| By Nick Winter |
Fri Nov 20, 2009 8:10am 
Left 4 Dead 2 has been making headlines, and creating controversy, for months now. Originally banned in Australia for being too violent, Valve eventually worked out a compromise with our censorship overlords so that Aussie gamers could access a toned-down version of the game. I’ve been playing this gore-less compromise since it hit Steam on Tuesday, and the result is disappointing.
For those unfamiliar with the game or its prequel, Left 4 Dead is a four player co-op game that follows the story of four survivors trying to escape a zombie invasion. Left 4 Dead 2 adds a stack of new features to this formula, including more impressive levels, more weapons, and more enemies.
For those unfamiliar with the game or its prequel, Left 4 Dead is a four player co-op game that follows the story of four survivors trying to escape a zombie invasion. Left 4 Dead 2 adds a stack of new features to this formula, including more impressive levels, more weapons, and more enemies.
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| By Dan Staines |
Thu Nov 19, 2009 10:52am
For a while now, the Mario games have revolved around a single core concept or mechanic. In Mario 64, it was 3D. In Mario Sunshine it was the FLUDD. In New Super Mario Bros. DS, it was nostalgia.
In New Super Mario Bros. Wii, it is multiplayer. The series has had multiplayer before – even the original 8-bit SMB featured a sequential two-player mode – but never quite like this. Four-player simultaneous co-op: Player 1 as Mario, Player 2 as Luigi, and Players 3 and 4 as blue and yellow toads respectively. At first glance, it doesn’t seem like it should work; there’s just something intuitively odd about the idea of multiplayer Mario. But here we are, and whaddya know, it does work. Sort of. A little bit.
In New Super Mario Bros. Wii, it is multiplayer. The series has had multiplayer before – even the original 8-bit SMB featured a sequential two-player mode – but never quite like this. Four-player simultaneous co-op: Player 1 as Mario, Player 2 as Luigi, and Players 3 and 4 as blue and yellow toads respectively. At first glance, it doesn’t seem like it should work; there’s just something intuitively odd about the idea of multiplayer Mario. But here we are, and whaddya know, it does work. Sort of. A little bit.
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| By Alan Moore |
Wed Nov 18, 2009 10:18am
Seriously game publishers, stop it. Right now. We're sick to death of you releasing so many amazing games over the last month. We've got so many must-play games that our loved ones are feeling neglected, our personal hygiene is non-existent and the dog left weeks ago after we forgot to feed it four days in a row.
But you can't help yourselves, can you? You just had to deliver yet another AAA title, in the form of Assassin's Creed 2.
But you can't help yourselves, can you? You just had to deliver yet another AAA title, in the form of Assassin's Creed 2.
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| By Dan Staines |
Tue Nov 17, 2009 9:03am
Until now. Like the seemingly abandoned Restoration Project by Team Gizka, The Sith Lords Restored Content Mod restores … uh … content to The Sith Lords. It is not comprised of new material – with the exception of the audio in one conversation, all the data used by the mod can be found in (and extracted from) files in KOTOR 2’s install directory. What’s it doing there? The most likely explanation is that it was meant to be included in the original game, but had to be cut at the last minute. Stoney’s mod un-cuts it.
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| By Bennett Ring |
Sat Nov 14, 2009 3:06pm
It's finally here. After several days of playing, we've finally put together our review of Modern Warfare 2. Please note that this is a multiplayer focused review, covering the 360 and PC experiences. It's by far the biggest part of the game, and hasn't been covered as extensively as it deserves. It's also the area of the game that has raised the most controversy. So, does IWNet live up to the mighty claims of Infinity Ward, creating "a better online experience for everybody"? Watch the review to find out.
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| By Tim Colwill |
Fri Nov 13, 2009 12:45pm
It's hard to review something as vast and grand as Dragon Agewithout more than a little uncertainty and confusion. If one were to pick up a pebble and use it to judge the overall nature of Ayers Rock, one might come close to a reasonable analogy of the Dragon Agereviewer's quandary. Can I, based on hours of play in the mere double digits, really give you a reasonable idea of what this game has to offer?
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| By Lewis Nuske |
Thu Nov 12, 2009 9:51am
Better known for benchmarking apps that turn your CPU into a small puddle of melted silicon, Futuremark has just released its first ever game. Shattered Horizon turns the shooter genre on its head... literally. With a zero gravity environment and full three dimensional control, it's quite unlike anything you've played before. Well, unless you're old enough to remember Descent...
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| By Matt Keller |
Wed Nov 11, 2009 11:24am
Despite the serious flaws,Tekken 6 remains a great fighting game at its core, but too many boneheaded design decisions from Namco really sour the home experience. The scenario campaign really shouldn’t be the focus of the game – it’s just plain bad. Namco also failed to deliver on the online component of the game as well, leaving an unplayable mess with an empty promise of a patch in the near future. Play Tekken 6 offline with friends, or don’t play at all.
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| By Alan Moore |
Mon Nov 9, 2009 5:01pm
Bayonetta is a modern-day witch, complete with the snappy attitude and English school ma'am accent you'd expect. She also has the most freakishly long legs we've ever seen, and a posture that's just begging for some serious lower back pain. She also sports the kind of bifocal reading glasses that old men use to read up on form before the next horse race. Oh yeah, and her hair is one of her deadliest weapons. And in case you haven't heard – forms the basis of her clothing too.
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| By Alan Moore |
Mon Nov 9, 2009 9:01am
Episodes is a double A-side release, featuring both The Lost and Damned and The Ballad of Gay Tony. The disc version is standalone, too, so if you're one of the six people in Australia that never bought GTA IV vanilla you won't have to go out and buy it just to play the expansions.
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| By Alan Moore |
Sun Nov 8, 2009 5:30pm
Ultimately, DJ Hero is little more than a super-slick Simon Says with decent music. If that sounds like your thing, go crazy – we'll be sticking to the guitars for now.
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| By Nick Winter |
Sat Nov 7, 2009 8:31pm
Duke Nukem 3D was all about having fun. The title character was crude; the weapons were ridiculous; and the plot was downright stupid (in a good way). While Quake was about serious LAN competition, Duke was about creating a “groovy” game, where players could blow up buildings, and rip aliens a new one.
Of course, that was 13 years ago. When considered through the hazy glow of nostalgia, almost everything glows brighter (expect maybe games like Superman 64, which tends to induce nightmares and vomiting). So how does Duke stack up today?
Of course, that was 13 years ago. When considered through the hazy glow of nostalgia, almost everything glows brighter (expect maybe games like Superman 64, which tends to induce nightmares and vomiting). So how does Duke stack up today?
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| By Matt Keller |
Tue Nov 3, 2009 6:01pm
A fierce rivalry has manifested in the world of video games between the two big time soccer franchises, EA Sports' FIFA and Konami's Pro Evolution Soccer (PES). It's not as intense as the classic football rivalries like Celtic and Rangers or Barcelona and Real Madrid (arguments on forums just don't compare to old fashioned hooliganism), but each brand is supported by millions of development and marketing dollars, along with a force of rabid fans that never turn down a chance to rip on the opposition.
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| By B.Ring and D.Staines |
Thu Oct 29, 2009 4:20pm
Dan: For reasons that I'll go into a second, I'm not very fond of Borderlands. But the weird thing is, I keep wanting to play more. I feel as though I've ingested some terribly addictive narcotic - and the only high it offers is a gambler's high. As World of Warcraft players will know, the thrill of finding a rare item is unique and powerful. It's also Borderlands' chief draw, and the key contributing factor to its considerable appeal.
At least, that's how I see it. Would you agree, Bennett?
At least, that's how I see it. Would you agree, Bennett?
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| By Bennett Ring |
Sat Oct 24, 2009 10:08am
Billed as the biggest racing game of the year, there's no doubting that both of Forza 3's DVDs are stuffed to the brim with a mountain of content. But when you dig past the pretty paint editor and scientific tuning station, what is the core of the game - the driving - actually like? Surprisingly, Forza 3 isn't quite the flawless creation we were expecting.
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[video]30306[/video]
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| By Matt Keller |
Thu Oct 22, 2009 9:15am
Professional wrestling has gone through a steady decline in recent years, with the popularity and ratings success of the Attitude era now a distant memory. This decline has flowed onto the WWE Smackdown video games, which have also suffered a pronounced reduction in quality and popularity over the last five years. This year things are a little different, as THQ and Yuke’s have approached [app=]Smackdown vs Raw 2010[/i] with renewed vigour – and the end result is surprisingly good, despite a few annoying limitations.
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| By Brenna Hillier |
Thu Oct 22, 2009 8:36am
Nevertheless, and despite its huge map and intriguing drug economy, GTA: Chinatown Wars gets old fast, since it just hasn’t got the wow factor. It is a perfect handheld game in many ways, with break-friendly short missions and loads of content, but it’s not quite good enough to tempt you away from the PC or your console, where you’re not living the life of a glorified courier in 2D.
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| By Dan Staines |
Tue Oct 20, 2009 9:19am
I tell you what, though: Brütal Legend better not be underappreciated. I don’t care if you’re so broke that you’re forced to subsist on a diet of dog food and shredded newspaper – you’re going to buy this game. Everyone is going to buy this game. So many people will buy this game that Tim Schafer will become a mega rich and his use his newfound wealth to fund the development of even more awesome games for people to buy. And so there will be justice in the universe.
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| By Alan Moore |
Sun Oct 18, 2009 12:29pm
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| By Dan Staines |
Fri Oct 16, 2009 9:56am
The easiest way to describe Research and Development is “Portal without portals”. Aesthetically, the two games have nothing in common: the former is set in a world of rusted iron and toxic sludge, the latter a pristine laboratory. What they do share, however, is the same basic structure. Both are essentially a series of discrete puzzles embedded in an overarching narrative.
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