For those bent on seeing a reinvention of the way game stories are conveyed, Uncharted 2’s continued cinematic ambition will leave few convinced. To be sure, this is developer Naughty Dog’s evermore realised attempt at replicating film; peerlessly acted and its action keenly staged. Continue »
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 »
Implementation can only carry imitation to a point. If Dark Sector’s soulless, emo-tinged Hayden Teno is anything to go by, his BioShock-style elemental powers slapped onto ubiquitous cover mechanics, a game can be stitched together with scarcely a blemish, but it’s the seams of construction that reveal the patchwork within. Continue »
Before slabs of towering concrete were dropped in, the metal twisted into devastated shapes, Killzone 2 clearly banked that it all begins with the simple fun of movement within a space. Because even though they radiate an orange, almost perfectly menacing glow, Helghast eyes don’t constitute a game on their own. 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 »
The divide between initial imagination and concluding execution is broad and full of obstacles. Some of the most memorable avenues are the early, simpler ones: re-enacting old films from a pile of Lego blocks, hammering out a dishevelled concoction of wood and string, and then, much to the grief of those who have to listen to it, playing the damn thing like a real guitar. And when dreams grow, from sticking together odds and ends, to more complex pursuits, such as building a videogame or authoring a film, most are scared away when the true requirements of their initial aspiration become apparent. Continue »