The Virtual Underground

Rating: *****

Halo is popular: ridiculously popular. With the exception of iconoclastic naysayers who accuse anyone who likes fun of being a Ritalin-popping simpleton, people like Halo. And with the series racking up sales of 14.8 million units and with Halo 2 shattering the entertainment industry record at the time for sales in 24 hours, Halo 3 has a lot to live up to. A massive marketing campaign complete with crossover promotion can only set expectations even higher.

It’s a good job then that Halo 3 lives up to the hype and then some.

There is a reason why Halo is popular. It has something that helps it to stand out in a crowd, especially in the saturated genre of first-person shooters. Halo is epic. No other franchise in history has ever succeeded in giving the player such a sense of puissance and vigour.

Halo is popular because it doesn’t have moments, but events. Experiences that tickle the soul, sending shivers down the spine. Experiences, both single-player and multiplayer, that can be shared with friends in an excited oh-and-remember-when way that no other game achieves.

The frantic escape from the Pillar of Autumn’s self-destruction in Halo: Combat Evolved. The first assault on the Scarab tank or the first experience of a Banshee dogfight in Halo 2. Halo 3 takes those epic moments and multiplies them by ten.

Spoiling these events would be cruel and unfair, the joy of Halo 3 coming from the shock and awe that accompanies each virgin play-through. Yet rest assured that Halo 3 empowers the way no other game can. The sense of scale, the sense of immortality amongst the chaos, all while the most moving soundtrack is augmenting your progress in beautiful high definition.

Indeed, the presentation of Halo is just as important as its ability to capture an intergalactic conflict. From the front-end menus to the beautiful high definition graphics, the atmospheric music to the perfect sound effects and charming dialogue, Halo 3 just feels like a next-generation game. The level design is intelligent and natural, and the pacing of the game is flawless. Everything has been polished and sent out of the door with nothing but love.

One particular aspect of the single-player campaign that impresses is the way that the various difficulty settings alter the experience. No longer do Heroic and Legendary mean that enemies are simply more organised and harder to kill. Yes, the improved AI certainly proves itself worthy of the term intelligent on these difficulties, but Halo 3 also removes paths and opportunities that are presented in the easier difficulty settings. Ultimately, playing through Halo on each difficulty is a fresh experience, meaning that even once the single-player campaign is completed, there is plenty incentive to return.

Another way that Halo 3 impresses is by one-upping its predecessors in terms of one of the more popular components: cooperative multiplayer. Rather than offer two people the ability to play through the campaign with the second player being a carbon copy of Master Chief (who is supposedly the last active Spartan), Halo 3 offers four players the ability to play through the campaign, each as a unique and individual character.

Also included in the presentation are unlockable secrets. This includes the 49 achievements for various tasks that range from the obvious to the obscure. Also included are sets of armour that can be used to customise a personal Spartan warrior for use in multiplayer.

Mutliplayer itself represents another reason why Halo is so popular. Like the single-player campaign, multiplayer provides an experience that feels epic. From the use of various vehicles to the numerous gameplay modes, Halo 3 always makes a multiplayer match feel like a skirmish, not a scuffle.

An evolution from what has been seen in Halo: Combat Evolved, Halo 2, and even the Halo 3 Beta, the multiplayer offers a balanced, fleshed-out affair that brings more enjoyment than ever before.

Some tweaks have been made to the control scheme, and while these definitely affect the single-player campaign, they are more evident in multiplayer. No longer does the X button reload weaponry; instead it now deploys various equipment, both aggressive and supportive.

Reloading has been switched to the right bumper button, and when dual-wielding weaponry, the left bumper button is used to reload the left-hand weapon. This means that with clever timing the frantic panic that accompanies the sound of an empty chamber at the very moment a final bullet would have ended an opponent can be completely avoided.

However, in order to avoid any one weapon or combination of weapons becoming too powerful, Bungie has spent countless hours balancing everything to perfection. Even spawning with the default weapon does not put players at any disadvantage provided their strategy is sound.

Not only have the weapons been tweaked and balanced, but so too have the vehicles. The Banshee, which suffered from being nothing more than a glorified transport at times, now has the ability to launch missiles that were absent from Halo 2’s multiplayer. The chaingun has also been removed from the Scorpion tank, meaning that every shell matters more than ever.

Although the variety of maps and modes would satisfy, Bungie has also included a new mode known as the Forge. Essentially a mode that grants the ability to tinker with the various maps and save them for later use, the Forge also allows players to engage in some combat while using the Forge.

The result is pure, unfiltered chaos that makes 16-player Rocketball on Beaver Creek look like a tame afternoon picnic at a nursing home. In theory, providing the player has the funds, they can simply drop into edit mode, place a tank in front of them and then drop out, climb into the new toy and start raining death and destruction. That is, of course, until another player blows up the tank with the missile pod they’ve just spawned in front of them.

Bungie have also included a mode that allows players to save videos of recently played matches. Not only will this allow players to share secrets and tactics, but it will also allow for hilarious moments to be captured, savoured, and shared in a Halo’s Funniest Home Videos kind of way. If Bungie wanted to foster the Halo community even further, it has definitely implemented the necessary tools.

With an epic and brilliantly polished single-player campaign and a multiplayer component overflowing with features, Halo 3 represents the best value in video games. No other game offers you more value for every dollar. However, Halo 3 also represents something more: the end of the Halo series.

And what an ending it is. Halo 3 captures, inspires, and enthrals; every moment is a joy to play. It’s not perfect – no game is – but it’s as close to it as possible. Halo 3 is the bastion of video games, a blissful reminder of why we play, and a firm reminder that things were not always better in eras past. Most of all, it is the crowning achievement in the Halo series and a fitting coda for what has arguably been the biggest franchise of the last decade.

Halo 3 is essential. An Xbox 360 without a copy of the game is like a human without a heart. Indeed, it is a game that demands purchasing an Xbox 360, and no doubt it will sell many. However, more important than the number of consoles it sells is the fact that Halo 3 leaves the video game industry with a final, glorious, and near-perfect event.

Rating: ***

Shadow The Hedgehog was always destined to be poorly reviewed. The moment the press saw Shadow with a gun in his hand, riding around on a Harley, they decided that it had to be mediocre. Without pointing fingers, it’s pretty obvious that nobody ever gave this game a chance.

Which is a shame, given that the game is largely better than Sonic Heroes: a game that was well received by a majority of the gaming press.

Shadow The Hedgehog forgoes the mixed gameplay of its immediate predecessor, instead focusing on the skills of everyone’s favourite and only brooding emo of a hedgehog: Shadow. This game is perhaps the most ‘Sonic’ of the Sonic games since the series left the Mega Drive.

That’s not to say that it’s not without its faults. Some of the objectives for the hero missions, like collecting 400 rings, can prove tedious; the aiming of weapons can often test your patience; and the homing attack can sometimes choose the wrong target.

However, for the most part, the game is solid. Those that dislike the game are those that try to play it like Mario’s 3D outings. “How can a platformer ever justify not touching a button?” But learning to play Shadow The Hedgehog is about learning to let go, learning when to simply press jump without holding forward.

Once the controls are understood, the game provides the speedy thrills that the Sonic series is known for. Before too long, players can be racing along at speed as they try to complete the quests before them.

The game is a tree, with each branch being reached by completing a series of tasks. It could be collecting every ring, or perhaps killing every innocent in sight. Whether the player chooses to be good, evil, or merely self-serving directly affects the content of the game. Simply exploring every branch provides plenty of reply value.

Graphically, Shadow The Hedgehog is a grittier Sonic. There’s plenty of classic Sonic style here, but there’s also a darker edge to the entire game. It does fit Shadow’s darker personality, but it might seem too deliberate for some. The framerate also suffers on all but the Xbox version, with the PS2 version being nigh on unplayable.

The sound, however, is a breath of fresh air: a return to Sonic’s roots. No longer does the audience have to suffer some God-awful J-rock, as the music is now a collection of memorable rock-techno that reminds you of the 16-bit era.

The voice acting is adequate, being voiced by the same cast as Sonic X; but the plot is throwaway, and hearing Sonic and Shadow swear seems jarring and unnecessary.

But ultimately the game can be fun to play. It’s obvious that Sonic Team tried hard to be cool, and perhaps they tried too hard. But underneath the flaws is a charming action title that’s enjoyable once you get to grips with the controls. The focus on Shadow also means that the gameplay doesn’t feel needlessly diluted.

It’s far from perfect, but if you’re a fan of Sonic, this is probably the best 3D Sonic game so far. It feels closer to the old-school Sonic than anything released so far. Providing you purchase the Xbox version, it’s worth ignoring the critics and judging this one for yourself.

Rating: ***

Ever since Another Code was announced in Japanese magazines last year, there has been an enormous amount of hype hat has surrounded it in the underground arena. It’s not hard to see why the game, developed by the little known company of Cing, has had so many people embracing it: It’s an original title in a genre that is almost forgotten in the days of sandbox gameplay and licensed titles. Another Code is an adventure game, one that plays like the offspring of Myst and the Lucasarts’ point-and-click titles, such as Sam and Max. With its charming presentation, intriguing story, and unique use of the DS’ innovative features, Another Code is competent example of its genre. However, the game has many shortcomings and ultimately fails to live up to the hype created for it.

Another Code casts the player as young, white-haired protagonist Ashley, whose frail appearance causes her to come across looking like a trendy version of Ico’s Yorda. The game starts with Ashley travelling via boat to Blood Edward Island to meet her father, who was previously presumed dead, after receiving a mysterious package the day before her 14th birthday. Upon arriving at the island, Ashley’s father is ominously absent, and after Ashley’s aunt, Jessica, fails to return from searching for him, it’s up to Ashley to solve the dilemma. Along the way, she enters an abandoned mansion on the island and discovers there is far more to the situation than she bargained for. She must then undertake the task of piecing together all the missing parts of the puzzle that is before her.

The game can be played, for the most part, with the d-pad and buttons or by guiding Ashley with the stylus, with the latter feeling more smooth and fluid. The game’s display spreads itself across the two screens nicely. The touch screen displays a top-down, real time image of Ashley and her surroundings, while the top screen displays a pre-rendered view of areas that are of interest to Ashley. As the pre-rendered image changes, Ashley can choose to look at the contents of the frame, and the rendered view is displayed on the touch screen. This is where the game takes a cue from Myst, as the player must click on anything that looks of interest to examine it. Ultimately, the game dissolves into its rather basic core, where a player simply guides Ashley around the environment looking for new rendered screens to appear, followed by clicking on anything that looks important. However, because the important items are often ridiculously small and obscure, while many of the objects are pointless, it often leads to a tedious experience of trial and error.

Another annoying trait with the game is the fact that despite Ashley’s apparently bottomless inventory, you can only pick up an item once you have found a purpose for it. So while you know that the angel with the drum is obviously going to be important later on, you can’t pick it up until you find its exact use. This can lead to a bunch of pointless backtracking, which becomes quite tiresome towards the end of the game. However, using the items you find in puzzles is often creative and a fine use of the DS’ abilities without being gimmicky. The puzzles start of basic at first, simply rearranging pieces of a broken sign or typing in a key-code - nothing that couldn’t be done on a conventional console. However, later on, players will find themselves blowing into the microphone to clear dust of a picture or using the stylus to throw objects into the top screen. Some of the more complex puzzles are almost aggravatingly obscure and it’s likely many players will only uncover the solution by fluke.

The linear nature of Another Code is probably its most puzzling aspect - no pun intended. The story is the major driving force of events, meaning players will progress through the mansion only after they have uncovered certain parts of the story. Yet because some of the puzzles to uncover the story are so obscure, the game can grind to a standstill at points. Even more strange is the fact that the subplot appears to be both a driving force and entirely optional. Unveiling this part of the story often revolves around finding hidden items in bookcases and such, and it is possible to finish the game without ever resolving this part of the story, which seems a major focus for a large chunk of the game. However, the most frustrating aspect about Another Code’s linearity is the game’s length. Clocking in at about 5 hours, the game is disappointingly short. 5 hours wouldn’t be a problem if the game was worth replaying after completion, but due to the linear nature of the gameplay and story, it isn’t. Players will probably only wish to play again if they didn’t conclude the subplot, or if they wish to try the remixed mode, which seems to only have trivial features, such as replacing birds with ninjas.

Another Code really does have a lot going for it, and it’s a game that really wants you to like it. The graphics and design are impressive, the characters are generally charismatic, and the use of the DS’ unique features is excellent. The sound effects are sparse and the music can begin to grate after a while, but Another Code is generally a very polished package. Unfortunately, the linear nature of the gameplay and story, coupled with the game’s length, means that it doesn’t really live up to its hype or potential. It’s certainly refreshing to see this type of game today and had it been longer, it would be easier to recommend. Unfortunately, it just isn’t worth the asking price. Unless you have the ability to rent DS games or you have a large disposable income, this is a game that is best purchased from the inevitable bargain bins.

Rating: *****

There’s no point wasting time. If you follow the video game industry, even slightly, you already know about Gears of War. You know it’s Microsoft’s big title for Christmas, and you know it’s had a ridiculous amount of hype surround it. The question you really want to know is whether it lives up to the hype.

In a word: yes.

If you’ve been following the game and you’re simply waiting for the go-ahead, you’ve got it. Go pick up you pre-order and enjoy it.

However, the rest of you, especially those who aren’t fans of shooters, will want to read on to find out whether or not Gears of War is worth your time and money.

It’s hard not to accuse Gears of War of being . . . deliberate. It’s definitely aimed at the Xbox 360’s target demographic, the 18-to-35-year-old male, and it wears its inspiration on its sleeve. In terms of aesthetics and style, Gears of War is a bit of a pastiche. You’ll easily notice the bits that have been shamelessly pulled from blockbuster action movies such as Aliens and Pitch Black. The game also has an “eat s*** and die” mentality that is obviously going out of its way to be as badass as possible.

However, it works. Not simply because Gears of War manages to pull it off with finesse, but because Gears of War attempts to be highly cinematic and achieves it. There’s not much of a story to speak of. Marcus Fenix – voiced by John “Bender” Di Maggio – is busted out of jail to aid the resistance against an invasion by a coalition of intelligent monsters known as the Locust. While the story isn’t just an 8-bit style premise that merely provides motivation of killing the “bad guys”, it’s also nothing special, and mainly serves to link the acts together.

But action movies aren’t known for their stunning stories; they’re known for gunfights, car chases, and explosions. Likewise, Gears of War delivers what it should. The gameplay actually starts a lot like the chainsaw bayonets found within the game. It’s slow to start, and it eases the player into the experience, gradually teaching them everything. Once the full skill set has been provided to the player, the action really picks up and the experience becomes highly enjoyable.

For the most part, it’s Gears of War’s simplicity that makes it so enjoyable. Many people claim that Resident Evil 4 is the rather obvious inspiration for this game. These people aren’t paying enough attention. Resident Evil 4 had sloppy movement and pusillanimous combat – it was needlessly protracted. Gears of War’s dual-stick controls allow it to one-up Resident Evil 4 by making it feel fluid.

Additionally, Gears of War implements a cover system that takes it far beyond the simple shooting gallery that is Resident Evil 4. Instead of run-and-gun, Gears of War employs a pop-and-stop mechanic. The goal is to hide behind cover, popping occasionally up to take out enemies. In this respect, Gears of War plays more like Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter.

However, Gears of War’s streamlined cover system makes it far more accessible. Simply pressing A in combination with the left stick will allow players to execute a variety of covering manoeuvres. It’s not perfect – occasionally the context will fail and you’ll execute an ill-advised dive-roll instead of sliding to safety – but it certainly allows the focus to shift from the controls to the action on screen.

The game also offers a streamlined system for commanding your squad. Unlike the complicated Ghost Recon, players merely issue orders of attacking fire, ceasing fire, and regrouping. This avoids any breakdown in the action by needing to pause in order to work out ideal placing for your squad.

Gears of War also contains a variety of cinematic thrills and chills, plenty of which will induce screams from the not-so-gruff. Some of the scripted events, such as fights with Berzerkers, are amazingly cinematic and highly satisfying. If Gears of War is trying to capture the fun and excitement of an action movie, it succeeds. It wears the label of interactive movie far more comfortably than most.

It’s not without its flaws, however. There are also a few graphical glitches, mainly with textures failing to load in time, as well as the aforementioned context problems with the cover system. The AI is also a tad questionable. The enemy AI is amazingly intelligent; they’ll flank you, take cover, and basically kick your ass if you’re not careful. Delta Squad, however, appears to have the intelligence of a rabid gibbon. Your squad often gets themselves into a variety of lethal situations, most notably Dom, who’ll get himself killed constantly. In Act 2, this can prove frustrating, especially as it forces restarts.

That’s why it’s best to play Gears of War with a friend. You can play locally or over Xbox Live, with the latter being the optimum choice. In a sense, Gears of War almost feels like an updated version of Contra, especially given its trial-and-error nature and its emphasis on a perfect run. That’s not to suggest that the single-player campaign isn’t fun, but just like Halo, Gears of War is more fun if you share it with a friend.

In regards to length and difficulty, most people will find the Casual difficulty an appropriate challenge, with the game lasting about 12-to-15 hours. Those who are rather well versed in the shooter genre will probably want to start off on the Hardcore difficulty setting. Those who manage to complete that mode will find the Insane difficulty setting waiting for them. There are achievements for completing all three modes, which encourages replay.

And when you’re finally done with the online mode, you’ll be able to take Gears of War online. You can compete in three types of matches, all 4-on-4. Warzone is your standard team deathmatch; Extermination is a mode where players can only die after being finished off, usually by having their face stomped into the pavement; and Assassination has a leader player who must be exterminated in order to achieve victory.

All the modes are enjoyable, the maps are well-designed, and the squad-based gameplay that focuses on teamwork really helps the game set itself apart from other online-enabled shooters.

Despite its flaws, Gears of War is an excellent shooter. Indeed, it is probably the most refined, well-executed shooter, and enjoyable shooter ever made. It’s cinematic nature and streamlined gameplay help to create an experience that is not soon forgotten. However, it will not convince those who dislike shooters to change their mind about the genre. This is not what Burnout 3 is to racing games.

If you have an Xbox 360 and you like to shoot things, buy this game. If you like to shoot things and you’ve been sitting on the fence about getting an Xbox 360, this should convince you to “jump in”. Everyone else, however, might want to look at renting this game first to make sure it’s their cup of tea. It comes highly, highly recommended, but only to people who are fans of the shooter genre.

Rating: **

Do you have fond memories of Tetris 2? Of course you don’t; puzzle sequels rarely amount to anything. Puzzle games either rehash content, thus removing any incentive to purchase, or try to invent the wheel, thus removing anything that made the original so much fun.

But the video game industry is a sequel-driven one, and puzzle games will be damned if anyone stops them from trying to milk another teat on the cash cow’s udder. So it’s no surprise that Lumines 2, the sequel to the sleeper hit PSP launch title, is now upon us.

The problem, however, is that Lumines 2 merely rehashes content while totally destroying everything that made the original so captivating. The basic experience remains unchanged: once more players will lose themselves in a hypnotic trance as they attempt to rotate falling blocks so they form clusters of colour.

The time-line is once again present, speeding up or slowing down depending on the tempo of the song, and frantically trying to work around the time-line will one again induce unforced errors. Nothing has changed as far as the addictive gameplay is concerned.

However, Lumines can get away with little change, as a large part of the focus has always been on the skins and music. The Japanese original dubbed itself ‘puzzle and music’, and, indeed, the music was a large part of the charm. On screen actions resulted in altering the music, and the whole game just felt alive.

So all Lumines 2 really needed to do was include a whole bunch of new skins and ship itself out of the door. And that’s exactly what it’s done, more or less. However, the problem is that the care that went into Lumines is ominously absent from Lumines 2.

Far be it for me to criticise Q Entertainment’s motivation for creating a sequel, but it does seem like it had dollar signs in its eyes when creating Lumines 2. The evidence lies with the music.

Those who believe narrative is limited to film or literature are naïve or ignorant. A well-constructed piece of music can also make use of narrative. Indeed, the best albums are the ones that are constructed with cohesion, the ones that take you on a journey. Each song location is carefully selected, and listening to such an album on shuffle is pure blasphemy. There are obvious examples, like Pink Floyd’s The Wall, and then there are more subtle examples like Tool’s Ænima and Prodigy’s Fat of the Land.

The original Lumines was perhaps another example of such use of narrative. Each song was carefully ordered, and there was a real sense of progression and journey. The opening song, Mondo Grosso’s Shinin’, was a perfect introduction, and the pace of the game was delicately constructed, concluding with the beautiful and epic Lights by Eri Nobuchika. Without trying to sound pretentious, Lumines was the video game equivalent of a narrative album.

Lumines 2, however, is not. Instead it is a slapped-together combination of songs thrown together to try and justify another $90 or so that this game retails for. There is no narrative structure, there is no sense of progression; the songs just seem to be placed in some kind of random order. The returning veteran Industrialisation follows Genki Robert’s Heavenly Star, a completely inappropriate choice.

Which highlights another issue: the use of licensed and “popular” American songs. Their inclusion is sloppy: the tracks run in a linear fashion, unaffected by the gameplay; the grainy, low-res videos distract from the experience rather than augmenting it, breaking the hypnotic spell; and the sound effects caused by blocks seem lazy and thoughtless. Additionally, the crop seems completely ill advised, and is obviously aimed at trying to draw in the mindless masses that constantly expose themselves to pop radio and music television.

Honestly, what the hell is Gwen Steffani’s Hollaback Girl doing in this game? Popping up randomly, with no rhyme or reason in its timing, the song is the epitome of where Q Entertainment went wrong. Rather than try and put in the same effort that is apparent in Lumines, they sold out and cashed in. If Lumines was a narrative album, Lumines 2 is MTV.

Lumines was a classic because care was put into it. It felt like someone really loved that game before they sent it out to the world. Lumines 2 feels like someone at a marketing department rang up another person at a marketing department and asked what was hip with the kids these days. These songs aren’t timeless – they weren’t even good to begin with – and Lumines 2 suffers as a consequence. Even though the artistic presentation is superior to the original, even though the score is no longer capped, and even though it offers a selection of modes and improvements, Lumines 2 is soulless.

Consequently, it only comes recommended to people who must have more of the same Lumines gameplay. If you haven’t played Lumines yet, get the superior original – The Warehouse is currently stocking it for $30. If you own Lumines, you’ll really want to think long and hard about getting this one. It might have the same gameplay, but this is nowhere as near as enjoyable as the original.

Rating: *

Let’s get this over with. It hurts me more than you’ll know to say this, but Sonic The Hedgehog is a bad, bad game. Not the original Mega Drive version; that game is brilliant. No, I’m talking about the new Sonic The Hedgehog, the one that was supposed to return to Sonic’s roots and reinvigorate the series.

There are two reasons why Sonic The Hedgehog sucks — and I do mean sucks. The first reason is an issue of design. You see, if Sonic The Hedgehog was supposed to be a return to Sonic’s roots, then Sonic Team has obviously forgotten about the Mega Drive and feels that said roots lie in the Dreamcast title Sonic Adventure.

You see, Sonic The Hedgehog is Sonic Adventure trying even harder to be Mario 64. The Sonic Adventure influence is obvious: the first action stage, Wave Ocean, even includes that famous killer-whale-smashes-the-pier scene. However, as stated, Sonic Adventure was also trying to be Mario 64.

The obvious influence was the overworld that acted as a hub between stages. It seemed jarring to suddenly see Sonic running through a city with a bunch of humans who regarded nothing odd about a small, blue, supersonic hedgehog, but it was even more jarring how un-Sonic this gameplay was.

And while it was hard to not be impressed with Sonic’s fully 3D return, once the novelty value wore off, the game was exposed as a poor Mario 64 imitation. It was all filler and little content, too many random wanderings in the hub and not enough action stages. And I mean really, did anyone honestly enjoy fishing as Big?

Sonic Adventure just wasn’t a good Sonic game. And unfortunately it has served as the inspiration for Sonic The Hedgehog. The hub returns, but this time it’s even more salient and even more obnoxious.

The first thing that happens is that you are dumped into the city of Soleanna and you’re told to investigate. I actually looked at the box to make sure this was a Sonic game. After finding Tails and realising you can’t cross the ocean, you are told that you need to buy the light dash from the shop in town. Except you have no rings to purchase it and there are no rings in the town.

This is when you realise that you have to take part in one the first of many mini-games in order to proceed. It’s tedious. Later on, you’ll actually have to engage in some silly mini-game where you must question five guards to find out which one can let you past the gate. I’ll save you the agony now: it’s the person who initiates the quest.

The problem is that this just isn’t very Sonic. In fact, apart from the obvious Mario influences — Soleanna is Isle Defino without the charm, there are mirrors holding the portals to the different action stages, and there’s even a freaking princess to rescue who keeps getting whisked away to ‘another castle’ — there is just too much crappy filler and not enough action stages, even with Shadow and Silver. In my first 40 minutes of playing, I had completed one 5-minute action stage and one boss battle.

And that’s a shame, because when the action stages occur, they can actually be pretty fun. Sure, often you’ll be forced to play as support characters like Tails or Blaze, but for the most part the action stages of Sonic, Shadow, and newcomer Silver can be pretty fun. Sonic stages, especially when he picks up the speed, really show you what could have been accomplished if this game tried to be more ‘Sonic’. They really do give a great sense of speed and they are really enjoyable.

And, you know, if you can stomach finishing the game once, you can then enjoy the action stages in trial mode. Unfortunately, it’s here you realise that there is actually only about 40 minutes of real gameplay per character, which means Sonic The Hedgehog is largely cheap filler. You also cannot replay story mode without deleting your previous save. It’s beyond disappointing.

The other problem is that Sonic The Hedgehog is a poorly made game. The graphics are pretty lacklustre, yet there is heinous amounts of pop-up and draw-in, and the framerate can often chug for no logical reason. While the character models are all nicely done, the environments are very, very poor.

The game is also full of glitches, and Sonic and company can often become stuck in scenery or just start spazzing out and losing total control. There’s nothing more annoying than finding your character totally ignoring your input.

Not that you’ll have much control in the first place. The controls are overly sensitive, and the camera will often reverse itself, meaning that holding forward will now be as if you were holding back, and this means characters will come to a grinding halt.

The loading times are also atrocious. It takes longer to load a cutscene than it actually plays for, and the loading times between stages breaks any sliver of fun into segments, and that really spoils any fun that is found in the game. One tedious mini-game actually has about four minutes of loading for one minute of gameplay.

The music and voice acting are probably the only redeeming technical qualities. With the exception of the Wave Ocean and Soleanna themes, the music is really good. The theme tune especially is wonderful. The cast of Sonic X also supplies the voice acting, although this might actually turn off more people than it impresses. Unfortunately, you’ll be hearing the theme of Soleanna more than the excellent action stage themes.

The bottom line is that people used to buy Sonic because it was everything that Mario wasn’t. Now people will ignore Sonic because it’s everything Mario isn’t. If you want a game like Sonic The Hedgehog tries to be, you’re better off getting a cheap Gamecube and Super Mario Sunshine.

Still, as stated, the action stages can be fun if you have patience. And if you’re a diehard Sonic fan, you might find something to like here. However, everyone else will probably hate it, and the fact that it’s $130 is actually insulting. I would only feel confident in saying that out of 100 people, only 37 people would find enjoyment of any kind in Sonic The Hedgehog, hence the score. And I feel I’m being generous. Unless you’re a diehard Sonic fan, avoid this one; don’t even rent it.

Rating: **

As far as anime is concerned, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex is without equal. The thinking man’s anime, it places as much emphasis on philosophical exploration as it does action. And as source material, it contains all the right ingredients for a tasty video game: cyborgs, tanks, “standard-issue, big guns”, and an attractive, scantily clad female protagonist. Yet despite all these ingredients, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex for the PSP has been undercooked, and is sure to leave a foul taste in the mouths of even the most fervent of fans.

As fan service, the game excels. The show’s cast, with the exception of a few minor characters, is all present and accounted for and voiced by the original actors. They’re also faithfully recreated on the small, wide screen of the PSP; Kusanagi’s attire, for example, is truthful to the show, unlike the recent Playstation 2 game. The story, while nowhere near the quality of the anime, certainly outshines those of other video games, and each mission is preceded by cutscenes that captures the essence of the show, even if the animation leaves little to be desired.

However, the solid presentation cannot hide the fact that the game isn’t fun. The reasons for this are plentiful – by far the most salient is the control scheme. For a first-person shooter, especially one that has a multiplayer mode, smooth, accurate control is essential. It’s difficult to conclude whether the fault lies with Sony for only including a single analog nub on the PSP, or whether Bandai was foolish enough to believe that digital aiming was adequate. Regardless, the default control scheme, which attempts to replicate dual-analog control, only results in the player constantly tapping the face buttons in an attempt to even aim in the right direction – Forget about any headshots. Admittedly, Bandai have tried to accommodate for such sloppy control. A lock-on feature is present, although it’s equally clumsy and is ridiculously temperamental. Also included is a roster of preset control methods, the most convenient of which resorts to control reminiscent of Doom or Goldeneye.

Awkward or archaic control schemes could have been easily overlooked if the gameplay was more than lacklustre. Unfortunately, the level design leaves little to be desired – it’s no more than a series of interlocked boxes – and enemy AI is nonexistent; enemies will rigidly stand to attention while the player attacks them. The game is mission-based, but completing a majority of the scenarios simply involves you hunting out various switches, items, or NPCs – Half the time this is merely a case of trial and error. The game attempts to offer some variety in offering a selection of playable characters and a vast array of weaponry, but ultimately the gameplay remains unchanged no matter what combinations of the two a player chooses. Multiplayer is offered, supporting up to six players over wireless connection, but unfortunately the sloppy controls and bland level design ultimately render this mode a token and pointless addition. And with load times that can take as long as 2 minutes, it seems that the game has neglected any concept of portability.

Ultimately, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex just isn’t worth the price of admission. The gameplay is completely devoid of any redeeming features, and everything it attempts has been elsewhere achieved better. Only diehard fans of the franchise – those who must simply experience everything Ghost in the Shell – or collectors should even think about purchasing this game. For anyone else that is simply looking for an enjoyable game for the PSP, the only recommendation is to avoid Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex.

Rating: ****

Occasionally one gets the urge to rearrange one’s furniture. It’s not that there is anything particularly wrong with the current layout, but it’s become stale and stagnant; it’s just too familiar for its own good. A little effort and a dash of indulgence later and a room can feel fresh and rejuvenated. Yet it’s still the same old furniture. No amount of feng shui is going to alter the heinous brown, a relic of 70’s decor, of one’s couch. Resident Evil 4, the last of the ill-fated ‘Capcom 5’, shares a similar fate.

Resident Evil was always the video game equivalent of a B-grade horror movie. Atrocious dialogue, scripted shocks, and buckets of blood were all present and accounted for. The latest instalment of the franchise augments this approach tenfold. The widescreen view, casting the point of view over the shoulder of returning protagonist Leon Kenedy, is highly cinematic. It also creates a feeling of unease; enemies lurk off screen, unseen dangers that are ready to pounce at any moment. But the effect is unfortunately spoiled by the decision to retain the archaic control method of the previous games. When the mood of the game so desperately cries out for the ability to nervously peek round a corner, it’s a shame that the game requires a player to walk into exposure and pivot to stare into the unknown. Combat is equally sloppy, almost cowardly. Metroid Prime was able to circumvent the flaws in this method, quite literally, buy including a lock-on option, where the player could circle an enemy while keeping it in view. Resident Evil 4, however, aiming is stationary and the game requires the player to shoot, run to a safe distance, turn, and then shoot again.

Of course this strategy is only required during the scripted sequences were the odds are stacked against the player. The exploration between these events never feels pernicious. The combat knife is the culprit. In previous games the knife was a last resort. Wielding it caused a feeling of nakedness and vulnerability, each passing moment it was relied on it brought a greater desire for ammunition. In Resident Evil 4 it’s overpowered and becomes the primary attack. The traditional zombies have been replaced with more dexterous foes, ones that can rush the player at alarmingly rapid rate. Yet the ability to wield the knife at any time, regardless of what weapon is equipped, means it’s all too easy to simply drop an enemy with a bullet to the kneecap and follow up with frenzied sweeps of the knife. A majority of the enemies will be dead before they arise, and the only time other weapons become mandatory is when the player is either outnumbered, facing a boss, or against the later enemies in the game. This allows the player to conserve ammunition, meaning that it’s always a matter of what weapon you want to use, not what weapon your forced to use.

Yet despite the flawed and pusillanimous combat, the game becomes more of a shooting gallery. While the wide, open forests at the beginning promise freedom and entice exploration, the player is constantly ushered down the linear path where new enemies await. Thanks to the excellent animation – gone are the Thunderbird puppets of the previous games – and the new aiming system it’s constantly satisfying to remove the head of an opponent with a well-placed shot. And with a plot that has more holes than the bodies of your enemies, a majority of the enjoyment comes from the action. It’s more Aliens than Dawn of the Dead.

Unfortunately, it is not only the sloppy combat that encumbers the game. There are sections of the game were Leon is forced to escort to the president’s daughter, Ashley. Playing the chivalrous protector is not always a chore; Ico has already proven this. Yorda’s complete dependency on the player was never a burden; it created a feeling of empathy where it was almost criminal to leave her, even when it was required. Ashley, on the other hand, is a hindrance, no thanks to her bovine AI. She’ll get stuck behind a window, unable to jump through unless the player moves into a position that puts her in a direct line of sight. In the heat of battle it’s a nuisance to constantly check on her position to make sure she’s in tow. And unlike Yorda, there is never a feeling of empathy towards her; at her most annoying it actually becomes tempting to shoot her.

It’s not entirely tragic news, however; there is a lot of fun to be had with Resident Evil 4 once the flaws are bypassed. There is a certain sick satisfaction to be had from efficiently executing the floods of enemies in the game. But thanks to the clumsy controls, the game never elevates itself beyond a glorified shooting gallery. Admittedly it’s a most impressive and fleshed out shooting gallery, but the basic puzzles and lack of intelligence means the game remains a glorified carnival attraction. If violence, explosions, and gore are prerequisites for purchase, then Resident Evil 4 certainly delivers, especially compare to the rest of the Gamecube’s catalogue. But ultimately the gameplay gets tiresome and, dragged down by the same flaws that have plagued the series since its inception, Resident Evil 4 often becomes an exercise in unnecessary frustration. Is it worth the price of admission? Yes. Is it essential? No.

First post syndrome… what to write, eh?

Well I guess I could tell you about my PS3.  I love my PS3.  I never thought I would.  Sony were arrogant and made a lot of fuck-ups over the last year, but it seems that finally they are getting their act together.  Someone I know recently bought one and they said it was like revisiting an old friend.  I guess in a sense that’s kind of what it’s like when you get one — everything just feels very Sony.  Even though a lot of the big-name franchises aren’t on the console yet (or fled to the 360), it still has a lot of entertaining titles on the system.  Heavenly Sword, Warhawk, Motorstorm, and Folklore have all been wonderful new IPs that I have enjoyed.  In fact, it’s almost ironic that I appreciated the original Xbox for how fresh the IPs were (out of necessity), and it’s the very same feeling that I love about the PS3.

I’m not saying that I’m neglecting my 360 or my Wii.  However, I was disappointed with a lot of the 360’s offerings this year (bar Halo 3) and so it’s kind of nice that the PS3 was able to offer me something to get excited about.  Plus, you know, it has Buzz.

Hopefully, Sony’s fortunes turn around soon because they have a wonderful machine with some amazing potential and I’d love them to achieve what they are capable of it.

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