WIP Dwarven Warlord-Warhamer Fantasy Battle

WIP (Work in Progress) Candy & Cola

This mini is from the Soda Pop miniature range. The paint job is complete, I just need to do a base.

Game Review: Gran Turismo 5-PS3

Playing Gran Turismo 5 for the first time is a daunting experience. The sheer wealth of cars, events, and game modes on offer is quite staggering and for the first hour or so you’ll find your head in a spin as you get to grips with the sheer scale of it all. An even more daunting prospect is that GT5’s producer and designer, Kazunori Yamauchi, clearly isn’t done with the constant tinkering and fine tuning which has seen the release date of his grand opus pushed back time and again because, (if the continued updates are anything to go on), there’s still a lot more to come. If you’re the kind of gamer who usually bulks at the idea of forking out top dollar for a game that is still in the workshop undergoing further tuning via a series of updates and patches then may I be the first to welcome you to the world of the PC gamer. But don’t let that put you off because, and lets make no mistake about this, Gran Turismo 5 is a stunning racing game, one that will eat away at hours of you’re social life and with each new update it only continues to pull your further into its world of virtual Matchbox racing.

Whilst there is a noticeable jump in aesthetics between standard cars and the-quite frankly stunning-200 premium cars available, Gran Tursimo still manages to set the bench mark in virtual car porn. Like its predecessors, GT5 continues with the series hallmark of photo-realism when it comes to the stars of the show with said Premium cars being so immaculately rendered and painstakingly detailed they can leave some of the more sparse tracks looking a little flat. However, along side the vibrant greens and oranges of Trial Mountain or the lavishly detailed streets of inner city London GT5 can look positively sumptuous. Some may argue that it’s not quite the visual leap expected given the time in development, and while there is some minimal screen tearing and the occasional drop below 60fps during busier moments; Polyphony’s epic racer is unquestionably the finest looking on the market. Weather effects are excellently realised and lends itself to the atmosphere of high powered racing superbly; rain tears across the track obscuring your view, threatening to put you into a spin should your concentration lapse for more than a moment and snow relentlessly battles your every move, daring you to push harder in a bid to gain a few more of those invaluable seconds on your rivals.

Getting behind the wheel of any of the 1000 cars available in the game is where GT5 sets itself apart from the pack. While it may not throw up the instant thrills and accessibility of Forza 3 there’s a real ‘bite’ to the handling and once mastered the sensation of powering out of a corner, using the weight to catapult your machine forward down an open straight can be one of genuine excitement. Even using the humble Dual Shock 3 each vehicle feels unique, and as you move deeper into the world of GT5 having an understanding on how to shift the weight between accelerating and braking is paramount to success in the field. Karting is wonderfully realistic; rallies are visceral and punishing; and thundering around an oval track at 200mph in the monsters that make up NASCAR is as exhausting as it is exhilarating. Plug in a decent force-feedback steering wheel and GT5’s phenomenal handling mechanics come alive, delivering a frightening sense of realism and tangibility that is unmatched by any other racing game on any system.

Whereas before one had to complete a series of licences to move through the many events and challenges on offer the game now works with an RPG styled levelling up system; licences are still in place but, save for a few of the later events, are no longer a requisite for progression. With each race event successfully won and for every licence obtained and challenge completed, experience and credits are awarded. As you level up more events become un-locked for you to compete in while more cars become available for purchase via the new and second-hand dealerships. By adopting this play-and-reward approach Yamauchi may have tightened the reigns of progression a little, but in doing so it allows players to experience all of GT5’s facets in a more controlled, yet relaxed environment whilst also neatly removing the fabled ‘brick wall’ that has marred previous iterations upon reaching a certain point in the game.

Most of your time with GT5 will be spent in A-Spec mode where you’ll race across snow capped mountain tops, through the glare of a thousands lights in night time cities and all of the series signature courses; however in typical Gran Tursimo form there are several other modes that demand your attention. B-Spec invites you to systematically ‘train’ a team of drivers by using a collection of simple commands designed to improve their overall driving ability. The better you manage your drivers, the quicker they’ll level-up allowing them to enter races using more powerful cars and garner higher levels of experience for your overall progression. Essentially, B-Spec is a game of trial and error and one that will infuriate during the early stages as low level drivers will often make for some spectacular cock ups as GT5’s erratic AI tries to keep up. But given time the AI does improve and with a little perseverance on your part you’ll soon have a reasonably competent team to bash out those long endurance races. Special Events include Rally, Karting and a step-by-step guide to NASCAR racing along with the chance to hammer a VW camper van around the Top Gear test track. You can also get to grips with the Nürburgring piece by piece before taking on the world famous course in its entirety, and for rally enthusiasts there’s tips and tricks courtesy of seven times WRC Champion, Sebastian Loeb. Arcade mode makes a return along with split-screen multi-player and a satisfying Drift Trial option. You can take snaps of your favourite cars in exotic locations with HD Photo Travel, and there’s also a course maker which is a fun tool to play around with even if it does lack a little depth.

Unfortunately AI is still Gran Tursimo’s weakest element-particularly in the early part of proceedings-and while there is a marked improvement to your CPU opponents decision making they will, more often than not, rather plough into the back of your prized vehicle than attempt to outmanoeuvre you. Having said that, as you advance from the amateur races and into the professional and expert events the AI-as with the aforementioned B-Spec-does kick it up a notch or two; opponents will actually try to cut in deep or pull out wide through a corner thus forcing you to break hard to maintain your position or risk chancing a tight opening to move further up the field.

Since the games launch back in November of last year there has already been several updates to GT5’s online mode, greatly improving on what was originally a horrible, bug ridden mess. The setting up of and getting into races now runs that much smoother than previously, with each race being fully customisable with numerous options to suit any race for any style of play. You can gift cars to friends, follow each others progress via message boards or just hang out in the [much improved] lobby and have a good old natter whilst deciding on what race to put together. A more recent update also means that racing with other players in ‘My Lobby’ dishes out both credits and experience adding to your overall level in GT Life.

There’s still room for improvement of course: For example, should you end up in a room full of strangers the lack of a car classification system always leads to every online race consisting of 4WD monsters with no less than 800bhp thus removing much of the fun to be had from sampling many of the smaller, nipper machines or classic cars of yesteryear in an online environment. But Polyphony have promised that important changes will continue to be implemented, which is welcoming news because beneath the rough exterior of its online mode GT5 has the potential to be come one of the most spectacular racing competitions to ever grace a games console.

Whether or not you’ll enjoy in GT5 ultimately boils down to how much time you invest in it. If you’ve never been a fan of the series and the thought of ploughing hours into a video game to get the best from it makes your toes curl then there’s very little here that will change your mind. If, however, you have an unerring passion for cars, or have simply thrilled at the convoluted delights Gran Turismo has served up since its original outing back in 1998, then Gran Turismo 5 is an essential purchase.

9/10

Daddy Brown's Games of 2010

Action/Adventure: Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood

Driving: Gran Turismo 5

Beat 'em Up: Super Street Fighter IV

FPS: Halo: Reach

Rhythm/Music: Rock Band 3

Platform: Super Mario Galaxy 2

RPG: Demon's Souls

Sports: FIFA 11

Strategy/Simulation: Gran Turismo 5

Best Online Mode: Halo: Reach

Biggest Surprise: Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 2

Best Downloadable Game: The King of Fighers 2002: Unlimited Match

Biggest Disappointment: Kinect

Worst Game: Kinect Joyride

Overall Game Of The Year: Heavy Rain

 

Honorable Mentions:

Bayonetta

Alan Wake

Mass Effect 2

NFS: Hot Pursuit

God of War 3

Dead Rising 2

Red Dead Redemption

Industry Quote of the Year:

“Our games are not designed for young people. If you are a parent and buy one of our games for your child, then you are a terrible parent.”

Rockstar’s Lazlow Jones defends the firm’s violent games on BBC Radio 1’s Newsbeat. 21/05/10

Game Review: Uncharted 2: Among Thieves-PS3

Developed by Naughty Dog, (creators of the hugely popular, million selling franchise Crash Bandicoot ), Uncharted: Drakes Fortune was an action adventure game in the style of Tomb Raider, one that boasted lush visuals, an excellent script, superb voice acting and edge of your seat set pieces. Naturally the game was an immediate hit amongst the Sony fanbase and garnered favourable opinions from all corners of the industry so it came as no surprise when a sequel was announced for 2009.

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves sees you once again take on the role of our grave robbing hero Nathan "Nate" Drake as he sets out to discover the legendary mystical valley of Shangri-La and the Cintamani Stone, a mythical rock that is said to grant one with great strength and powers. The adventure begins by throwing the player right into the thick of things with a wounded Nate hanging upside down in a train cart which hangs precariously over a cliff edge. From the get go you’ll be impressed by both the visual and cinematic quality on display as you help Nate climb his way up through the wreak before it plummets into the misty depths below. The snow and wind whips around Drake in such a realistic fashion that it adds to the sense of urgency in such a way it's hard not to catch your breath each time a piece of train breaks away threatening to send Nate to his doom. Eventually you claw your way onto the cliff edge and the game fades out, taking you back a few weeks to previous events.

Nathan's adventure begins when old friends Harry Flynn and Chloe Frazer approach him with a job offer to steal an oil lamp from an Istanbul museum. Nate accepts the job when he learns that the lamp may lead to the legendary treasures said to have been procured Marco Polo's lost fleet. It's here that you get a good sense of Nate's abilities from running, jumping, climbing and melee combat; all of which are much like those found in Nate’s first adventure on the PS3 but much more fluid and precise in their execution. Melee combat, for example, feels a lot more meaty and satisfying with both open combos and stealth attacks providing some small amusement in an affectionate nod towards the fisticuffs found in the Indiana Jones movies.

Control of Nate through his environment is tremendous fun. While it's often clear as to where to go next, which ledge to jump to and from, which crack in the wall to take a hold of and so forth it does it in a way that blends into the environment seamlessly thus creating the illusion that you're guiding Nate through a perfectly natural route as opposed to throwing up obvious way-points through some linear path. Of course that’s exactly what you are doing, but it’s a testament to the carefully thought out level design that makes the illusion that you’re not following some ridged, pre-determined path even more acceptable.

Combat is as intense as it is satisfying and makes much better use of the cover system found in the first game. You can also hurl gas canisters into the air before making them explode with a perfectly aimed shot from Nate's pistol causing walkways to collapse underfoot, vehicles to explode and walls to crumble onto enemies. Paying careful attention to Nate’s surrounding environment you’ll always find something to even the odds a little should you find yourself outgunned. Enemies are intelligent and will attempt to outmaneuver you should you hang around in one spot for too long, but in the same sense they're also dumb enough to be outmaneuvered by you, leading to some amusing moments during a heated gun fight.

As you progress thought the game you start to realize just how stunning Uncharted 2 is. Environments are highly detailed and simply ooze character and believability. It's obvious that a lot of forethought has been crafted into each and every area to give the player a total sense of immersion, even if you are essentially looking from the outside-in as you guide Nate on his adventure. Rain, wind and snow all act as they would in the real world and are perhaps some of the best examples of weather to be currently found in a video game. Wood cracks and splinters realistically, metal fractures and bends, explosions hurl chunks of debris through the air with incredible effect and so on. Character models are well drawn and all-from the main players to disposable henchmen-have believable facial expressions, realistic body language and a fluidity to their movement that captures both the action and set pieces superbly.

It’s also worth noting that with its witty, emotional, gritty and even sometimes cheesy dialogue Uncharted 2 arguably also has some of the finest voice acting and script writing of any video game. Combined with no apparent loading sections you could be watching any Saturday afternoon matinee as each scene moves seamlessly into the next as the story is carried forward. Alone the story is both compelling and gripping, but intertwined with such well presented voice acting and the games smooth progression from one act to the next it rides along effortlessly, conjuring up the kind of thrills and excitement one would expect from a blockbuster movie, albeit one that you are actively taking part in.

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves is a masterclass in how to develop a video game; a finally crafted piece of work that brings video games one step closer to a more respectable place alongside film and music. Beautifully told and simply exhilarating to play it is easily one of the finest and most accomplished games of the last decade.

10/10

Game Review: Tekken 6-PS3, Xbox 360

In todays competitive games market where online gaming is the dominant factor in the success or failure of a title even the most popular franchises have to do more than a tweak here and a polish there to raise its head above the crowd in a bid for front room dominance. One such series is Tekken and from its early days as the king of Playstation fighters Tekken has always been a firm favourite amongst beat ‘em up fans by not so much re-inventing itself, but by staying true to its form as an accessible fighter that boasts huge amounts of hidden depth and character. It will come as a welcome surprise then to learn that Tekken 6 has stayed true to said formula.

Arcade, Vs, Online and Ghost Mode, (where you’re pitted against an endless stream opponents who’s skills are based on some of Tekken’s most proficient players as well as those you can download to test your skills), continue to deliver as satisfying a fighting experience we’ve come to expect from the series and will often have you reaching for the pad for ‘just one more go’. In a surprise move from Namco the game starts with every character unlocked; however there are also several new faces added to the roster with each bringing their own unique style to the proceedings. These new fighters come in the shape of all rounder, Spanish born Miguel; head popping cyborg Alisa; a rather large but deceptively swift Bob; wiry Egyptian hotty, Zafina; Lars who has connections to the Mishima’s; and Leo, who's is possibly the most accessible of the new breed. Along with these new characters there’s also two new systems present in combat; ‘Rage’ and ‘Bound’. The former gives players whose health is at a dangerously low level the ability to hit just that bit harder whilst the latter allows players who have begun a juggle combo to literally smash their opponent into the ground making them bounce back up into the air to unleash another barrage of strikes.

In past iterations Namco have included a handful of game modes with Tekken that stray away from the normal Vs modes. These have come in the shape of Tekken Bowl, (a very playable take on 10 pin bowling), Tekken Force and Devil Within, (both an awful take on the scrolling beat ‘em up of yesteryear), and in the sixth iteration we now have Scenario Mode. Much like Tekken Force before it Scenario Mode requires that you move from one area to the next happy slapping anyone in your path before ending each stage with the obligatory ‘Boss Fight’. Unfortunately it rarely raises itself above being anything other than a mild distraction and only really serves as a tool for which to add more features and customisations for other game modes whilst also allowing you to put your own stamp on your favourite fighters with new clothing and accessories. You could simply ignore Scenario Mode but, and here’s the rub, whereas before the unlocking of hidden characters, extra costumes, levels, cinematics and story came down to playing through Tekken’s single player arcade mode, in order to unlock many of Tekken 6’s bonus content you have to play through this dreary scrolling beat ‘em up many times over.

Thankfully then the combat proper in Tekken 6 looks and plays fantastic and is unquestionably the best of the series yet; both visually and in execution. Characters are big, bold and beautifully rendered with slick animations that are complimented with fighting arenas that are lavishly detailed and a musical score that carries the pace of battle superbly. While the traditional game modes may have-for reasons only known to Namco-taken a back seat to some half baked scrolling beat ‘em up, Tekken has a had long and favourable history where even the low points have always outclassed many other games in the genre and Tekken 6 is no exception to that rule.

Great to look at and-Scenario Mode aside-even better to play, Tekken 6 can safely hold its head high as a testament to the fact that while the humble beat ‘em up may have taken a backseat to the draw of the First Person Shooter in many a gamers homes it’s a genre that is still very much alive and kicking.

8/10

I've seen it all now...

Game Review: Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood-Multi-format

If there’s one certainty with Ubisoft Montreal’s Assassin’s Creed series is that it’s home to a plot that makes about as much sense as a Japanese VRC instruction manual being read out loud by some guy called Desmond* and his nerdy mates, so you’ll excuse me if I refrain from attempting to iterate it back to you here. What I can tell you is that it’s set directly after the events that took place in AC: II whereupon you relinquish the role of renaissance assassin Ezio Auditore da Firenze and his ongoing struggle against the Borgia. While one might be forgiven for thinking of this latest installment in the series as Assassin’s Creed 2.5, Ubisoft have actually crammed in a wealth of content, missions and side quests, combined with a single player campaign spanning over 20 hours and a competent and engaging multi-player for Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood to stand on it’s own two feet as a worthwhile inclusion to the franchise.

Save for a few new combat manoeuvres little has changed in Ezio’s repertoire of moves and abilities since the previous game, which makes for a familiar suite of inspired gameplay and clumsy awkwardness. Bounding across the rooftops of Rome with cat-like grace to then take out ones intended target with deadly precision is as satisfying as ever, but for every glorious moment of satisfaction there are [nearly] as many moments of teeth-gnashing frustration. As you nimbly run and jump from one roof top to another, what seemed like a simple combination of button presses only moments before suddenly has you bouncing off walls, leaping in the wrong direction or falling helplessly to the cobble stoned streets below. It’s the same with combat which shifts between you skilfully felling several enemies in an audacious whirlwind of steel to clumsily tripping over your own sword just as move in for the kill. You haven’t changed how you approached these situations any differently from the last time and you certainly haven’t lost all feeling in your fingers and thumbs; the game has just suddenly decided that you’re no longer quite that skilful.

It’s this lack of consistency during gameplay, (something that has been prevalent since gamers first donned the white cowl in Assassin’s Creed), that threatens to break what is-for the most part-one of the most intuitive combat-cum-platformer in years. As gamers we’re accustomed to making our own mistakes and if we lose then it should be down to our own lack of skill, not because the game suddenly decides we’re going to have a bad day by wresting control from us, if only for a few fleeting moments. Having said that, when it does all come together and you find yourself perfectly in tune with what’s happening on screen you can forgive these shortcomings and revel in its brilliance; even if it does mean reloading that previous memory and starting again.

As before Ezio can call upon the aid of the thieves, courtesans and mercenaries to help him in combat and out of tight situations, but this time around there’s the added bonus that upon Ezio destroying a Borgia Tower he can then recruit and train an assassin, (up to total of twelve), to do his bidding. Not only can you call upon these Ezio clones for support, but you also send them out into Europe to complete various assignments and contracts in order to progress their experience. XP can be spent to improve their skills, change their appearance and so on thus making them better, more efficient killers. While not a terribly new concept it is, however, another example in cementing the knowledge that AC: Brotherhood is more than just a cash cow hastily developed for Christmas and is, in fact, perhaps more of a nod towards what Ubisoft have in store for us with Assassin’s Creed III sometime in the new year or thereafter.

Of course it should come as no surprise that, like those gone before it, AC: Brotherhood looks and sounds absolutely spectacular. With noticeable improvements to character models, (facial animations and general movement being the most obvious), and sound throughout, nowhere is Ubisoft’s aesthetic overhaul in their best selling franchise more apparent than in Rome itself. Older gamers, (myself included), often speak in awe of just how far video games have come since we were children and AC: Brotherhood is one such video game that will undoubtedly stir these emotions and prompt discussion. From Rome’s sundrenched, tightly packed rooftops to its bustling, winding streets and overcrowded, sweltering market places it’s a remarkable re-creation of the ancient world in digital form; one that’s’ been so meticulously and loving crafted by its development team and the artists therein that you can almost drink the atmosphere. I’ve never been to Rome, but I doff my hat to Ubisoft for at least giving me a taste of what it may have been like to stand at the highest point of the Colosseum and look out over Rome during the 16th Century. You may find yourself plummeting to your death from the highest of towers after battling with the controls more than once in AC: Brotherhood, but at least you’ll look good doing it.

So to conclude then, this latest adventure into the world of Assassin’s Creed is unquestionably the best in the series yet. It’s story still might not make a great deal of sense and there’s still some work to be done with regards to the general flow of combat and movement, but as it stands Assassin’s Creed is a series that has gone from strength to strength with each new release and AC: Brotherhood continues that trend with aplomb. A flawed, yet beautifully crafted diamond.

8/10

* For those not in the loop, in Assassin's Creed you are, in reality, playing as a modern-day man named Desmond Miles, who through the use of a machine named the "Animus", is allowed to view and control the protagonist's genetic memories of his ancestors. In the first game it was Altaïr ibn-La'Ahad, a member of the Hashshashin during the third crusade and then Ezio Auditore de Firenze in AC: II and AC: Brotherhood consecutively.