Mirror's Edge Game Review

In November of 2008 EA released an unexpected title, Mirror's Edge. At this point EA were not known for taking a risk on new franchises but following the success of Dead Space, a Horror game which was released earlier in the year and highly received by critics, Mirror's Edge continued EA's new approach with yet another new franchise that would delight fans. Mirror's Edge is a game developed by DICE (Swedish Company) which focuses on the First-Person camera angle to create a unique free running action-adventure game that feels intense, frantic, and thrilling throughout the relatively short but delightful experience the game offers.

Mirror's Edge tells the story of a young woman named Faith Connors, she is a runner in this phenomenal looking futuristic city, ruled by an overbearing totalitarian government. Faith's job is to deliver pieces of information to an underground network which still lives with an ounce of freedom in this city ruled by an iron fist. Much like in the Sport (Parkour) Faith uses her incredible acrobatics to outrun, out-leap, and out-swing "Blues" (Cops) who chase her to the edge of the city with aggressive pressure and force. Early in the game players learn that Faith's sister (Kate Connors) has been wrongly accused of murder and it's Faith's job to clear her name.

EA Sports MMA Game Review

When it comes to Mixed Martial Arts THQ's UFC series is leading the way, but with EA Sports deciding to dive into the octagon what can we expect for their first attempt with EA Sports MMA. While EA lack the big-name license, they still manage to provide a great roster of fighters along side solid gameplay and most importantly a game which feels as brutal as the sport itself.

For anyone who is unfamiliar with MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) it's a sport which pits two men against each other much like Boxing, the difference is due to the lack of rules the fight is more of a no-holds-barred affair. Each fighter is placed inside an octagon, or Boxing ring with a pair of gloves (smaller than traditional Boxing gloves) and the action begins. Unlike Boxing the action can take place on the ground as well as the standing game, this allows for different forms of fighting to compete with each other. You will use traditional Boxing techniques alongside Muay Thai, Greco-Roman Wrestling, Judo, Sambo, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Karate and much more to defeat your opponent. The sport is immensely varied and allows players to be whatever type of fighter they want to be. This also helps create very interesting matches between two opposing styles.

(EA Sports MMA Middleweights)

Vanquish Game Review

Vanquish is the latest third-person shooter to hit the market from the creator of Resident Evil, Shinji Mikami. This alone is enough to capture the interest of the gaming world. Vanquish is a Sci-Fi third-person shooter which provides eye catching cinematic moments along side gameplay which feels as great as the game looks.

Vanquish, the fourth attempt from Platinum Games, takes place on a orbital space station called Providence. The station has been overtaken by a Russian extremist group known as The Order Of The Russian Star. The extremists take control of the station which is energised by microwave energy and use it to attack San Francisco. After the attack San Francisco is devastated leaving the United States with no option but to send a full fleet in order to prevent the next attack on New York. The military are not alone in their fight against the extremists, joining them is DARPA researcher Sam Gideon who comes equipped with the ARS battle suit. The military are under the impression Sam is joining them in order to gather intel on the suit's performance in the field however this is just a front for Sam's secret mission. His goal is to locate and rescue the captive professor candidate who created the energy system powering the station and suit. This may sound very traditional for anyone familiar with the Sci-Fi genre of games or movies and it is, the games weakest point is definitely it's mediocre story but with fantastic action sequences and cinematic thrilling moments the game does enough to let you forget about this issue.

Pro Evolution Soccer 2011 Game Review

Pro Evolution Soccer 2011 is Konami's latest venture into the Footballing world and with the slogan "Engineered for Freedom" what can we expect this year after the phenomenal success of Konami's rival EA Sports with their Football franchise, FIFA 11.

PES boasts loudly about freedom and that is definitely what it does this year. The passing system feels much more fluent and responsive this time around and when you get that right in a Football game, your job is nearly done. Passing the ball from player to player feels satisfying and more consistent than the previous game allowing for a richer and more realistic gaming experience. Players will also anticipate passes that go too far and make runs in attempt to help the player, always breaking into space to offer multiple options and creating a much more realistic football experience. When defending in the previous game, awkward ping pong possession would become irritating and frustrate the player in his attempts to regain the ball. This has been corrected and feels much more natural in PES 2011.

This is all due to the fact PES 2011 focuses more on the positioning and timing aspects of the gameplay and chances are if you get on the right side of the opposing player you will be able to defend the attack with much more ease. The game is more rewarding when it comes to simple mistakes, however if you give your opponent too much space and he knows what he is doing, then be prepared to be passed into submission. While the defenders are much improved you should still expect to see the same mistakes from the keepers, while less frequent than previously they are still there and happen often. Let's just hope you are playing with a Jabulani ball, then you have an excuse at least.

Dead Rising 2 Game Review

First of all if you were not a fan of the first game then Dead Rising 2 won't be for you. The sequel is essentially the first game improved in every way. Everything that worked so well in the first game has been multiplied insanely to give fans of the first game an even better experience this time around. Capcom have also managed to fix the pre-release issues allot of critics were complaining about such as, the frame rate, and extremely long loading times.

In Dead Rising 2 you will play as Chuck Greene. Chuck's wife was gobbled up by Zombies years ago and his daughter infected by the same incident however with a daily dose of Zomberx he is able to save her from turning into the walking undead. As a contestant on "Terror is Reality" Chuck must mutilate the undead for money, however after the show there is a mini Zombie uprising which Chuck is framed for. The remaining survivors hold out in the Fortune City safe house to await rescue in 3 day's leaving Chuck with no option but to fight the undead, find his daughters meds, and clear his name.

Dead Rising 1 was basically complete a mission in the various locations casino/hotel/mall before the time runs out, gain experience points, use the experience gained to level up more health, more moves, and more inventory spots. Then repeat the process. So if you were not a fan of this then you won't like Capcom's latest version which is really just the same thing but with enough new features to make the game feel fresh enough to spend your money on.

FIFA 11 Game Review

Game Information

• Developer (EA Sports)
• Publisher (EA Sports)
• Genre (Sports)
• Console (Xbox 360, PS2, PS3, PC, Nintendo Wii, DS)

When it comes to Football games there is only 2 options, EA Sport's FIFA franchise or Konami's PES. The two rival company's have been battling for top spot on the league table for many years now and with FIFA's success in 2010 what can we expect from their latest release, FIFA 11.

There is no doubt about it, FIFA 11 is the best Football game to date. The game takes everything we loved about it's predisecore and scraps any of the problems such as inconsistent refereeing, Disgraceful Goalkeeping and much more.

As with any Sports related game the Story always seems to be the least important of the three sections in this review, However with FIFA 11 there has been allot of work put into creating a Career mode worth playing through without any simulations. FIFA 11's Career mode replaces the Manager Mode used in FIFA 10, It allows you to play first as a Player, Then Player Manager, and finally as a Manager. The re-introduction of the Transfer system is welcomed back and improved greatly with the ability to plan ahead with a new calender system introduced to help select what or who you will need in the future. The game now implements a two-stage negotiation process meaning once a bid is accepted you will then have to negotiate with the player offering them wages and perks to join the club. Rather than the previous version where you offered a price and wage in one motion, This means you can have an offer accepted by a club and then rejected by a player.One of my personal favourite new features to FIFA 11 is the introduction of an unlimited simulation process meaning you can simulate as far into a season as you like without having to simulate each individual match which is a long and frustrating process.

The biggest difference from 10 and 11 is the introduction of playable Goalkeepers, quite fitting that we are finally given 11 vs 11 with FIFA 11. Yes, you can now play as a Goal keeper and No it's not exiting in career mode, only online with friends. If you play as a Goalkeeper in career mode expect to stand alone waiting for those 1 or 2 chances during a 90 minute match when you will have the opportunity to dive left or right. However online it's a different story, when surrounded by team mates being controlled as friends and interacting vocally over the headset it can be quite a thrilling experience.The only major change in gameplay other than controlling Goalkeepers is the new Passing System called Passing Personality+. No longer will you have those games that remind you of Ping Pong with the mindlessly constant tap of the A or X button. This new passing system means different players pass in different way's, Some can't pass the same distance or with the same power as other players. Of course the superstars can still provide excellent passes and deliver perfect crossed balls, it's most noticed when you attempt a pass or cross with a lesser known player and expect a Cristiano Ronaldo delivered ball and you end up having to chase your ball longer than you expected. This new passing system changes the gameplay and helps to stop allot of the problems when playing online against other users who like to pass in a pattern. Of course the 360 direction for players is back and works just as well as in FIFA 10. The Goalkeeping has been improved greatly and although there are still some problems and awkward goals it has been reduced dramatically from FIFA 10.

The main problem i had with the Graphics in FIFA 10 was when i played on a HD TV in 1080p colours such as Light Blue, Lime Green, or Yellow would appear almost white because of the lighting and poor colours. Thankfully i can tell you this problem has been fixed and now we can look at Manchester City, Lazio, or Argentina and be blown away by the bold vibrant and beautiful colours this game offers. Player models have also been improved dramatically for the superstars who now have their own unique expressions and emotions.

FIFA 11 is the best Football game ever created some might say, and it is hard to argue that point. The only problem i have when buying a new FIFA game is the feeling that all i am buying is This seasons strips and an up to date team list. This year it feels like you are getting a new experience like with FIFA 10 and it's worth the money.

FIFA 11 is a great Football game but without improving too much on FIFA 10 i give this 8/10