If the original Call of Juarez proved developer Techland’s ability to mine the Western for its tropes, then its predecessor shows an equivalent ability in the direction of design. What was once a game of rugged stealth and broken platforming, redeemed somewhat by competent action, Bound in Blood has cleansed much of its forebear’s identity for an adherence to Infinity Ward’s formula. Continue »
If copycats are the finest form of compliment, then Epic Games’ gunmetal grime would be tenfold the worth of Rare’s cartoony colour. But contrary to Gears of War’s replicable machismo, Banjo Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts’ keen sense of humour is an industry one-off – dealing in distinct dry wit while others brood. Continue »
She reaches out with that slender, delicate hand and evaporates the danger before it takes its usual toll. You seemingly fall to your death, yet she’s right there to pull you up and away from the corrosive depths. The motions are there: rhythmic platforming, daring combat, all the stumbles and spills, too. But death, in the traditional sense, never greets our princely hero. Continue »
They’re bum rushing again; a cascade of gnawing, screaming, snarling, sicken bodies fly through every open crevasse of a charming little house that has become a barricade of fortitude against the undead. All this because one of our token heroes made a last minute smash and grab for some ammo, broke up the typecast quartet, and was welcomed by a sludge of zombie pheromone vomit to the face. Continue »
Mirror’s Edge hurdles forward with such breakneck speed that when it comes time to slow and gasp for air, the sharp edges and sleek lines are unravelled by the in-betweens. Skimming the rooftops of an eerily pristine cityscape is proof of developer DICE’s concept, without a shadow of a doubt. Always propelling the experience forward, the swift sense of speed and flow of first-person platforming relies on the possibility of freedom within linear environments. But that forward thrust has to break pace eventually, and that’s precisely where this game of velocity proves winded. Continue »
Though we’ve jostled through the gloom of the Second World War all too often, Call of Duty: World at War has a vendetta to invigorate the hearts of the apathetic. Reverting back to the global turmoil of the harsh past, the fatigued backdrop has been met with increasing indifference – which doesn’t come as much of a surprise. But a repeat of circumstance doesn’t always indicate regression. And with roaring energy and thunderous rhythm, this vision has infused an old war with a new breath of life. Continue »
The sun shines brightly on the parched plains and lush jungles of Africa, but rarely is it a place enveloped by goodness or radiance. With enough bloodletting, corruption, and political strife to make former series lead Jack Carver run for the hills, Far Cry 2 is an experience enlightened by the darkness of its landscape. With unbridled dynamism and a malleable narrative, developer Ubisoft Montreal aspires to the height of realism, perhaps even too much so. Continue »