Category: Games

Bargain

Xbox for £99 from 27th August. An absolute steal and by far the best console you could buy if you’ve not already got one. And if you’ve got broadband – get an Xbox. The online gaming is superb compared to Sony’s. I’m still a beta tester for Sony’s online offerings and they have been pretty poor in comparison. Killzone is due to be delivered for testing this week though and it does look amazing if not the Halo beater it was once thought to be. The website is stunning though. Really wets the appetite.

That aside, the list of cracking games on the Xbox is large – much larger than the PS2. For example Halo, Links, Top Spin, PGR 2, Ghost Recon, Rainbow Six and the upcoming Halo 2 which looks soooooo much better in the graphics and gameplay departments than Killzone. And these are the exclusive games. Buronout 3 and Pro Evo soccer are due in the next couple of months on both consoles – Xbox will have better graphics and sound than the PS2 with better online support (although thats only a hope for Pro Evo as nothing is confirmed).

So spend that £99 wisely – get an Xbox. And if you’ve already got one, buy another and chip it, add a large hard disk and create the biggest games machine known to man. You can also install Xbox Media Center and create a fantastic media machine too. Joy. Even better Xbox Media Center now supports iTunes – woo-hoo. I feel an update session coming on.

Manhunt Update

This article from GamesIndustry.biz put a new light on the Manhunt caused murder issue.

UK retailers Dixons and Game both pulled the title from their stores’ shelves last week after the parents of the murdered boy, Stefan Pakeerah, alleged that his murderer, Warren LeBlanc, 17, was “obsessed” by the grisly game and that it had inspired has murderous actions. The victims father dubbed Manhunt “a manual for murder”.

It was widely reported by the mainstream press, online and TV media that the game had been found in LeBlanc’s bedroom. However, today it emerged that Leicestershire police found the game in Pakeerah’s room, not LeBlanc’s, GamesIndustry.biz reports.

“The video game was not found in Warren LeBlanc’s room, it was found in Stefan Pakeerah’s room,” a police spokesperson said today. “Leicestershire Constabulary stands by its response that police investigations did not uncover any connections to the video game, the motive for the incident was robbery.”

Police believe LeBlanc murdered Pakeerah, whom he knew, to obtain money to pay back a drug-related debt.

LeBlanc’s assumed possession of Manhunt raised the questions as to how a 17-year-old was able to get hold of the game. The game carries an 18 certificate, so it is illegal to sell it to anyone under that age. Now it has emerged that the game was owned by the 14-year-old Pakeerah, that question has not gone away.

Doom 3

So I acquired Doom 3 on Sunday night. The verdict. Astounding.

The graphics are the best I’ve seen in any game. The lighting is amazing and really helps draw you into the game. Firstly it’s not like any Doom game where you constantly run and shoot. This is more Resident Evil crossed with Aliens. I don’t think I’ve played a game which has sent shivers down my spine and makes you jump as you play as much as this does. Opening a door to find an Imp leaping at you is a shock to the system. There’s also some adventure elements to the game – finding PDA’s of dead people and looking for clues in e-mails and voice recordings. Theres even links to the real www mentioned in the game.

The surround sound really works. You can hear a zombie creeping up from behind but the noise from the pistons and machinery running really disorientates you as you play. But compared to the graphic and sound engines the gameplay is pre-historic and doesn’t contain any new ideas. That said, what is there is very polished although there have been some frustrating ‘what do I do now’ moments when you can’t find a way out of the current level.

Still, I can see me playing this through to completion which is very rare these days. Hopefully Half-Life 2 (which I expect to surpass Doom 3) will deliver the goods next month on the gameplay as well as the graphical front.

The Nanny State

There has been a one sided assault on video games today. The game Manhunt has been given as a likely cause in a fourteen year olds death. The parents of the murdered boy have said that the game was played by the murderer – in fact he was ‘obsessed’ about it. Their logic is that the game should be banned before there are any more deaths.

My main beef is that it’s an 18 certificate game. The victim and murderer were seventeen and fourteen. Why were they even playing the game? Why didn’t the parents take an interest before the tragic events took place? Did they even know what their kids were playing? Current research shows no link between video games and violence. Same for DVD’s and TV. Yet tonights news cast a long shadow over video games and their influence on kids. The issue should be parental responsibility and taking an interest in what their kids do.

More laughable is certain companies response to the situation. Dixon Group and Game have both removed the title from the shelves. Well done. This game has been out on the PS2 since last November and on the Xbox & PC since April. It was an average game, sales were OK’ish but the market for that game had long since died. I’d like to see both companies now take that stance with any future 18 certificate games. Like GTA3:San Andreas. Go on guys, ban that one. Yes – ban the game that is likely to sell the most this year hence make the most money. Not likely, is it?

Psi-Ops

One of the most refreshing games in a while is Psi-Ops on the Xbox (& PS2 but you want to see it in all it’s glory, don’t you?). I’d heard nothing about this till I seen a review in Edge. A quick download later (overnight) and I was playing. What a game.

In some ways it looks like a derivative 3rd person/1st person shooter with a bit off plot. However the twist is the Psi powers that your character can use. Pick up and throw objects, enemies, see through walls, walls of fire, see objects that aren’t visible to the naked eye and mind control. Add to this a superb graphics engine and you’ve got some nice gameplay moments that haven’t really been seen before. The game uses a modified Havoc 2 engine and has physics to die for – a real taster for Half Life 2 later this year (I hope).

Definitely worth a buy although a couple of reviews say it plays quite short, although that is no bad thing – just not got the time to play games that I used to.

GTA San Andreas

Not confirmed, but the rumour is the following songs will feature in the game…

Salt’n’Pepa – Push it
Vanilla Ice – Ice Ice Baby
Inner Circle – Bad Boys
KLF – 3am Eternal
Massive Attack – Unfinished Sympathy
Nirvana – Smells Like Teen Spirit
Jane’s Addiction – Been Caught Stealing
Poison – Every Rose Has It’s Thorn
Guns’n’Roses – Sweet Child O’ Mine
Smashing Pumpkins – Today
NWA – **** Tha Police / 100 Miles And Runnnin’
Snoop Doggy Dogg – Gin N’Juice / Ain’t No Fun
Warren G – Regulate
Fugees – Killing Me Softly
Coolio – Gangsta’s Paradise
Public Enemy – Rebel Without A Pause
The Stone Roses – Fools Gold
Happy Mondays – Step On
The Verve – Bitter Sweet Symphony
Radiohead – Creep

Ouch – what a line-up. Roll on October.

XBox 2004

Halo 2 released on Nov 9th, EA games coming to live which will mean Fifa, Madden and Battlefield all featuring live support (Burnout 3 also) and video conferencing from the xbox, which to me means video within games – superb. Confirms xbox as strongest console in my book. Just need to win lottery, build house and retire to life of luxury…finding someone to share all this with would also be required but the lottery win would make that a tad easier.