Review

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 »

Brawny, burly, and beefy, Marcus Fenix and his bros are an abnormally thick necked posse of gun totting, testosterone jacked numbskulls. Only jibes and retorts are sputtered from their mouths, and the sole emotion mustered on their thick skinned faces is either resolute anger or pinched indifference. Even then, it only appears when these guys have crushed a thousand Locusts underfoot. Just like its predecessor, Gears of War 2 simply relishes in its dimwitted machismo. Continue »

While in function it’s nothing like those that came before it, Fallout 3 captures the only thing that was fundamental to those beloved isometric masterpieces of the past: a world reborn from apocalyptic ash. The weathered hills and the tattered Washington cityscape of Fallout 3, spawned from the heat of Cold War hysteria, are more than just futuristic doom and gloom; for those born in its landscape, a time close to our present is their battered history. Idealists would have it back in all its ostensible happy-go-lucky glory, while those unhinged from nostalgia see an old world long gone and a new one taking shape from the rubble. Continue »

While it harkens back to its predecessor with resolute devotion, Fable II has been envisioned with a new sense of clarity. Through redacting the roleplaying genre to its most basic function, Lionhead Studios has crafted a truly blank page experience that awaits players to author as they see fit. Full of humour and charm, unbarred from plodding genre archetypes, the appeal is instant. With a solid combat system, focused freedom, and true simplicity to design, the mirth of the experience is found in painting the world in your colours – even if the consequences aren’t quite as all encompassing as they should be. Continue »

The derelict, skeletal structure of an immense craft hums with eerie silence. With their own blood, crew members have written their goodbyes on the metallic walls, crying solitarily in the dark depths of space. As a lonely descent into the madness of the aftermath, Dead Space runs the gamut of sci-fi horror inspiration. But through immaculate vision, developer EA Redwood Shores twists a glut of conventions in its favour, spawning something entirely novel. Continue »