If you have played the original Borderlands in 2009 then you are probably familiar with the best intro of that year and its equally epic theme song ‘Ain't No Rest For The Wicked’. Before I actually start to tell you just how great its successor is, I will start by stating that this year’s intro has topped the original and so did the game. By creating a loot driven shooter with RPG elements Gearbox Software has landed an instant success 3 years ago and while the first attempt at making such a game was good, the game set on Pandora had its fair share of issues but the developer has done its best to address them for the sequel.

It is hard to speak of Borderlands in anything but an extremely loving way; the game was so unbelievably refreshing with its art style and gameplay, that it took the world by storm to an extend that even the developers and publisher 2K Games did not expect. After Gearbox spent a good year developing and releasing DLC for the 4 player coop title it was time to work on the sequel. Borderlands was great fun to play but also had players and critics overlook some of its issues since it was such a breath of fresh air such as the missing mini map, technical problems and user interface (UI) and of course the tacked on story.



Fast forward to 2012 and Gearbox released Borderlands 2 which built on all the things that were great about the original and addressed its shortcomings in just about every way. Borderlands 2 is still a loot based RPG shooter that is best enjoyed with a group of four friends and has 4 character classes to chose from, the game is also based on Pandora again and of course the ‘Vault Hunters’ are here to grab some treasure. This time however, the game has a fully fleshed out story where the game’s villain ‘Handsome Jack’ recruits vault hunters to do his dirty work. Of course there is more to Jack than meets the eye and he wants to open an ancient vault that will allow him to more or less destroy everything and everyone or at least control the planet. This doesn’t go over well with you or the guardian angel, who also returns to the game, and the player quickly goes onto a quest to stop Jack.



Borderlands 2 is a much better game than its predecessor and that is not only due to the story, more built out characters rather than mission originators, and the added mini map but also some minor tweaks like the improved UI. The navigation has been enhanced and I was able to mark items as favorites or trash, which allows for easy selling of items I didn’t care about and making sure I never sell others by accident. Other tweaks went into the way quests are handled and upgrades are applied. None of these are breathtaking changes but improve the overall playability of Borderlands 2. Some nice added features are fast travel and the stat comparison when hovering over a new gun or mod when looting – players won’t have to open menus to check if this is a superior item. In order to supplement some of the skill tree progression, which feels a lot more unique this time around, there are ‘Bad Ass Tokens’ which can be applied to reduce shield recharge rate, gun accuracy or maximum health – all of these changes will carry over between the four character classes. This means any of the token based enhancements will apply to Gunzerker, Siren, Commando or Assassin class.



When you are not looting, chatting up NPCs or checking your quest log you are probably killing enemies – lots and lots of enemies whose banter makes for some comic relief as numbers keep popping from their bodies when they die from the effects of the 870 Gajillion guns in the game. Does that sound like fun to you? Well it is some seriously addicting gamer crack Gearbox has come up with. There are several gun manufacturers in the game that will have different abilities ranging from Western style weapons to alien technology based guns with tons of elemental effects. All of these things become more fun with 3 more friends to play with as they can jump in and out of each other’s games with the seamless coop options. You will also be able to skip missions that were already completed as you helped a buddy in his game – another nice touch added to Borderlands 2.



Naturally there are always a few things to point out that could be improved, even though there aren’t many of them in Gearbox’s latest outing, there are a few I’d like to point out. Vehicles still feel a bit squirrely and are only used to get from point A to B in a quicker fashion. The game also suffers from some texture pop-in even when installed on the hard drive – this isn’t a big issue but I wouldn’t expect it at this stage of the console cycle. Lastly, if you’re playing cooperatively make sure it is with people you know, as the shared loot system can make for you not getting any of the good stuff.

From reading this review you can already tell that Borderlands 2 is a huge improvement over its predecessor and the good far outweigh the bad. Gearbox has made an already fun and addictive game into a great one that has me wanting more already. The sequel is packed with fun, rewarding gunplay and looting around a good story that is all enjoyed even more with friends over Xbox LIVE or PSN. While there are some minor issues to note, Borderlands 2 is already a Game of the Year contender and we are only in September!

Score: 9.5 / 10

Borderlands 2 was developed by Gearbox Software and published by 2K Games for Xbox 360, PS3 and PC on September 18th. A retail copy of the Xbox 360 version was provided to us by 2K Games for reviewing purposes.

When it comes to racing games Codemasters’ games have been running at the top end of the spectrum for many years now. When the British developer, based in Birmingham, entered the most prestigious of classes with Formula 1 in 2010, many fans of the genre were skeptical as to the studio’s success. However, F1 2010 and especially 2011 were enough to shut up the game’s critics as it performed more than successfully and treated the Formula 1 license with upmost respect, authenticity and realism.



By now you can probably tell that this is a review of a hardcore racing game by an enthusiast and you are most likely one as well if you are interested in this game. F1 2012 is not only another roster and car update for the 2012 season, as one may suggest with an annual racing franchise like this one, but it is actually quite a bit more than that. When actually playing F1 2012 it becomes obvious that Codemasters has finally found the time to add more diverse features and polish to an already great simulation experience. This year’s entry looks even more stunning than its predecessor and comes with a fantastic presentation along with an overhauled menu system.



Visually F1 2012 does not only impress with its pristine presentation of cars and tracks including the new US Grand Prix in Texas, which are all authentically captured in Codemasters’ Formula 1 title, but also the overall experience of a race weekend along with its new, clean and streamlined menus. Seldom have I felt as immersed by a video game – F1 2012 pulls in racing fans and does not let them go. It starts with the newly added ‘Young Drivers Test’ which serves as a tutorial to teach new players how to drive an extremely demanding Formula 1 car and use the KERS and DRS features with a mix of challenge tests and video walkthroughs. While this is great for newbies, it is also a great refresher for seasoned vets.
 

Upon completing the young drivers test players can chose from an array of game modes which include the time trial, multiplayer, co-op championship and career which should be familiar to players from last year’s game. With F1 2012 Codemasters finally added some additional modes for players to chose from such as the season challenge, which is an accelerated season where players compete against team mates and rivals – it is a very welcome addition to those of us who do not have hours and hours to spend on a career mode.

Another very good new feature is F1 2012’s champions mode and will probably become a fan favorite when the game is in players’ hands. Champions mode pits you against the six Formula 1 champions currently running in the 2012 F1 season. Players will be asked to pass Kimi Raikonnen with a few laps to go in Spa or edge out Michael Schumacher in the six challenges. These set piece scenarios are some of the most fun to be had in F1 2012.



Since this is a racing simulation review, we have to talk about the actual driving in Codemasters’ latest entry into Formula 1. Let me paint this picture for you, regardless whether you are a new young driver starting out with Toro Rosso or being an F1 champion in a Ferrari, F1 2012 will keep you at the edge of your seat with sweaty palms as you try to squeeze everything out of you and the car. Racing at speeds exceeding 200 MPH, before threading the needle through a hairpin while passing 2 cars will have your vision blur. In case you spin out or nail another car, you can always use the flashback options we have come to know and love. Competing in the middle of the field and beating your objective of coming in 12th is as exciting as challenging Sebastian Vettel for a win.

The gameplay in F1 2012 is as breathtaking as ever with some improvements made to weather dynamics, causing you to use tire strategy more carefully as well as pay attention to the importance of adjusting your car setup – both will severely impact your race outcome – your engineer will provide you with hints as to what to change and the race director will let you know who is on the track and with what tires. Of course a good pit stop strategy will become essential to winning a championship as valuable seconds can be earned or lost by choosing the right pit window.



Using DRS and KERS at the right points in time are also extremely important in this year’s game as it very challenging without the available driving aids such as break assist and racing line. What I mean by that is, players will need to develop a feel for the car on Option or Prime tires, a full fuel tank or an empty one and so on – layer on top of that the effective use of DRS and KERS and it can make your head spin in the beginning but once all of these techniques and tracks are mastered, F1 2012 will be one of the most rewarding racing games you’ll play on this generation of hardware.

After Codemasters Birmingham had delivered the very solid F1 2011, even a Formula 1 fan like me, had questioned its right to earn your 60 Dollars but F1 2012 has certainly proved its worth with excellent improvements and newly added features with this year’s outing. If you want to enjoy one of the most exciting racing experiences this year, you have to buy F1 2012.

Score: 9.5 / 10

F1 2012 was developed by Codemasters Birmingham and published by Codemasters for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC on September 18th. A copy of the Xbox 360 version was provided to us by Codemasters for reviewing purposes.

Movie based video games are usually laughed off by the hardcore demographic of gamers fairly quickly and usually with good reason. The lack of quality due to time constraints or not enough resources tends to make these games mediocre experiences at best. While Transformers: Fall of Cybertron isn’t quite a movie IP based title, it tends to be in the same ballpark. When High Moon Studios was granted the right to create a Transformers IP based action game which wasn’t supporting a movie launch, it was nothing short of a game changer when the studio released War for Cybertron 2 years ago.



Even though the studio had to develop Dark of the Moon to go alongside the latest Transformers movie in 2011, both released to less than stellar reviews, High Moon’s follow up to War of Cybertron is another entry into the list of good movie based games. Fall of Cybertron is one of those titles that brings a smile to my face since a studio was able to put time and care into development of original content for a franchise we have loved since we could say the word Transformers.



Fall of Cybertron is a very fresh and impressive action game with lots of visually outstanding executed moments. Taking the battle of Autobots and Decepticons to the home planet Cybertron makes for a great spectacle where the two factions fight it out for one last time. High Moon has chosen to remove the co-op campaign option from Fall of Cybertron in exchange for a more scripted and action packed game that still keeps its typical Transformer based combat the series has come to be known for.

In the 13 chapters that it will take to complete the game, players will take control of either a game chosen Autobot or Decepticon as opposed to the freedom of choice in its predecessor. While this may be seen as a ‘bad’ thing to some players, it actually fits well in the theme of a more scripted and fine tuned experience that High Moon was going for – it certainly worked well during my experience with the game. To name just a few instances where having a specific Transformer is helpful to the experience; I was able to use Cliffjumper to cloak my way through a stealth mission or cause havoc as Grimlock in some of the arena based areas. The Dinobot is playable in Fall of Cybetron and should allow players to tear up robots for a good hour or so.



Even though Fall of Cybertron is more linear and scripted game this time around, players can still freely transform between vehicle and robot form – in addition players can customize the equipment for each of the Transformers. In addition to the games story and fun combat, High Moon has also buried lots of audio logs as well as weapons blueprints and shards of Energon around the world if you are looking for more than just a run through the game.

Some of the games epic scripted events as well as some standout set pieces make for a nice switch up from the time you will spend blasting bots, running from toxic waste or defending points from waves of enemies. Transformers: Fall of Cybetron has plenty of action to go around and will have you setting at the edge of your lazy boy more than a few times.

 

To make up for the missing co-op that players have come to love so much in War for Cybertron, High Moon has brought along the series’ Escalation mode from the last game which has you and three buddies fend off swarms and swarms of increasing enemies as well as the team deathmatch, capture the flag, conquest and head hunter modes.

 High Moon Studios has become the go to developer for Transformers titles as they have proven themselves time and time again. Fall of Cybertron is another excellent game filled with good story beats, massive set pieces and gameplay content that will give the best of the action genre a run for its money. Any Transformers fan needs to play Fall of Cybertron along with movie game skeptics since this is prove that it can be done the right way.

Score: 8.5 / 10

Transformers: Fall of Cybertron was developed by High Moon Studios and published by Activision for Xbox 360, PS3 and PC on August 21st. A retail copy of the Xbox 360 version was provided to us by Activision for reviewing purposes.

German Developer Piranha Bytes has been known for creating massive open world, crafting based RPG games with its Gothic series, before switching over to the high fantasy themed Risen in 2009. This year Piranha Bytes teamed up with Deep Silver to create the follow up to a good game with lots of potential with the pirate themed Dark Waters.

After the original Risen, Piranha Bytes has set sail with a much different setting, while staying with the nameless protagonist from the first game in the series. this causes the game to feel a lot like a new title altogether, rather than a sequel to Risen. Dark Waters is a more focused game with less terrain to explore and get lost in, than previous Piranha Bytes titles along with an attempt at more concise and usable combat. While the reduced size of the map has its advantages and works rather well alongside a good story with a decent variety in quests, the combat just doesn't feel right. Apart from some glitches along the way, which can be forgiven in a large scale RPG, there just aren't enough good options to the decent sword combat. Enemies often act erratic and cause the average combat mechanics to make the experience a bit sloppy. The voodoo spells can make up for some of the shortcomings in the combat but it still does't get past being average when compared to today's RPG landscape.



Nonetheless, Risen 2: Dark Waters leaves a very good impression, especially if you are a pirate fan. Piranha Bytes has done an excellent job with the setting. The feel of the world is spot on and the game looks very good at times, making players feel immersed in the world. Of course it helps that many of the NPCs are rude, obscene and offensive - just like real pirates. Apart from the main quest, which is having to defeat a rather massive beast that was laying dormant in the sea for a very long time, Dark Waters will have players collect treasure and loot around the wold or take on ghost ships. This also means battling lots of NPCs and giant crabs - the combat can sometimes make these quests feel a bit 'grindy' but it won't make you sorry that you accepted a quest from a drunk sexist.



The characters in Dark Waters are probably my favorite part of the game as they are as obscure and hilarious as they come. The NPCs range from crazy doctors to gnomes with rather unique abilities, I won't say more in order not to spoil any of this for you. Many times the conversations will have you smirking, if not for the content it may be the animations and voice over as it isn't always top notch if you know what I mean.

While the setting and characters make Risen 2 very memorable and enjoyable, the skill system is another let down because of its difficulty to use properly. While Dark Waters has a deep focus on user-friendliness, the games upgrade system is very convoluted and not easy to master. Sure most RPGs have some complexity within the skill tree but Dark Waters seemed unusually difficult to master. However, once you have earned enough glory to level up certain abilities such as the sword fighting, there are enough moves to make it fun and a lot easier to battle enemies. Some of the more interesting non-combat upgrades will allow players to scare an NPC into giving you information or simply flirt your way past them - not doing this may result into bribing which will cost our hero some money.



Risen 2: Dark Waters may not be Piranha Bytes best Role Playing Game but certainly is its most user friendly title to date. Dark Waters shines with its hilarious NPCs and a believable world which allows for lots of immersion along with a pirate theme that really works in the game's favor. However, the sloppy combat system and difficult skill tree along with some less than exciting quests, makes this game not the full on hit it could have been. Regardless, Risen 2: Dark Waters is a good game with some flaws that can be enjoyed by everyone.

Score: 7 / 10

Risen 2: Dark Waters was developed by Piranha Bytes and published by Deep Silver for Xbox 360 and PS3 on July 31st, and PC April 27th. A retail copy of the Xbox 360 version was provided to us by Deep Silver for reviewing purposes.

Spider-Man is one of those comic book heroes that have engrained themselves into not only the minds of children but people everywhere and of all ages. This year a new Spider-Man movie hit theatres with ‘The Amazing Spider-Man’. Where there’s a movie, there’s a game – or at least that’s the general rule. Activision and Beenox have brought us two very linear experiences in past years with Shattered Dimensions and Edge of Time – it was time for a new open world game that fans and critics had been longing for.



 The Amazing Spider-Man does the most important thing right and brought a huge smile on my face. The open world web slinging has been translated supremely well into the world that is Manhattan. Holding down the right trigger will move Spider-Man seamlessly through the sky scraper filled world of the big apple which can be combined with web rush – this is a mode where holding down the right bumper to target objects, buildings or enemies and jet over to them with pin point accuracy.



 This new mode isn’t the only thing that is well done in The Amazing Spider-Man, our masked hero has a lot of things to do and missions to conquer in this epilogue to the already released movie. Yes, this means there are spoilers with regards to some of the outcomes of the latest Spider-Man movie. The world isn’t especially well rendered but at the high speed web slinging this isn’t such a problem as the actual gameplay is fun. However, once our hero is stuck in sewers of science labs, it can become quite dull. This doesn’t really hamper the experience but is something to point out.



The missions in Amazing Spider-Man usually revolve around taking down the cross-species enemies or giant robots which are also after the player due to his spider abilities. There are other missions and side missions as well but the variety isn’t quite to the level I’d like it to be. The real challenge of the Amazing Spider-Man is to collect the hundreds of comic book pages spread all over New York City without any map locations, they will merely pop up when you get close to them.



 After Beenox had created the two linear games this title comes as a welcome change to the franchise and takes it back to the roots. Spider-Man does however have the familiar brawler abilities from its predecessors such as hit combos, dodging of enemies and stealth takedowns. All of Spidey’s abilities can be upgraded by gaining XP and completing missions and side objectives. A lot of the gameplay in tight spaces is reminiscent of the latest Batman games from Rocksteady but this is not something I would pin against the development team at Beenox as it works really well in the game.

 Overall ‘The Amazing Spider-Man’ is a good and refreshing experience for gamers and Spider-Man fanatics alike. Sure, Beenox wasn’t able to produce the best game we have seen this year but in the allotted time of about a year in development time, this game is more than serviceable. The gameplay is fun with excellent web slinging and a story that fits nicely to the end of the feature film. The Amazing Spider-Man is just what we needed to sling our way across the summer heat.


Score: 8 / 10

The Amazing Spider-Man was developed by Beenox and published by Activision for Xbox 360 and PS3 on June 26th. A retail copy of the Xbox 360 version was provided to us by Activision for reviewing purposes.

Tony Hawk - aka 'The Birdman' was the first Skateboarder who put his name on a video game. Tony Hawk Pro Skater was the beginning of modern skating games as we know them today. Activision has seized the moment and brought back the classic over the top Arcade skateboarding style with Tony Hawk's Pro Skater HD as a 15 Dollar downloadable title on PlayStation Network and XBox LIVE Arcade.



Many gamers remember playing the original Pro Skater and Pro Skater 2 on the PlayStation 1 for hours and hours on end, linking together gravity and physics-defying moves and endless grinds while kick flipping through the air on classic maps like Warehouse, School 1 and 2 or Hanger. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater HD combines the best maps of Pro Skater 1 and 2 while overlaying the game with HD graphics and the addition of online modes like Big Head.



Tony Hawk's Pro Skater HD has unchanged gameplay and feel from the original titles and is set up to allow for new maps as DLC including Pro Skater 3 content. Pro Skater HD is like its original predecessors in more ways than just the gameplay alone, it is also bone-crushingly difficult to nail all the moves and locate collectibles in the short 2 minutes available per run - which should please fans of the original.



While online multiplayer has been added with some worthwhile modes like 'Big Head Elimination', where tricks need to be pulled off to reduce the size of the ever-growing head before it explodes, the classic couch-multiplayer modes have been removed which somewhat hampers the fun factor from the old days but with the ever changing gaming landscape this move does make sense. Pro Skater HD does not only look and feel good on modern consoles, the game also retains a lot of its original soundtrack with some worthwhile modern additions to round out the mix.



Tony Hawk's Pro Skater HD can be considered a crowd pleasing hit and also being released on the most fitting platforms for the game on PSN and XBLA. The Tony Hawk franchise had somewhat lost its steam and also only played second fiddle to EA's Skate franchise but with this bargain HD remix of the most successful skating games from earlier eras is a must buy this summer.

Score: 9 / 10

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater HD was developed by Robomodo and published by Activision for Xbox 360 and PS3 on July 18th. A copy of the Xbox 360 version was provided to us by Activision for reviewing purposes.

When players first boot up Quantum Conundrum, they will be met by a unique feeling environment and an crazy scientist's voice to match it, the mood in this downloadable puzzle game often reminded me of the movie 'A Series of Unfortunate Events'. Sure, it isn't quite as bleak as Lemony Snicket's tale, which is a good thing but it hit the same sort of odd but lovingly crafted tones.



Quantum Conundrum was developed by a team led by original Portal designer Kim Swift, and I certainly felt a lot of that in the way the mind boggling puzzles were put together. The game will have players take the role of a young boy who has to rescue his crazy but well voiced scientist uncle, who is stuck in another dimension.



Dimensions are the main meat of Quantum Conundrum. Players will eventually gain four different powers, which will enable the modification of the usual earth-like rules of physics. With the push of a button things in environments are made 10 times lighter than they truly are or reverse the effect, making something light, super heavy. The other two dimensions the player gets to utilize throughout the game via using the Interdimensional Shift Device are reverse gravity and slow motion.

You can see where I am going with this.

While at first the puzzles start fairly simple to ease players into the mechanics, the later challenges will require the combination of the dimension powers to a much greater degree, in order to solve some very complex situations. There were several times when I was somewhat stumped and but always managed to solve the puzzle with some 'out of the box thinking'.



The environments and audio design in Quantum Conundrum are some of the best we have seen in the downloadable space and are top notch throughout the experience. The journey through the mansion always felt well crafted and had me enjoying every puzzle as well as the bits in between. The actual story around the uncle stuck in the Netherworld was also very entertaining and I was never really bored by his witty narration and the hints providing some good help throughout. However, I wish that there was a bit more attention paid to the end of the tale as it doesn't quite hold up to the rest of Quantum Conundrums awesome

Score: 9 / 10

Quantum Conundrum was developed by Airtight Games and published by Square Enix for Xbox 360, PS3 and PC on July 11th (PC on June 21st). A copy of the Xbox 360 version was provided to us by Square Enix for reviewing purposes.

This console generation has been nearly solely defined by shooters and derivatives thereof. 2K Games and German developer Yager Development had teamed up to make another shooter with Spec Ops: The Line. The difference this time is that Spec Ops, which may on the surface appear to be ‘just another third person shooter’, is based on other major pillars than just strong shooting mechanics and great looking visuals. Spec Ops prioritizes its narrative and ambiguous events as the main draw to its existence. Yager knew that the usual elements that make a shooter strong needed to be there in order for its actual message to be conveyed to the world.



Many games shy away from a heavy story, let alone a controversial one. Spec Ops goes for it and hit the bulls eye. Captain Walker and his team have been sent to Dubai where the ‘Damned 33rd’ was tasked with evacuating a sandstorm destroyed city, previously filled with the young, rich and famous – or what’s left of it. Dubai is in shambles as Walker and his team arrive, there are only a few survivors of the decimated paradise in the desert, which used to be the home to tens of thousands. Colonel Konrad sent out a distress signal which sees Walker and his team scope out the city and evaluate the current situation in order to radio command for a possible evacuation. That of course was the mission, nothing more.



Things look bleak in Dubai, the skyscrapers stand tall but diminished between massive sand dunes, destruction and death. The city is littered with signs of the attempted evacuation, pain, agony and pure desperation. The population has been ripped to shreds and the 33rd did their job to ‘restore order’ – or was it just brutal violence?
Walker and his team make their way through the city while trying to figure out why the local rebels are fighting US soldiers and why the CIA is involved. Things aren’t clear, far from it. Walker has to choose what’s right and what’s wrong, the problem is, how can one decide without enough information? Is everything what it seems? Spec Ops: The Line will have players facing different decisions which aren’t always black and white. I am not talking about choosing the red path for evil and the blue for good, there are more options that that but making the decision lays heavy on the shoulders of Captain Walker and ultimately the player.

The narrative’s subject matter is the reason for the M rating in this game, not just the usual cursing and dismemberment of bodies we have gotten used to – sure some of that is still there but the context which it resides in is different. Soldiers don’t always walk away from the bloodbath that is war and conflict. Dubai is war, worse – it’s a moral dilemma that will put blood on Walkers hands one way or another. Playing through Spec Ops’ story was one of the most emotionally taxing experiences I had with a game in a long time. Yager has really understood what it takes to create a compelling campaign with a message that may last longer than your average shooter.



At the core Spec Ops is a third person shooter that reminds of the Gears of War franchise in terms of mechanics. Yager went with what players know, so one can experience the main aspect of ‘The Line’ – the story. The controls are easy to master and the shooting is accurate and never becomes frustrating. If you’ve played a modern shooter before, this will be right down your alley. Spec Ops also uses squad commands which has walker zeroing in on specific targets, heal a downed team member or throw a stun grenade in a tight spot. The game manages to give players just enough to make for an enjoyable playthrough mechanically. Another smart move by Yager was to introduce the destructible environments, Walker can shoot glass or walls which has tons of sand behind it to crush enemies. Using the sand is a useful tool in combat and is never over-used or becomes boring.



Visually Spec Ops is up there with many of today’s graphical standards and even finds ways to look gorgeous at times when the lighting and particle effects hit the right balance while towering over Dubai after climbing one of the massive sky scrapers. The same goes for the audio, Spec Ops sounds fantastic in every department including the voice acting and soundtrack. When the presentation is put together with the narrative Spec Ops shines as it creates a unique and never before seen mood and atmosphere.

Before Spec Ops: The Line was released, there were loads of concerns about the state of the game from fans and media alike since Yager and 2K Games had delayed it and the game even had gone dark for a while questioning its existence. However, literally all of my worries about the game went out of the window as I played through the game. Spec Ops is without a doubt one of the most controversial narratives we have seen in a long time. The story is filled with drama, fear and uncertainty from start to finish. When one couples an excellent story with solid game mechanics and an outstanding presentation, you simply end up with one of the best games you can play this year.

Score: 9 / 10

Spec Ops: The Line was developed by Yager Development and published by 2K Games for Xbox 360, PS3 and PC on June 26th. A retail copy of the Xbox 360 version was provided to us by 2K Games for reviewing purposes.

While Codemasters is taking a break from releasing a proper Dirt sequel this year and continuing development on Dirt 4, the British studio has released an offshoot to the series in Dirt Showdown. The game does not incorporate what the series had been known for and switches the rally cars and more realistic handling for the more extravagant and fictional cars with an arcade feeling to them. Dirt Showdown is a game that has been geared towards fun, fast and action packed gameplay with explosions and lots of multiplayer to entice players to stick around.



When Showdown was announced it was clear that this game was not Dirt 4 and going into a much different direction in terms of design and handling. While Dirt 3 had a challenging driving model to keep rally and Gymkhana fans engaged, Showdown employs a more forgiving and arcade based feel to let players focus on the more outgoing and extreme setting of this year’s game. While there are still Gymkhana events in the game, they are not the main focus of Showdown, the game is mostly based on events that are reminiscent of ‘Destruction Derby’. Players will take part in events like Dominator, Survival and Knock Out. Sure, it may not be the game that rally fans are craving but becomes a great bridge to next year’s rally outing.



I had a great time with Codemasters’ latest racing game, Showdown does way more things right than it does wrong. The actual racing is fun and engaging from start to finish and had me saying things like; ‘Oh Man!’, or ‘Wow’ more often than I’d like to admit, as cars were wrecking in front of me or because of me in the classic ‘Figure Eight’ track based events or ‘Survival’ mode. However, there are some shortcomings in variety with Showdown, for a full fledged retail game there were simply not enough tracks and throughout the Tour Mode, I saw most of the tracks and environments early on. Keeping in mind that Showdown launched at a sub-60 Dollar price tag at many retailrs, this still shouldn’t keep you from getting your hands on Codies’ latest title.



Showdown, at its core, is a typical Codemasters title that shines with fun driving, great visual and audio design as well as smooth menu navigation and seamless multiplayer fun. Dirt Showdown does not fall short when it comes to these core values, and in fact had me glued to my TV for hours on end. The game’s multiplayer and community events are more than a good enough reason to come back to Showdown long after the Tour has been completed. In addition to the single and multiplayer modes Codemasters has developed a new community driven website called ‘RaceNet’ which will track your progress and enable comparisons and challenges between you and your friends.



No, Dirt Showdown does not have rally events and no, the game also lacks top simulation handling but that is not what Codemasters set out to do with Showdown. This game is trying to create ‘Holy S***’ moments between the short-and-sweet menu interaction and YouTube video uploads to prove how crazy the latest crash, drift or near miss was, it isn’t here to simulate rallying in Finland or Africa. Codemasters has developed one of the most fun racing games to release this year and the studio’s excellent track records continues in 2012. Showdown’s wild and eccentric vehicle and event design is a perfect fit for a summer low in racing games.

Score: 8.5 / 10

Dirt Showdown was developed by Codemasters and published by Warner Brothers for Xbox 360 and PS3 on June 12th. A retail copy of the Xbox 360 version was provided to us by Warner Brothers for reviewing purposes.

Ubisoft’s Ghost Recon Future Soldier had been in development for many years, stricken by delays and several different directions, before it finally made its way onto store shelves. Naturally fans of the series were worried about the way the game would turn out and whether it would be influenced too heavily by the current stream of action heavy shooters. Worry no longer, Ubisoft has hit a close to perfect balance between action and tactical gameplay with Future Soldier.



We live in an age where the so-called ‘Bro-Shooter’ has taken center stage and has players dispatch countless enemies while breezing through levels with ease. Ubisoft has managed to develop a game which brings a welcomed change to the battlefield. Ghost Recon is set in a future where a Russian uprising has the world in worries and fear - Team Ghost is setting out to alleviate some of the tension in its typical fashion.



Ubisoft’s Future Soldier is straddling the line between action as well as careful thought, requiring stealth mechanics that should please even hardcore fans. The team work element is taking center stage in the latest Ghost Recon which can be played in 4 player coop as well. When taking on missions the team works together smoothly and it really feels like a well orchestrated mission when using all the gadgets Team Ghost has at its disposal in Future Soldier. The game allows players to utilize active camouflage, drones and countless unique weapons to take on any situation. While most objectives can be reached by going in guns blazing as well as using the stealthy approach, the game has several missions where being detected is a fail state. Yes, it has hardcore elements as I said before.



Playing Ubisoft’s new tactical shooter was really an absolutely enjoyable experience as it had some very action packed scenes and dynamic rail sequences as well as the usual stealth situations requiring plenty of patience and skill. Pulling of a 4 man synchronized kill in coop or with AI team mates is one of the cooler things we have done in a game this year. The story is well written and performed most of the time but has its moments of weakness, while it doesn’t take one out of the experience, it could have been handled a bit better. The same goes for the visuals, Future Soldier can look gorgeous and almost breathtaking but also suffers from some poor textures and pop-in. In a certain level I did experience an AI glitch where a team mate didn’t want to follow the rest of the group, this had to be solved by rebooting the system. Apart from this instance, the AI was smart, smooth, intelligent and felt like support rather than a hindrance.



The gameplay itself has great pacing, giving orders to teammates and orchestrating missions and movement is very engaging, I really wanted to pull off the perfect kill or complete the objective without being detected. Multiplayer within Ghost Recon Future Soldier has several modes but lacks matchmaking which was frustrating. The mode players will likely choose the most is ‘Decoy’ which sets teams against each other chasing 3 different targets with two of them being a decoy, this makes for some dynamic and fun scenarios with real life players.
As I said before, all my worries about the state of the game were gone within a couple of hours. With the exception of some story and visual issues I had, Future Soldier was hitting all of the Ghost Recon hallmarks we have come to know and love. Ubisoft was able to develop a Ghost Recon title that stayed relevant in today’s landscape of shooters but also managed to stay true to its past.

Score: 8.5 / 10

Ghost Recon Future Soldier was developed and published by Ubisoft for Xbox 360 and PS3 on May 22nd. A retail copy of the Xbox 360 version was provided to us by Ubisoft for reviewing purposes.

Demiurge Studios and Ubisoft have teamed up to create the ultimate apocalyptic, and R/V loving sidescrolling shooter where humanity is attacked by robots, a whole lot of them, which require an equal amount of shooting. The game is called Shoot Many Robots which pretty much tells the entire story and that is not a bad thing. Sure, the lack of deep plot could be a point of criticism but quite frankly, it would take away from the a game that doesn't take itself to seriously - and I like it that way.

When I first played Shoot Many Robots at PAX East in 2011, it was one of my favorite games at the show. I remember not being able to wait for the game proper to finally come out. The day has finally come and Shoot Many Robots has released, much to my pleasure. Demiurge has partnered with Ubisoft to build an odd and irresistibly charming shooter in the classic sense. Shoot Many Robots lives in a world where a ridiculous amount of machines, ranging from small to gigantic, are attacking the world as we know it - except that this world is defined by redneck inspired style and one of my favorite parts of the game.

The game itself has a rather simple, yet satisfying formula. Shoot Many Robots is build on a classic formula which will have you and up to three friends fight off various robotic enemies. Players can level up, loot and buy equipment throughout the game. All customization is done in a hilariously decked out R/V with country music playing in the background, I love the attention to detail Demiurge put into crafting Shoot Many Robots. The game is beautifully rendered and animated - it truly feels like the studio wanted to make this a finished product and has mostly succeeded. Shoot Many Robots has a large amount of enemies and pretty much all of them are fun to beat the crap out of. The enemies range from small foot soldier types, to mini bosses all the way to gigantic monsters.

While I am absolutely in love with the backdrop, art style and humor of Shoot Many Robots, I have one major concern. For a game that aspires to be a classic sidescrolling shooter it has one major flaw. The game is not using both thumbsticks. If you have played Shoot 'em ups before you know this, a game in this genre really requires the use of both sticks, one being the directional input and the other the trigger and gun pointer. The problem isn't that I mind having to play the game with one stick, it is the fact that there are often too many robots to handle using the current control scheme. I was not able to jump in one direction and fire in another since both inputs are mapped to the same stick. Of course there is a rather easy way to alleviate the control issue, simply ask three of your bestest buds to fight in the robocalypse with you which makes it a lot easier to control the robot crowds and have fun leveling as well as looting.

When all is said and done, I have to say that Shoot Many Robots has its flaws with the controls of the game but it simply does not taint my experience with the game enough to downgrade it significantly. This beautifully crafted sidescrolling game has pretty much everything I expect in a title of this genre. Shoot Many Robots sports a great enemy variety, coop multiplayer with wave-based levels as well as score multipliers and over the top action that should get everyone's heart beating a little faster - oh, and slaughter a ton of metal slugs!

Score: 8.0 / 10

Shoot Many Robots was developed by Demiurge Studios and published by Ubisoft for Xbox 360 on March 14th. A retail code of the game was provided to us by Ubisoft for reviewing purposes.