Last updated at 10:13, Thursday, 14 October 2010

Pitched battles in every sense of the word...

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Enslaved: Odyssey To The West
n Publisher: Namco Bandai
n Price: £49.99
n Format: Xbox 360 (also on PS3)
n Age rating: 16+

POST-APOCALYPTIC games might be ten a penny, but we bet you’ve never played one that takes its inspiration from a 16th century Chinese novel.
Loosely based on the literary classic Journey To The West, Enslaved cherry-picks the best bits and transplants the action from the mythical past to a bombed out future, where the remnants of mankind are fighting a losing battle against an army of killer robots.
Initially set in the ruins of New York City, you take control of Monkey, a brutish giant of a man, who teams up with Trip, a tech-savvy young girl, when the pair escape from a slave ship. Their relationship doesn’t get off to the best of starts, especially when Trip tricks him into wearing an explosive headband, forcing him to become her bodyguard as she makes her way home.
Just like the book, the mismatched couple have to work together, but instead of battling flesh-eating demons and other supernatural beings, they have to pick their way across a post-apocalyptic landscape littered with military-grade robots, collapsing buildings and environmental puzzles. Luckily, Monkey is an agile chap, capable of leaping over walls and swinging across gaps without breaking a sweat. He’s also handy with his fists, has a staff for long-range attacks or close-quarter combat and can zip about on a hoverboard at specific points in the game.
Although you’re never directly in control of Trip, you can issue her with basic commands, forcing her to catch you up, pull levers or throw out an electronic decoy. She can also use a robotic dragonfly as an eye-in-the-sky, identifying safe routes and scanning the environment for enemy ‘bots.
The game plays out like some sort of futuristic road trip, with plenty of platforming, combat and puzzle solving along the way. It all looks spectacular, thanks to the wonderfully detailed environments and fluid game mechanics, but it’s the emotional bond that develops between the two protagonists that truly captivates.
Cinematic camera angles help frame the Hollywood-style action sequences to great effect, while a series of sublime cutscenes bring the game’s characters to life. Input from novelist and screenwriter Alex Garland – who can list The Beach and 28 Days Later among his many credits – has obviously helped tighten the script, while The Lord Of The Rings actor Andy Serkis turns in a memorable performance as the sardonic Monkey.
Despite an over-reliance on button mashing and a shooting mechanic that’s a little too twitchy for our liking, there’s no denying Enslaved is an epic and thrilling adventure. It’s a ripping sci-fi yarn and one you shouldn’t miss out on.
Score: HHHHI
PES 2011
n Publisher: Konami
n Price: £49.99
n Format: PS3 (also on Xbox 360, PC)
n Age rating: 3+
WITH new broadcast-style camera angles, improved dribbling and a weightier passing system, PES 2011 represents a welcome return to form for the celebrated footy sim.
Variable speed settings mean you can opt for a slower, more deliberate style of play or crank things up a bit and indulge in a fast-paced passing game. Pre-match tactic screens mean team formations can be customized to suit a variety of attacking or defensive situations, while the game’s star players exhibit an almost superhuman level of control and are capable of unlocking defences with an explosive burst of speed as well as launching blistering counterattacks.
Things look and sound better, too, with a much-needed visual makeover and TV’s Jim Beglin supplying match-day commentary. Gripes include computer AI that’s great at defending, but lacks ambition going forward, and a fiddly tackling system that’s difficult to master.
Score: HHHHI
Front Mission Evolved
n Publisher: Square Enix
n Price: £44.99
n Format: Xbox 360 (also on PS3, PC)
n Age rating: 16+
ABANDONING the strategic turn-based battles of previous games in the series, Front Mission Evolved has successfully reinvented itself as a third-person shooter.
While fans might baulk at the abrupt change of pace, it’s all for the good, as you take control of a number of gigantic gun-toting robots, customize them with all sorts of outlandish sci-fi weaponry, and take on an army of similarly-equipped opponents.
Set in the year 2171, the game’s solo campaign begins with New York City under attack by a mystery assailant, forcing you to commandeer a prototype mech in order to repel the invaders and discover what the blazes is going on. It’s a lot of fun, but it does get achingly repetitive after a while. Fortunately, there are several on-foot sections to break things up a bit, as well as plenty of challenging online modes.

Score: HHHII
Castlevania: Lords of Shadow
n Publisher: Konami
n Price: £49.99
n Format: PS3 (also Xbox 360)
n Age rating: 15+
SET in 11th century Europe and crisply narrated by Sir Patrick Stewart, this ambitious re-imagining of the Castlevania series is an unexpected gem.
The plot sees bereaved hero Gabriel Belmont battling the titular forces of darkness in an attempt to bring his wife back from the dead, but it’s the entertaining combat that steals the show. Mixing God Of War-style carnage with plenty of acrobatics and puzzle solving, the varied third-person theatrics keep things interesting.
Your main weapon, the Combat Cross, features a retractable iron chain that can be used as a demon-slaying whip or a grappling hook. A magic system further boosts your offensive capabilities while the game’s Titan bosses prove formidable opponents.
It’ll take the best part of 20 hours to complete and, even then, you’ll want to go back and explore levels to see what you missed.
Score: HHHHH

GAMES NEWS
INCOMING FIRE: Jumping on the free-to-play bandwagon, Firefall is a sci-fi skills-based online shooter that pits a squad of five players against a legion of skittering bugs and other alien nasties. Although there’s a heavy focus on teamwork, there will also be plenty of competitive multiplayer modes thrown into the mix. Due for release on PC late next year, players take control of hi-tech battleframes, each one equipped for a variety of specialist roles, whether you’re providing support for your team, aggressively assaulting a fortified position or sneaking behind enemy lines. Able to accommodate hundreds of players in a series of scripted and dynamic missions, this is definitely one to watch.
Burn it like Beckham
FOOTBALL superstar David Beckham is set to become the public face of EA Sports Active 2 and promote the Xbox 360, PS3 and Wii fitness title in the run up to Christmas. Due for release on 19 November, EA Sports Active 2 will feature 70 new workouts, a heart monitor so you don’t over-exert yourself and an online hub to track and share data with other users. Best of all, the game will also come bundled with strap-on motion sensors to track the accuracy of your exercise regime on PS3 and Wii, while a Kinect-enabled Xbox 360 version will offer full-body motion tracking, hands-free controls and voice recognition.
Empire state building
A NEW Age Of Empires game has been unveiled. The history-based real-time strategy series returns as a download-only title with plenty of co-operative quests, single-player missions and multiplayer competitive challenges. Due for release on PC in early 2011, Age Of Empires Online will be free-to-play and focus on building a kingdom from scratch while juggling resources and waging war against your neighbours. Featuring a more cartoony look than its predecessors, a level-based system will let you progress at your own pace, and your capital city will continue to grow and trade while you’re away from your computer. The ancient Greeks are the only playable civilization to be announced so far, but many more are planned.

First published at 15:49, Wednesday, 13 October 2010
Published by http://www.whitehavennews.co.uk