Enslaved (Odyssey to the West) Game Review

Enslaved places you in a postapocalyptic world after the war when nothing but the decrepit ruins of what once was is all that remains. Buildings left in ruin with nature climbing all over them, lakes and pools of chemicals creating a beautiful but deadly world controlled by the mechs that walk through it attacking anything in sight. You will play as 1 of 2 escaped slaves named Monkey in search of a village which holds the only remaining hope for humanity.

You control the Character Monkey but this is by no means a solo campaign, although there is no co-op you will feel as if you are always accompanied by a close friend in Trip. Trip finds herself on a ship with strict rules and no real future ahead of her. She implements an escape plan however she finds herself escaping with more than just herself.

After Trip escapes from the ship she finds a fellow captive who has escaped along side her, he is big, strong, and his name is Monkey. The difference in the two characters helps create the initial feelings of dislike towards one another and make it more believable. This also shows the difference in each characters ability's, while Trip is small and thin she is very intelligent and can help with any puzzle elements. Monkey is powerful yet agile and can be used for any platforming.

Trip finds Monkey unconscious and attaches a headband to him allowing her to control him, she informs him of this when he awakes. If Monkey strays to far from his capture or her heart stops he will feel unthinkable pain.

The relationship between Monkey and Trip is the reason to spend your hard eard money on this great adventure.

The designers of this game put allot of work into creating two believable characters with real emotions, the way that Monkey and Trip communicate during cut scenes is played out perfectly and the subtle face movements help create each characters own personality. When playing through the game i experienced lot's of these great moments however one stood out to me, there is a point when Monkey is still unsure how Trip feels about him, she climbs on the back of his motorbike and rests her head on his back and although Monkey just think's it's for safety we see her close her eyes and begin to smile. This let's us know she feels something for Monkey and their relationship grows even stronger as you continue with this grand adventure.

The game uses the emotional connection you feel for each character and places Trip in situations of grave danger making the action sequences not only frantic and exhilarating, but also adds an emotional sense of worry and concern rarely felt in a video game.

The main thing is they both need each other, Trip needs Monkey to take down the mechs and other enemy's with his staff and fighting capability's. He can also scale just about any wall and leap from pole to pole, where as Monkey requires Trip for her intelligence and ability to lure enemy's away from Monkey while he is scaling a wall or ledge.

You take on the role of Trip's protector which is quite interesting considering you are her slave at the end of the day. But knowing that her life will keep you alive is all you need to justify protection the one who has enslaved you. This helps keep the two close together when normally they would be parted, helping create a believable relationship which otherwise would not exist.

You begin the game with a rather standard arsenal of attacks, only two attacks and a block and dodge movement are all you get. Although the button mashing combos are repetitive at times, the hard action and timing on screen can make you feel like you are doing allot more than re-tapping the same buttons.

The camera is the biggest drawback of the game creating more trouble than the enemy's you face at times. The camera is zoomed in very close to Monkey when you control him to give the feeling of extra impact when you attack enemy's with his brutal staff and the reverberations can be seen and felt on their body's, this works well but on the downside makes it impossible to notice approaching enemy's from behind. When scaling walls and other platforming areas throughout the beautifully designed world you feel a sense of claustrophobia at times when you can't rotate your camera to take in the sights and detail the game manages to produces so well which is such a shame.

The enemy's at first can seem repetitive and easily defeated however when you progress through the game you will begin to face tougher opponents which will test your timing more than anything. Timing is really all their is to the combat system, dodging from opponents and timing the correct blow can be fun on the tougher enemy's but not so much at the beginning of the game.

The platforming side of the game is a great way of breaking up the brutal and frantic action. It can feel liberating at time when you effortlessly scale the environment with ease, each platforming section will be a puzzle and you will have to work out how to make it from point A to point B. The disappointing aspect is you can only jump when the game let's you removing any of the mystery and puzzle solving leaving you frustrated at times. The platforming is still great fun don't get me wrong, it just feels like they have restricted the player more than need be at times.

The pacing of the action is what helps you forget about the issues with platforming or fighting because you never know what to expect and that sense of unknown is what excites you and makes you want to continue on with your adventure.

There is also thrilling chase scenes, vehicle to ride on such as a hover board and cinematic boss battles. The boss fights don't go into to much depth when it comes to the combat system and really aren't too difficult, they are more about creating that cinematic look and feeling father than testing the players skill which is great but at the same time might leave you feeling a like the fight was incomplete.

My personal favourite aspect of Enslaved and the main reason i gave the game a shot is it's graphics and art design, the world is so beautiful to look at and shows creativity and imagination in the minds of the game designers. You will begin your adventure amongst the ruins of a city overgrown with plant life venturing on into such places as underground cavers offering a new colour pallet which always keeps the pleasing visuals new and fresh on the eye. Underwater world, scrap piles, heavily guarded villages all help create a unique postapocalyptic world never before seen in such a way.

The visuals are phenomenal at times and enhanced even more with the beautiful ambient backdrop music which can also change to a punishing and frantic sound when in battle helping create a sense of fear and panic in battles that would otherwise be nothing more than an ordinary boss fight.

Enslaved is a game that offers a great story with stunning visuals in a creative and imaginative world. There are some problems with gameplay and combat but the two main characters provide a great emotional journey worth playing through.

Enslaved is a great game and shows so much potential only falling short on some minor occasions which are not big enough to make you miss out on this experience. 8.5/10

Shadow Of The Colossus Game Review

How can a game which is essentially just 16 boss fight's scattered across a bare landscape be considered one of the greatest games of all time, or even a work of art ?.

Shadow Of The Colossus is a game i was not sure i could review because when i attempt to gather my thoughts on what this game means to me, i can't help but distract myself with the desire and will to play this phenomenal game one more time.

Shadow was released close to the time i made my transition from the PS2 to next gen consoles, so i originally missed out on this masterpiece. I always remember the game cover and concept art i had seen in an old PS2 magazine so the game was always in the back of my mind but it wasn't until 2008 when i decided to ordered a copy of this game from the internet and give it a shot.

Shadow was created by the team behind 2001's glorious work of art, ICO. Although it has never been confirmed or denied Shadow is seen as a prequel to the 2001 game ICO. The graphicl design and art direction, not to mention the resemblance in character models has led to many fans of the two games linking them together.

When you begin playing the game you will have only a brief introduction to a story. You realise very quickly you will play the role of a lone warrior who has travel'd a far distance on horseback to reach a temple in the hope of healing some woman that he cares for. You are not told if this woman is your wife, sister, or friend. You don't know who you are or she is, all you know is that this temple can help her. We don't even know if she is just sick or dead but the great thing is we don't need to know. This all adds to the mystery and sense of isolation you will feel throughout this incredible game.

The only companion you have on your journey's is your Horse, Agro. You and Agro will travel to 16 different locations in this land and defeat the towering giant colossi that roam this land.

You start off at the temple before riding Agro to one of the colossi where you will fight the giant to the death, after killing him you must absorb his essence before returning back to the temple in a dream like daze.

There is no awkward combos, meaningless levelling up or weapon upgrades. You finish the game as you started just a loan warrior with his Sword and bow.The Sword acts as a compass when held to the sun it will deflect a beam of light which will grow narrower when pointed in the direction of the next boss battle.

This may make the game sound like nothing more than a few boss fights, but that is essentially all it is, however it is 16 of the most imaginative and exiting boss fights you will ever find in a video game.

There are no other enemy's roaming the land to get in your way and slow you down. The only other living creatures on this barren landscape are a few small black lizards crawling on rarely seen rocks placed throughout the map where you can save your game.

The designers of the game could have easily extended the length of this game by adding some lesser enemy's along the way to each Colossi but that would have only taken away the feeling of isolation you get while travelling through this land to each boss fight. When you travel towards each boss there will likely be nothing in your way other than a few rocks, trees, or waterfalls in the background. You will go through desert areas, underground caverns, lakes, grassy jungle like areas and rocky paths in search of these monsters that shake the ground with every foot step.

You will begin to bond with your Horse Agro and feel closer to him with each boss you sleigh. The bond between you and Agro grows and the designers manage to make you care about him as if he was family, When you have nothing but him in a world where you are isolated from anything or anyone you feel a sense of friendship and love with one another. There is a trust that is created when you both have to take down these giants, some of which you will ride Agro as fast as he can just for the opportunity to jump on the side of one of these enormous bosses.

The joy of this game is when you finally reach a Colossi and have to work out what you can do to bring him to his knees. Each boss requires a different method to take him down. Shadow feels as much like a Puzzle game as it does an Action Adventure due to the puzzling way's each boss requires you to destroy him. The boss fights will start off rather simple, climb on the boss and search for his weak points. Once found you can begin a vicious stabbing attack until each weak point has been destroyed, this will be enough to finish the boss and release his essence for you to absorb. The game will get much tougher as it goes on asking you to think hard and use much more thought and creativity to sleigh each Colossi.

With every battle asking something different from you, Soaring to the skies or diving bellow the depths of the ocean it will be like nothing you have ever experienced in any game before this. Colossi towering hundreds of feet above you swinging a sword the size of a skyscraper will be one of the most thrilling and exhilarating gaming moments you will ever encounter.

There is only one thing in common about the boss fights, each final weak point will be located at the top of the colossi meaning you will have to climb hundreds of feet to reach your final goal. When you climb you can use R1 to hold on tight at areas of fur, or plants growing on the colossi when they try to shake you off. you will spend more time holding on rather than striking your foes weak points.

The Colossi very rarely attack you on sight or make you have any reason to fear them, in fact they seem almost child like wondering around more curious than dangerous which brings me to what Shadow Of The Colossus manages to achieve best, Emotion. You will sometimes wonder when attempting to tumble these beasts who really is the bad guy in this game. Is it the Colossi wondering the land without a care in the world or is it the loan warrior and his burning desire to complete an arguably selfish quest.

The character animation on you, Agro, and the Colossi is outstanding and can rival even a next gen title. Your Horse moves and looks like a real Horse constantly brushing his tail up or flicking the hair trail along his neck. You will look slightly clumsy climbing onto the Horse and Colossi, stumbling and looking rather unsure of yourself. The Colossi will look like they are stone guardians that have come to life, they will act and move as you would expect a stone creature to do so.

The game uses a motion blur effect making this not only feel but look cinematic, it also supports 420p and widescreen modes on HDTV's which enhances the presentation even more.

One of the games strongest points is the orchestral music, as you play through the game you will hear nothing but the subtle sounds of the wind or footsteps from Agro as he travels the land. Sometimes a giant waterfall can be heard from a distance this all adding to the feeling of isolation. However when you reach a Colossi you are blessed with a fantastic Orchestral tune which fits with perfection for each boss fight not only enhancing the thrill of your battle but adding to the frantic and chaotic excitement during battle.

I don't wan't to spoil anything about the final boss in Shadow so all i will say is this, It took me 3 days just to work out what i had to do and it was one of the toughest boss battles i have ever encountered.

Shadow Of The Colossus seems to have everything. There has never been a game like it and i doubt we will ever see this type of masterpiece again. This game is a must play for anyone who enjoys games and will stand the test of time as a Phenomenal Masterpiece not only in gaming but in art and design as well.

This to me is not a game, it's an expirence 10/10

Playstation Move Review

When Sony's Move motion sensing system was unveiled, it received a mixed reaction from people in the game industry comparing it to other motion-sensing systems such as the Nintendo Wii, and Microsoft's high-tech controller free Kinetic. These initial thought's and concerns can now be put to rest.

The main thing with Move is that it works and works extremely well compared to Microsoft's Kinect which is riddled with lag problems. The Move is lag free and moves with almost pin point accuracy, even more impressive than the Wii.

The main difference between the Wii Motion Plus and and the Move is the glowing orbs located on the end of each Move controller, when moving these orbs link up with the Playstation Eye camera and can judge the distance from the controller to the TV.

One of the great thing's about the Move is almost every item can be bought individually, creating a much more manageable price range than the Wii or Kinect. You only need one of the Playstation Move controllers to play the games however it is much more fun playing while using both hands to control multiple objects on screen.

What you will need is the Playstation Eye camera which can be found in bundles with other games such as Eye Pet, and a Playstation Move controller. However there are bundles including the 2 items previously mentioned as well as the Move Navigation Controller which is a wireless version of the Wii's Nunchuk controller used for navigation, and a selection of Launch games. You can purchase a bundle for as low as £49:99 and a single controller for only £34:99.

This reasonably priced and easy way of purchasing each item means you can buy what you need and want and your own pace without having to splash a load of cash out on one big bundle, of course there still is that option for any of you who have that desire.

One of the advantages between the Move and it's other two competitors seems to be with the games, games such as Killzone 3, Resident Evil 5 (Gold Edition), and SOCOM Special Forces have already been confirmed. The Move does have the classic family party games you would expect from the motion-sensing gimmick, however unlike the Wii or Kinect it is introducing a wider variaty of games for different people.

SOCOM and Killzone 3 both look outstanding on the Move and the control's feel pin point accurate, which was always the main problem with FPS's on the Wii. The cover system works really well with the Navigation controller and shooting with the Move controller just feels natural and fun.

The party games are not as impressive as the big name titles as expected but as launch titles they are a great improvement on the Wii, if not only for the beautiful Graphics and more accurate controls. The highlights of the party games are Table Tennis and the Gladiator game. The rest just seem like Wii sports with improved Graphics.

Playstation Move is not only working on new titles, but adding patches to previous classics such as Heavy Rain which will have a free patch released sometime in October.

The Move has an impressive line of games for anyone's taste and while you might be hesitant at first, the great selection of games on the way, low price, and individual release of each item makes the Move the best option out of the 3 motion-sensing systems on the market just now showing more potential for the future than any of the others.

Playstation Move is fantastic, fun and worth the money. 9/10

Halo Reach Game Review

Game Information

• Publisher (Microsoft)
• Developer (Bungie Software)
• Genre (First Person Shooter)
• Console (XBOX 360 Exclusive)

Halo has been the most successful franchise on the XBOX 360 for a long time now with only the release of a Call Of Duty game to rival it, Reach is Bungie's latest and final attempt to bring Halo back to the top where many believe it belongs. With ODST receiving allot of criticism, mainly because it could have been released as a download rather than a full priced title Halo fans are expecting something big! from Bungie's latest attempt and i can tell you Halo Reach delivers another great gaming experience.

The story in Reach is one of the most powerful and emotional of any Halo game. You play as a member of Noble Team only known as Spartan 6. The game will pair you up with each of your team mates on various different missions, This helps give each member of Noble Team their own role in the story and makes you connect emotionally with each individual on your team. The campaign offers a new and fresh feel with the traditional closed indoor fighting mixed in with huge open battlefields, even taking the fight to space this time around. The game manages to feel new and fresh with the introduction of new weapons and items such as the jet pack which is my personal favourite of the new additions. Stealth kills have also been introduced and there is a wide range of ways to kill an enemy with a knife from behind always managing to satisfy the player in a way we have never seen before in a Halo game. Four player Co-op is back and even better than ever, There is nothing more fun than jumping into a Halo campaign with 3 other friends and struggling through a mission on Legendary. This is even more true now that allot of the problems with dumb AI in previous Halo games has been fixed, Reach is tougher and smarter than any of it's predecessors, But don't worry while the game is tough it is also rewarding, You earn Credits from everything you do in the Game which can be used to customize your character for online multiplayer and campaign mode. The customisation is outstanding in Reach delivering a huge scale of customisation options to make you look as unique as possible, giving each player online or offline his own individuality when playing through the game. Finally i just want to mention the audio in Reach, once again Martin O'Donnell is back and provides an outstanding soundtrack to help create the atmosphere and emotions felt when playing this remarkable game.

The gameplay is the same as with any Halo game, However the biggest difference is the introduction of Jet Packs. This adds a new element to a Halo game giving hardcore veteran Halo players a new challenge to look forward to in Campaign or online multilayer. The shooting feels as smooth and crisp as ever with any Halo game and with the new weapons and stealth kills the gameplay should feel new, fresh, and fun for even the old school Halo gamers.

The Graphics in Halo Reach are gorgeous, you will feel like you are in another world when your eyes look out into the distance and see the stunning and beautifully designed backdrop to each mission and different area in the game. Sometimes there can be a slight problem with the frame rate but this is only because the battle scenes in some areas are unbelievably huge in scale. Weapons, Character models, Vehicles, and the Environment looks much better in Reach compared to previous Halo games with more detail and better lighting effects. One of the things you will notice when playing through Reach is the Atmosphere, The Atmosphere in ODST was the highlight of that game and Reach follows on from ODST by creating a world that not only looks amazing but feels amazing when playing through. At some points when playing through Reach i would feel as if i was in a real war zone, i would find myself looking at Spartans falling and think of them as real people. Halo Reach manages to capture you inside it's world and deliver a memorable experience that is not to be missed.

Multiplayer is always the biggest selling point with any Halo game and in Reach it's better than ever. Although it is disappointing to see a low number of maps, some of which are just jazzed up re-makes of old Halo classics we are sure to see downloads released in the not to distant future. Halo Reach offers us a new Forge mode which is better than ever. Forge mode allows you to edit maps and create new game types and it seems the only limit with Reach's forge mode is your time and patience. Fire fight is back and even more fun than in ODST with the new wepons and ability's, The improvement to the AI can make it a very challenging experience but with a group of friends there is no better experience in the game world.

Halo Reach achieves what all other Halo games could not, a complete package. 9.5/10

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