Review: Batman Arkham City – Harley Quinn’s Revenge (DLC) / Developer: Rocksteady Studios / Publisher: Warner Bros. Interactive / Release Date: Out Now

Hugo Strange and the Joker may have been defeated, but the Dark Knight’s duty is never done. From the ashes of Arkham City, a new threat arises: the Joker’s squeeze, Harley Quinn is out to avenge her Mistah J. As usual, this is bad news for the Gotham City Police Department, a number of whom find themselves kidnapped and at Harley’s mercy. As does, eventually, Batman himself. It’s down to Robin to rescue his mentor from Harley’s clutches. Rescued by Robin. Oh, the indignity.

Those hoping for more Robin from their Arkham City should be pleased with this DLC, as Robin plays as big a role in Harley Quinn’s Revenge as Batman himself. The action with Robin is confined to the indoor scenes, but it’s still better than the paltry challenge rooms from the original. Playing as Robin is a lot more fun than one might imagine. Particularly enjoyable is the Boy Wonder’s cane (which turns into a bulletproof shield and battering ram) and his version of the line launcher, which he uses to launch himself at goons rather than the other way round. The lad does come across as a little too moody though, with his sullen expression and silly hoodie. Why so serious, Robin?

Meanwhile, Batman makes his return to the rooftops, where there are plenty of Harley’s goons to beat up and leave hanging from guard towers. Swooping around the gloomy skies of the City remains endlessly entertaining, as does terrorising Harley’s hapless henchmen. It’s been eight months since Arkham City, so this little epilogue to the main story feels like revisiting an old friend.

But aside from its giving Robin something to do, there’s little new in terms of gameplay. All of the major modes of play are briefly showcased, like a much abridged version of Arkham City, but none of it lasts long enough. By the time the player has gotten back into the rhythm of fighting and sneaking (still a lot of fun) the game is over. Aside from a few balloons and trophies, there’s little to see or do; the action confined to a small part of the map. There comes a point where the game looks as though it’s about to gear up for some great team-up action, but instead ends with a bathetic whimper rather than a bang.

Harley Quinn’s Revenge is a fun little diversion but ultimately feels like a wasted opportunity. Poor Harley Quinn: her revenge barely amounts to an hour of gameplay.

Game Review: The Walking Dead – Episode 1 / Developer: Telltale Games / Publisher: Telltale Games / Platform: PC (reviewed version), Mac, Xbox 360 and PS3 / Release Date: Out Now

Branching out into big name licensed titles has yielded mixed results for Telltale Games. Back to the Future quietly impressed with its loving take on the classic franchise, while the recent Jurassic Park proved to be bitterly disappointing. Continuing its trend of downloadable episodic releases, the developer now takes on another fan phenomenon, The Walking Dead.

Set in the world of Robert Kirkman’s comic series, the game introduces a new cast of characters trying to survive the early hours of the Georgia outbreak, the time period in which main series protagonist Rick Grimes rests in a coma closed away from the madness. In his stead, we are introduced to Lee Everett, a former college lecturer being escorted in the back of a police car to begin a stretch in prison. During the journey events transpire that leave Everett with a new found freedom from incarceration, but being free in a time when humanity is quite literally eating itself alive might not be the reprieve he would have wished for.

Happening across an apparently deserted suburban home, Everett comes in to contact with a vulnerable young girl named Clementine, who managed to survive against all odds while her parents remain unaccounted for after a weekend getaway. Following a close and distinctly bloody encounter, Everett is left with no choice but to take Clementine under his wing as the pair begin their journey in to a new world fraught with danger and tough choices.

Even in this first episode the sense of urgency in Everett and Clementines journey is effectively conveyed, with each new safe spot opening the tale to new influences and potential threats. Along the trip, players will encounter enclaves of fellow survivors that the pair must cooperate with, all facing unique troubles of their own. Much like the books, relationships between Everett and those met along the way make for the majority of the drama, and Telltale engineer the most out of every situation with smartly designed dialogue trees and branching gameplay paths that alter depending on the actions of the player. These encounters, wether with an enemy, friend or undead, feel totally intimate. The zombies aren’t just guilt free targets, but serve as an uncomfortable reflection of the living. Each choice, often made under duress as characters look upon Everett with a range of kindness, apathy or out-and-out aggression, are promised to shape the course of the overall story across the five monthly episodes.

While the adventure format might not be the regular choice for developers to present their vision of a zombie apocalypse, Telltale uses their expertise in the genre and a genuine reverence for The Walking Dead fiction to create a tense and emotionally engaging experience that marries perfectly with point-and-click play. Avoiding numbing and unending numbers of undead, The Walking Dead focuses on low volume, high stakes enemy encounters that strike unexpectedly, providing well timed punctuation in between dramatic dialogue scenes and exploratory sections. Each character met can provide a wealth of information and fascinating backstory, and seeing your gameplay choices affect each person in such high pressure conditions – and the repercussions of those choices – is highly compelling. The games internal logic works well too, avoiding the age old genre trope of solving an obstructive puzzle through brute force trial-and-error. Theres really only one thing you’ll need to decide to do with a screwdriver while sneaking up behind a zombie. How you get there is another matter.

Every so often the amalgamation of visual styles that takes the wonderfully raw look of the comics into a full colour three dimensional environment can look a little disjointed, and Telltale’s traditionally cartoonish animation style can occasionally make a serious moment feel very light when characters gesticulate or emote. Its a small concession overall however, and as the episodic series continues to roll out I get the feeling that the combination of solid writing and cleverly manipulative plotting will continue to please.

Review: Binary Domain (15) / Developer: Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio / Publisher: SEGA / Platforms: PS3, 360 / Release Date: Out Now

The current trend of Japanese game developers aping western design shows no signs of fading and Binary Domain is, perhaps, the most palatable offering yet for Westerners weaned on a diet of gung-ho cover shooters. But, with this third-person tactical shooter coming from the guys behind Japan’s famed Yakuza series, it doesn’t take long for the Eastern flavours to rise to the surface and, boy, does it taste good.

The game takes place in Tokyo in the year 2080. Sea levels have risen, leaving a rotten underbelly of shanty towns, crumbling architecture and forgotten citizens struggling to make a life for themselves. Towering above this neglected city is a gleaming, newly built Neo Tokyo, teaming with the affluent, rich and powerful and a society that has become dependent on robots in much the same way we’re dependent on Smart Phones and Twitter accounts. But Amada, one of the world’s leading robotics industries, has begun secret production of flesh covered robots that are indistinguishable from humans. So indistinguishable in fact, that these ‘Hollow Children’ have no idea they aren’t human. As Sergeant Dan Marshall, former army grunt turned International Robotics Technology Association covert operative, it’s up to you and your IRTA ‘Rust Crew’ – stereotypes from all four corners of the globe, including a hulking black man, Big Bo, who favours use of the words ‘a’ight’ and ‘bro’ as punctuation to almost every sentence and ‘Charlie’, the British Commander who would be undoubtedly played by Sean Bean if a movie version was ever green lit – to fight your way to the corporation’s headquarters and discover who is responsible for these ‘abominations’.

This is a game that desperately wants to innovate and, for the most part, it’s successful. On the surface it’s merely another linear, point A to point B cover-shooter, but there are three gameplay elements that set it apart. Firstly, the combat is immensely satisfying and it’s all down to the fact that the only thing you’ll be shooting at throughout the entire campaign is robots. Sounds boring? Not in the slightest and, unlike the human or alien bullet sponges that occupy most shooters these days, Binary Domain’s enemies can be picked apart piece by piece. There’s a huge technical advantage to taking out the legs of a lesser, pistol wielding robot and letting it slowly crawl in your direction, allowing you to concentrate on some of the bigger threats on the battlefield. Similarly, a nicely placed headshot doesn’t mean that robot is instantly dealt with, it will simply become confused and start firing at its own team giving you some much needed breathing space as you watch this poor sap do your job for you. It makes for an entertaining diversion as you toy with the possibilities and the outstanding enemy AI. Yes, it’s extremely reminiscent of the Gears franchise, but what third-person shooter isn’t these days? Binary Domain puts its own destructive spin on the concept and that’s enough to make it stand out.

The second innovation is the much vaunted Trust and Consequence system that, although ambitious in theory, is only half realised in the game itself. Your interactions during gameplay and certain scenes with your squad mates have a direct influence on how they’ll treat you on the battlefield and this is the part that works exceptionally well. Making smart decisions in the heat of battle, obeying commands and keeping your squad out of danger will cause their trust level to rise, making things run smoothly during gunfights. However, refusing their requests or just continually making everyone rush into dangerous situations will leave them cold to your orders, often outright ignoring you when you try to suggest certain tactics even when it’s actually the right move. But this system only has bearing within the confines of the gameplay and the story surrounding it will continue along its linear path regardless of how you fared on the playing field. This isn’t a deal breaker as such, but it is a little jarring to unload a full three clips into my best bud and treat him like dirt for an entire sequence only for the story to kick back in and have him act like nothing happened. It works brilliantly in practice but the developers really should have gone the whole nine yards and blended the concept into the cut-scenes.

This leads us onto the voice recognition. Attach a mic and you’ll be able to physically shout commands to your AI squad. This has been attempted before, most recently in Tom Clancy’s Endwar and, when it works, it really does an effective job of drawing you further into the game. Using just a controller only gives you a choice of four available commands yet, by switching on your headset, you open up a more robust list of over seventy recognised phrases ranging from the standard “Fire!’’ or “Charge!’’ to more useful tactics such as “Fall back’’ and “I’m in trouble’’. Your teammates will even react if you drop the F-bomb. During my two playthroughs it did fail me a good handful of times which caused me to resort to the button inputs but, spend a few minutes calibrating the voice settings and, in a quiet room free of ambient noise, you’ll find it works extremely well (to be clear, this was tested on the PS3 version with a Bluetooth headset and my non-descript Manchester accent. Players with strong regional accents may have a different, more frustrating experience). If you don’t feel comfortable shouting at your television for hours at a time the button prompts do a fine job, it’s just not as fun.

In keeping with the western feel of the game the developers drafted in British writer Antony Johnston (graphic novelist and co-writer on the Dead Space franchise) to rewrite their script. There are heavy themes of life, emotion and what it means to be human but they don’t weigh down the game and, despite a few one-note characters and the occasional predictable story beat the game has an engaging tale to tell. The leads are enjoyable to watch, there are some genuinely surprising twists and turns towards the end and the whole thing moves at a breakneck pace, rarely pausing for breath as you fight and chase from one set-piece to the next. It’s this element of the gameplay that really shines through and it feels like the writer and developers were working in tandem during production. One minute you’re fending off waves of enemies as your teammate rigs up a makeshift bomb to blow a door, the next your hanging out the side of a truck in an insane highway chase. Boss fights, in particular, are a standout and each confrontation differs wildly. One mid-game behemoth winds up being an action packed, multi-stage affair, starting in a tram station ticket office and ending in an underground warehouse teaming with enemies, resistance fighters and conveniently placed fuel canisters. Put simply, you’re never bored over the 10-12 hours it will take you to finish the campaign.

Yet, amidst all this gung-ho bravado and muscular gunplay, the Japanese roots start to reveal themselves, usually through humorous means. There are vending machines dotted around the landscape which will tend to all your supplies and upgrade needs (they also feature a micro roulette game that will spit out a useful item should you hit ‘win’). How do you pay for these goods? The game rewards you for taking your sweet time picking apart enemies and, if you’re saving up for that particularly gnarly looking shotgun, a short while spent taking out a few robots kneecaps and arms should do the trick. There’s even a decoy grenade which invariably emits a holographic image of a pole dancer to ‘distract’ enemies. Why would a nuts and bolts robot be interested in the sexy moves of a fleshy female? Who cares? It was one of my favourite weapons.

There are, however, some minor quibbles dragging what could have been an awesome shooter to merely a very, very good one. Friendly AI can be a little hit-and-miss at times, from walking in your line of site and then having the gall to be annoyed that you shot them, to plain and simply doing nothing despite my screams of ‘CHARGE!’ multiple times. I know they heard me as they responded positively, yet they remained behind cover and refused to fire a single shot. Fine, I’ll do it myself. The upgrade system is limited to you and your squad’s primary weapons, effectively making the assault rifle your weapon of choice whether you like it or not. There’s also a small RPG element tucked away in the pause menu but it’s almost insignificant, although giving you and your teammates the ability to carry extra grenades and medikits does prove quite useful, especially on the harder difficulties. Finally, due to the tactical nature of the game, certain orders aimed at your squad will inevitably lead to repetition in dialogue. It can be overlooked, but hearing “I’m on it!” for the fifteenth time during one gunfight really does start to grate.

There were some shouts in the gaming community of ‘missed opportunity’ when it was revealed that the game didn’t support online co-op for the main campaign. This is simply because it would be almost impossible to implement due to the fact that you are required to select who comes with you before the start of each mission. This, though, ends up being the factor that will give the single player game a bit of life past the initial playthrough. I cursed the fact I didn’t select Cain, the trusty French combat robot (and contender for my favourite character of the year) for one segment due to the fact he would have been able to withstand poisonous gas and having Chinese operative Faye on hand would have been a bonus during an early mission due to her skills with the sniper rifle.

The actual multiplayer component of the disc could be the developer’s biggest misstep. It’s not good, it’s not bad it’s just… there. It could be due to the games occasionally clunky control system but the game doesn’t lend itself very well to competitive online play. There are a healthy number of modes to select from but only four maps and it’s nothing you haven’t played before. There is a co-operative horde mode but again, it’s not engaging enough to stick it out for 50 waves of increasingly frustrating enemies. A four player co-operative chapter not unlike Uncharted’s Adventure mode would have been a perfect fit for a game like this and it’s a shame more time wasn’t spent on the online portion of the game.

Binary Domain is all about the single-player campaign. A thought provoking yet occasionally tongue-in-cheek story, genuinely thrilling action, likable characters, superior combat and some brave new additions to a genre that is starting to go stale make it a worthwhile addition to your library. Like a ‘Hollow Child’ itself, it may appear normal on the outside, but scratch beneath the surface and you’ll find something you weren’t expecting. Just remember to stick around after the end credits.

Review: Soul Calibur V / Developer: Project Soul  / Publisher: Namco Bandai Games  / Format: PS3, Xbox 360 / Release Date: Out Now

First coming to mainstream prominence with the pre-millennium Dreamcast favourite Soul Calibur, Namco’s series has won many fans with its unique weapon based combat and anachronistic historical setting that pitches a fascinatingly varied cast of characters (that includes a knight, a contortionist gimp and an axe-wielding bipedal reptile) into battle against each other to claim the ultimate power – Soul Edge.

Theres always been something immensely satisfying about the simple but effective basic gameplay of Soul Calibur. Its core mechanics of highly stylized horizontal, vertical weapon strokes provides a visually dazzling and entertaining melee. New players can easily get into the combat system and achieve success with some frenzied button bashing, but like the greats of the genre, time and practice will uncover a deep well of possibilities. The undeniably enjoyable initial combinations of flailing weaponry speculatively swiping and poking at an enemy give way to nuanced techniques involving tactics and timing for those that feel the desire to learn more and develop as a more serious, competitive player. As proven in the genres wilderness years however, accessibility is everything, and Soul Calibur V continues the series wonderful trend for appealing to the many rather than the competition level few.

In terms of mechanics, not much has changed over the main series releases. Gone are less popular features such as the Critical Finish moves implemented in Soul Calibur IV. In its place, the players Critical Gauge can be spent to perform new techniques cribbed directly (and cleverly) from Street Fighter IV. High damage Critical Edge moves (comparable to SFIV’s Ultra combo attacks) can serve to gain an early health advantage in the round or finish off an opponent in the final moments of the match-up. The gauge can also be purged in order to boost the offensive capability of the characters standard weapon attacks, increasing damage or breaking an enemies block stance should they turtle up for too long. Thankfully, they don’t play like a direct lift from SFIV, and are well integrated into the combat system while increasing the sense of scale and drama to proceedings when combined with the games already blinding effects.

While the Soul team have borrowed well from Street Fighter IV, it’s a shame they didn’t take a page from last years Mortal Kombat franchise reboot. While there was much to dislike in Mortal Kombat, it did feature a brilliantly constructed single player story progression, and while Soul Calibur V does indeed feature a story mode, it’s more akin to fighting games of old. Only more confusing. Descendent of series veteran Sophitia, Patrolkos is on the hunt for things called Malfested that I never really came to understand, but lead him on a path to the fabled sword of souls. The sorry tale plays out in the form of hilariously nonsensical dialogue accompanied by visual novel style stills, and is a big disappointment considering that the series has always had fun (if bewildering) fiction. Mercifully, the mode only takes a short time to complete, and exemplifies what amounts to an anaemic package for solo player aside from the infinitely useful training mode.

It would be wrong to hold a poor single player mode against a game like Soul Calibur V however, as the real draw lies in competitive play, and in its defence matches against AI controlled combatants can prove to be very challenging – certainly good practice if taken outside of the story mode. Once you’ve committed some combos to memory and taken the time to get to grips with the games three dimensional arena movements it’s time to take your fight online. While some of the menus can get confusing, Soul Calibur V’s online modes are very well put together, and most importantly connect to servers consistently and smoothly. Nothing quite beats the feeling of playing against somebody in the physical realm, but as online approximations go, Soul Calibur V provides one of the best combination of features and reliability I have encountered in the genre. Lag is always going to be an issue of course, but for the most part my time online with SCV was a fast and frustration free experience with little in the way of connection errors and dropped matches.

Character selections cover the standard archetypes for the series, varying in attack speed, strength and range, but most players will make their choices purely on an aesthetic level and learn to play as they go. Ever presents like Cervantes and Mitsurugi return along with many of the series more recognisable faces such as Ivy and Yoshimitsu. While some characters have been left out of the cast, their replacements most commonly take the form of descendants who fight in an eerily similar style to their forbears so dissapointment will be limited. Unlike the previous games clumsy addition of Darth Vader and Yoda as guest characters, Soul Calibur V invites everybody’s favourite italian assassin, Ezio Auditore to the fray, and his pseudo-historical backstory and fighting style fits in perfectly. Unlike many games in the genre, the character range is once again brilliantly varied, with something to appeal to all tastes – the character creation mode just adds to the flavour. It looks and sounds great too, with highly detailed on-screen characters that move with fluidity and nicely varied themed stages.

Aside from the disappointing single player modes and content, there’s very little on display to take to task. Whether a long term fan or casual newcomer, there’s only really been one better fighting game this generation – high praise considering the quality and my own personal love for Super Street Fighter IV. If SCV can sustain its popularity online as it deserves to, this is a game that could provide months of competitive action and represents a challenge that is well worthy of the players time investment to get the very most out of. Soul Calibur and Soul Calibur II are still the highlight, perhaps owing more to the time in which they were released, and while the series may never recapture the feeling of excitement found in its exceptional first two releases, Soul Calibur V is a triumphant and unquestionable return to form for the franchise.

Welcome back to the stage of history, round five.

Review: Star Wars The Old Republic / Developed by: Bioware / Published by: EA, LucasArts / Release date: Out Now

If you had to create a formula for success, you would struggle to think of a more perfect combination of ingredients than this.

Veteran RPG developer Bioware, creating a big-budget massively multiplayer online game based on what is arguably the reason for why many of us are here, Star Wars. Add together, mix thoroughly, unleash on the world. Not a bad little concoction, but considering the scarcity of space for a newly launched MMO to establish itself, even this dream combination isn’t guaranteed survival. Normally, I would avoid comparing any new MMO release to Blizzard’s ubiquitous money printing adventure, as allowing a game to establish an identity and build a community of its own is considered vital for achieving mainstream success when competing for market share. But what if that wisdom is entirely flawed? What if people don’t really want something new or different after all? What if you gave people something that resembles World of Warcraft, but has lightsabers instead?

It’s a cold and calculating methodology, but it’s one EA has carried out with startling precision with Star Wars: The Old Republic. The similarities to World of Warcraft are quite astounding at first – the game engine feels like an exact replica in terms of control and camera movement, even employing similar texture and rendering styles to its visuals. Any WoW player would feel entirely comfortable settling down to this as a potential use for their spare time, which nobody could argue is smart business.

For better or worse the mechanics popularised by WoW are now design staples ingrained into the development language of the genre, and while its core gameplay might not be revolutionary, SW:TOR does the basics of cooldowns and hotbars well enough to entertain, and once its early levels are out of the way it becomes increasingly enjoyable. As your character grows and develops a range of abilities to play with, a well realised world for the loosely canonical Knights of the Old Republic series to play out opens up for exploration. Taking its design cues from the Lucas bible, it feels far less of a generic expanse than many of the D&D derivatives we end up playing online, with famed locales such as Tatooine and Alderaan recreated to do battle within. Where the playspace of Cryptic Studio’s Star Trek Online felt like a bland extraterrestrial anywhere, the iconic nature of the universe in The Old Republic adds a welcome sense of recognition and importance. 

Character creation is a little underwhelming in terms of modification and genuine personalisation, so the most distinguishing feature between you and the rest of the population will end up being your choice of race. All of the recognisable colours of the galaxy are available, from Twilek to Zabrak, to regular old Human. There’s a decent number of sliders and options to tweak, but most of them (much like the dismorphia inducing height and build settings) will not be of particular use or interest. It’s not where you are from that’s important however, as you’ll end up with a suitably cool looking set of gear to match your profession of choice regardless of cultural origin.

Each of the character classes made available are distinctly Star Wars, adding to what equates to an all-round great use of the licence in terms of atmosphere and design. Players can choose from a variety of character types that ably cover the MMO archetypes of tank, damage dealer and the all important healer class. While most players will immediately flock to the Force wielders of either Sith or Jedi designation, there are plenty of other options to choose from that are again quintessentially Star Wars, such as the sinister Imperial Agent or the Han Solo inspired Smuggler class. Initially, these roles are designed for the first ten experience levels, allowing players to familiarise themselves with the basic structure and mechanics of the game. Early areas such as Korriban and Tython are a little uneventful, but serve their purpose of introducing questing and mission concepts to the newbie while gently rolling out Bioware’s expansive lore piece by piece. While the introductory stages can be fairly procedural, its pacing is far from slow, dangling enough proverbial carrots within quick succession to make early level progression a swift experience.

The advanced classes move the player from general solo adventuring in to a role more defined and purposeful, especially in the context of group play. While it’s not overly clear which paths will become available, most of the classes have the opportunity to provide a combination of damage and healing, or damage and tanking in different capacities. Tech trees are vitally important in deciding the eventual build, and the player has the ability to respec their character should they create an unbalanced build, so experimentation can and will pay off.

Combat is fast paced and enjoyable once an advanced class has been unlocked, and the range of abilities and moveset each class is assigned feels just right; Sith Assassins use lightning powers to conceal themselves and inflict stealth damage on their victims, while Jedi Guardians use the force to shield themselves valiantly from oncoming attacks. Bounty Hunter Powertechs use a range of gadgets (yes, including jet packs) while Republic Commandos use heavy weaponry to overwhelm their opposition from range. In group play, each class forms a part of a balanced team to take on the myriad of dungeons and instances that the game provides.

Described by its developers as the “fourth pillar” in SW:TOR’s superiority over its contemporaries is its implementation of Bioware’s famous quest systems. Much like the developers offline titles such as Mass Effect and Dragon Age 2, a long and detailed series of missions and quests contribute to the overarching narrative of the game. While the basic town quests usually consist of fairly standard completion requirements, each has a story to it that feels cohesive within the wider universe. Commendably for a game of this size, each quest NPC features a full range of voiced dialogue, and the response wheel allows players to provide a more tailored answer depending on their character preference. For the most part, the different options provide little more than flavour and variation rather than meaningful changes in path, but in a game type that lives and breathes by repetitious actions, any added touch of individuality is always appreciated, and certainly works in a more effective and fun way than skipping past pages of irrelevant quest text just to get to your next objective.

Aside from the vast array of NPC quests available in each zone, each character class has its own unique storyline to progress through, referred to as a Prologue. Boastingly, Bioware describe these as a continuation of the popular Knights of the Old Republic fiction that is so deep, it effectively contains several sequels worth of content. These missions have so far proven to be intriguing, exploring a new sections of the Star Wars extended universe that is relevant, without feeling anachronistic or unjustified as with efforts like The Force Unleashed. Well plotted and decently written, the narrative accompanies the player’s passage to each new planet, allowing the world to expand with a well paced natural progression. 

It should be noted that Star Wars: The Old Republic does an impressive job of providing content suited to differing player types. Solo players will be able to level up on at their own pace without having to worry about their gear or character build being competitive, progressing through the entertaining storyline missions and quests. Hardcore players who strive for the best gear will also be rewarded by the excellent selection of dungeons, raids and instances that provide tough group challenges requiring strategy and teamwork to complete. They offer great rewards not only in terms of loot, but to the sense of adventure that the game has managed – even in this early stage – to create. Group play is always an essential ingredient within any good MMO, but a team charging in to a confrontation with a raid boss with lightsabers buzzing in to life is an atmosphere unequalled in the genre. Add the fantastic Williams-like score and those legendary sound effects, and its almost impossible not to be drawn in.

Only time will tell if the game can hold the attention of its audience with a strong endgame with continued support, updates and expansion packs. So far, this is a fantastic new entry in to the crowded market. Star Wars: The Old Republic could finally be that new (but familiar) MMO experience that many have craved.

For our interview with ‘SW:TOR’ developers Bioware, read HERE.

Review: Battlefield 3  / Developer: EA Digital Illusions CE  / Publisher: Electronic Arts, Sega (Japan)  / Format: PS3, Xbox 360 (reviewed), Nintendo 3DS, Wii, PC / Release Date: Out Now

EA’s Battlefield franchise has been around for a while now. Starting off with Battlefield 1942 on the PC, way back in 2002, the game has progressed through a number of incarnations and has become one of the most popular online games on both PC and consoles. The latest game in the series, Battlefield 3, promised to be the best one yet, with an updated graphics engine, destructible environment and a whole range of new weapons and unlocks.

So, does it live up to the hype?

Yes…and no. Let’s look at the negatives first. By this, I mean the single player game.

In single player, you take the role of Sergeant James Blackburn, a hardened military veteran who has been attempting to stop a terrorist organisation from destroying the civilised world as we know it. The story is told as a series of flashbacks, as Blackburn is interrogated by a pair of CIA operatives. If this brings on a sense of déjà vu, it should. It’s really quite similar to the way that COD Black Ops was presented.

The similarities to the Call of Duty series don’t stop there. You have brief, break away missions in jet fighters, for example, that don’t actually allow you to fly the plane, but instead focus on firing missiles and countermeasures at the right time, or guiding munitions onto ground based targets for example. It’s by no means terrible, but the whole thing comes off as a cheap attempt to make the single player Battlefield experience into something more akin to its rival title. It’s not awful by any means, but its not as much fun as the single player on the COD titles, or even its predecessor, Battlefield: Bad Company 2.

But let’s be honest here. No one buys a Battlefield title for the single player game. This series has always been about massive, class based multiplayer battles, and that is where this game shines.

The classes have been tweaked a little from Bad Company 2. The medic is now gone, with the Assault class now getting the obligatory med kits and defibrillator paddles. The engineer is still there, but has a few more toys to play with, including Stinger missiles, which can be very useful for taking down those pesky helicopters. A new support class is present, who now has the ammo boxes, but also the C4 charges that used to sit with the snipers, and some other lovely bits of kit like Claymore anti-personnel mines (which are used to great effect on the MCOM stations in Rush games) and a mortar. The recon class is also present, with a nice array of long range weapons including a remote control drone that, with practice, can be used to carry one of your buddies into some very awkward positions.

The game modes are cut down from Bad Company 2, and only seem to support Rush mode (where teams have to attack and defend a series of MCOM station) and Capture the Flag. As no-one seemed to bother with the other game modes on Bad Company 2, I don’t think that too many people will be upset by this.

The vehicles have also been upgraded and expanded. Most maps have a fairly wide range, from tanks, APC’s, amphibious assault craft, jeeps, hum-vee’s and several types of jet fighter and helicopters. The controls on the choppers have been tweaked a little and are initially more challenging than in the previous game, but once mastered do give a greater amount of control. None of the vehicles appear overpowered, however, and as with the classes, seem to be very well balanced.

The maps vary considerably in scope and complexity. They range from wide open battles in the middle east, to tight street fights in the streets of Paris. Each map requires a different approach, and as with other games of this type, you need to communicate with the other members of your team to get the most out of it. The only map that I didn’t particularly like is set on the Paris subway, which almost always seems to degenerate into an intense fire fight at the choke point in the middle of the map, and leaves little room for strategy. The other maps are all virtual master classes in game level design.

The new Frostbite engine looks good, as long as you are prepared to install the high res texture pack onto your hard drive. It’s all very nice, but not the quantum leap in quality from Bad Company 2 that EA would have you believe. Without the texture pack installed, things look decidedly worse. This game is the best argument there is for investing in a HDD for your Xbox.

There are a few little issues and bugs, such as enemies floating within scenery, or your legs sticking through walls when you are lying down, waiting for an enemy soldier to come wandering through the door of the building that you are hiding in. Also, the weapons upgrades make a huge difference at the start. Until you get a few levels under your belt, be prepared to die an awful lot at the hands of other players with long range scopes and stabilising fore grips on their weapons.

These niggles aside, this is by far the best incarnation of the Battlefield series to date. The multiplayer is fast paced, well balanced and, if you have a decent squad, a whole lot of fun. There really isn’t very much that comes close to the multiplayer experience of this game, on any platform, and if you have even a passing interest in large scale battles, then you owe it to yourself to check this out.

Review: Need For Speed – The Run / Developer: Black Box / Publisher: Electronic Arts / Format: PS3 (reviewed), Xbox 360, Nintendo 3DS, Wii, PC

And it was all going so well. After a string of lacklustre entries in the Need For Speed franchise, the last of which being 2008’s subpar Need For Speed Undercover, publisher EA decided to start a fresh. Drafting in different developers and giving each a couple of years production time allowed the brand to spread its wings and, in just two short years, we’ve already been treated to solid racing simulators Shift and Shift 2 from Slightly Mad Studios and Criterion’s absolutely sublime Hot Pursuit. Now it’s Black Box’s turn with Need For Speed The Run. After producing the lion’s share of previous NFS titles (including fan favourite Most Wanted) and being granted a healthy three year long development period, all eyes were on Black Box to turn in something to take the franchise to the next level. What we’ve actually ended up with is a racing title so underwhelming in nearly every aspect it’s almost embarrassing to see this on the shelves at full recommended retail price.

The concept behind it isn’t that bad. In fact, a race from San Francisco to New York, taking in the sights of the beautifully diverse American landscape, opens up a world of possibilities. All those states to drive through, the myriad of routes to take, the huge range of vehicles to command, the race changing weather effects, the list could go on. The recipe was there for an epic, high speed cross country journey, but nobody added any of those aforementioned ingredients. There’s a storyline in there somewhere (you’re in debt to the mob for reasons the developers could not be bothered to explain and the race is your only ticket out), but it just serves as a reason for the race to exist and is so underdeveloped and rarely referenced that to remove it from the game entirely would have very little effect.

The campaign itself screams to be set-up as one long endurance run across an abridged version of the US. Liberally sprinkled with checkpoints and save opportunities, it could be something that would be tackled over a few long sessions as you fight for the almighty first position before crossing the finish line. Instead the race is broken down in to ten stages, each containing between 4 and 7 events. What this means is each event has a goal, be it pass 8 other competitors, pass 3 other competitors, pass, I don’t know, 6 other competitors before crossing the finish line for that section. There are other race types, to be fair, such as elimination or straight up beat the clock but they all amount to the same thing. Fail to achieve the set goal and the dreaded ‘Try Again’ looms into view and you won’t be able to continue until you get it right. This removes any excitement the game could have provided as regards to moving up the pack as you know exactly what position you’ll be in at any given event. When you’re told over your PDA that you have to be in 150th place by Las Vegas you know for a fact that you’ll be in 150th place by Las Vegas. Not 149th or 148th.

There are a few scripted, cinematic events such as a one on one race down a snowy mountain pass as an avalanche is taking place or a sandstorm along a desert highway, but these are rare occurrences and aren’t nearly as exciting as anything offered from the entirety of Split/Second last year. When the story does raise its head it appears in the form of an on-foot, sub-Heavy Rain quick-time-event, just without any other outcome than ‘escape antagonists and choose another car’. To be honest, you’ll be thankful for these sequences just for the ‘choose another car’ option. The only other option you have to change vehicles will be during the race at a roadside gas station. During my playthrough I spotted four, maybe five of these stations, usually as I was passing them at 140mph. Missing one means missing a chance to swap out your current car for something more suitable for the road ahead and you could be stuck in the same Nissan GT-R for quite a few events. A lack of customisation options (aside from colours and the well hidden bodykit section) only adds to the monotony of commandeering the same vehicle race after race.

Handling these vehicles is, to put it bluntly, a nightmare. Black Box stated that they wanted the handling model to fall somewhere between Shift and Hot Pursuit, between sim and arcade. What we’ve obviously ended up with is something that is neither one nor the other. Regardless of what car type you’re racing (sports, exotic, muscle) the handling is equal parts sluggish and unresponsive and the only difference you’ll notice is the top speed. Weaving in and out of traffic on the straights becomes a scary game of chance, as what your left stick is doing doesn’t always marry up to what happens on screen and the option to drift around corners is rendered nigh on impossible due to the overly sensitive handbrake. I approached every hairpin bend by using the slow in/fast out method, which I’m fine with, it makes sense. But I could slow to a crawl, almost stopping in fact, and then accelerate out when my car was straight on the other side of the turn and it would always end up with me fishtailing and slamming into another car or careening off a cliff edge. Frustration sets in from the first race and doesn’t let up until the chequered flag and thus renders the whole game an exercise in tedium and constant restarts.

Completing the campaign will take, I kid you not, somewhere between 2 to 3 hours. The options are there for harder difficulties and the ability to play through with all your unlocked vehicles and upgrades to obtain better times, yet there’s nothing about the game to draw you back. Nothing sticks out as being memorable and it doesn’t have that addictive ‘just one more go’ nature that Hot Pursuit had in spades. It does have the challenge mode which, frankly, ends up being more worthy than the campaign itself. Attempting tracks in any order you like to achieve XP, unlockables and aiming for the top medals is actually a lot of fun. Well it would be if you weren’t still wrestling with the unwieldy handling, but if you can work past that you might find a few more hours of play. There’s also multiplayer which is, at the time of writing, a bit of a mess. In my time online I witnessed a shocking amount of pop-in from npc traffic, floating traffic and bouncing player cars. I’ve been involved in slight collisions with other players that have sent us both hurtling around a hundred feet skyward and I’ve sat staring at a lobby screen with ‘next race loading’ flashing in the corner for up to 5 minutes. Even if all of this is looked in to and fixed all you’ll be left with is straight forward racing, with the only option being what class of car you use. There’s nothing to keep the servers full beyond a couple of weeks.

One positive is that all this is running on the new Frostbite 2 engine and I will admit that the game sure looks pretty. The environments you race through are beautiful and really do give you reason to keep advancing just so you can see what the next stage has to offer. Plus, ‘Autolog’ returns to keep track of you and your friend’s statistics and times for each and every aspect of the game. The downside here is that to make any use of it requires you to have someone on your Friends List playing the game as well.

I was really rooting for this game. After Hot Pursuit I was genuinely excited for another Need For Speed title. But The Run wastes its potential on a linear, gameplay depriving story mode and broken, uninspired multiplayer. The handling leaves everything to be desired and the whole project stinks of being a showcase for a swanky new game engine running on something other than a first person shooter. Black Box have proved they have what it takes with this franchise with Most Wanted and I genuinely believe they could return to that former glory, but, for the time being, when it comes to crafting a current generation racer Criterion take pole position.

Review: Saints Row – The Third (18) / Developer: Volition, Inc / Publisher: THQ / Format: PS3, Xbox 360, PC / Release Date: 18/11/11

Rightly or wrongly, Saints Row always felt like the nearly ran to GTA to me. A close approximation of what Rockstar’s juggernaut franchise achieved with its open world environments and sandbox design philosophy, capped with a crass and unpalatable gang war motif that never really felt like it had a direction of its own. Now in its third iteration, Volition’s series is finally capable of stepping out of the imposing shadow cast by Grand Theft Auto instead of feeling like a plucky impersonator. It doesn’t revolutionise the genre, but excels by remembering the things that actually made it enjoyable in the first place, breathing life in to proceedings with a surprisingly well pitched and irreverent brand of humour, in which nothing is safe, nothing is sacred. It’s also one of the most hilariously insane games I’ve ever laid witness to.

The 3rd Street Saints have become pretty successful since their humble beginnings fighting over Steelport street corners. Now international A-List celebrities with movie deals and a lucrative merchandising range, they really are the kings of the crime world. Pulling an entire vault through the roof of a bank via helicopter is just a routine heist for the gang by this point, stopping to sign autographs for starstruck witnesses mid caper, such is the level of their notoriety. Things turns unexpectedly sour however when a shadowy uber-crime syndicate arrives to swallow up the Saints’ operation. Managing to make an escape thanks to a super-human sacrifice by Johnny Gat, the protagonist and Shaundi start the action as it means to go on, with a series of preposterously massive set-peices.

In terms of play mechanics, it really doesn’t bring anything new to the table – its driving and on-foot controls are reliably predictable, nothing remarkable at all. In fact, all of the fundamentals of Saints Row: The Third are mere staples of the genre. What sets it apart is how heightened everything feels. From the opening mission and throughout the games progression, The Third throws you into the middle of the most insane stunt versions of the things other games ask you to do, to the point where using the front door to crash a party just doesn’t cut it anymore – you skydive in from your buddies helicopter guns blazing backed by a Kanye track. Just roaming the city leads to some great random moments, where Bane-like steroid mutants will flip your car half way down the block, men dressed in Day-Glo furry mascot costumes will become the most confusingly tragic bystander victims of gunfire ever recorded in videogame form. It ranges from laugh-out-loud funny, to head-shakingly bemusing.

It’s almost impossible to describe just how far the game goes in pushing the limits of hilariously overblown and crazy events – not to avoid spoilers, but its genuinely hard to articulate the head-spinning array of situations you’ll encounter, becoming increasingly inexplicable as the storyline progresses. It’s a gleeful cacophony of sugar rush ideas, weirdly postmodern without the pretentiousness, and carries a real middle-finger attitude in the best way possible. There’s something inescapably enjoyable about rolling away from an assassination contract in a golf cart under heavy enemy fire while Frankie Goes to Hollywood blares from the stereo. Where other games reward you with a rocket launcher at the height of your power, Saints Row: The Third gives you a VTOL Jet to play with. Having a vehicle hand delivered from your garage to pick you up by an actual Ninja valet is pretty cool too. 

While GTA tried to be the grown-up of the industry by introducing a heavy-handed narrative structure and wafer thin characterisation in the shape of GTA IV’s Nico Belic, it strayed from the basic principles of what made GTA III such a watershed moment in videogames almost a decade ago. It wasn’t the story, it wasn’t character motives or ethics, it was the knowledge that within the sandbox environment a level of unpredictability and chaos could break out from the most innocuous action. Thankfully for anyone who remembers the joy of persecuting innocent pedestrians with a fire engine hose blast or surfing on the roof of a speeding car, Saint’s Row: The Third brings an unprecedented level of madness played out within a brilliantly gaudy caricature cityscape. Steelport isn’t an exact replica of any real locale, just an American any-city that has plenty of unique touches for the insanity to erupt within.

Don’t like how serious and “realistic” games have become in recent times? Then this is probably the break you need.

Review: DC Universe Online / Developer: Sony Online Entertainment / Format: PS3 and PC

DC Universe Online has just become a free to play game and after a six hour download from a Sony Station account (incidentally faster than Steam) I’ve entered the DC Universe world. Having tried several MMORPGs and finding most of them wanting DC online is actually a sound looking game at first glance. No sword and sorcery in sight. If like me you have more of a Sci-fi bent then this game may be the one for you. The servers are broken up into PVP and PVE and wanting to play other people I’ve gone for the PVP server and found it to be quite a surprise.

The initial training level is quite short and you can whiz through it with ease. Controls can be either your keyboard if you are using a PC or a controller for both PC and console. Given the three dimensional movement I opted for using a controller which isn’t my ideal but does make the game simpler to play. For the record I’ve created a flying villain and I’m glad I did. For those of you that have ever wanted to experience flight in the superhero world then this has been realised really well, from little sonic bursts to casually patrolling just above the streets. Amongst other options are acrobat or speedster if that floats your boat. Upon leaving the training level you teleport to a bar as a villain and I believe a police station as a hero. (The latter is an assumption based upon a gang of players outside one as I hunted down one of their compatriots).

As with most games of this kind levelling up is via missions which for me was offered in the bar along with some vendors and a safe haven if you need to hang out. Now personally I hate the grind and have always found it more than a chore. For me a game is player versus player and running back and forth becomes a little dull despite teaching you your profession. In this game missions aren’t that bad. They either fall into a quick easy task or a longer segmented mission. Riddled with famous voice overs you are led through your missions to boost up your stats via experience and statted clothing. Not out of the norm. But on the PVP server there is the added risk of being attacked by other players. At first this becomes a little tiresome but after reaching level 10, which took about two sessions, you are given the option of bounties which is hunting other players no less than 5 levels below you or above. On the PVE server there is a PVP toggle option but how much PVP will be on offer is beyond me.

Combat is a combination of button mashing and special attacks. As a tip you need to keep an eye on the Loadouts menu or your new attacks won’t be an option on your controller. For a few hours I ran about with only a few attacks available to me, which didn’t stop me beating higher level players but didn’t help either. Getting the right attack keymapped to the right button is a skill in itself. The game is definitely geared toward console. This also becomes apparent as mouse movement is a little sticky. Targeting is one of my only gripes in this game, I do miss scrolling through targets and having a target lock. Periodically you will attack someone or something and find that the targeting has found something else, possibly quite far off and re-finding the enemy can be a bit of a pain.

Despite seemingly being on one mega server there is little or no lag at all. My internet isn’t great and being a Star Wars Galaxies player from a ways back I was expecting a lot more. Nothing like the slide show SWG became with it’s spaghetti coding but I expected far more battles being a bit more spotty. A welcome surprise. And with such a huge community throughout the day and night there seems to be plenty going on. As with all games you need to read the instructions. And as with all games I decided not to bother and just took things intuitively. That isn’t the ideal way to go and my frustrations are down to my own stubbornness. Being a download and not having the tangible product in your hand means reading up isn’t an easy option so I have missed out on a few key points. The game progresses enough that it is a fun learning curve. If we were to talk reality then there wouldn’t be a handbook for becoming a hero or villain and I enjoy working things out for myself.

I’ve been playing on the US server. The download for the game didn’t show me the choice and the EU world has been inaccessible to me all week. And yet as I say, no lag which is quite impressive. The graphics are good, movement and combat are well realised and it looks like a game that you can drop in and out of quite easily.

It’s also quite easy to find a pick up group for instances. The missions instances aren’t entirely soloable (possibly by design). It’s a game for players to come together and finding a league to join will make this game much more enjoyable. Yet, if you are a little anti-social you can queue for an instance and find yourself playing with other players (of varying ability) within seconds. Loot drops aren’t the be all and end all so whether you win or lose it makes no odds. Despite your level there always seems to be a little leeway between winning and losing against other players. Against the environment level for level it’s a decent challenge.

Dying is easy. With no losable buffs or too much damage to your kit you won’t find losing overly frustrating. Heals for my class are earnt and consumable. It does make you use them more wisely and for me that’s just for PVP. The ‘world’ economy doesn’t look to get out of control as it doesn’t offer too much via reward, just enough to get along. I’m sure there are ways but this will just be for the uber-player.

It’s the DC universe and I’m a fan. If this was a Marvel game I don’t think I’d care to play or let it grip my interest but as it stands I’m in. The game has three options for play and pay. Free, five dollars for a few more slots, characters and options or pay fifteen dollars a months for Legendary which gives a lot more. Given the free nature and the amount of content so far I’m leaning toward 8 stars. If it was still fifteen bucks a month as it was before the new deal then 7 stars. Making the game free to play was a good plan on Sony’s part. An enjoyable bit of escapism to realise the action from the comic books. And if I can find Mr Miracle and Big Barda in there somewhere then I’d be pretty happy. The game seems huge and the likelihood that your favourite characters are in there somewhere is pretty good. Given that The Old Republic is out soon I expect a drop off in players over Christmas. Saying that though it is one of the better MMOs I have played. Not as good as SWG in it’s prime but better than all of the other Sci-fi games that have fallen by the wayside. Whether you are a casual or diehard player it’s a good bit of fun in a game with a bit of life in it.

Review: Uncharted 3 Drake’s Deception / Developer: Naughty Dog / Format: PS3

Were you a tiny bit apprehensive? Were you concerned that Naughty Dog may drop the ball? Let’s cut to the chase and dispel any fears you may have been harbouring about Uncharted 3 Drake’s Deception. It’s phenomenal. The solid foundations of pitch perfect game play, engaging characters and rip-roaring adventure laid out by the previous two instalments have been built upon to the nth degree, with the envelope being pushed so far with regards to what can be achieved on Sony’s little black box that we have, essentially, been hand-delivered this generation’s defining title.

The Uncharted series, on paper at least, shouldn’t work. Meaning it shouldn’t work as incredibly well as it has. It’s a globe-trotting, character driven, treasure hunting, action spectacle. Yet if you boil it down to the bare essentials what you are left with is a linear, third-person, cover based shooter with some platforming and puzzle solving thrown in for good measure. Not that any of those elements are a bad thing. On the contrary, it has been the template for a thousand entertaining titles in the past and will be, fingers crossed, for many years to come. But what makes each entry of Sony’s flagship IP pop is what developer Naughty Dog brings to the table in terms of story, characters, visuals, game play and every little detail in between. Now, with the release of Uncharted 3, everything Naughty Dog has been working towards since Uncharted Drake’s Fortune has come together to form a near-flawless masterpiece of entertainment.

The sheer confidence Naughty Dog has in Uncharted 3 is evident in the opening moments. There’s no need this time for an attention grabbing, cliff hanging first chapter with charming, cocky yet vulnerable lead Nathan Drake dangling by his fingertips in some perilous, how-the-hell-is-he-going-to-get-out-of-this predicament. Subtlety is the key this time as Drake and cigar-chomping, womanising, father figure sidekick Victor “Sully” Sullivan strut through the darkened, rain soaked alleyways of London. This opening chapter kicks things off with a focus on the revamped melee system and it’s an incredible amount of fun. Like last month’s Batman: Arkham City you’re given punch, counter and grapple options. But, whereas the Dark Knight’s fisticuffs resemble some sort of beautiful, orchestrated ballet, Drake’s hand-to-hand combat is more loose, more rough and ready. Throw in some contextual moves such as pulling the pin on an enemy’s grenade and kicking him out of the way to grabbing a nearby object and instantly knocking them out and you have a valid reason to occasionally holster your weapon and get your hands dirty.

As you progress through the opening chapters you’ll find refinements in almost every aspect of gameplay. The cover and shoot mechanics are as tight as they’ve ever been and taking a breather behind a pillar to work out your next move as bullets whizz all around you still has that same dramatic punch. You even have the option to throw back live grenades and, quite frankly, any game that features grenades should include this feature. Stealth has been improved and is actually useful this time as opposed to the afterthought it was in the previous two games, with you thinning the ranks of unsuspecting thugs in certain areas thus tilting the odds in your favour before opening fire. Each combat section is designed in such a way that you’re encouraged to mix up your tactics if you are to have any chance of succeeding. Staying in one spot for a game of pop-and-shoot will invariably lead to your demise as enemy AI has seen a vast improvement and these guys, particularly in later stages, will actively search you out and flank you.

The rest of the game is made up of the usual linear platforming and simple puzzle solving that has entertained players since Drake’s Fortune, all contained within the series best storyline to date (which I won’t even touch on for fear of game ruining spoilers). There’s not a missed beat from the moment you press start to the instant the credits roll. The game is full to the brim with setpiece after thrilling setpiece and I’m not just talking about what you will have seen in trailers and demos prior to release. Yes, we’ve all seen the burning Chateau, the capsizing cruise liner and the mind-boggling cargo-plane sequence, but those were just a small taster of what Naughty Dog has in store for you over the course of the 8-10 hours the campaign will take to complete. Yet, it’s not just these huge, technical, show-stopping moments that impress, as there are quieter moments that you will also marvel at. A guided tour of a Yemen market by series mainstay, and Drake’s squeeze, Elena Fisher is a wonderful nod to the Tibetan village chapter in Uncharted 2. The authentic sounds of stall holders and civilians going about their daily routine as you soak up the sights only adds to the sequence and you really do feel you’re in a living, breathing environment. Also, in a section involving Drake stranded, alone, in hundreds of square miles of empty desert, we may have one of the most creatively impressive moments of any game this year. Beautifully directed, with you in full control of Drake, it’s a brave move for such a huge, triple A game release and Naughty Dog pull it off with style.

Every minute of Uncharted 3 is a technical marvel. Despite the naysayers, this instalment is leaps and bounds above its predecessor in terms of visuals, but not all of it is look-at-me, in your face showing off. It was only on my second play-through that I realised that the wallpaper in the burning Chateau sequence was actually peeling off the walls in real time. This almost insane attention to detail is evident throughout and it knocked me for six that the vast majority of it will be missed by a lot of players, which included myself, who are too swept up in Drake’s latest adventure to notice.

If I had to pick a flaw, the melee system could do with a bit of polish. It can be, at times, a little cumbersome and on more than one occasion I found myself grabbing a thug by the lapels instead of rolling away from a grenade or barrage of gunfire. It could also be argued that a 10 hour campaign is too short, but I don’t think that can be applied to a game such as this. The story is solid, it moves at a breakneck pace and if the game was any longer it would lose some of its momentum. The game demands to be replayed just for the experience, plus there are the usual higher difficulties (including the signature ‘Crushing’ mode) to fight your way through and the now obligatory treasure hunting to keep you busy after your first run through. Besides, once you’ve had your fill of the single player campaign, the online multiplayer awaits.

As mentioned in our feature on the multiplayer beta, Uncharted online is something special. Everything that made the previous online an unexpected joy has returned. But this time it’s packing a lot more bang for your buck. Featuring six competitive and three co-operative modes spread out over 12 maps (8 original Uncharted 3 maps and 4 re-mastered maps from Uncharted 2), there is a lot more to achieve aside from just ranking up. From simple aesthetic unlockables to adorn your chosen character with (sunglasses, beanie hats, cat ears!), to fully customisable weapons mods to suit your style of play, the online portion of the disc doesn’t leave you wanting. The initially confusing addition of ‘kickbacks’ alongside the returning ‘boosters’ from the previous game really does add to the longevity and, with a bigger focus on co-operative modes than the last title, I fully expect the community to keep the servers full for the next year or two.

Yet, in spite of everything mentioned above, the real reason we keep coming back to Uncharted is, arguably, Nate and the gang. For three games now we have watched a relationship between Drake, Sully and Elena unfold and it is a testament to, respectively, actors Nolan North, Richard McGonagle and Emily Rose that we actually care about these characters as the stories play out. Though this chapter in the series is essentially the ‘Drake and Sully Show’, everybody involved has their chance to shine. The inclusion this time of a female antagonist is a refreshing change and the icing on a particularly delicious cake.

Criticism is often levelled at the rigid linearity of each Uncharted game. Critics and players alike point fingers at the lack of freedom within the series. I think these people are missing the point. Naughty Dog have set out each time to make an incredibly fun adventure game in which character and story take top billing. To let the player have complete control would cause the story to lose focus, so it’s within the player’s best interest to have the developers pulling the strings at certain points. It could also be argued that this game doesn’t have the ‘wow’ factor of Uncharted 2. The reason for this is the simple fact that Uncharted 2 came out of nowhere to blow everybody away. It was completely unexpected. With this game, you are fully intended to be blown away, and you will be. Yet it’s this expectation that will lead Uncharted 3 to lose some of its impact and that, right there, is a crying shame.

Uncharted 3 Drake’s Deception is everything this current generation aspired to be. It’s what we knew it was capable of but was yet to show us. It’s a game for everybody, not just an arbitrary target demographic. It’s a game that pushes not only the limits of the Playstation 3, but the very medium itself.

‘Uncharted 3 Drake’s Deception’ is out now for PS3