Alpha Protocol – updated impressions (Alpha Protocol)

Alpha Protocol – updated impressions (Alpha Protocol)

After some action-packed super-secret spy hijinks, you slink back to your Rome safehouse.  Are you in for a roll in the sack, or a taser to the chest? Depends on decisions you made hours ago, so you can’t simply reload your save until you’re knocking boots. Welcome to Alpha Protocol, ...

Mafia II: Seven sins in under an hour (Mafia II)

Mafia II: Seven sins in under an hour (Mafia II)

Our grandparents’ time was simpler and purer, they say. Families ate together at the table, neighbors chatted pleasantly over white picket fences and town sheriffs whistled down the street, making sure every boy and girl was home before curfew. Bullshit, we say. After playing the upcoming Mafia II and experiencing ...

Naughty Bear – first look (Naughty Bear)

Naughty Bear – first look (Naughty Bear)

We all know teddy bears got their name from America’s 26th president, Teddy Roosevelt. But the adorable and cuddly nature of these stuffed bears is counter to what history tells us of probably our toughest leader to date, one who fought in wars and killed a fair number of men ...

True Crime versus GTA (True Crime)

True Crime versus GTA (True Crime)

Grand Theft Auto invented the open-world crime epic and, even after a decade filled with countless imitators, Grand Theft Auto is clearly still the king of the genre. So how can you observe any new contender and not notice the differences or similarities? How can you write about any new ...

Is Medal of Honor the new Modern Warfare? (Medal of Honor)

Is Medal of Honor the new Modern Warfare? (Medal of Honor)

It’s difficult to speak about the upcoming modern-day Medal of Honor reboot without making comparisons to the Modern Warfare series, so we will not (we do not like difficult things). Modern Warfare 2 is immensely polished and popular, but it does suffer from cheap tricks which unbalance the multiplayer modes, a ...

Why God of War III is only possible on PS3 (God of War III)

Why God of War III is only possible on PS3 (God of War III)

“Like I just saw a PlayStation 4 title,” is how forthright journalist HipHopGamer described the secret footage of Kratos battling the ‘Spider-horse’ boss in God of War III. With few days to GOW’s release, we’ve seen the same footage and can confirm that – while not quite as amazing as ...

No More Heroes: Heroes’ Paradise (No More Heroes: Heroes’ Paradise)

No More Heroes: Heroes’ Paradise (No More Heroes: Heroes’ Paradise)

At first it’s a mash-tastic brawler, then it’s a Japanese GTA with the motorbike from Akira and a sun-bleached psychedelic version of an American west-coast city, then it’s a wrestling game, then a side-scrolling beat-‘em-up, then a 2D shooter, then a lawn-mowing game, then a brawler again. …

Crysis 2 – first look (Crysis 2)

Crysis 2 – first look (Crysis 2)

Forget Far Cry 2. The real sequel to Crytek’s tropical PC-only shooter was Crysis, a game so powerful it could only run on a nuclear-powered PC the size of a semi truck. Until now.
For the past twelve months, Crytek have, through a series of tech demos, been floating the very ...

Just cause 2 – hands-on (Just Cause 2)

Just cause 2 – hands-on (Just Cause 2)

We recently got another chance to test out how well Tarzan (er, Rico) the secret agent swings in the run up to his launch into the public sphere in late March. And it turns out that he’s swinging rather well, as it happens.
Let’s do a quick recap for those who ...

Street Fighter IV on iPhone – hands-on (Street Fighter IV)

Street Fighter IV on iPhone – hands-on (Street Fighter IV)

It’s tough being Capcom. There are fanboys of every stripe in the gaming world, but rarely are there more rabid and stubborn fans than those of fighting games. Die-hards examine every frame and gameplay change down to its core, and they petition endlessly for their favorite obscure character to be ...

Meet Dead Space 2’s necromorphs (Dead Space 2)

Meet Dead Space 2’s necromorphs (Dead Space 2)

Pre-production work on Dead Space 2 has only been official for less than six months, but it was never in serious doubt. Isaac Clarke’s first encounter with the alien virus that created the necromorphs was a hugely atmospheric blend of action shooter, with grim tones of survival horror. Admittedly, it ...

6 things you need to know about Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands (Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands)

6 things you need to know about Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands (Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands)

Since it was announced late last year, there’s been a healthy amount of curiosity swirling around Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands. Set for release this May, it marks a return to the storyline of the last-gen Sands of Time trilogy, something that’s made fans both elated and suspicious.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Armada of the Damned (Pirates of the Caribbean: Armada of the Damned )

Pirates of the Caribbean: Armada of the Damned (Pirates of the Caribbean: Armada of the Damned )

The Pirates of the Caribbean movies raked in over a billion dollars worldwide. There’s no doubt that a huge part of that success was down to the loveable sea dog Captain Jack Sparrow. So how will a licensed game without him fare? Batman: Arkham Asylum was a huge influence on ...

Resonance of Fate – hands-on (Resonance of Fate)

Resonance of Fate – hands-on (Resonance of Fate)

Putting all of Resonance of Fate’s new ideas into words is impossible, so we’ll just state this: forget what you know about Japanese RPGs, because tri-ACE is changing the formula. For example, the overworld comprises dozens of floors, each with hundreds of hexagonal pieces, all encircling a giant tower.

Lead and Gold: Gangs of the Wild West (Lead and Gold: Gangs of the Wild West)

Lead and Gold: Gangs of the Wild West (Lead and Gold: Gangs of the Wild West)

I’m carrying a bag filled with gold. My team is plundering a mine, and I’m the point manlugging burlap-wrapped bullion back to a capture point in our base. My teammate is a desperado, and he’s yelling at me from beneath his face bandana to hurry the hell up.
“Throw the gold!” ...