The Charge:
Enter the hypnotic realm of the UnderGarden…

Opening Statement:
The UnderGarden is an interesting game to categorize. Prioritizing ambiance and mood over high scores or game mechanics, this Xbox Live Arcade title is an exercise in meditative curiosity, an ethereal float through subterranean caverns, spreading pollen and plant life, with some puzzle solving mechanics thrown in for good measure. Although not as hypnotically pointless as games like fl0w or Flower, The UnderGarden borrows much from this ‘anti-game’ genre, emphasising mood and tone over… you know, fun. There’s a decent puzzler buried underneath the ambience, but you have to dig for it.

Facts of the Case:
You are a tiny cherub-faced creature, set loose in a dark series of caverns. As you navigate the creature, tiny plants and spores spring to life, illuminating the caverns in beautiful tones and shades of light.

Welcome to the UnderGarden.

The Evidence:
A short synopsis? You bet. At its core, that’s the game: no plot, no narrative, no explanation as to your purpose or your mission. There is no time limit and no way to die. You are just free to float about and pollenate everything in sight.

As gamers progress, puzzle elements are slowly added. Progress through a tunnel is impeded by a wall, which can be lifted by dragging fruit from a blooming tree onto a pressure plate. A second kind of fruit floats to the celling like a helium balloon, and can trigger pressure plates on the ceiling. Some fruits explode to destroy crumbling rock, while others shoot out neon bubbles that rob the creature of his pollen. When you complete a level, you are given a percentage score of how many flowers you pollinated, as well as how many secret gems and plants you collected on the way. A small meter on the bottom of the screen indicates your pollen count, which can easily be refuelled by stomping on small green pollen sacs.

The controls are languid and elastic, like the game. The analog stick manoeuvres the creature through the air like a hot air balloon. Holding a button charges a short burst of thrust, and another button can grab onto items, like fruits and tiny musicians (obviously) who change the visual and sonic landscape of the plants as you fly by. A crueller man could call the controls frustratingly imprecise, but it’s hard to stress out too much about it. After all, the game practically encourages slow, meditative movement. A co-op mode allows a friend to tag along and float about; a cute if pointless addition.

As puzzlers go, The UnderGarden goes from a laughably easy to reasonably competent in such a subtle gradient that you barely notice. One minute, you’re floating about aimlessly. Suddenly, you’re stuck on a cryptic series of pressure plates with a handful of the wrong fruit. It won’t take you longer than a few hours to blast your way through the content, but there’s no need to rush. The strength of the title—indeed, the very thing that makes it unique in a marketplace crammed full of puzzlers much cleverer than it—is its casual zen attitude. Relax. Soak up the atmosphere. Even at its most complex, The UnderGarden is relatively challenge-free.

No two ways about it: the game looks dazzling. Striking an artistic style straight out of a lost Tim Burton notebook from Alice In Wonderland, The UnderGarden has a simplistic yet visually pleasing asthetic, full of warmth and blooming light and soft colors and shadows. Watching flowers spring to life endlessly sounds boring, but not so. The score is ethereal magic; a calming blend of gentle bells, analog pulses and ambient curiosities. Each level is a new palate of blues, greens and purples.

Ooh... ethereal!

Rebuttal Witness:
The biggest drawback to the title is its repetition. Within a few levels, I started to lose interest in the hypnotic underworld. The UnderGarden is beautiful and relaxing to be sure, but the repititon in gameplay and visual element wore me down. Levels blend together in a haze of pleasing tones. Puzzles become mindless affairs. With no timer or death, there is little incentive to even solve them.

Determining the replay value of a title this esoteric is like trying to assign replay value to a rock garden. Is it relaxing and spiritually refreshing? Sure. Are you going to play it all the time? Probably not.

Closing Comments:
The UnderGarden is a beautifully crafted product, stunningly vibrant in its presentation of audio and visual marvels. And it is a fun to play, right up until the point where it becomes tremendously boring. There just isn’t enough game here to hold one’s interest beyond the first few levels. Puzzle aficionados and completionists will blast through the fourteen levels in a matter of hours.

It is refreshing to see games like this in online marketplaces, to see games that value visual aesthetics and emotional resonance above gameplay, but I fear I appreciate the concept of a game like The UnderGarden far more than than I enjoy playing the actual game.

The Verdict:

Platform: Microsoft XBOX360 (Xbox Live) / PC (XBOX360 Version Reviewed)
Developer: Artech Studios
Publisher: Atari
Release Date: Nov 10, 2010
Rated: E for Everyone

Must have been something Azeroth ate.

The Shattering is here! Blizzard’s massively addictive and popular behemoth World of Warcraft will see the release of its newest world-changing expansion Cataclysm in two short weeks. In preparation, the latest patch released today has torn the world of Azeroth a new hole, literally. Fans looking to play the new character classes (goblens and worgens) and explore new high-level content will have to wait until December 7th, but the world changes today.

Entire continents have shifted. Lands have been torn asunder by rocks and lava and destruction. Cities have burned down, and new encampments have been hastily erected. It’s a whole new game, folks.

Oh, and they molested warlocks something fierce. But that’s how it goes. Everyone gets a taste of the nerf hammer.

Check the jump below for a list of the official changes.

World of Warcraft Client Patch 4.0.3a

The latest patch notes can always be found at http://www.wow-europe.com/en/patchnotes/

The latest test realm patch notes can always be found at http://www.wow-europe.com/en/info/un…testrealm.html

The Shattering of Azeroth
In the frigid wastes of Northrend, the final battle against the merciless Lich King ended in victory for Azeroth’s defenders. Upon returning home, veterans of the unforgiving conflict against the Scourge were showered with praise for their valiant sacrifices, while the honorable dead were mourned. Yet as hope flared anew in the wake of the Lich King’s fall, Azeroth’s native elemental spirits grew confused and erratic, setting off a series of deadly natural disasters. Horde and Alliance leaders scrambled for clues about the troubling state of the world, but nothing could have prepared them for what was to come.

Without warning, the corrupted Dragon Aspect, Deathwing, erupted from the stone heart of Deepholm, the domain of earth within the Elemental Plane. Jagged fissures were torn across the earth, and monstrous waves pummeled coastal regions. From Thousand Needles to the Blasted Lands, the surface of Azeroth was reforged through violent upheavals. Now, the Horde and the Alliance must defend their homes against Deathwing and his minions, burdened by the unsettling fact that the world as they know it has changed… forever.

Azeroth Shattered
Deathwing’s return has had an immeasurable impact throughout the Eastern Kingdoms and Kalimdor. Players will notice drastically altered terrain, thousands of new quests from levels 1-55, and updated level ranges for some zones to improve the questing flow.

New Race/Class Combinations
In the wake of a world on the brink of destruction, members of the Horde and Alliance have taken to new cultures and studies, mastering crafts previously foreign to them. Many existing playable races now have new class combinations. Check the official World of Warcraft: Cataclysm website for a breakdown of the new combinations.

General
The World of Warcraft: Cataclysm cinematic trailer and login screen have been added to the game.
Experience required to gain levels 71 through 80 has been reduced by 20%, which increases leveling rate by 25%.

Classes: General
Due to several talent revisions for select classes, druids, paladins, priests, and shaman have had their talent trees reset.
The damage and healing done by players from levels 1-79 has been retuned, with the base points of almost all spells and abilities reduced. This was done to bring combat times at low levels to a more reasonable length. For most abilities that deal weapon damage, the weapon damage percent now rises per level until level 80, and starts at a lower percent.
Healing Rain, Efflorescence, Holy Radiance, Holy Word: Sanctuary now have a diminished effect when healing more than 6 players at once.
Mortal Strike, Furious Attacks, Wound Poison, Widow Venom, Permafrost, Improved Mind Blast, Monstrous Bite, and Legion Strike now reduce healing by 10%, down from 25%.
Effects which are broken from taking too much damage (Fear, Frost Nova, Entangling Roots, etc.) now break automatically from about half as much damage taken as before.

Death Knight
Death Pact now heals for 25% of maximum health, down from 40%.
Death Strike now heals for 25% of damage taken in the last 5 seconds, down from 30%, and will heal for a minimum of 7% of maximum health, down from 10%. The tooltip may not yet be updated to reflect this change.
Icebound Fortitude now provides 20% damage reduction, down from 30% (now 50%, down from 60% when talented), and has a 3-minute cooldown, up from 2 minutes.

Blood
Rune Tap now heals for 10% of maximum health, down from 15%. The tooltip may not yet be updated to reflect this change.

Glyphs
Glyph of Rune Tap now heals for 5% of maximum health, down from 10%.

Bug Fixes
Frost Fever critical strikes now apply the correct amount of bonus damage.

Druid
Bear Form now provides 10% bonus health, down from 20%.
Nourish no longer consumes Omen of Clarity.
Rejuvenation has had its mana cost increased by 30%.
Soothe now has a 1.5-second cast time.
Swipe (Cat Form) can now be used even if the druid does not have a primary target selected.
Thorns: beginner tooltip revised to no longer imply the spell could be kept up at all times. In addition, Thorns damage has been reduced by 60%.

Balance
PvP set bonus redesigned. While not in an Eclipse state, critical attacks against the druid restore 5 Solar or 7 Lunar energy, whichever is more beneficial. This effect can only occur once every 6 seconds.

Feral
Brutal Impact now increases the mana cost of spells on the victim by 5/10% for 10 seconds, down from 15/30%.
Leader of the Pack now heals for 4%, down from 8%.
Survival Instincts now provides 50% damage reduction, down from 60%, and its cooldown has been lowered from 5 minutes to 3 minutes.
Swipe (Bear Form) damage has been reduced by 20%.
Vengeance is no longer cleared on exiting Bear Form, and instead is cleared upon entering Cat Form.

Restoration
Empowered Touch now procs from Healing Touch as well as Nourish.
Heart of the Wild: the Bear Form Stamina bonus from this talent is now 2/4/6%, down from 3/7/10%.
Malfurion’s Gift no longer has Fury of Stormrage as a prerequisite talent.
Natural Shapeshifter now also increases Tree of Life duration by 5/10 seconds.
Revitalize is now a 2-point talent, down from 3. It provides a 20% chance to return 1/2% of the druid’s total mana on periodic heals from Lifebloom or Rejuvenation. This effect cannot occur more than once every 12 seconds.
Swift Rejuvenation is now a 1-point talent, down from 2. The global cooldown reduction this talent provides to Rejuvenation remains 0.5 seconds.
Symbiosis: heal-over-time spells (Rejuvenation, Regrowth, Lifebloom) can no longer benefit from this Mastery merely by refreshing themselves. A different heal-over-time spell must be present.

Glyphs
Glyph of Healing Touch now reduces the cooldown on Nature’s Swiftness by 10 seconds after using Healing Touch, up from 5 seconds.
Glyph of the Treant (new) allows druids to keep the original treant Tree of Life look… if they must. Must they?

Bug Fixes
Blood in the Water now refreshes Rip to the correct value.
Flight Form now properly appears in the trainer window before Expert Riding is learned.

Hunter
All special attacks based on weapon damage (except Scattershot) are now normalized.
Scare Beast is now available at level 36, up from level 14, and has had its training cost updated.
Deterrence is now available at level 78, up from level 36, and has had its training cost updated.
Disengage is now available at level 14, down from level 78, and has had its training cost updated.

Glyphs
The level requirements for glyphs that affect Scare Beast, Deterrence, and Disengage have been altered to correspond with the level changes of these abilities.

Bug Fixes
The Core Hound pet ability Ancient Hysteria now places its own unique debuff on affected players that has the same effect as Sated and Exhaustion.
Certain pets should no longer forget how to Dash.

Mage
Arcane Blast now increases damage of the next Arcane Blast by 10% per stack, down from 20%, reduces cast time by 0.1 seconds per stack, and increases the mana cost by 150%, down from 175%. In addition, the base cast time of Arcane Blast has been lowered to 2.35 seconds.
Arcane Explosion now costs 15% of base mana, down from 18%.
Arcane Missiles damage has been increased by 5%.
PvP set 4-piece bonus changed to increase damage by 5% instead of providing 5% Haste.

Arcane
Arcane Barrage damage has been increased by 5% and its cooldown is now 4 seconds, down from 5 seconds.
Arcane Concentration: Now has a much higher chance (13/27/40%) of entering a Clearcasting state. This effect cannot occur more than once every 15 seconds. The tooltip still states that there is a 3/6/10% chance, as it averages out to approximately the same chance with the internal cooldown applied.
Arcane Specialization again increases arcane damage by 25%.

Fire
Blazing Speed no longer dispels movement slowing effects (it still dispels effects that totally stop movement).
Fire Specialization again increases periodic fire damage effects by 25%.
Molten Shields now also causes Blazing Speed to dispel movement slowing effects in addition to its current functionality.
Pyroblast base mana cost is now 17%, down from 22%.

Frost
Deep Freeze: the cooldown on this ability is no longer reduced by Haste.
Early Frost now reduces Frostbolt cast time by 0.3/0.6 seconds, down from 0.35/0.70 seconds.
Fingers of Frost proc chance is now 7/14/20%, down from 10/20/30%.
Frost Specialization again increases all damage against frozen target by 25%.
Reactive Barrier is now triggered by any damage which causes the mage’s health to be below 50%, even if the mage was already below 50%.
Shatter now also increases Frostbolt damage by 10/20% against frozen targets.
Shattered Barrier duration is now 2/4 seconds, down from 3/6 seconds.
Glyphs
Glyph of Evocation now heals for 40%, down from 60%.
Glyph of Deep Freeze now increases damage done by Deep Freeze by 20% (no longer increases Frostbolt damage against Deep Frozen targets).

Bug Fixes
Improved Polymorph now correctly shares diminishing returns with controlled stuns.

Paladin
Exorcism damage has been increased by approximately 50%.
Holy Radiance now has reduced effectiveness on targets over 8 yards away from the paladin.
Seal of Truth: periodic damage from Censure reduced by 25%.

Holy
Beacon of Light now lasts 5 minutes, up from 60 seconds.
Blessed Life: the effects of this talent cannot occur more than once every 8 seconds, up from every 2 seconds.
Illuminated Healing absorb shield now absorbs 10% of the total amount healed, up from 8%. Each point of Mastery increases the effect by an additional 1.25%, up from 1%.
Light of dawn has been redesigned. It no longer has an enforced cooldown, now costs Holy Power instead of mana, and scale in direct proportion to the amount of Holy Power used. In addition it now heals the 5 most injured group targets (including self) in a 30-yard frontal cone.
Protector of the Innocent no longer triggers from self-heals.

Protection
Divine Bulwark now grants 2.25% less block chance per point of Mastery, up from 2%.
Holy shield no longer increases chance to block. Instead, it increases the amount blocked by an additional 10%, for a total of 40% damage blocked.
Shield of the Righteous: Contribution of attack power halved (now 60% with full Holy Power) and base damage brought up so that a level 85 paladin in Heroic dungeon gear deals the same damage with no Vengeance, but Vengeance has less impact.
Shield of the Templar now reduces the cooldown of Guardian of Ancient Kings by 40/80/120 seconds, down from 1/2/3 minutes.
Wrath of the Lightbringer now increases Crusader Strike and Judgement damage by 50/100%, up from 30/60%.

Retribution
Crusade now also has a proc on kill to increase the healing done by the paladin’s next Holy Light by 100/200/300% for 15 seconds, in addition to its current effects.
Divine Storm: This ability has been redesigned. It no longer consumes Holy Power and instead costs 5% of base mana. It shares a cooldown with Crusader Strike and hits all nearby enemies for 60% weapon damage.
Pursuit of Justice now has an 8-second internal cooldown, shared with Blessed Life.
Rebuke no longer initiates Auto Attack.
Sanctity of Battle now also causes Divine Storm’s cooldown to be reduced by Haste effects.
Zealotry no longer consumes 3 Holy Power, but still requires 3 Holy Power to use.

Glyphs
Glyph of Beacon of Light now makes Beacon of Light free, instead of increasing the duration by 30 seconds.
Glyph of Divinity has been redesigned. It now grants the paladin 10% of maximum mana upon use.
Glyph of Light of Dawn now increases the total number of most injured targets healed by 1.

Priest
Binding Heal now provides roughly double the amount of healing.
Prayer of Healing has had its mana cost reduced by nearly 30% and its base points and Spell Power coefficient increased by 20%.

Discipline
Divine Aegis is now always triggered by Prayer of Healing in addition to critical heals from all other spells.
Grace has been increased to 4/8% stacking 3 times, up from 2/4% stacking.
Inner Focus now works with Binding Heal, but no longer works with Heal.
Power Word: Barrier has been redesigned. It no longer acts as a shared absorb shield. Instead, all affected friendly targets take 30% reduced damage for the duration of the shield, which is now 10 seconds, down from 25 seconds.

Shadow
Shadow Orbs: redesigned slightly. The Shadow Orbs continue to increase damage done by Mind Blast and Mind Spike and stack up to 3 times, but now when the priest casts Mind Blast or Mind Spike (consuming the orbs), the priest gains a 15-second duration buff (Empowered Shadow), which increases the damage done by all Shadow periodic spells. Empowered Shadow does not stack. Mastery increases the damage bonus of Shadow Orbs and Empowered Shadow by the same amount, 10% with the base 8 Mastery, and an additional 1.25% per Mastery.
Vampiric Embrace healing to the caster has been reduced to 6%, down from 12% (there was a tooltip error which stated that the self-healing amount was 15%). Party members still receive 3% healing.

Bug Fixes
Dark Archangel now correctly increases the damage done of certain abilities by 4%.

Rogue
Deadly Poison base damage and attack power coefficient have been increased by 30%.
Recuperate now restores 2% of maximum health, down from 3%.
Venomous Wounds base damage and attack power coefficient have been increased by 30%.

Combat
Aggression now increases damage of Sinister Strike, Backstab, and Eviscerate by 7/14/20%, up from 5/10/15%.
Bandit’s Guile now gives 10/20/30% increased damage as the rogue gains greater insight, up from 5/10/15%.

Subtlety
Executioner no longer affects Recuperate.

Bug Fixes
Bandit’s Guile now applies more consistently to all of the abilities it’s supposed to modify.
Player guardians and temporary pets now stop attacking when a rogue uses Vanish, but city guards will not.

Shaman
Chain Heal mana cost increased from 17% to 20% of base mana.
Earthliving Weapon now only has 25% of its full chance to proc from a single hop of Chain Heal.

Elemental
Elemental Reach now also increases Searing Totem range by 7/15 yards.
Fulmination now has a Spell Alert visual associated with it, which appears when the shaman gets to 9 Lightning Shield charges.

Warlock
Bane of Agony damage has been reduced by approximately 12%.
Bane of Doom damage has been reduced by approximately 12%.
Corruption damage has been reduced by approximately 12%.
Death Coil damage has been reduced by approximately 12%.
Drain Life damage has been reduced by approximately 12%.
Drain Soul damage has been reduced by approximately 12%.
Immolate damage has been reduced by approximately 12%.
Incinerate damage has been reduced by approximately 12%.
Rain of Fire damage has been increased to be more comparable to other area-of-effect abilities.
Searing Pain damage has been reduced by approximately 12%.
Seed of Corruption damage has been reduced to be more comparable to other area-of-effect abilities.
Shadowbolt damage has been reduced by approximately 12%.
Soul Fire damage has been reduced by approximately 12%.

Demonology
Hand of Gul’dan damage has been reduced by approximately 12%.

Destruction
Chaos Bolt damage has been reduced by approximately 12%.
Conflagrate damage has been reduced by approximately 12%.
Shadowburn damage has been reduced by approximately 12%.

Bug Fixes
Drain Life: The Soulburn version of this was charging 17% of base mana instead of 12% like the normal version. This has been corrected.

Warrior
Cleave damage has been reduced by approximately 17%.
Execute damage has been reduced by approximately 17%.
Heroic Strike damage has been reduced by approximately 17%.
Overpower now does 125% weapon damage, down from 150%.
Rend base damage has been reduced by approximately 17% and percent of weapon damage per tick lowered to 25%, from 30%.
Shield Block now only increases block chance by 25%, but excess block that pushes avoidance plus block to over 100% is now converted to critical block chance.
Slam now costs 15 rage, down from 20, and now does 125% weapon damage, down from 150%.
Victory Rush damage has been reduced by approximately 17%.
Whirlwind now does 65% weapon damage, down from 75%.

Arms
Mortal Strike now does 150% weapon damage, down from 185%.
Second Wind now heals for 2/5% of total health, down from 5/10%.
Strikes of Opportunity now does 100% weapon damage, down from 115%.

Fury
Blood Craze now heals for 1/2/3% of total health, down from 2.5/5/7.5%.
Bloodthirst damage has been reduced by approximately 17%.
Raging Blow now does 110% weapon damage, down from 150%.
Unshackled Fury now gains approximately 50% more benefit per point of Mastery.

Protection
Critical Block now grants an equal amount of block chance and critical block chance (1.5% each per point of Mastery).
Devastate no longer provides bonus threat.
Shield Slam: Contribution of attack power reduced to 60%, down from 75%, and base damage brought up so that a level 85 warrior in Heroic dungeon gear deals the same damage with no Vengeance, but Vengeance has less impact. In addition, Shield Slam no longer generates 30% bonus threat from its damage.
Vigilance no longer provides 3% damage reduction, but still refreshes Taunt and provides Vengeance.

Glyphs
Glyph of Bloody Healing increases the healing received from Bloodthirst by 40%, down from 100%.
Glyph of Intimidating Shout no longer causes targets to flee slowly, but roots them instead.
Glyph of Shield Wall increases damage reduction to 60%, but increases the cooldown from 2 minutes to 4 minutes (talented).

Bug Fixes
Taste for Blood should once again proc on every other tick of Rend.

Achievements
The Gladiator reward mounts now award Master Riding.
What A Long, Strange Trip It’s Been now awards Master Riding.

Items
Mysterious Egg now takes only 3 days to turn into a Cracked Egg and has a slightly greater chance of awarding the Reins of the Green Proto-Drake.
PvP set bonuses now provide 70 of stats such as Agility, Intellect, and Strength (down from 100) at 2 pieces, and 180 of these stats (down from 300) at 4 pieces.

Professions
Perfect Gem Cutting and Mixology have been removed as trainable skills and are instead passives profession abilities. When players reach the appropriate skill levels, they will start getting bonuses from Mixology (they must know the recipe to gain the benefit) and/or cutting perfect gems (depending on their profession, of course).

Alchemy
Alchemy recipes now require Crystal Vials. Deathwing broke all the others because he’s mean (or because he didn’t want alchemists to carry 5 different vials around with them).

Engineering
The Engineering Tinkering enchants will no longer provide their bonus stats, but the activated effects will stack with other enchants. In 4.0.1 the stats were there (but hidden) and are now removed.

Bug Fixes
Several epic gem transmutes that were missing from the trainer have been added back.

Bug Fixes
Certain area-of-effect abilities are no longer ignoring the area-of-effect damage cap.
Mobs and NPCs should no longer appear to randomly gain or lose health during combat.
Re-summoning pets in Battlegrounds should no longer count towards a player’s total healing done.

Known Issues
Some tooltips may not reflect the most recent changes to certain abilities.
Worgen hunters are currently unable to learn Dual Wield.
The achievement Explore Tol Barad will not be possible to complete upon release of World of Warcraft: Cataclysm.

Source: http://www.wow-europe.com/en/patchnotes/

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

"That guy has my copy of Naughty Bear!"

Well, after the onslaught that was may, June delivers a barrage of less… desirable prospects:

June 1st
- Alpha Protocol (multi)
- Backbreaker (multi)

June 8th
- Green Day Rock Band (multi)
- Sniper: Ghost Warrior (Xbox360, PC)
- Metal Gear solid: Peace Walker (PSP)
- Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11 (multi)

June 15th
- Kid Adventures: Sky Captain (wii)
- Naval Assault: The Killing Tide (xbox360)
- Toy Story 3 (multi)

June 22nd
- Transformers: War for Cybertron (multi)

June 29th
- Lego Harry Potter (multi)
- Singularity (multi)
- The Last Airbender (wii)
- Trinity Universe (PS3)
- Naughty Bear (multi)

I’m dug into Alpha Protocol right now, and enjoying it somewhat (look for a review later this week), but the rest of the month looks pretty barren for me (I may take the plunge and buy another PSP game that will just sit on the shelf un-played).

How about you guys? Looking forward to another Transformers game that may not suck? Perhaps muggles made of Legos are in your future? Another time-twisting FPS? Rocking out to Green Day, perhaps? Do tell!

The Charge:
Defining Online Warfare!

Opening Statement:
The world of Military shooters has always been a tumultuous one. Excursions into World War II have always butted heads with the latest and greatest techno shooters and Tom Clancy terror thrillers. Somewhere along the timeline, the mainstream WWII shooter converged with the modern man of action, and one franchise rose above the ranks to seize the crown. Hardly content to take their ‘distant second’ ribbon and wallow in complacency, EA and Dice have fired the opening salvo in the quickly building war against Modern Warfare 2.

"Are we shootin people today?"

Facts of the Case:
‘B’ Company has had a reversal of fortune as it were. After the events of the original Battlefield: Bad Company, the group of throwaway misfits has earned themselves a rep as a squad that can get things done. When a rogue Russian general with some past history with the company gets his hands on a powerful weapon left over from World War II, it’s up to ‘Bad’ Company to defuse the situation before the Russkies kick off World War III.

That’s only a part of the Battlefield: Bad Company 2 package. Take the game online and prepare yourself for an intense 24 player experience that pits East against West in intense firefights all over the globe. Squad based combat allows for an unparalleled level of teamwork in several different game modes, complete with Battlefield’s signature air and land based vehicles and intense back and forth infantry fighting.

"Activision Executives flee as disgruntled developers blow the crap out of Infinity Ward HQ"

The Evidence:
The main draw for many will probably be Bad Company 2’s extensive multiplayer mode, and draw you in it most certainly will. Maps are determined by gametype, and consist of everything from tightly packed areas, perfect for some team and squad deathmatch to the sprawling landscapes that lend themselves to awesomely paced Rush and Conquest modes. Conquest is the good ole fashioned point control stalwart that has entertained Battlefield players since 1942 (not literally!) and rush mode splits players into attackers and defenders, where attackers attempt to destroy frontline bases by blowing up two of the defenders N-COM stations, while defenders kill the hell out of the attackers until their reinforcement pool drops to zero.

"We cool.. We Bad-asses. Blah blah blah blah blah..."

DICE’s frostbite engine has proven to have the horsepower to push some high quality visuals on games like Mirror’s Edge, the original Battlefield: Bad Company and the download-only Battlefield 1943, and Bad Company 2 follows suit with visual panache and rock solid framerate. Whether looking at stunning vistas in the single player or watching buildings crumble while dust particles swirl and tanks shudder realistically in multiplayer, the game remains a visual standout. Explosions look fantastic, buildings collapse in convincing fashion, lighting is great, and character animation is tight all around. The multiplayer holds up its end as well, and never falters. There is a bit of weirdness going on with the shadows, but it doesn’t detract from the overall experience. This is a great looking shooter.

As good as the visuals are; it’s the sound that really shines. This game features the best sound design I’ve ever heard in a shooter, hands down. Gunfire booms across the soundstage with gusto, and echoes in the rear soundfield realistically. These echoes and reverbs change based on your environment, whether you happen to be indoors or out, and explosions are deafening. If you have a home theatre, play this sucker loud! The music is of the generic “military-thriller” variety, but it does the job well enough, and the voice acting is as good as it gets without throwing random Hollywood talent into the mix.

I guess the real question is; Can Bad Company 2 and Modern Warfare 2 peacefully coexist in someone’s video game collection? Sure, I guess they could, but where’s the fun in that?

Rebuttal Witness:
Battlefield: Bad Company 2, much like Modern Warfare 2, is a brief single player game. The campaign lasts slightly longer, clocking in at an average 6 hours or so. While there is definitely variety, and more than a few awesome scenarios, malaise does occasionally rear its head. There’s not really anything new here, but what’s here is presented well and feels great, even if the level of chaos and anarchy never quite reaches the heights established by the last few Call of Duty titles. Nothing in the single player campaign approaches the very best moments of its Infinity Ward and Treyarch developed competitors, but taken as a whole, the experience tends to be more entertaining, and suffers less from the lows. While there’s nothing as awesome as ‘Snowblind’ in here, there’s nothing as lame as defending a Burger Town from the entire Russian Army either. Graphically there are moments of sheer beauty that rival the very best that military shooters have to offer, including the awesome intro stage set during the Pacific campaign of World War II, or the downriver trek in the jungles of Central America, and a stunner of a final level that I won’t spoil here.

It’s really a more uniform experience, and while many may miss the sheer spectacle of Modern Warfare or Modern Warfare 2, the more controlled chaos and level headed approach definitely makes for a more enjoyable experience, if not a more memorable one.

"Take from them nothing... give to them... wait... that ain't right... let me start over."

Closing Comments:
It’s hard to talk about Battlefield: Bad Company 2 without comparing it to Modern Warfare 2, it’s fiercest competitor, and I don’t think the guys at DICE and EA would have it any other way. The end result really depends on how you like to play, and in truth, there is no clean cut victor in this modern combat deathmatch. That said, my own tastes give Bad Company 2 the edge, be it ever so slight.

The Verdict:

Platform: Sony Playstation 3/Microsoft Xbox360/Windows PC
Developer: DICE
Publisher: EA Games
Release Date: March 2nd, 2010
Rated: M (17+) for Mature

It’s coming in 2011! Hopefully EARLY 2011.

Click on through for the full announcment!

WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT ANNOUNCES

THE LORD OF THE RINGS: WAR IN THE NORTH
FOR XBOX 360™, PLAYSTATION®3 AND WINDOWS™ PC

GROUNDBREAKING ONLINE CO-OP IN NEW ACTION RPG ODYSSEY

Burbank, Calif. – March 18, 2010 – Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment announces today that The Lord of the Rings: War in the North, an epic multiplayer action/RPG video game based on the renowned novels by J.R.R. Tolkien, is set to launch on the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and Games for Windows® in 2011.

Developed in association with Middle-earth Enterprises, The Lord of the Rings: War in the North explores both original and familiar narrative elements as Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment holds the rights to develop video games based on both the literary and motion picture content from The Lord of the Rings. Breaking new ground as a mature RPG video game set in Middle-earth, The Lord of the Rings: War in the North advances the RPG paradigm through innovative online, interdependent co-op play for up to three players who form their own Fellowship to fight Sauron’s forces in the North.

“With The Lord of the Rings: War in the North we are taking a mature approach to the widely celebrated property with authentic portrayals of battles and all new storylines,” said Martin Tremblay, President, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. “Utilizing the award-winning and passionate development team at Snowblind Studios, we are looking to evolve the RPG experience and deliver The Lord of the Rings game fans have been waiting for.”

“In The Lord of the Rings: War in the North, Snowblind will deliver an action RPG for core gamers featuring authentic narrative and environmental locations from J.R.R. Tolkien’s original The Lord of the Rings,” said Ryan Geithman, Founder and Studio Head of Snowblind Studios. “This game is a natural evolution of the acclaimed RPG gameplay that Snowblind has consistently delivered over the past years. Players and fans will experience an innovative approach to online co-op gameplay, woven throughout every facet of the game in a way that only Snowblind can deliver.”

In The Lord of the Rings: War in the North, players can become the heroes in the great battle of the North as part of the epic War of the Ring. Exploring unseen lands, story elements and characters from Middle-earth as well as elements familiar from past feature films, gamers will experience extensive character customization and development, expansive co-op gameplay options and upgradeable weapons, skills and special abilities.

For more information about The Lord of the Rings: War in the North, please visithttp://www.warinthenorth.com.

# # #

About Middle-earth Enterprises

The Saul Zaentz Company d/b/a Middle-earth Enterprises is the holder of worldwide motion picture stage, merchandising, and other rights in certain literary works of J.R.R. Tolkien, including The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. Middle-earth Enterprises has been producing and licensing films, stage productions and merchandise based on the Tolkien work for more than 30 years and is headquartered in Berkeley, California. http://www.middleearth.com.

About Snowblind Studios

Snowblind Studios is an award-winning video game developer based in the Pacific Northwest with more than 10 years of experience. Utilizing a rich history of cooperative play games, they helped to define the growing Action RPG genre with critically acclaimed titles including Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance and the Champions of Norrath series. The studio was acquired by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group in 2009 and is currently working on The Lord of the Rings: War in the North.

About Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, a division of Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group, is a premier worldwide publisher, developer, licensor and distributor of entertainment content for the interactive space across all current and future platforms, including console, handheld and PC-based gaming for both internal and third party game titles.

Contact:

Remi Sklar
Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
818/977-3023
remi.sklar@warnerbros.com

Megan Korns Russell
Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
818/977-0526
megan.korns@warnerbros.com

Sorry for the crappy webcam pic, awash as it is with overhead flourescent lighting, but you can clearly see a nice rendering of the Dragon Age poster child, the Blood Dragon, and a single date…

02/01/2011

Dragon age II? Another Dragon Age expansion? Your guess is as good as mine. Either way i applaud Bioware’s brilliant efforts at teasing the crap out of us. Given the relatively distant date given, my money is on a sequel.

The Charge:
Hunter. Survivor. Prey.

Opening Statement:
Everyone’s favorite extra-terrestrial Cuisinarts are back, and as per usual, mankind is caught in the middle. Can Rebellion, the studio behind the original PC classic, manage to get it right this time around?

Facts of the Case:
The Weyland-Yutani Corporation has found something beneath the surface of BG-386, a discovery so valuable that even Karl Bishop-Weyland (Lance Henriksen, of course!) has taken an active role in the excavation. When the planet side colony goes silent, the USS Marlow is dispatched on a search and rescue mission. The Marlow however isn’t the only ship in the stars above Freya’s Prospect; a group of Predators has made one hell of an explosive entrance. They’ve got some time to kill, and more than enough prey (of the soft meat and hard meat varieties) to keep them occupied.

"Let's ROCK!"

The Evidence:
It has been 10 long years since Rebellion graced PC-owners with the original Alien Versus Predator, 15 for those who remember the superlative 2D Atari Jaguar outing that one-upped the original Doom. In the interim, neither of Fox’s big creature franchises had much of a presence in the video game world worth talking about. Alien fans got a few shooters that ranged from passable to excrement, while Predator fans got a wretched 3D action adventure title, and both races would square off in an ill-conceived Real-Time-Strategy title before descending into crap portable and mobile phone game hell.

Rebellion has suffered a similar fate, their post AVP resume consisting of low rent ports and poorly received shooters and movie tie-ins, with only one or two notable exceptions like Namco’s Sniper Elite or the slightly better than average Rogue Trooper;. Their most recent offering was the abysmal Rogue Warrior, which currently stands with a whopping metacritic score of %27 (though in all fairness, that dud was handled by the recently shuttered ‘Core Design’ team). It’s pretty safe to say that, based on the pedigrees of the developer and franchises in question, that the odds would be pretty stacked against Alien Versus Predator.

The first thing the devs did right was follow their own game. AvP features three disparate campaigns, one each for Human, Predator, and Alien, and each campaign’s narrative interweaves into the other, making for a decent, well-told plot that fits soundly into the Aliens universe. The lion’s share of the exposition comes from the Human side, and I recommend that that one should be your first stop, while the ET campaigns give you alternate perspectives and provide a little fleshing out of events. To be frank, AvP could have included the Human campaign as it is and it still would have been one hell of an exceptional, if brief shooter. Every minute of the action is perforated with a sense of impending doom and tension that feels directly ripped from James Cameron’s Aliens. The derelict colony of Freya’s Prospect feels lived in and logical, and your trip through darkened corridors and dank tunnels eventually leads to a sparse jungle and some varying terrain that feels fresh. While the shooting mechanics do lack some of the core features that have been present for the last decade or so, like aiming down sights and crouching, the gunplay never feels old or stymied as a result. There’s a degree of melee combat included as well, it’s a last ditch effort as a Marine, a brutal alternative as the Predator, and your only option as an Alien, but it always feels solid.

As a human, the gameplay is essentially linear progression with some light backtracking. The model most closely resembles Bioshock, though there’s considerably more focus on intensity. Also borrowed from Bioshock (or maybe even Doom 3) are audio logs that are found scattered throughout the environments that help to further shine a light on the chain of events that occurred before you set foot in the formerly bustling colony.

The Predators are here to protect an ancient artifact that the humans have inadvertently uncovered. You play a rookie on his first hunt, and you’ll have to contend with an army of space marines and aliens alike, all swarming around your sacred grounds with little care or concern. Going toe to toe with the marines is out of the question, but taking the high ground and picking them off one by one is a ton of fun, particularly when you have all of the Predator’s wonderful gadgets reproduced brilliantly. When the dual wrist blades come unsheathed, however, know that the predator’s melee game is the strongest of the trio. Things are going to die horribly.

Then there’s the Alien campaign. Running around as one of these suckers is extremely fast paced, and the lack of any real long range strikes turns the Alien game into an up close stealth kill and retreat scenario that contrasts very sharply with the Marine’s nonstop struggle for survival and the Predator’s mix of stealth and brutality. As an Alien, every surface is your plaything, and when your skitting down narrow corridors at blinding speeds whilst scaling walls and ceilings, everything clicks, and at times, the goings on resemble the first person camera sequences in Alien 3. You play as 6, a captive chestburster with a clever mind, raised to adulthood under the watchful eye of human masters. When the opportunity to escape is given, you take it. The rest becomes a mix of chase and avoid gameplay that is pretty fresh feeling, and almost, dare I say it, evokes memories of the stealth missions in Batman: Arkham Asylum.

As good as AvP’s gameplay is, it’s backed up by some great, though hardly cutting edge visuals. The levels range from grimy and industrial to ancient ruins and, of course, the Alien hives, and all look great. The “lived in” look of the settlement of Freya’s Prospect, with windblown sandy streets and dank, wrecked interiors all feel great, look great and really capture the vibe of the Aliens future. The environments are complemented with awesome lighting effects that really add to mood and the tension of the gameplay. Pools of pitch blackness are everywhere, and oftentimes the marine’s piddly little flashlight is his best friend. The character models and animations, particularly where the Preds and Xenos are concerned, are fantastic stuff, and look great both in still frame and in motion. The marines come off a little chunky around the face, but their weaponry and gear is replicated near perfectly from Cameron’s Aliens. Last but not least, the juicy bits of gore that permeate the Alien and Predator stealth kills are extremely visceral and satisfying.

The sound design is also fantastic, with impeccable use of the 5.1 soundfield (DTS on the PS3). The sound design in these films is ported over flawlessly, from the machine like patter of the marine’s pulse rifle to the Predator’s auditory snikts and swooshes. The Aliens also hiss and roar just as they have on screen for the last 2 decades. Every element of the awesome sound serves to engross you further into the game. Voice acting is solid as well, with Lance Henriksen leading the charge. This is a game you’ll want to play with the lights off, and with the stereo cranked.

For those who crave Multiplayer, Aliens versus Predator definitely has you covered. The multiplayer suite is well stocked, with several modes and a full ranking system to satiate the experience point hunger. Rewards aren’t anything special, usually multiplayer skins, but the game modes are designed to fit the nature of the game, and they do so quite well. I had the most fun with co-op survivor, which pits up to four marine players against swarm after swarm of AI controlled Alien hordes. It’s Gears of War 2’s Horde mode for Aliens fans, and it works almost as well here as it did there. You also get several forms of deathmatch (including interspieces), and interesting game types like Infestation, where whomever bites the dust respawns as a Xenomorph. AvP doesn’t bring about any multiplayer paradigm shift or anything, but it plays well enough to be engaging, and the robust selection of options keeps things interesting.

"There's something out there huntin' us, and it ain't no man..."

Rebuttal Witness:
While AvP’s three campaigns do have a wildly varying feel to them, each is pretty brief. On the hardest diffuclty, the Marine campaign will end in 6 hours or less, with 4 – 4.5 hours being the more likely completion time for seasoned vets (about the same time it takes crazy people to go through Modern Warfare 2). The Predator and Alien campaigns are shorter (considerably so for the Alien). All told you’re probably looking at about 10 hours of single player gameplay if you stretch things. The multiplayer definitely picks up the slack, but for those who’s focus is single player, 10 hours and you’re done. It’s actually pretty generous for a shooter these days, but with that 10 hours split between three separate campaigns, the illusion of super-shortness may leave you feeling cheated.

Aliens versus Predator gets tough, particularly during the Human campaign. We humans are fragile meatsicles, and there were several points during the campaign where any kind of forward momentum ground to a screeching halt amidst a wave of black, acid-blooded death. Going toe to toe with any more than two or three aliens without something like a smart gun or plenty of rifle ammo in your arsenal is an incredibly brutal prospect, even on ‘normal’ difficulty. When you encounter a Predator, be afraid, be very very afraid. For some, the scripted nature of the game’s encounters may feel like a first person throwback, particularly when they have to repeat one section seven or eight or nineteen times because those hissing bastards are relentless. It wasn’t really an issue for me, but it bears mentioning.

Slightly more serious are control issues that pop up in the Alien and Predator campaigns. The Predators have the ability to jump some pretty outlandish heights, but the ability is linked to specific hot spots on a given level. There are times when the first person perspective makes it a chore to notice and navigate to and from these spots. It gets difficult to stalk prey by jumping from tree to tree when you keep missing your jumps. There are also a few instances where logic dictates that you should be able to leap to a specific point, but you just can’t.

Meanwhile, the Aliens, skittish little bastards that they are, can get a little squirrely when you’re zooming around floors and ceilings in cramped quarters. It gets tough to navigate when up is down and down is up. There were also a few times that I had trouble navigating through vents, as you have to line yourself up just right and wait for the button prompt to pass through. There’s an option in the menus to enable “auto transition” for the alien campaign, and that should be your first stop. Without it you have to press a shoulder button to get your critter to skitter to the fullest. With it enabled, movement from one surface to another becomes a smoother affair.

These issues will frustrate some more than others; for the most part, the fun I had with the creature campaigns far outweighed the minor infrequent annoyances I had with the controls. More often than not, everything clicks, and your careening down the roof of a low tunnel at breakneck speed with some human refuse waiting to take a tail to the eyeball, or you’re silently watching a platoon of marines, just waiting for some hapless bugger to separate from his squadmates so you can drop down and separate his spine from his body.

Slightly more serious issues are found in the multiplayer setup, which relies heavily on the now standard console matchmaking scheme. I could hop into 360 games pretty effortlessly, but the PS3 matchmaking was often slow to respond, and on at least one occasion I was waiting over five minutes for a match to begin. I won’t get into the shortage of multiplayer maps, as what’s included works pretty well, and therea re apparently more coming to DLC markets in the very near future (they’d better be free too).

The PS3 version also does “feature” some flicker and aliasing that I didn’t notice on the 360 version. It’s hardly a dealbreaker, and the games are close to identical on both machines, but I felt I should bring it up for those with both consoles.

"Game over man! Game over!"

Closing Comments:
Aliens Versus Predator is a suprisingly great effort. It not only trumps every other game that’s ever featured an Alien or Predator logo, but also proves that Rebellion is still capable of incredibly wonderful things in spite of their recent output. It is an unabashed love letter to fans of either franchise (though especially Cameron’s 1986 film); with three great (if brief) campaigns that bring equal parts terror, adrenaline, and awesomeness, an excellent complement of multiplayer modes, and the technical muscle to impress. I love it!

The Verdict:

Platform: Sony Playstation 3/Microsoft Xbox360/Windows PC
Developer: Rebellion
Publisher: Sega
Release Date: February 16, 2010
Rated: M (17+) for Mature

The Charge
Assemble your team.

Opening Statement
The first Mass Effect blasted onto the Xbox scene and revolutionized many elements of the action/RPG experience, from its brilliantly-realized new IP, the revolutionary dialogue wheel and the pants-drenchingly fantastic graphics. Bioware’s anticipated follow-up is here and it is so, so much better.

Facts of the Case
Mass Effect 2 brings back Commander John Shepard: Space Bad-Ass, whose recent misadventures with the diabolical, genocidal Reapers led to big explosions and traumatic bodily harm. Cerberus, the radical pro-human group, led by the enigmatic Illusive Man (voiced splendidly by Martin Sheen), brought Shepard in to face off with the newest foes: the Collectors, a bug-like species that’s been wiping out colonies across the galaxy and kidnapping humans for Lord knows what malevolent purpose.

But before he leaps in the jaws of surefire pain and horror, Shepard must put together his squad, an eclectic group of aliens and humans from all corners of space who will offer him much-needed skills and talents or, at the very least, give the bad guys another target to shoot at.

The Evidence
There are games. And then there is Mass Effect 2.

Bioware’s sequel is stunning on every level, and represents both a significant improvement over its predecessor and a new standard for what kind of interaction and storytelling is capable in a video game. Yes, I know this sounds like your typical message board fanboy hype/drivel, but I have to say, this game absolutely put me in the fetal position with its awesomeness.

I had almost completed the first Mass Effect, but drifted away in part because of the touchy combat mechanics and the godforsaken driving sequences. Both of these annoyances have been cleared up. The combat is much sharper and is actually fun as a full-fledged, cover-based third person shooter. When the firefights came, I welcomed them, especially the culminating battles, which were aided by an increase in difficulty, some great music and added emotional weight to the outcomes.

Shepard as multiple weapons at his disposal, from a handgun to a mini-nuke (and other assorted heavy weapons). These are upgradable and the selection is expandable and ammo is never an issue. So blast away, and if you get bored with shredding Blue Sun mercs with inferno ammo (note: you won’t), you can always slap them around with your biotic, Force-like powers. In typical RPG fashion you can improve powers and skills (both passive and active) with gains in experience and mission completion. The refreshing aspect to this character progression is you won’t feel like you’re grinding to upgrade.

Missions are fun and interesting. It’s rare that a RPG holds my attention enough to see me gallivanting around the game world doing side quests, but I was fully into it here. I knew there was going to be some bodacious shooting action to be had, a slice of cool dialogue to partake in and perhaps a tech or weapon upgrade lurking in a wall safe somewhere.

The main story is the bread and butter of Mass Effect 2 and, thankfully, it delivers. The Collectors are imposing villains, the mysterious Harbinger—who’s connected to the Reapers—turns up during firefights with the Collectors and talks enough trash to get you amped about killing him and his minions, and the shiftiness of Cerberus and the Illusive Man are pervasive question marks.

But what really grabbed me was the building of my team. On the surface, it might seem that planet-hopping to recruit characters could become a tiresome experience, but it was the exact opposite. Each squad member had a cool, action-packed story to fight through, as well as an equally interesting “loyalty” mission. As I was plowing through these missions I actually began to care about these fake polygons. Legion the Geth synthetic, Thane the assassin, Grunt the tank, Jack the insane biotic—I was genuinely concerned about these guys, and Bioware knew that I would, so that when the shiznit hit the fan and my teammates were put in danger as a direct result of my decision-making, bother, that stung!

I don’t recall another game that got me as emotionally invested in its story and characters as this one, and, for me, that is Mass Effect 2’s greatest achievement. Set aside its graphics (stunning, by the way), voice-acting (perfect), sound (is the soundtrack for sale somewhere?) and gameplay, all of which are top-shelf, just the fact that I legitimately cared about what happened to the characters represents a profound evolutionary step in the landscape of video games.

Closing Statement
Here’s all I have to say: I spent hours strip-mining planets so I could gain enough space minerals to upgrade the medical bay in my ship so I can have surgery on my aface that would eliminate the scarring that comes along with making “Renegade” decisions.   Is it too early to decree a Game of the Year?

The Verdict

Platform: Xbox 360/PC (360 version reviewed)
Developer: Bioware
Publisher: EA
Release Date: January 26, 2010
Rated: M (17+) for Mature.