E3: Stop bullying Kinect... It's not its fault it's different

As the dust settles on Microsoft's E3 event, media outlets and gamers alike are seemingly aghast at the price announcement. Certainly it places the Xbox One in the realms of a premium bit of kit and every bit as much of an investment as the PS3 when it launched. Many critics point directly to the new look Kinect as the culprit - the elephant in the room that they suggest is single highhandedly responsible for the high price point.

Ever since Kinect's inception in June 2009, there have been so-called hardcore gamers baying for blood. At the heart of all that vitriol, their central argument is the behemoth that is Microsoft is dumbing down their beloved console by daring to suggest that families, youngsters or a  'casual' audience might dare to enjoy gaming too.

Even now, several years since its launch, Kinect - the peripheral formerly known as Natal - gets its fair share of criticism. Much of it may be justified... we all know about the accuracy issues, lag and weak games lineup.

Granted it was a big beast to have sitting atop your TV, and the room space required was a little limiting. And not to mention the fact it cost a small fortune - almost as much as the console itself! There are also issues with its sensitivity, lag and how can be successfully integrated into mainstream games...

But take a step back good people and consider this - it's a damn clever bit of kit and has huge potential. So much so that Microsoft has placed it firmly at the centre of its new console and painstakingly addressed each and every one of the issues that dogged the original.

Why do we always hate things that try something new? Why are we so scared of change? If you're a Kinect hater, it shouldn't detract from your love of gaming - why would it?

The newer version needs a smaller playspace, can pick up more players at once, identifies you and signs you in, boasts better voice control... it can even see you in the dark and calculate your heart rate for God's sake! Sure, it's always got to be on - a little worrying even for the less privacy conscious among us - and nothing will function without it but why such uproar?

I say calm down and stop the complaining. The majority of hardware systems have their teething problems and duff games - but you've got to admit that the capabilities of this new gizmo are pretty astounding.

This would be a very boring world without change and innovation. Think how boring it would be if popular games were just rehashed and repackaged each year (oh, wait!). And where would we be without innovations like the NES Power Glove, eh?

Hardware is just as important as a new gaming franchise... the chances are it won't live up to expectations at first but those problems will no doubt be ironed out pretty fast. Chill out people and embrace the motion-controlled future! Kinect is here to stay.

Rant over.

Read More

Remember Me Review

It's not often you get a shiny new IP towards the end of a console's life but Capcom's latest effort is most welcome. Boasting graphics you wouldn't expect to see until later this year on a next gen machine, and a concept that's both fresh and innovative, Remember Me is not quite unforgettable - but it is damn good.

Remember Me is a new third person adventure from new French studio, DONTNOD, and is a kind of amalgam of all kinds of great gaming moments. Shimmying up drainpipes and leaping across ledges is more than a little reminiscent of the Uncharted series or Enslaved, while combat seems as though lifted from Rocksteady's Batman titles - with a little Devil May Cry thrown in for good measure. The cyberpunk undertone echoes that of Deus Ex and even the graphics and depth of field makes me think back to the days of Beneath a Steel Sky. It's a game with many influences that also manages to be completely unique.



Set in Neo-Paris 2084, we're introduced to an age where memories are a valuable commodity, uploaded and shared among the masses - a kind of Facebook for the mind! All this is made possible thanks to brain implants developed by all-powerful mega corporation, Memorize. Among its minions is Nilin - a "memory hunter" capable of manipulating minds and stealing those all important memories.

Thing is, we meet her shortly after she's been betrayed by her employer and has had her own thoughts erased. The irony.  It's therefore up to us to take control of the feisty female protagonist and - with a little help from underground rebel group, the Errorists - liberate her memories while getting some revenge in the process.

We join her as she's awoken in a laboratory, confused, alone and knowing little more than her name. It's up to you to help her escape. Thus begins a decent tutorial showingcasing her basic skills, the various controls and giving a taste of the gorgeous graphics that permeate each and every level.

Besides the basics of movement, the introduction to the Combo Lab explains how the player can customise attack moves. By collecting XP (PMP points) and unlocking "Pressens", we're able to tailor streams of combos, making them as complex and as powerful as we choose; the longer the combo, the stronger it becomes.

Initially, these feel fairly tricky to pull off and button mashing proves ineffective. It's all about getting the timings right and soon you'll find your rhythm, striking and dodging like a pro. Even the background music reacts and helps you gauge your strikes. It's a great system - if seemingly a little over complicated at first.

You'll quickly unlock access to all four Pressen types: health regeneration, increased damage, chain attacks and a cooldown add on which means your special S-Pressen powers regenerate a little faster. These S-Pressens temporarily provide additional abilities, such as unleashing a powerful chain of attacks, stunning enemies or turning them against one another.



Handily you can access this Lab menu at any time to make changes, and improve your odds against your foes. Surrounded by loads of Leapers and need to despatch them quickly? Then assign loads of strike moves to your pad. Need some additional health while fighting a Skinner - apply the health Pressens. It's a simple but effective mechanic that certainly adds a skill element to the proceedings.

Besides Pressens and S-Pressen moves, other abilities will be unlocked during your playthrough too. One particular highlight is the ability to steal memories and replay them. In practice this means you see a ghost image of your victim and how they navigate a minefield, or how they avoid robot drones. And then there's the Spammer - a pulse-like weapon acquired after beating one of the early bosses. As you progress, this is upgraded so you can perform more powerful strikes or manipulate objects.

Stealing the show, however, is Nilin's ability to change the future.Effectively a series of mini-games, the aim is to replay your target's recent memories and then manipulate them to change the outcome in your favour. An early example revolves around an assassin who's after you for a hefty bounty; the only way to prevent her from finishing you off is to infiltrate her mind. Turns out she's only in it for the money... she needs to bump you off to pay for medical care for her husband. Aw. All you have to do - through thumbstick twiddling - is watch out for memory glitches and interact with objects that will coerce his doctor to kill him, thus ending the would-be assassin's need for money! Clever, eh? 



Sadly, there are only a few of these memory games - and they're all pretty simple to complete. It would have been great if they'd had multiple outcomes that could alter your playthrough. As it stands, should you fail you just try again - manipulating other objects until you get the right solution. It's an underused gem of an idea.


Remember Me is clearly a bit of a looker and the atmosphere is fantastic throughout. If you really want to experience the delights of a futuristic Paris, you can even head into the options menu, turn on the subtitles and change the audio to French! The lush colours and detail of the city, from the beautiful architecture to the water effects in the slums and sewers, are lovely to look at. A minor gripe perhaps is that the character models do seem a little less accomplished compared with the amazing backgrounds. It's also a real shame that you can't actually interact with much... no discussions with passing robots, you can't purchase items from stalls and you can't properly explore.

This was perhaps the biggest disappointment. There's a rather strict predefined - and clearly highlighted - path, punctuated by set piece attacks by groups of bad guys. It's no bad thing - and the story is strong - but I'd question the replayability factor if you're not particularly bothered about mopping up all the collectibles for achievement purposes.

Camera angles can also be a sense of frustration, restricting your vision during fights and proving a little disorienting when leaping between platforms.

Some parts of the game are particularly tricky on the toughest difficulty setting and deaths and restarts become commonplace. Annoyingly, the load times take a little longer than I'd like - and this starts to grate after a while. Saying that, the combat is enjoyable - if a little repetitive - although most enemies can be beaten simply by running in circles around them and occasionally firing off your Spammer or leaping in for a quick strike or two. A bit of a cop out but highly effective.

There's no denying that Remember Me is a great game with a strong plot. Visually, it's very impressive and the soundtrack and dialogue is really well done. It's certainly a game that oozes finesse. The lack of multiplayer and limited replayability perhaps works against it a little, and I can't help but be a little disappointed that there are so few of the memory glitch mini games - especially as they were touted as one of Remember Me's main selling points. Nevertheless, Nilin's plight is entertaining and well worth experiencing. Don't forget to pick up a copy

Reviewed on Xbox 360

• This review was first published on Gamingbolt.com. Check out more news, reviews and articles after the jump.

Read More

Galactic Phantasy Review

While searching for a game with enough depth to keep myself amused on long journeys, I was pleasantly surprised to find a group of games that I never considered might make it onto the iPad – Space Simulators. Imagine the X series, or EVE Online, but in your sweaty hands instead of at your desk for weeks on end. Galactic Phantasy takes some of the best aspects of larger games, distills them into a brew of its own and polishes it to a high sheen – even though it sometimes lacks in depth.

Starting you off – as so many games of this ilk do – with a small ship, Phantasy's storyline sees the player character battle through a number of star systems, unravelling a mystery that stays entertaining – despite the badly spelled and poorly constructed sentences. For the record, Moonfish Software, if you're looking for somebody to sub-edit your copy into a semblance of English far less likely to embarrass you, let me know…

The game itself revolves around gathering cash by completing a number of different style of missions – mercenary jobs that see you taking on fleets of ships, thievery (or 'robbing', as the game's pigeon English would have it: ' Items robbed', it lists at the end of the mission) or smuggling. You can also make money through trade, and by discovering 'golden routes' of supply and demand – but let's face it, that's boring, and blowing up enemy ships is far more fun.Thankfully the combat is intense, if simplistic stuff.

Working within a fleet of up to three ships, the player can use a combination of missiles and laserfire to destroy enemy vessels, being careful to manage power levels and shields, which need to be raised manually. It's tense stuff at first, but it quickly becomes obvious that the game's AI is poor, and it's easy to outwit the enemy ship captains by making them raise their shields over and over with single missile strikes, then broadsiding them when they recharge.

Also, enemy capital ships are unlikely to take any notice of your other fleet elements, instead hounding the player relentlessly, and leaving themselves open to attack. Poor AI aside, however, the battles are thrilling and addictive.

Aside from battles and missions, you can also spend credits buying new ships, weapons and parts, and micromanaging your fleet of three ships. It's just a shame you can never have more than one fleet, and they can't be set to trade automatically. There's also no scope to build yourself space stations or orbital factories – aspects that would of made a big different to the depth on offer. There is, however, a lot of waiting around to be done.

Galactic Phantasy's galaxy is pretty big, and travelling from system to system can take a long time – especially when you've got slow transports in tow. It wasn't unheard for me to go make a cup of tea or tidy my flat as my fleet crawled across the screen.

Graphically the game looks great on iPad, though the buttons can be unresponsive, and are a little too small for my fat fingers. The music, however, is repetitive and dull, and its midi-inspired tracks can really drive you nuts after a while – even after you warp to a new system and the background elevator muzak changes. However, odd AI and poor grammar aside, Galactic Phantasy is a decent space simulator with a well-imagined battle system and more than enough depth to keep your hands busy on a train into London.

Good stuff:
Lots to do and see – at first
Looks fantastic
Addictive battles and resource gathering

Not so good stuff:
Repetitive missions and grinding required
Dumb AI
Horrible grammar


Reviewed on iOS

Read More

Top Ten things you need to know about the Xbox One

So Microsoft has unveiled its new console, the ‘Xbox One’. It looks like a late 80s VHS player, and has ambitions of being the centre of your living room – and it might just do it too – if it works. I’m betting right now it won’t. So, here’s a sarcastic bluffer’s guide to the launch if you missed it

10) There’s a new Call of Duty (Naturally)
What an enormous shock, the new console will ship with a new Call of Duty- Call of Duty: Ghosts, this one featuring slightly shinier men to shoot at, and a dog you’ll build a ‘close bond’ with – so say goodnight Fido… It will no doubt feature a Pavlov’s Dogs-style drip-feed multiplayer and be largely identical to its forebears.

9) It responds to your voice
“Xbox on” turns it on, and the rest is pretty straightforward after that. It can switch back and forth between games and the console’s many other functions on command – so you’ll be able to look doubly stupid in front of your friends. (Am I the only one who’ll stick to a controller, thank-you?)

8) It’s got Blu-Ray Blu-ray! 
In your Xbox! It’d be even better had the PS3 not already got that feather in its cap.

7) It can do Skype, and picture-in-picture
In its drive to make its games console into a multi-media computer-you-like, Microsoft have teamed up with outside developers to feature their programmes. This means you’ll be able to Skype using the Xbox One, and keep on gaming or watching a film at the same time, which is cool, I admit – especially for those of us who can multitask (so not me…)



6) It’s a powerful beast (about the same as the PS4…)
I won’t go into the details – it’s plenty powerful, and will be able to make games even shinier than before. It’s got plenty of RAM, so it should run smoothly, and more chips than the East End on a Saturday night.

5) Kinect comes in the box (and it might work this time)
Wave-your-arms-a-lot peripheral Kinect is an integral part of the system this time around (not a half-arsed attempt to capitalise on the Wii’s casual gamer market). Hopefully this will mean it actually works properly – and Microsoft believe it should work in the dark, recognise individual users and have good games for it. Of course, the fact that it’s always on when the Xbox is on might freak us out a little…

4) 15 new games in year one, eight exclusives
I bet you this shiny sixpence the number of exclusives drops once the PS4 rolls up its sleeves and really kicks off this latest generation of the console war.

3) It thinks it’s a TV
You can plug your Xbox into your digital boxes, and stream live TV from the net. Microsoft have also entered into deals with big sports names to stream live matches.Of course, you could always just turn over manually using your TV remote. Rather shortsighted, that, Microsoft…

2) Microsoft has ignored its core audience
If there’s one thing the launch showed, its that Bill Gates’ former empire has forgotten what the Xbox is – a games console. While I can see the sense in such a move to push the console as the ‘heart of the living room’, launching without a roster of new titles was always likely to put gamers’ noses out of joint – and it’s gamers who will buy this beast (at a massively inflated price, no doubt).

1) It’s going to be tricky to play preowned titles
What was more telling by its lack was talk of pre-owned titles, and backwards compatibility. Microsoft have been deliberately vague about all that, but I wouldn’t hold out hope. There was also talk about digital rights management, and not being able to swap games with friends, as they’ll need to be installed on the console, and may well link themselves only to that unit. Time will tell if these fearful rumours come to pass…

So that’s my quick look at the Xbox One – expect a more insightful (and hopefully less sarcastic) examination of the facts at E3 later this year.

Questions Microsoft didn’t answer:
How much will it cost?
When will it be released exactly? (Later this year is the best they can do so far)
Why didn’t you make it look less like a big, black brick?

Read More

Bioshock Infinite Review

From the very moment I booted Bioshock Infinite in my Xbox, I was hooked – here is a game which delights in spectacle, but backs it up with a solid story, addictive gameplay and powerful message beneath its skin.

The year is 1912, you are Booker DeWitt – a former soldier turned private investigator – who gambled, and got in deep with the sharks. Desperate to clear his slate, Booker is offered a deal – find a girl called Elizabeth and bring her to New York, and all debts are paid. The only problem is that this girl isn't even on Earth – she's in the clouds floating by above it. She's in the floating city of Columbia – a paradise of man-made technologies and religious enlightenment. Or is it?

 

After a dark, dramatic opening, Booker finds himself being shot into the sky, eventually docking with the floating city, and entering a dark world which will leave you questioning everything – be it religion, faith, technology, the law, morals or race issues.

Ruled over by self-proclaimed prophet Father Comstock, Columbia is a rogue nation which outwardly looks idyllic, but scratch beneath its veneer of steampunk American power and you quickly find just how rotten the soul of humanity is – and what it will take to finish the job.

Anyone familiar with the previous Bioshock titles – or even System Shock before them – will be instantly at home with the world of Bioshock Infinite. The game follows the conventions laid down by its predecessors – combining shooting with various 'vigors' that offer special powers, such as the ability to summon a swarm of crows, throw fire or suspend your enemies in the air.

A powerful melee attack is also available in the form of the 'skyhook' - a mechanical device which allows the people of Columbia to zip around the city's many floating environments via 'skylines', like personal monorails. It also allows Booker to decapitate his enemies with a meaty 'crunch'.

 

This triumvirate of weapons, vigors and skyhook makes the meat of the game very enjoyable, and offers a considerable challenge on the harder difficulties – it is, however, let down by a slightly awkward radial menu, which can make switching between vigors tricky while a 'fireman' is belching flames over your bare arms.

The game's lengthy campaign takes pains to place the player in a series of stunning, complicated environments, and keeps throwing objectives at you which make sense – but often come from left-field. However, unlike the previous titles Infinite indulges in wide-open spaces and rewards exploration.

Whereas the underwater world of Rapture featured in the previous Bioshock titles would often become a corridor-shooter, Infinite indulges in swooping battles on skylines, duels against hovering zeppelins and complicated puzzles which leave you scratching your head if you move off the beaten path. Add to this the abilities offered by Bookers' erstwhile companion – the mysterious Elizabeth – and the action ramps up a notch.

Once rescued (or was she?) Elizabeth's abilities quickly come to light. She can open 'tears' in reality, and pull things through to aid Booker in the fighting – such as ammo or health, cover, weapons or robot warriors. Exactly how she can do this is a source of deep concern for both Booker and the people of Columbia, but he isn't going to overlook her mysterious powers when they can keep him from being smashed into red paste by a chaingun-toting robotic George Washington…

The world of Columbia is a masterpiece of art design, both graphically and musically. It's clear that 2K have put their all into creating a world for the player to inhabit, and the environments you have to cross, be it a floating city or a gargantuan, military-themed theme park (complete with impossible waterfall and its own beach) never fail to amaze, and looking into the distance to watch the buildings of the city rise and fall on the clouds is simply stunning.

 

The score and voice acting is also excellent, pulling off both creepy atmosphere and uplifting melody at the same time – all backed up by both recorded and live conversations between Columbia's many NPCs, which offer an insight into just how broken the heart of the city is, beneath the shining exterior of progress.

Exploring the city via the skylines is a delight in itself – especially as Columbia feels alive in a way that Rapture never did – bustling with people – people who always have their own agenda. You're only passing through to clear your debt, but expect to be drawn into a wider plot, a revolution and many other unexpected twists along the way.

My one sticking point, however, is that despite the great art design, Columbia's beauty is often let down by the Xbox 360's ageing hardware. Up close the textures are often poor, and if you look too closely at the distant floating buildings you can see them for the 2D cutouts they really are. It's rather disappointing to come through an opening replete with flowing water, uplifting hymns, candlelight and mist in the air, then spot a poster for a robotic toy that is out of focus and grainy – it's jarring to the eye, and can spoil the immersion somewhere.

However, despite this, Bioshock: Infinite aimed high – and hit its target right in the clouds. In a sweeping, intense, lengthy campaign, the player is brought face-to-face with the darker side of human nature, even as the beauty and modernity of Columbia floats by serenely. There's so much to do and see here that replay value is assured, and you won't be disappointed.

Reviewed on Xbox 360

Check out Andy Hemphill's blog, which you can find after the jump

Read More

Riffing On: The Demise Of Lucasarts

In a shocking turn of events, various industry news sources are reporting that Disney – the new owners of the Star Wars brand after beardy-wierdy George Lucas decided to take his money and run – have decided to close down Lucasarts, creators of such great titles as Dark Forces, Grim Fandango and Star Wars: Battlefront.

In some ways, I find such a bold move to be a shocking development in the long history of the developer, but when you consider the games most recently launched by Skywalker Ranch, is it any surprise that Mickey and co have decided to farm the licence out?

With the likes of the awful Kinect Star Wars and dull Force Unleashed 2 tarnishing the venerable developer's reputation, perhaps it was actually time to put the old dog down and let new life flow into what is arguably one of the biggest-selling franchises the world has ever known (except for Harry Potter, naturally…).

If I'm honest with myself, I'm not really surprised by the news – shocked, but not surprised. I had already discussed the falling quality of games at Lucasarts, and offering the licence to other developers could finally be the shot in the arm the Star Wars universe needs.

However, I would be loath to acknowledge the number of staff who will lose their jobs over this move – people who brought great games, from point-and-click adventures to space combat simulators – to millions of computers and consoles across the world. Here's hoping they find a place in the new order – perhaps some will be picked up by developers now freed to bid on the Star Wars franchise now that internal production is to come to an end.

Another downside is that the promising Star Wars 1313 has reportedly been cancelled, for now – but if a new developer could be found, it could turn out to be a great swansong for the fallen giant that was Lucasarts.

So, farewell Lucasarts, thanks for Monkey Island, Grim Fandango, Day of the Tentacle, TIE Fighter, Rogue Squadron, Dark Forces and so many other brilliant titles. I can't help feeling that if you'd actually bloody made Star Wars Battlefront 3 this wouldn't of happened… May the Force be with you.

Check out Andy Hemphill's blog, which you can find after the jump

 

Read More

Tomb Raider Review

Written by Matt Tudball 

Back in my life, and back in my heart. For a long time she has been absent, and her void was filled by a certain cheeky American treasure hunter going by the name of Nathan Drake. But now Lara has burst back in, guns blazing (well, arrows first, guns come later) and has since happily reclaimed her place as one of my favourite gaming characters.



The Tomb Raider reboot is an excellent game, and I’m enjoying it far more than I thought I would. I last dabbled with Lara in Tomb Raider: Underworld, and while that game was OK, it wasn’t a patch on any of the Uncharted series. I didn’t really care for the characters, and not knowing much of the previous games’ backstory (my last lot of tomb raiding came in the shape of Chronicles on the PC), I just couldn’t get as involved with it as I had with Drake.

But with Tomb Raider, I’m hooked. Hooked, attached, involved and engaged. I’m rooting for Lara, I care for her, and I want her to survive and conquer this Lost-like island that’s she’s found herself stranded on in her latest outing. I think what really works for this game is the open world element. You certainly do get the feeling of being stranded out there, and I’m enjoying being able to look around and re-visit areas before moving on to the next section of the story – something you’re not able to do in Uncharted.

But the game also doesn’t leave you totally out there on your own. The story moves along at a good pace, and guides you through the terrain with gentle encouragement. It keeps you wanting to know what exactly is happening on that crazy island – although, not wanting to blow my own trumpet or anything, I think I’ve already figured that out a quarter of the way through the game. There are also some good ‘shock’ elements to the storyline, such as unexpected deaths and the like, in the beautifully rendered cutscenes.

 
The gameplay also ‘feels’ good. Lara’s animation is a lot more fluid, and feels ‘lighter’ than previous incarnations. She’s fast and agile, and responds well to the controls. She’s got some new moves too (new to me at least), like throwing dirt in an enemy’s eye to temporarily blind them, or using her axe to scale rocky walls.

And then there’s her weapons. Her bow is surprisingly great, and can be used for a variety of functions. The guns also feel more sturdy, and seem to offer a higher degree of control than I’ve experienced in other Tomb Raider games (and kind of reminds me of Uncharted a little). Having the ability to upgrade Lara’s weapons and skills gives the game a more inclusive feel as well – something you don’t get with Uncharted.

The graphics are pretty damn amazing, and while I was initially shocked to see what they’d done to my beloved Lara (giving her a facelift and a breast reduction – this new Lara is only 21, after all, and so they had to de-age her somewhat), this newer, younger Lara has certainly grown on me. The violence and gore is satisfyingly realistic, and the environments are of cinematic quality.

 
My only gripe about the game (so far) is the voice acting. The new Lara sounds a little bit too un-posh for me, and *gasp*, slightly American? And also, she’s lacking any real drama in her voice. She’s being knocked out by pirates, tied up and dropped onto spikes, falling down cliff faces and being almost devoured by wolves, and all she can muster after these pant-wetting and death-defying stunts is a feeble ‘God, that was close’.
It just doesn’t quite do her justice.

Overall I was massively impressed with this game, and can’t wait to see where it goes. It really is an excellent origin story, and it does an excellent job of understanding what shapes Lara and made her into the kick-ass Tomb Raider she was when we first met her. I can’t wait to get to the end of this adventure, and hope the developers carry it on in such fine style soon. Watch out Drake, you’ve got some competition.

(For the record, there is a multiplayer offering included with the lengthy singleplayer campaign, but it’s not very good anyway.)

*First published on Andy Hemphill's blog, which you can find after the jump

Read More