Sony

Mortal Kombat Returns to its Roots

Fans will finally have the much deserved next gen installment of Mortal Kombat.  Let’s just say let bygones be bygones and forget Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe even existed. Veterans of the series will be very familiar with the cast of characters, as they are selected from Mortal Kombat 1-3.

Mortal Kombat also returns to the 2D plane but don’t worry the characters are still 3D models. Most importantly though the mature presentation returns with a big fat 18 rating on the box art.

Expect those gore splattering fatalities to make a triumphant return like never before. NetherRealm Studios claims that this will be the most, bloody and mature game in the series to date.

Attention to detail is one of the key factors in this installment, with organs and body wounds showcased throughout an entire fight. One of the new features in the game is a super meter, which builds up as you inflict and absorb damage.

With the super meter you can execute X ray attacks that halve an opponent’s health bar. It can also be utilized to charge up special attacks for extra damage.

4 player tag team matches make an appearance, as well as multiplayer and a co-op arcade mode. Other modes are yet to be announced and revealed through the year. Read More  »

Many thought that a sequel wouldn’t see the light of day; others wonder whether there is even a demand for Kane & Lynch 2. Despite the criticisms of the first game, IO Interactive took it on the chin and developed a sequel anyway. This time with an urge to impress everyone with the improvements and show players how the sequel has taken a different direction.

Psychopathic mad man Lynch is the main protagonist player’s control in Kane & Lynch 2. He’s now got a girlfriend and settled down with her in Shanghai (China). Kane on the other hand has family problems, looking to escape his daily life for a while. 

He is called down to Shanghai to tag along with Lynch on a job he needs help with. Unfortunately everything’s goes south and they fail to complete a simple job. Now they have the entire Shanghai underground to deal with and must pay the consequences. 

Playing Kane & Lynch 2 gives you a unique experience that can only be explained as an innovative way, to give you the feeling your apart of the gaming world. In the moment of action the camera becomes unstable, when your running the camera is all over the place.

It’s almost as if you’re behind Kane & Lynch the entire time of the game with a camcorder, displaying an appealing film grain on screen. Checkpoints in game are displayed as time you’d see on a camcorder, which is a neat touch to the presentation. Read More  »

Rockstar has done it again, once more delivering a title that changes our depiction of the open world genre. Rockstar San Diego has gone to great lengths to breathe life into an authentic yet merciless time in history.

The plains and terrain of the west have never been more beautiful in a video game. Every blood, sweat and tear of the developers is present in Red Dead Redemption and has definitely been perceived.

The world of Red Dead Redemption is full of social unrest, where families are murdered. Women are kidnapped or raped and sheriffs with little or no support are out for justice in this unforgiving land. Be prepared for high octane action, betrayal and a tissue for your tears on John Marston’s journey to liquidize his former brothers in arms. 

Yet again Rockstar reaches another milestone with one more fantastic title. Red Dead Redemption deserves an Oscar for taking interactive storytelling to a new peak.

Never has a video game had such a perfect balance of emotion, betrayal, turmoil and redemption, attached the player to the protagonist. At times it feels as though you are filling the boots of John Marston taking every step with him in this seductive world.  

In the vast epic land of Red Dead Redemption, there is more than meets the eye. With a large open world full of cactus, bushes and terrain you’re probably thinking what could possibly occupy my time in such a simplistic landscape. Read More  »

The sequel to Sucker Punch’s hit PS3 exclusive of 2009, inFAMOUS has finally been revealed. Back in May 2009 we were introduced to Cole McGrath, a man who leads a normal life of a bike courier delivering a package he’ll never forget.

Upon delivering the package he was in the centre of an explosion, which gave him electrical powers. With the power of electricity surging through his body, players were given the choice to use them for the greater good or become a menace.  

In inFAMOUS 2 Cole returns and he’s still living in Empire City. At the start of the sequel Cole meets a powerful enemy known as the Beast, who proves to be too overwhelming for Cole. It is clear from his defeat that Cole is no longer as strong as he thought he was and the fate of the world rests in his hands. So our hero heads to New Marais, a mere clone of New Orleans. 

Read More  »

 
Sony Computer Entertainment Europe has revealed the first two months of content for the  Playstation Plus subscription service.
 
Launching on June 29th, the new service will provide additional features to PlayStation Network users, with SCEE keen to stress that the current functionality of PSN will remain unchanged for those who don't subscribe. Those who do though will get access to certain games, discounts, exclusive items from the Playstation Store, full game trials, and automatic downloads, a feature that enables users to leave their PlayStation on standby and automatically download demos, updates to games they have been playing and system updates.
 
The subscription will cost £39.99 for a year, or £11.99 for 90 days, with Sony claiming that for your money you'll be getting over £200 worth of content, with access to 48 games a year as well as the various temes avatars and discounts. The games can be kept for as long as you are a member. The first two months of content are detailed below:
 
Month 1: June 29th – August 3rd

• Intro offer: LBP (standard edition)
• PSN PS3: Wipeout HD
• minis: Field Runners, Age of Zombies
• PSone: Destruction Derby
• Full Game Trial: Shatter, Savage Moon
• Discounts: LBP God of War Pack – 50%, LBP: LocoRoco costume pack – 50%, Gravity Crash – 20%, Fat Princess DLC – 20%
• Premium Game Element: KillZone 2:  Steel & Titanium DLC
• Push demo: ModNation Racers, Heavy Rain
• Themes: LBP Theme, SCEE produced: PlayStation “Game Is Just The Start” Dynamic Theme
• 2 x Fat Princess Premium Avatars

Month 2: August 4th – September 1st Read More  »

Ubisoft seem to want a piece of the World Cup cash pie, not content with EA having the pitch to themselves. Ok, so this isn’t an official South Africa tie-in, but it’s international teams only and the final ends in South Africa. Coincidence? The hell it is.

Ubisoft are actually ripping off Fifa Street though instead. It’s five-a-side football with outrageous shots and tricks the order of the day. While the last Fifa Street was a bit meh, this is just bollocks.

Unresponsive controls mean it’s easier to score from the half-way line than three feet away. Shooting is controlled with a golf-style swing-metre where you need to nail a sweet spot to ensure it doesn’t balloon over. It’s very random as to whether the goalie makes a wondersave or his elbows get stuck on his hips again as he dives out the way in a way that should get him arrested for match-fixing. If you’ve seen the film Shaolin Soccer, it’s a bit like that at times with some of the belter shots you’ll be piling in. Sadly though, it gets old quick.

Skill moves are a random waste of time as there don’t seem to be a consistent set of moves assigned to the right analogue stick; it’s just a lucky dip as to what you get. The sprint button may as well be renamed ‘run into defender’ too. There’s a horrible whooshing effect and you can’t change direction.

The game’s graphics are damn ugly and even the replays make good-looking goals look average with poor angles and timing. Likenesses, pitches and presentation all feel rushed. Read More  »

Assassin’s Creed 2 is back and we're going to Rome. I can't wait.

Ezio returns late 2010 in a new struggle against the Templar Order. Now a legendary Master Assassin, Ezio will journey to Rome, centre of the power, greed and corruption that fills this period, to strike right at the heart of the enemy. Defeating the corrupt tyrants he will find there will require not only the strength and skill you've learnt in Assassin's Creed II , but also leadership as Ezio now commands an entire Brotherhood that will rally to his side. Only by working together can the Assassins defeat their mortal enemies.

Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood will also offer a never-before-seen multiplayer element. Players can help the Templars by using Abstergo to train in the art of Assassination to eliminate the Assassins once and for all. You will also be able to choose from a wide range of unique characters, each with their own signature weapons and assassination techniques, and match their skills against other players from all over the world in different game modes. Read More  »

Without doubt one of my favourite games ever is Fallout 3.  I love the atmosphere, the story, the setting, the characters, the action, the progression, the guns and the add-ons.  It is far too late then that I post this first look at Fallout: New Vegas, the next chapter in Fallout franchise, which will be available in Autumn 2010. The game is currently in development at Obsidian Entertainment for the Xbox 360, the PlayStation 3 and for PC and is set, of course, in a post-apocalyptic Vegas.

Currently set for release on 29th October 2010 expect an even better version of everything we've seen so far.

Read More  »