Blast From the Past: Gauntlet, Doom, Burnout 3: Takedown

GAUNTLET

Released by Atari in 1986 during the emergence of popularity of role-playing games such as Dungeons & Dragons, the game was a sensation being one of the first true dungeon crawl arcade games.  Countless home ports, re-imagings’ and re-makes of this hugely popular arcade game surfaced over the years but it was the original arcade game that remains one of the most popular and important video games of all time-so much so that it even saw itself re-launched on Xbox Live Arcade.  Arguably without Gauntlet we may never have seen the likes of World of Warcraft and many other popular RPG’s that have fascinated and enthralled gamers over the years.  For my part, (as a fan of Table Top RPG’s back in my youth), Atari’s dungeon crawler was the video game that cemented my own passion for games and gaming and today still remains as one of my all time favourite video games.

DOOM

In 1993 programmer John Carmack and designer John Romero unleashed their first-person shooter Doom onto the world and suddenly what was possible with gaming was changed forever. Widely recognized for having popularized the first person shooter genre; pioneering immersive 3D graphics, networked multiplayer gaming and support for customized additions and modifications, Doom was an overnight sensation. Halo and Call of Duty might be the crème de la crème of modern day, online multi-player first-person shooters, but without Doom they may have never existed; certainly not in their current format. In 2004 Doom was re-designed and released as Doom 3, a darker, more sinister take on the 1993 original. Boasting state of the art visuals, sound and effects, id Software’s remake was, unsurprisingly, met with critical and commercial success. I dare anyone to play Doom 3 on their own, in the dark, with headphones on for more than a couple of hours without having to take a break due to it being so pant-wettingly frightening. However, the original Doom is still a firm favourite and is as playable and as intense as it was nearly twenty years ago.

BURNOUT 3: TAKEDOWN

Criterion Games' take on arcade racing mayhem with Burnout 1 & 2 saw this small British developer garner the interests of publishing giant Electronic Arts soon after their original publisher, Acclaim, went bankrupt.  To say their relationship with EA got off to a rocky start is an understatement, but through sheer stubbornness of Criterion’s lead developers wanting more creative freedom, EA soon decided that their current project(s) be scrapped and that the Criterion should do what it does best. The result was one of the most exhilarating and addictive combat racing games ever created: Burnout 3:Takedown.  Featuring state-of-the-art visuals and effects with game play that took players at breakneck speeds through hundreds of events across the USA, Europe and the Far East using every dirty trick in the book to take out the opposition, Burnout 3: Takedown was an absolute blast and was very difficult to put down once you’d begun. It was also the first racing game that upon taking out an opponent the camera would, on the fly, zip back in slow motion and gleefully show you your rivals vehicle flip and turn in mid air, spewing out chunks of car and glass before throwing you straight back into the action in one seamless moment.  It was impressive stuff and set the game apart from many of its peers by a country mile. While each subsequent sequel has proven to be as entertaining in their own right, (particularly the recent Burnout: Paradise with its open world gameplay), they've failed to capture the magic of Burnout 3: Takedown.

Game Review: Blade Kitten-XBLA, PSN, PC

The ability to download video games via market places such as XBLA, PSN and Steam may be nothing new these days but the last year or so has seen a slew of quality, affordable titles that have proven to be as entertaining and engaging as much of the premium boxed product filling high street shelves. Ranging from the inspiring, to the simplistic to the down right bizarre, these pick-up-and-play slices of entertainment have grown not just in sheer volume but in measured quality over time and, unsurprisingly, are hugely popular amongst the gaming community and games media alike. Without the constraints of time lines enforced by over zealous publishers or lucrative film studios, the creative freedom offered through producing entertainment for the downloadable market is a boon to developers keen to show of their talents without a having to contend with-for the most part-a mountain of pressure and innumerable rising costs.

Blade Kitten is one such video game and while on the surface it may appear to be a cynical stab at past greats such as Strider and Pandemonium, Krome Studios’ frenetic platformer carries a delightful charm all of its own design. Taking control of a pink haired, sassy, American teenage voiced, bounty hunting cat-girl named Kit and her veritable roster of skills and abilities, Krome Studios’ throws you into a vibrant, colourful world resplendent with big, chunky visuals that fill the screen. Each level offers its own unique style as you take Kit on her adventure of wall jumping, projectile hurling, sword swinging and nimble cat climbing, dispatching the local law enforcement and collecting tokens of various colour and value as you go.  There's no doubting that Blade Kitten is a very pretty game and its mixture of American styled cartoon art and Japanese anime is a welcome change from all the browns and greys dominating many of today's blockbuster titles.

Kit’s goal is simple: Collect enough tokens and buy herself a new space ship to replace the one destroyed by said law enforcement whilst at the same time try to retrieve a bounty stolen by a rival. As well her acrobatic and wall climbing skills, Kit is armed with an electrified floating sword that obeys her every command and that can be used as both a close combat weapon and projectile attack. Perform enough combos and head stomps and our heroine can pull out of the bag a Matrix style special attack taking down everyone in her path for the duration of the move. Kit’s sword is also helpful in hitting switches and releasing traps that are otherwise unobtainable, allowing Kit to traverse dangerous fire pits and unlock countless secret areas and alternate pathways.



As you progress, Kit will pick up a few helpful hangers-on along the way, ride a hairless Chocobo type camel thing, run and jump like the clappers away from screen-filling bosses and encounter a host of bizarre characters and creatures. These interludes go a long way in helping to mix things up a bit in what is ostensibly your typical platformer and, thankfully, do so without breaking to much away from the original template. Add into the mix the ability to visit the local merchant where you can buy new weapons, upgrades and costumes for our nimble heroine, a funky selection of tunes ranging from jazz fusion to up beat techno and what you have is a well rounded slice of platforming action that should be appeal to all types of gamers looking for a undemanding, Sunday afternoons bout of gaming.

Krome Studios’ platformer is not without its faults of course. The camera likes to keep the sensation of being constantly on the move and while it does add to the ‘zaniness’ of the game with it’s constant zipping in and out and panning around it does take a little getting used to in the opening stages, especially when chaining together Kit’s repertoire of moves. Also, in perhaps a bid to maintain a sense of speed, some of the levels are far too short and lack some of the exploration and the endless amounts of collectables found in many of the other levels leaving you feeling somewhat cheated. Did I mention the voice acting?  While its not quite as cringe worthy as Resident Evil on the PSone it can grate, but having said that it suits it's purpose well enough even if it is more Nickelodeon than Shakespeare.  Other than that though, unless you’re looking for gritty realism combined with multi-million dollar set pieces and effects, there’s very little here to complain about.

Blade Kitten may not be the most original of concepts and makes no excuses for wearing its influences clearly on its sleeve and as such has its tongue firmly set in its cheek. Is it homage or a blatant rip-off of past glories? Well I guess that’s up for debate, but what ever you might decide one thing is for certain, Blade Kitten is an absolute blast.

8/10


 

Movie Review: Twilight Saga, (1-3)

The popularity of ‘The Vampire’ has seen a resurgence in recent times, no more so than amongst young adults and bored housewives who have, quite literally, fallen head over heels in love with the Twilight Series; a collection of romantic, fantasy novels penned by American author, Stephanie Meyer. Our tale is of one young American girl Bella, who falls in love with an 108 year old vampire Edward, who along with his family has turned away from taking human life in a bid to try and eke out their lives as normal human beings, or as normal as one can whilst trying to avoid being caught out in direct sunlight and exposing their true nature. The tale of forbidden love between mortal and immortal is an oft told one in vampire lore, but here the story is set within a high school in the sleepy town of Forks, Washington USA. Throw in a few werewolves, a love triangle and a few other ‘minor’ complications along the way and the scene is set.

The books were a hit and so it wasn’t long before a film adaptation of said books were in full production and, subsequently, became a global phenomenon. Having not read the books I can only assume, and if history has taught us anything, they’re better than what’s on offer here. Even without prior knowledge of the books the story feels disjointed and unfinished, as if whole chapters and important set pieces have been omitted altogether leaving the viewer often wondering what the hell is going on and why any of it matters, if at all.

Romance plays a huge part in many a movie and for a few is the core ingredient of some of the most celebrated films ever made, but here, ( in the first three films based on the novels of the same name), its delivery is water thin, sometimes unbearably cheesy and often just plain silly. Matters are made worse by the fact that our heroine Bella, (Kristen Stewart), is as an un-likeable and wholly unremarkable individual as you’ll ever likely come across.

Our love sick teen swans from one miserable scene to the next, dragging her self-pitying bottom lip across the ground, grumbling and generally acting like a spoilt, selfish child towards anyone or anything she stumbles into. Remember Kevin and Perry from the Harry Enfield Show? Yes, you’ve got it, just like that.

The story tries to justify Bella’s unhappiness with her life by her being an only child whose parents have separated, and while divorce can and often does affect any children involved here, in Twilight, it backfires-embarrassingly so. Both Bella’s parents are not only seemingly more content in their day to day lives and clearly a great deal happier by their decision to separate they both show an equal amount of love and affection toward their daughter and never starve her of a stable up-bringing while at the same time doing all that they can to guide and help her make the right choices in life. Bella gets on exceedingly well with her non-violent stepfather; her natural father isn’t a drunk; her mum isn’t the local whore. In fact Bella’s life is as well balanced, well rounded and as safe as any young person could ask for. Unfortunately though, Bella fails to rise beyond being anything other than an annoying, ungrateful little brat that needs a thick ear, or in our more politically correct society, a good ‘talking to’.

So what of the vampires themselves? In short they are without a doubt the most dreary, two-dimensional blood suckers to ever grace the big screen. Given that the vampire is arguably the most famous mythical creature ever to exist in popular folklore, one that boasts a rich and fascinating history dating as far back as Greek and Roman times with more than a thousand stories, tales and fables portraying this fearsome creature-of-the-night, that’s quite a feat.

Yes Twilights’ vampires can move fast, are extremely powerful and yes they drink the blood of the living, but they’re so flat and lifeless, (no pun intended), that just watching them amble about looking like they’re constantly auditioning for a Marilyn Manson music video will have you willing Van Helsing to make an appearance and exact his own particular brand of vampire slaying justice. Like his chosen family, Edward, (Robert Pattinson), is as equally boresome; his unwillingness to accept who and what he is, is accentuated all the more due to his having fallen in love with a human, (Bella), and who now won’t quit whining about the unfairness of his predicament . Further more, Edward and his clan’s attempts at trying to fit their vampiric nature around his pet human is not only cringe inducing, but will have you fighting to take any of it seriously as you attempt to stifle bouts of laughter at the ridiculousness of it all. “We’re glad to have you come by my dear; it means we get to use our Ikea kitchen for the first time!” It’s more The Munsters than Hammer Horror and as such isn’t very big on scares or the kind of nail-biting drama one would often associate with a vampire movie featuring werewolves.

And that is much of what the three films are about; the forbidden love between vampire and human in the face of adversity. There’s nothing wrong with the idea, it’s the staple on which all vampire tales are essentially built, but in Twilight it simply drags itself along at a snails pace without any real sense of direction and rarely will it have the blood pumping. Even the inclusion of love rival Jake, (who happens to be a vampire hunting werewolf from a long line of Native Americans ), struggle to make one care about the dark, romantic tale being played out and the characters therein. Having said that there is a glimmer of hope in the appearance of seasoned British actor Michael Sheen, who in the second film Twilight: New Moon plays Aro and who is also one of the Volturi; a powerful vampire clan considered to be royalty amongst other vampires due to their rather lengthy time as immortals. As expected Sheen delivers a performance with his usual sense of conviction and grandeur and for the brief time he’s on screen Twilights’ vampires feel more real, more alluring and more satisfyingly dangerous than they have for the entire three films. However by the time you’ve reached the third instalment, Twilight: Eclipse, you’ll be pleading for more than just a cameo to lift this irksome tale above its own sense of self-indulgence and deliver just a sliver of edge-of-your-seat-excitement. But it never comes, and so Twilight continues to drown, choking on its own mediocrity as one enervative side plot follows another usually involving some ingenious way to bump off Bella, who, consequently, has been far more of a thorn in the side for her new found friends than not which begs the question: why are they still putting up with her?

Fact is the Twilight movies aren’t very good. They’re neither tense nor thrilling; the plot is forced, often trite and leaves far too many plot holes and loose ends scattered about to bring a sense of satisfaction to any of Twilights’ conclusions. In all fairness the movies are more akin to a teen TV serial similar to Dawson’s Creak, albeit with vampires. With that in mind perhaps fleshing out the Twilight Saga over the course of a televised series would have been a far more agreeable approach and may have perhaps made for a more interesting, well rounded viewing experience? Then again, let’s not put ideas in their heads.

Maybe I simply don’t get it, and I freely admit that I’m not the most romantic individual out there, but anyone who is a fan of vampire lore and who has experienced the rather excellent Dracula: Prince of Darkness or perhaps read more than a few vampire novels in their time, should be confident in their knowledge as to what makes for a good vampire tale, because teen love and buckets of confused hormones oozing out of every pore are not it I’m sorry to say.

2/10

Game Preview: WRC 2010-Xbox 360, PS3

It’s been five years since the last WRC title, and during that time the reigns have been passed to Italian based developers Milestone, with the title being published by Black Bean Games. While the small developer has predominantly produced racing games since founding in 1996, (most notably the SBK: Superbike World Championship), given the success of the series with previous developer Evolution Studios, landing the WRC licence has given Milestone quite a hill to climb when delivering a next generation rally simulation worthy of the sport.


As WRC 2010 carries the official WRC licence, all the tracks, drivers and cars are the real deal, right down to the decals on the tyre trims. In the demo you’re presented with a choice between taking the wheel of a Ford Focus RS driven by Mikko Hivonen or Sebastian Loeb’s Citroen C4. Once you’ve made your selection there are two courses to choose from; the quick, open, gravel and tarmac wooded lanes of an overcast Finland or the [infinitely more difficult] searing heat of Jordon with its tight, winding, loose gravel mountain roads. Whilst the front-end isn’t the most important aspect of any game it is important to note that – like the promise of a delicious meal – the first bite is always with the eye, and here Milestone have failed to deliver that all important first taste to get the juices flowing. After the impressive, three-dimensional design of Codemasters front-end in CMR: Dirt2, Milestones’ effort seems a little bland, offering not much more than a scrolling bar at the bottom of the screen with some rather flat, colourless option tabs. Whether this is down to it being early code is unknown, but with only two weeks or so before launch Milestone have to deliver something punchier to keep up with the competition.

Thankfully, moving into the game proper, WRC 2010 turns out to be well drawn, very smooth and extremely well detailed with some excellent use of lighting and effects. Thundering down open straights chunks of gravel and dirt kick up around the car as you throw your vehicle into tight corners, hairline window screen cracks appear and grow with time, headlights shatter and body work crumples and deforms realistically. Milestone have also put a lot of painstaking work into the sound of the vehicles and the surrounding environment, clearly believing that sound is as much an important part of the quintessential rally experience as any other aspect; the roar of the engine as you power out of a corner, the whistling of the turbo as you shift through the gears and the crunch and pop of gravel, dirt and rock beneath your racing machine built to take on all that Mother Nature can throw at it is very satisfying.

After playing this short trial it’s clear that WRC 2010 leans more toward the simulation side of proceedings than that of previous iterations, and as such can be quite arduous and may even prove a challenge for rally veterans keen to step into the shoes of their heroes. Even without the presence of rain, mud, ice or snow, not feathering the breaks at the correct points in time or putting to much-or not enough-emphasis on acceleration, or simply the slightest lapse in concentration can quickly find you spinning out of control after clipping that rock hidden on a blind corner, or send you hurtling sideways unerringly toward a firmly planted tree, your wheels locking up tight as you desperately fight to gain control. Matters aren’t helped by the fact that such errors will garner a swift rebuke from your co-driver who, as quick as he is to commend your racing ability is even quicker to condemn you.

If there’s a concern to be had then it’s that the cars at this stage arguably feel a little light, especially at high speeds. Having said that, the steering is tight and concise with the transition between tyre and road surface being – for the most part – satisfyingly tangible as you shift and move across varying grades of gravel and tarmac. How this will pan out in the full game when the WRC takes you over ice covered mountain ranges, rain swept roads or muddy woodland areas remains to be seen, but as it stands this trial run fills one with more confidence than not.

With F1 2010 already on its way to retailers shelves, Sony’s Gran Turismo 5 just around the corner and Codemasters promising to serve up a more rounded off-road experience early next year with Dirt 3, WRC 2010 certainly has its work cut out for it. But if this promising early glimpse is anything to go by, (and that the WRC licence is already an established brand in video games), then publisher Black Bean Games could find themselves in a good position in an otherwise saturated market. At the very least, certainly for the rally enthusiast, WRC 2010 is already looking like it might very well raise a few smiles.

Game Review: Tom Clancy's H. A. W.X 2-Xbox 360, PS3

Above all the most important element for any video game to work is fun. Without this key ingredient many a million dollar project has found its way into the pre-owned bins or had its original price slashed by retailers in the space of only a few weeks after launch.  ‘Fun’ is key to holding your captive audience when dealing with interactive entertainment; that and a good bit of PR.  Thankfully, French powerhouse publisher Ubisoft have delivered on both counts when concerning their award winning series of war games based on the works of pro-Cold War novelist, Tom Clancy.  Like the novels the games are an explosive mixture of brutal modern day warfare and technical espionage that have captured the imaginations of millions of gamers the world over, so when Ubisoft decided to take their lucrative franchise to the skies with Tom Clancy’s: H.A.W.X, good things were expected.

During the course of development process, however, someone forgot to inject that all important fun factor into Ubi’s latest project and what was released onto retailers’ shelves was a shadow of the glory days of Rainbow Six, Ghost Recon and Splinter Cell. Dull, tedious and lacking in any real entertainment value, many considered Tom Clancy’s: H.A.W.X as perhaps a step to far in a series of games that was running out of steam and more importantly, ideas.


Fast forward a year and a half later and Ubisoft have decided to have another crack at the whip to once again try and claim dominance in the realms of tactical, aerial based combat. The first instalment left plenty of room for improvement; so naturally the biggest question on everyone’s lips was whether or not Ubisoft could take the criticism levelled at H.A.W.X on board, utilize it and succeed in delivering the kind of frantic, pulse pounding air-based combat simulator all were expecting the first time around.



The answer to that is yes and no. With Ubi’s sequel there’s a constant nagging in the back of your mind that not everything is working quite as well as it could, or indeed should. H.A.W.X 2 looks like a Tom Clancy game, feels like a Tom Clancy game, but rarely does it play like a Tom Clancy game. The thrills and excitement that are common place with the Tom Clancy franchise are to far a few between, and yet a part of you really wants to like it.



After a brief introduction you take command of an American Fighter Pilot who gets shot down and taken hostage by some militant force with a drum to beat. Soon after you find yourself in the shoes of a British Fighter Pilot whereupon, (with the help of an obligatory training section), you get to grips with the basics of manoeuvring, combat and landing. As with all games that involve war it isn’t long before it all goes belly up; your training is cut short and Allied Forces suddenly find themselves in a position of high alert. It’s not the most gripping of starts to a video game where the emphasis is placed on edge-of-your-seat-action and as such this slow, somewhat cumbersome introduction doesn’t bode well for what lays ahead. Next it’s off to Russia where you take command of a MiG29 Fulcrum and plunge headlong into your first taste of ‘real’ combat. Whilst there are flashes of inspiration and the ocasional sense of achievement to be had during these aerial clashes- like manoeuvring from out of the path of a volley of enemy missiles or taking out several enemy craft in succession as you pass over and around dangerous mountain peaks-all to often it can feel like a chore as you lazily move from one set piece to the next wishing for something exciting to happen.


H.A.W.X 2 is also painfully slow at times and like racing games of old it’s as if the world around you is moving while you’re in a fixed position. It’s only when you activate the ‘Assistance OFF’ mode which forces an, albeit impressive, external ‘dogfight camera’ that you suddenly get a sense of being separated from your surroundings as you bank, roll and sweep out of danger.

 

Takingyour craft low across open deserts, through tight canyons and over lush forests the expected rush of the environment zipping by never reaches its climax; there’s the ‘crack’ of thunder as the sound barrier is broken, but that’s all it ever is. As a result you’ll find yourself begging for something, anything, to make it seem like you really are rocketing across huge, open landscapes at frightening speeds in a MiG29 or any of the other 30+ fighter jets available throughout the game. While some might argue that the sense of speed is relative to how it might actually feel whilst sat in the cockpit of an F-14 fighter jet, that’s a moot point because unless you brave the unfriendly cockpit view, 95% of your time will be spent in a 3rd person mode.


As you push further into the games clichéd plot revolving around the occupants of some pissed off 3rd world country whom is intent on upsetting everyone ‘civilized’ and who now happens to have got their hands on a nuclear warhead, it becomes abundantly clear that the action packed set pieces which are the hallmarks of the Tom Clancy series aren’t quite hitting the mark in H.A.W.X 2. While a few of the missions are quite engaging many more drag on longer than is necessary and fail to really get the heart thumping; certainly not in the way one would imagine a video game featuring some of the greatest fighter planes ever conceived. Even when you take control of an AC-130 armed with a 40mm cannon in a level much like the one to be found in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, it lacks much of the intensity and drama found in Infinity Ward’s popular FPS.

Tom Clancy’s: H.A.W.X 2 is by no means a terrible game and the development team have obviously tried to re-address some of the issues that plagued the first in the series; and in some ways they have succeeded in their endeavours. However, even the most stalwart of fighter plane fans and Tom Clancy die-hards will have a difficult time finding H.A.W.X 2 to be a fulfilling experience worthy of those marvellous feats of engineering depicted. It’s frustrating because there’s genuinely a decent game in there trying to fight its way out. Visuals are detailed and consistent, boasting some great effects whilst being accompanied by a solid musical score and superb sound effects throughout. It has its moments, there’s no doubt of that, and when it works it can be quite exhilarating, but at the same time it’s also marred by the kind of clunky gameplay that constantly switches back and forth between being almost masterful in one instance to downright appalling the next.


Ubisoft have clearly tried to reach for the skies with Tom Clancy’s: H.A.W.X 2, but have found themselves losing control and stalling just as the clouds were about to break. It’s getting there, unquestionably, and if a H.A.W.X 3 is planned for the near future then all that’s needed is a tweak here, a polish there and perhaps a little more ‘need for speed’ injected into the proceedings for the guys at Ubi to have real winner on their hands .


6/10

Game Preview: Vanquish-Xbox360, PS3

If Gears of War was instead developed as a coin hungry, arcade machine sat somewhere in the secluded corner of some arcade in Western Pier; then this how it would have turned out.  Everything about Vanquish smacks of classic arcade gaming at its very finest.  Big, bold, beautiful and wonderfully designed, Platinum Games’ chaotic, 3^rd person blast-a-thon is every inch the twitch gamers dream.

At first glance it comes across as an accessible, pick up and play title yet within your first few moments you’ll realize that Shinji Mikami’s latest offering is anything but accessible.  Not only is Vanquish eye wateringly fast paced and ludicrously chaotic in its delivery, it demands a level of skill and quick reaction time that it will have even the staunchest of trigger happy gamers catching their breath as swarms of enemy AI cleverly outwit, outflank and outmanoeuvre you.   If that’s not enough each level promises to end with a gargantuan boss tooled up with an arsenal that has one purpose and one purpose only:  absolute destruction.

Given how Vanquish plays out it wouldn’t be unfair to assume that it’s geared toward a more ‘hardcore’ audience, and in some way it is. However, with its sci-fi setting, awesome weaponry and a protagonist suited in an ultra-cool Augmented Reaction Suit, (which allows you to knee-slide at ridiculous speeds across the combat zone pumping hot lead into your enemy at any and every angle), Vanquish has buckets of mass market appeal.  Once you have mastered the basic controls and combinations the insanity is a joy to behold and it isn’t long before you’ll begin to see that your patience is rewarded, and frequently.  As soon as the training wheels are off it simply never lets up and like Bayonetta, as your skill with the outwardly complex control system increases so does the countless cool ways to dispatch the myriad foes, and all the satisfaction that comes with it.

Like with many games of this ilk boss fights are breathtaking.  Huge, lumbering machines destroy all in their wake as they rain down a barrage of missiles, molten-fire and proton-lasers in your general direction, all intent on your total annihilation.  It’s a real test of skill and will push your gaming prowess to its very limits as you duck, dodge, dive, roll and flip in a bid to keep out of harms way whilst simultaneously unleashing your own wanton barrage of firepower as you desperately try bring down your quarry by exploiting the weakest points  in its seemingly impenetrable armour.  It’s like David & Goliath, only this time with huge laser cannons and bagfuls of attitude.

At its core Vanquish may not offer up the most original of concepts, but as a stand alone title it’s already looking to raise itself head and shoulders above the competition; the gauntlets are definitely off in the SEGA camp.  Fast, furious and unrelenting in its delivery, Vanquish pushes at the boundaries of what we’ve come to expect from the 3^rd person shooter and will have your senses reeling.  Bring it on.

 

Game Review: Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days-Xbox 360, PS3.

Having only played this for about an hour I was so appalled by what was on offer, due to it being humongously shite, I couldn't even bring myself to write a review so decided to let Zero Punctuation share their view with you, dear readers.
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Zero Punctuation : Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days

Microsoft Kinect...