys at Obsidian seem unable to catch a break, unable to flex their ample muscles to the fullest. Perhaps with Alpha Protocol, their first attempt at a new IP, with Sega at the publishing reigns, their prospects could change?

No, not really. I’m really starting to think that Obsidian either has serious product management issues, or is otherwise under some unbreakable voodoo curse. Alpha Protocol comes out of the gate feeling like a collective of great ideas poured into a mold, and then cracked open before the clay has had the time to dry. The game, as a whole, feels raw and unfinished, like the developers reached the stage of development where a game is considered “feature complete” and then proceeded to dump the code to a gold master without any bug-squashing or quality assurance testing whatsoever. The game is hardly what I would call terrible, but for every idea that works, there’s an idea that is heavily compromised.

"Just call me Fisher!"

The gameplay, in a nutshell, is Mass Effect in a new skin. Built on the same engine, it’s as though Obsidian got their hands on the source code for Bioware’s Sci-fi RPG epic and replaced all of the art assets. Many of the faults that people addressed in that 2007 megahit are present here as well, and are considerably less forgivable almost three years on. The biggest bone of contention is no doubt the RPG-derived shooting mechanics, which rewards a bumped up weapon skill rather than a steady aim when it comes to landing headshots. Your targeting reticule could sit on some poor bastard’s forehead, only for the shot to whiz past him by several meters if your dice roll comes up “1”. For an international super-spy, Michael Thornton shoots more like an Imperial Stormtrooper.

Some will be able to rise above the crappy shooting, particularly those who stick with Assault rifles and pump their skills accordingly, but others will be immensely frustrated by their inability to hit a target, and pistol fans (like myself) will be tearing hair out in frustration as their silent killer is about as useful as a fart in a warm breeze. Hell, every weapon in the game outside of assault rifles is a useless effort. Shotguns are crippled by the fact that you have to be right next to a target, which makes it impossible to aim, and the sub-machine guns (which are duel-wielded for some unexplained reason) look stupid, and just spew forth a wall of lead that very slowly chips away at the health of even the lowliest of terrorist underlings. Sniper rifles pop up on occasion, but are usually a stationary affair that precludes you finding a lofty sniper perch and ventilating skulls. Once or twice I came upon a stationary sniper rifle only to find that I had no bitches to pwn.

Alpha Protocol doesn’t always rely on gunfights, thankfully. There are other alternatives, typically the stealth approach. Sadly, the stealth mechanics are about as weak as the gun fighting. Enemies seem to randomly be able to detect you on a whim (probably a result of comparing numbers under the hood like a bad guy’s perception vs. your stealth). Different body armour and load outs can make you a little tougher to detect, and if you can get close enough, there’s a neat option that allows you to either silently take down a baddie or otherwise knife his larynx out. Sounds great on paper, yes? Unfortunately, your silent take downs may randomly alert some dude in the adjacent room, separated by 10 inches of concrete, while dudes in the same room, mere meters away, remain oblivious to your presence, even while looking in your general direction.

What if Rambo were a Bond girl?

Yes, Alpha Protocol’s artificial intelligence is wretched. Whether you’re up against Arabic terrorists, CIA field agents, SWAT teams, private military bad-asses or fellow covert agents, they all follow the same set of arbitrary instructions: Run in circles, shoot, and die. Occasionally they dive behind cover, but it’s a pre-canned routine, they’d do the same thing if you were standing right behind them. Enemy awareness is busted, it’s as though everyone is wearing blinders and listening to Bell Biv DeVoe on their iPods while waiting for the one guy in the vicinity who actually has some sense of purpose to find you and raise the alarm, or otherwise get shot in the face/stabbed in the larynx by a covert agent. It’s as though every character in the game is hooked to a switch that has two settings, “docile” and “aggressive”. It’s the kind of “sneak n shoot” gameplay we got in 1998 with Syphon Filter on Playstation One. When you do raise an alarm, and oh, you will, it seems like everyone is automatically locked onto your location, and they come running like bees to honey. This in and of itself isn’t much of a problem, on easy and normal settings, bad guys are target practice, if you play on the hardest difficulty, shots are fired at random from bad guys who may or may not be in the room with you, and they will end your life in unspectacular fashion. After that, your corpse may either bounce around unnaturally or pass through a wall, floor, ceiling, or randomly placed shrubbery.

No, the technical limitations do not end at lousy henchman AI. Alpha Protocol is chock full of stiff animation, and technical glitches that have people passing through walls, walking on air, and otherwise defying the laws of gravity, physics, and common sense. On several instances, my Assault rifle magically belched brass shell casings even when it wasn’t being fired. Even after my still corpse hit the earth, and I sat slowly waiting for the prompt to reload from the last checkpoint, those 7.65mm shell casings kept ejecting from my rifle as though I were still standing upright in full on “Rock N Roll” stance. It doesn’t help that these stray bullets also clip through Mike’s body while he’s stuck in a run animation.

From a presentation standpoint, we’re looking at a mixed bag for sure. Menus are bland and utilitarian; they get the job done, but only just. The interface is likewise rather dull; full of nondescript icons that don’t always give a fair representation of your abilities. The game’s art design is bland and uninspired, with a bunch of plain, boring looking enemies that either lack any manner of personality, or have borrowed their charm from some crappy spy movie. Honestly, the character designs range from yawn-inducing to absolutely ridiculous (The pink-haired Russian commando or the Emo-teen hitman complete with running mascara come to mind). Michael Thornton is about the most boring frontman i’ve seen, and the miniscule customization options you’re given don’t help him improve any, at all. Then there’s the texture pop in that never ceases to make its presence known when you decide to hit menus in order to switch up an outfit or alter facial features.

Respect the beard!

That’s right, this is an Unreal 3 powered game, and about the only sign that alludes to that fact is the texture pop-in that plagued pretty much every Unreal 3 version 1.0 title. Lighting is rudimentary, the framerate is sluggish, textures are basic if serviceable, and everything is built with a minimal amount of detail, making for some mighty clunky looking characters and objects. Alpha Protocol may as well have been built on Unreal 2 technology. No, it’s not quite ‘Xbox’ ugly, but it definitely looks more like something that might have graced the 360 or PS3 in their early launch days. There are a few isolated incidents where Alpha Protocol comes close to matching some of the lesser U3-powered games out there, and on one or two occasions i did notice some genuinely sweet looking environments and effects. The biggest problem is that the whole thing suffers from screen tearing like a stray dog suffers fleas. Any panning of the camera results in disorienting tears as the “v” struggles to “synch”. If anyone were to want for a sample of the screen tearing issue that’s become pretty prevalent in this generation, Alpha Protocol is the new poster boy. Overall, if Midway’s WWII shooter, Hour of Victory didn’t exist, Alpha Protocol would probably take the ‘ugliest game powered by Unreal 3 Technology’ trophy.

Rebuttal Witness:
After all of that rampant negativity, you might be surprised to learn that does manage to get a few things right at the core.

For one thing, the game’s touted ‘Dialogue Stance System’ really works well, and as advertised. Again, think of Mass effect, but replace general comments with attitudes or emotions. Depending on the subject you’re conversing with, you can choose to be suave, professional, hostile, or courteous, and each Non-player character in the game reacts differently based on the stances you choose. Some characters have zero tolerance for bullshit, while others appreciate a hostile, stand-offish tone. The relationships you build throughout the game also play off of each faction you run into, and characters within each faction; become too close to one character, and you may find another won’t give you the time of day. Many of these characters become handlers for future missions, and depending on who’s got your back, mission parameters, storyline, and outcomes can change. It gives the game a sense of fluidity, characters who serve a major role in one player’s game may be mere footnotes in another. There’s really a sense that here, more than ever, your choices as a player really do have an effect on the outcome.

"Don't you ever call me Gabe Logan again!"

There’s an economy at work as well, that allows you to access a black market arms merchants and information brokers. Weapons are highly customizable, and different modifications do allow for a slightly more entertaining time when the guns come out. The intel you buy opens up new avenues for progressing through some of the games tougher levels. You can acquire weapon drops while in the field, or get rid of some of the more heavily armed foes in a region. It all feels authentic and logical, and here, Alpha Protocol really does a fantastic job of getting you to think like a spy. The espionage angle is taken that much further with a detailed e-mail and dossier system that gives you all sorts of tools and info. You can e-mail contacts (using the same stance system you use in conversations) and gather intel on factions and individuals that provides insight on how to deal with people when you run into them in the future.

When the game trades action for espionage, it actually succeeds rather brilliantly. There’s a significant amount of difficult choices, dialogue sequences, and safehouse shenanigans present in the game to really help take the sting out of the crummy action bits, and based on how you go about things, you may have less and less action to deal with. Play more like a spy, and less like Master Chief, and you’ll have a much better time with the game.

Closing Comments: There were many rumours circling around Alpha Protocol before its release, not the least of which was that Sega pulled support from Obsidian and basically put the brakes on development. Then they promptly delayed the ‘finished’ game for six months (possibly out of fear of Modern Warfare 2). None of it really makes a lot of sense, as given a bit more time in the oven, Alpha Protocol could have been a legitimate contender. As it stands, I want to love this game a hell of a lot more than i actually do, and I have no doubt that I won’t be alone. If you’re what one might call a hardcore RPG player and you’re looking for something a little a little off the beaten path, you may enjoy this trip through the world of international espionage.  However, it will almost certainly test the limits of your patience with some insufferably frustrating combat.

The Verdict:

Platform: Microsoft Xbox360, Sony Playstation 3, Windows PC(Playstation 3 version reviewed)
Developer: Obsidian Entertainment
Publisher: Sega
Release Date: June 1st, 2010
Rated: M(17+) for Mature