Games Games Games. What a rubbish title. I'm sorry.

Games of 2012 - Jan to March

In what appears to be an interesting year for videogames with the announcement of new hardware such as the PS Vita and the Wii U it's not surprising to see that the release list for the start of the year.

There are however some titles worth mentioning which deserve your attention up until the fiscal year ends across all platforms. Some old, some new and hopefully all worthwhile of your hard earned money.

Resident Evil Revelations - Nintendo 3DS - £29.99 RRP - 27th January

Capcom are releasing the first of three Resident Evil titles at the end of the month on Nintendo's almost year old handheld device. A demo proved it to be a worthy successor to the series with some impressive visuals but the controls felt a little cumbersome without the upcoming Circle Pad Pro add-on which comes bundled with some versions of the game for a higher price.

Metal Gear Solid HD Collection - PS3/Xbox 360 - £29.99 RRP - 3rd February

For those who have missed out on some Konami classic games with Solid Snake should really get themselves this collection of the best Stealth Espionage Action game series of all time. This features Metal Gear Solid's two, three and Peace Walker all with their bonus content (and better camera) from updated versions. A must have this year.

Soul Calibur V - PS3/Xbox 360 - £34.99 - 3rd February

It seems bringing back familiar names is a common trend to the start of the year and the return of Soul Calibur is no exception. Expect more weapon wielding fighting fun with this sequel from Namco.

Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning - PS3/Xbox 360/ PC - £39.99 - 10th February

The demo, up now for you to explore, left with a good impression. A third person action adventure title with a definite Fable 3 flavour but with a much more immersive combat and conversation system. Loot drops similar to World of Warcraft and an upgrade system similar to Skyrim this is definitely one to keep your eye on.

PS Vita - £229.99 - 22nd February

Another handheld from Sony as previously covered in this here column. Games on launch are Uncharted: Golden Abyss, Wipeout 2048, Little Deviants, Lumines and Katamari. It will be interesting to see how this console stands up in a smartphone world especially considering there's been little to no marketing for the device so far.

Other games out before the end of March are; Syndicate, SSX, Mass Effect 3, Ridge Racer Unbounded and Resident Evil: Raccoon City. Not too bad, if you ask me.

Do we Wii-ly need it?

This year in which we've been dragged kicking and screaming into promises to be one of the most exciting times for videogames, but probably not for the best reasons. New consoles are on the verge of either being revealed or actually getting released into the market and i'm more than anticipating them to arrive but the excitement comes from seeing how well they're recieved by the general public.

The Nintendo Wii and DS were outstanding sucesses, capturing a market no-one knew existed and firmly placing a console in hands of all generations but are those people ready for a new box which looks and feels similar to the shiney white box which rarely gets turned on anymore? It's going to take a stroke of marketing genius to recapture their imagination and make them forget that they don't really play their Wii anymore.

The 3DS is slowly building momentum with some familiar names such as Mario, Zelda and Monster Hunter but I still feel the first impression of the 3D effect/gimmick didn't really have the same affect that the original DS had. Maybe they need a new WarioWare game to show off how fun the system can be? I don't think another brain training game would do the trick.

The successor to the Xbox 360 is constantly being rumoured and I would be very surprised if we didn't hear something from them at this years E3 in regards to the new box of entertainment while Sony is still pretending that the PS3 is the best thing since their last but when your handheld can match your home console in terms of visuals with the PS Vita it's really time to think about creating a new box. But who will make their move first?

I don't mean to sound all doom and gloom at the start of the year, I am honestly very excited to hear about the new consoles as I always am but with graphics hitting an all time high with games like Uncharted 3 it's going to be tough to improve on that without making videogame development cost even higher.

It's definitely an exciting time for the videogame industry because I genuinely don't know what's going to happen with the direction each console is going to head in, they truly have become something completely different to how they started, from tape loading nerd devices to a console which can pretty much do anything you want it to on a TV, how do you really improve on that?

Time will tell.

PS Vita - Isn't that a swedish swear word?

Up until recently the 3DS has been somewhat muted in its reception by the general public. Sure, the 3DS effect from the top screen impressed those who gawped upon it but the lasting impression failed to meet that of the Wii in terms of spectacle and left consumers wondering why they should rush out to buy the latest piece of hardware from Nintendo.



Sony will also have this problem come February 22nd but hopefully they have a launch lineup which is more compelling than the limp effort from the 3DS last March. Weighing in at £229.99 the newly named PS Vita promises to be a literal next step from the PSP with it offering you a console like experience in the palm of your hands. "The Ferrari of handhelds" is the ethos Sony like to adopt when releasing their new machine so ensure that when you pick the device up you sure don't want to put it down anytime after.

To coincide with the release of the new handheld we have some software which offers both familiar names in the way of Uncharted: Golden Abyss, Wipeout 2048 and what would a console launch be without a new Ridge Racer game to drain your time and money.
Brand new names are low on the ground but Little Deviants, a mini game collection from Sony themselves offers an experience to fully utilise the PS Vitas brand new functionality and capability. The PS Vita not only has a beefier graphical prowess but it also comes bundled in with arguably more features than the 3DS.

The front of the device offers a 5" OLED multi-touch screen with dual analogue sticks to ensure that every game not only looks impressive but controls just as well, too. The rear of the device holds a curiously impressive rear touch panel which allows you to interact with games like never before.

The PS Vita is sure looking to be a technical mammoth when compared to the 3DS but that didn't stop the DS from absolutely trumping the PSP worldwide and with the recent release of some high profile games from Nintendo lately and the ever increasingly dominant iphone market is there really a place for another piece of hardware in this mould? Time shall tell!

Kinect Games

Don't do it. Just don't, please. Don't make your Kinect the "new Wii". Don't leave it sitting there with nothing to do until you place the mediocre Kinect Adventures disc into your console. We all did it with Wii Sports and we all did a horrible disservice to our Wii consoles by watching them collect dust and wondering why we spent over one hundred pounds on a Nintendo paper weight. These devices have games which you will enjoy, so I am here to provide awareness for the future of your shiny Kinect.

It's good to know that Microsoft have realised that the Kinect software lineup can be distributed across both a digital and physical platform. Xbox Live Arcade has become somewhat of a hotbed for new Kinect games and applications starting with Fruit Ninja Kinect which is a fruit chopping arcade game for eight hundred microsoft points and their Kinect Fun Labs which allows you to do funky things with your Kinect even if they don't work entirely as advertised.

Up and coming videogames for the downloadable side of things offer something for everyone it would seem. Burnout, the car smash 'em up is coming back for somewhat of a controversial return with Burnout Crash!. If you haven't guessed, it's a Burnout game devoted entirely to the crash mode seen in previous games. Played from a birds eye view you have to create some organised chaos in order to earn points, and what do points mean? achievements!

And for the younger generation of potential games enthusiasts we have Sesame Street: Once Upon A Monster which allows you and your young ones to interact and play with all your favourite Sesame Street familiars. A sure fire hit in the household, it will be.

If we head out of the online space and into a shop, we will see these purple cases sitting next to the overly saturated green Xbox cases which lets you know that these games are Kinect exclusive. While some games may feature a banner saying "Enhanced with Kinect" such as the upcoming Halo: Combat Evolved remake and Mass Effect 3, they don't require it. The purple cases for games such as The Gunstringer, a wild west shooting game in which you control a puppet on a string, do require the Kinect in order to function, however.

Gunstringer is out now and well worth your attention. It's a third person shooter in which you control the puppet with one hand and his incredible six shooter revolver with the other. Expect laughs aplenty with this game.

Other games which use Kinect are ones with big names, such as Minecraft, Ghost Recon, The Sims and more surprinsingly Steel Battalion. There most definitely is something for everyone!

A Serious Headline.

Serious Sam Double D review.

In a generation of videogames where 2D games are being transitioned into 3D, it's quite refreshing to the opposite happen here with Mommy's Best Games' brand new spin on the crazy insane Serious Sam franchise, coming soon to an Xbox 360, PC and indeed PS3 near you soon.

SS:DD is a platform shoot 'em up in a similar vein to that of Metal Slug, Super Probotector and even has a slight whiff of Shadow Complex with its twin stick run and gun shooting mechanic which works extremely well given the fast paced nature of the series.

All the things which make a Serious Sam game fun are there bar a couple of missing features but for what it lacks in co-op and one liners from Serious Sam himself the game makes it up by adding one particular feature which absolutely seals the deal in making this game hectic, frantic and other things which sound like it's moving at 1000 mph. Which it is, by the way.

Gun Stacking is a unique feature in which you literally stack weapon upon weapon until you have up to a maximum of six weapons per stack (or which you can have eight stacks) and wreck complete havoc on the familiar enemy types such as Gnaars, Kamikaze's and even some impressive new additions to the crazy roster of baddies. I won't spoil anything for you as it's all part of the fun, but if you didn't like those Vuvuzelas then you're in for a weird treat.

As usual you start of in an Egyptian style environment with Natrisca offering you barebones mission data which is filled with self referential humour and even throws in a few popular culture references, secret locations and those pesky trap items which are key essential staples feature and make Serious Sam Double D more fun that it has any right to be in two dimensions.
There are challenges to be unlocked and offer even more enemies jam packed onto a screen with the task of killing X amount with a certain weapon type which add to the longevity of the game but it's such a shame the main game only lasts about four hours. I could've gone on for maybe just one more hour... or two.

Rampaging through eighteen levels was an incredible ride to be had and certainly whet my appetite for the upcoming "big box" version of Serious Sam with its third incarnation hitting this October but i'll be honest, if I can't stack weapons in the 3D version then I'll be a sad gamer. I bet Mommy's Best Games are proud in having created a feature which no other game has.
SS: DD is hitting August 30th for PC and later for consoles.

Head to Steam, Get Games, Impulse and other digital stores to get your copy now! It's bloody marvellous.

8/10

I'll have a robotic arm to go, please.

Deus Ex: Human Revolution



It's been quite some time you got to play a lead role of Eidos Interactive's much loved franchise, Deus Ex, but this week you get to step into the shoes of Adam Jensen, the protagonist who has been augmented by science and technology to make him more than just a human.

In Deus Ex: Human Revolution, society is on the brink of a global meltdown with a majority of the population not reeping the benefits of the breakthroughs to humanity in the year 2027. As Adam Jensen, working for Sarif Industries you must found out who or what is causing all the problems in this futuristic world and survive an enslaught of enemies who are all out to have you killed.

Deus Ex: Human Revolution is a first-person role playing game giving off a definite Fallout meet Mass Effect 2 vibe. The ability to talk your way through sticky situations, break down certain walls and even sneak by enemies by being completely invisible are all at your fingertips thanks to the revolutionary breakthrough in human augmentation.

As you complete missions, hack terminals, find secret areas and kill enemies you earn experience points like any good RPG which allows you to improve your Adam Jensen and hopefully provide many unique ways to play the game.

Imagine a scenario which pits you crouching behind a wall in an attempt to deal with the on-coming group of enemies, how would you deal with the situation. Would you either prepare for a full on brutal attack with your special weaponry and deal with the outcome afterwards or alternately, if you have earned enough levels of experience to equip a cloaking device you can literally turn invisible and sneak right by the oncoming enemies and hopefully evade conflict all together, just make sure you don't knock into any objects in the world nearby, it could alert the guys you were intending to dodge.

Thirdly, you could indeed construct a way to evade the enemies without a cloaking device by placing a series of boxes, pallets and barrels to reach to areas which are out of view. This game certainly offers more than youe bog standard linear adventure.

Deus Ex: Human Revolution is a prequel origins story to the previous two games and is out this week on Friday.

CS: Go Go Go.

Counter Strike: Global Offensive.



Rarely do I use this opportunity to promote news from within the games industry other than the week of E3 and Eurogamer but today I am writing to you with some very important news. Not only have Valve, the creators of Half Life, Team Fortress 2 and Portal announced a new game for a long running series of games but I am just excited that they have announce another game.

It's been so long since my hay-day of Counter Strike. I am in a clan, playing (poorly) online against other clans vying for whatever attention I could be getting and I loved every single second of it. If you're not aware of Counter-Strike, then I feel sorry for you. It's definitely one of the best, or at least it was before games moved on since.

Counter Strike: Source was released, quite astonishingly in 2004 since then we have had a huge evolution in how online First-Person Shooters are played from stat tracking to matchmaking in Halo and indeed Call of Duty it should be very interesting to see how this new iteration from Valve Software stands up in todays Call of Duty obsessed world.

The premise of the game is simple. Counter Terrorists on one side, each with their own unique look, sounds and weaponry against, you guessed it, Terrorists. Nothing too specific, just naughty people terrorising hostages, bombing delicate locations and indeed, if you're old school, murdering VIPs.

Each successful round will earn you money which in turn allows you to purchase new weaponry and equip your selected guise with body armour and grenades if you so desire. While this might seem a bit unfair that the winners get better the game is so finely balanced that even the strongest team with body armour can indeed fall against the under dogs, and that's when Counter Strike becomes incredible.

There's no word on pricing or even a screenshot of the actual game for that matter but I am still ultra hyped for this game. It's coming to PC, Xbox Live Arcade and PSN in the early months of 2012.

"Lock 'N' Load"