Who would have thought back in 2007 the Uncharted franchise would turn into the monster it is today. At the time many thought it was a Tomb Raider clone, featuring a male lead character. Fast forward four years and we can now say Uncharted is without a doubt going in a direction the Tomb Raider franchise only dreamed of. Fast paced action, riveting story, Uncharted 3: Drakes’s Deception has a lot going for it. But can it possibly lead to the hype built-up by Sony and Naughty Dog?

Nathan Drake is still following in the footsteps of his ancestor Sir Francis Drake. This time he is traveling the globe in search of a legendary lost city, the Iram of the Pillars, the so-called Atlantis of the sands. Drake had apparently discovered the city 400 years earlier but for some unknown reason abandoned his quest and hid his trail. Nathan Drake is determined to find the city and uncover the lost treasure. Gameplay will feel quite familiar with fans of the series. Expect plenty of running and jumping through the environment, puzzle solving and some good ol’ fashioned hand-to-hand combat.

Most of the time you’ll want to carry a gun, but when the going gets tough in tight quarters Drake will have to resort to his fists. Hand-to-hand combat never get old thanks to the addition of quick time events. When you need to dodge a punch or wrestle out of a tight grip symbols will briefly appear on the lower right hand side of the screen. Hit the corresponding button too late and you’ll take damage. Hit it at the right time and the fight will continue on like a fine ballet with Nathan pulling off some fancy footwork to avoid the blow. Fights can vary depending on the environment. If Drake happens to be fighting thugs near a table, he doesn’t hesitate to grab bottles of maybe a wrench off the table and hit the enemy over the head. You never know what to expect.

Much of the game plays out like a Hollywood movie. The action is intense, keeping gamers on their toes thanks to the ever-changing environment. Platforms collapse, rocks ledges become loose and railings often break sending our hero to what should be his doom. Yet, Drake always seems to catch himself at the last second. Moments after you pull yourself back up it happens all over again. In one level you find yourself inside a burning building where the floor continuously gives way to the flames. You’re always looking for something to grab onto or jump to in order to save yourself from the searing heat. Towards the end of the game you almost expect every ledge you jump to to give way from your weight, but that’s the formula which has helped Uncharted become so successful.

All of the familiar actors are back to reprise their roles in the game. I say actors because not only did they lend their voice to the game, but their actions as well. The actors all took part in lengthy motion capture sessions to ensure character movements within the game looked realistic. Nolan North who plays Drake told me during an interview how he spent hours climbing blankets to mimic shifting sand in a motion capture studio. The hard work paid off. Movements are fluid and probably the most realistic you’ll find in any action game on store shelves today.

As I played through the game one thing kept coming to mind. It had to do with the enemies. I had to question why all the enemies were dressed the same. Either they’re sporting black suits or plaid jackets. All the goons must have an expense account at the same store because you run into the same dressed foes time and time again. Strange for a game with such high production value.

Uncharted 3 feels like the pinnacle of the series. There is so much to enjoy in this title. The action, the graphics and the music are all simply stunning. Then there’s the story. A story you can really get into. Yes, the gameplay can become a bit predictive and the enemies may be repetitive but the bottom line is you’ll feel like you’ve just played through a major motion picture. Not many games have you smiling as you complete a level and Uncharted 3 does that time and time again. Congratulations Naughty Dog on what could very well be the best Playstation game of the year.

The Good

Elegant fighting style
Stunning cut scenes
Excellent level design
Dramatic story

The Bad
Why are all the enemies all dressed the same?

Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception 10/10

I love candy. Chocolate, gummies, caramel and yes even the classic candy corn. I know, some of you cringe at the idea of eating candy corn. It’s a love hate thing. Either you love it or hate it. I happen to like it, so when I stumbled upon a recipe for home made candy corn I knew I had to try it out.

The candy is easy to make but can be a bit time consuming. Don’t expect to save yourself any money as making candy corn at home is more expensive and much more work than simply going to the store. However it would make a fun Halloween gift for someone.

Directions:

1. Combine Icing sugar, powdered milk, and salt in a bowl. Set this aside for later.

2. Combine white sugar, corn syrup, and butter in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to medium and cook for another four minutes, stirring occasionally. Be careful with how long you boil it for. The longer you cook it the harder your candy will turn out. Don not go beyond four minutes.

3. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract. 

4. Now you can add the dry milk mixture to the saucepan. Stir to combine. Let mixture rest for a few minutes until it is cool enough to handle.

5. Divide dough into 3 equal parts and place each portion in a bowl.  Add coloring as desired. Remember to make orange you add a few drops of red to the yellow food colouring.

6. Knead each portion of dough until the coloring is evenly distributed and the dough is smooth and stiff. Careful! The dough can be VERY hot!

7. Roll each portion into a rope about 1/4 inch thick. if the dough gets too firm just pop it into the microwave and reheat.

8. Place the three ropes of dough next to each other to form a long rectangle. Use a rolling pin to gently press them together.

9. Using a sharp knife, cut the dough into triangles and place on a baking sheet. Let set for about 1 hour.

This recipe is slightly modified from the one found in the book “Field Guide to Candy“ by Anita Chu.

Enjoy!

Make no mistake about it, we are in the midst of the holiday rush. Review copies of games continue to pile up in the office screaming out to be played. Yet I find myself playing one title over and over again. I know, I should be playing other titles but every time I open a new game up I find myself putting batman Arkham City back into my console telling myself “just another hour”. The next thing I know it’s time to call it a night. Yes, Batman Arkham City is that good. It’s not perfect, but damn it’s good!

Two years ago Rocksteady created a solid fan base with its release of Batman Arkham Asylum. Solid gameplay and fantastic voice acing brought characters from the Batman universe to life. Batman Arkham City builds on that solid foundation.

While Arkham Asylum focused mainly on the Asylum itself, Batman Arkham City allows you to explore a bit more of Gotham. Let’s be clear, this is no Grand Theft Auto. While the city is a decent size, it’s by no means gigantic. Not that it really matters. You’ll spend most of the time gliding from one building top to another using your Batclaw rather than exploring the streets on foot.

The Batclaw is only one of many gadgets at your disposal. Arkham City expands on some of the popular gadgets used in the previous game. Explosive Gel can once again be used to demolish weak walls and panes of glass. Even the Cryptographic Sequencer returns. This time however weapons and gadgets can be upgraded through experience points. For example The Cryptographic Sequencer can be upgraded to work from a distance rather than having to walk right up to security panels. Even the Batarang can now be used via remote control.

While gadgets are a lot of fun to use, hand-to-hand combat is where it’s at. It’s unbelievably smooth. Batman jumps from enemy to enemy effortlessly, as skillfully as a ballerina. If you’re quick on your toes you’ll be able to pull off truly impressive moves, that is if you can remember the button combinations. Then there’s Catwoman. Added as a downloadable character, she is even more graceful than Batman. You’ll have to use the bonus code included in the box to download her missions. Unfortunately if you purchase the game second-hand or rent it you’ll have to purchase a code to play as Catwoman. I highly recommend using the code before you start playing the Batman Arkham City as the beginning of the game changes.

One of the things I love about Arkham City is the villains. The game is filled with characters from the comic book series. Each time you meet one you’ll be given access to their bio and a bit of history on the characters including when they made their first comic debut. The Joker, Two-face, The Riddler, and Mr. Freeze are just a handful of the villains you’ll meet. Of course you’ll also run into a few characters you may not expect.

All of the characters are so well done. The voice acting is simply top notch, as is the soundtrack. The musical score could easily compete against any of the top-tier Hollywood blockbusters hitting theaters these days.

While the game is lengthy, Rocksteady has also built a lot of replay value into the game. There are lots of side missions to take on and if you have a lot of time to invest, you can attempt to track down the 400 plus trophies hidden by The Riddler throughout Gotham City. Completionists will have a hay day with challenge while many won’t bother to find them all as it’s quite a feat to accomplish.

Overall Batman Arkham City is a top notch title, one of my favourite titles of the year so far. That’s not to say it’s perfect. The problem is many of the things I didn’t like were fairly petty and didn’t affect the overall gameplay. For example, there were times when enemies didn’t see Batman while he was hanging from a ledge right in front of them. Bothersome yes, but it by no means took away from the fun factor of the game. However one thing which was lacking was online co-op. This title screams for some co-op gameplay, yet it is mysteriously lacking.

The Bottom Line

Batman Arkham City is easily one of the most polished titles I’ve seen so far this year. The graphics are beautiful, the voice acting top-notch and the gameplay is slick. The overall experience is stellar. If you liked the Batman Arkham Asylum, you’ll love this follow-up title. If you don’t, you better have a damn good reason.

The Good

Stellar graphics
Smooth controls
High replay value
Top-notch voice acting

The Bad

Where’s the online co-op?
Wish you could explore more of the city

Batman Arkham City – 9.5 / 10

To call Gears of War 3 one of the most anticipated games of the year for the Xbox 360 is a bit of an understatement. Microsoft has been throwing Gears parties for months to create a frenzy and it appears their work is paying off. More than one million copies of the game have already been pre-ordered which is understandable. This is after all the final installment in the franchise, at least for this story arc.

What began as a new startup franchise five years ago in 2006 is about to come to a dramatic end. Gears of War 3 marks the end of the trilogy, the end of a surprisingly emotional story that has captivated fans around the globe. So how do you wrap up such a beloved series? With a bang.

Gears of War 3 provides answers to those pressing questions that have plagued fans from the beginning of the series; a better understanding of the overall Gears universe. What lead to Emergence Day, what became of Carmine and protagonist Marcus Fenix’s father. That alone will be enough for fans to purchase the game, but thankfully Gears 3 has much more to offer than just a deep story.

Gameplay is as solid as ever. Thankfully Epic Games took the ‘if it ain’t broken don’t fix it’ route as controls are identical to those of the other games. It’s a smart call. You don’t want to mess around with such a solid franchise, especially if this is to be the last game in the series. Why tick of gamers at this point.

Many of the familiar game play elements remain in tact. Players still get to choose between two different paths from time to time and many of the weapons from the two previous titles make a comeback. But that’s not to say Epic didn’t add some new twists to Gears of War 3.

To begin with you now take turns controlling two teams of Gears. Each team still shares the same basic story but you’ll see the story from both sides as they meet up and separate time and time again. It plays out quite well as it gives you a chance to play as different Gears rather than just sticking to Marcus Fenix.

We also see for the first time the introduction of female Gears. The testosterone filled title now has sexy female characters mixed into the story. Unfortunately you never get to play the female Gears in single player campaign mode. They’re really there for eye candy and to help pull off an unexpected emotional story line. You will however have the opportunity to play as Anya in co-op mode.

It should come as no surprise to hear Epic has also thrown in some new weapons. The new arsenal includes a Retro Lancer, from the Pendulum War era. The gun is a bit harder to aim as it is an “old” weapon and has a bayonet attached to the front for close combat. You can also get your hands on a Digger which launches living rounds which burrow under the ground and pop-up next to enemies before exploding. If you want to try something even larger you can take-over a Locust Siegebeast which is essentially a living catapult which launches fiery shells at your enemy. And let’s not forget the new exoskeleton known as the Silverback, which not only give you protection but amazing firepower once you jump in. The new additions give the player a constant choice and ensures battles never get old.

Fans will also love some of the new Gameplay modes introduced to Gears 3. Of course there is plenty of the traditional running and gunning, but you’ll also experience battles from the back of vehicles, floating from living blimps known as Gas Barges, and take control of gun turrets aboard a submarine in a beautiful but dark undersea paradise.

While most gamers will play through the campaign first to see how the series ends there are plenty of mulitplayer options once the story is put to bed. Versus puts two teams head-to-head in a deathmatch with a limited number of respawns. Horde mode returns with some improvements. Players battle through waves of Locust and Lambent to earn cash which can be used to acquire new weapons, barriers and decoys. Beast mode allows players to play as Locust and attack the COGs. Of course you can also play through the campaign with your friends in 4 player co-op for the first time in the franchise history.

Gears of War 3 is a well polished game. The graphics are gritty yet beautiful and the music competes with some of the best motion pictures in theaters. There really is there is very little to pick apart. I only experienced a few occasions where the game appeared to hangup, not allowing me to proceed to the next area. Eventually the path I had to take would open on its own so it must have something to do with behind the scenes loading of levels. Really it’s a minor flaw in the grand scheme of things.

There’s no doubt fans of the Gears franchise will swoon over what Epic has in store. Gears of War 3 is exceptionally enjoyable from beginning to end. This is without a doubt the games fans have been waiting for although many will undoubtedly shed a tear when it all comes to a end.

The Good

Wide assortment of weapons
Expansive levels
New enemies and weapons
Flushed out storyline
4 player co-op

The Bad

Minor glitch where some areas take a while to load

Gears of War 3 – 9.5/10

In the crowded videogame market it’s important to distinguish yourself against the competition. Some games come out with unique features, some with bonus content, and others rely on a concept that is so bizarre their game stands out from others in the genre. Driver San Francisco falls into the latter category.

Here’s how it plays out. A cop gets into a near-fatal car accident. As paramedics try and revive him he has an out of body experience and discovers he can shift into other people’s bodies, taking control of them. This sets the scene for one of the most unique driving games I have ever experienced on a console. On paper it sounds bizarre, yet I was pleasantly surprised to find it’s just crazy enough to work.

Driver San Francisco is the fourth game in the Driver franchise. The story brings undercover cop John Tanner back against his nemesis Jericho, the same villain he sparred with in the last game. Jericho has escaped from jail and it’s up to you and your partner to track him down. A tough task to do when you’re in a coma. Enter the out of body experiences.

Tanner finds himself leaving his own flash and skin to jump into other people’s bodies to take control of their vehicles. You actually hover over San Francisco with a bird’s eye view of the city with the ability to jump into most moving vehicles. Certain vehicles are highlighted meaning there is a mission to complete if you jump into it. Some of the missions will advance the story while others are challenges to help you earn money.

Money can be used to unlock vehicles or purchase skill upgrades such as a larger speed boost meter. You’ll want to spend time doing these side mission as you’ll need faster vehicles and all the upgrades you can get to help you complete the later story missions. Side missions range from simple tasks such as reaching a set top speed within a certain time limit, to chasing down and destroying illegal street racers by destroying their vehicles. Harsh. This is where the body shifting really comes into play.

You can jump into other people’s bodies at anytime during the game, which is key for advancing through the missions. For example one mission had me destroy five cars involved in a street race before they cross the finish line. By using body shifting I was able to shift into oncoming vehicles further up the track and drive head-on into the racers. After each crash I would jump into yet another oncoming vehicle until all five street racing vehicles were destroyed. It’s actually quite brilliant.

Every time you shift into a vehicle you jump into a new experience. You literally are playing another character. Sometimes it may be a police officer, sometimes it’s a college student. You get to see the faces of the individuals inside the vehicles on the top left and right sides of the screens which helps you make a connection with the characters, even on side missions.

Car enthusiasts will love the fact Driver San Francisco features authentic vehicles. More than 120 fully damageable licensed vehicles are available for purchase within the game. Everything from cars and trucks to buses and semis are there to use and abuse. Each vehicle handles very differently on the road.

The story itself is relatively short. You can play through the main story in one day of you have 6 or 7 hours to kill. If you decide to play all the side missions you’ll add hours to the overall game. Yes, some of the side missions feel a bit redundant after a while but you don’t have to complete them if you’d prefer not to.

When the main story is done, you can start exploring the various other game modes. Co-op (can’t play main story) Free-play and multiplayer modes give extended life to the game. Some of the modes include straight-forward racing, tag, taking out cops or destroying street racers. The variety of extra modes will have many players logging back online to play well after they have completed the main story.

There’s no denying Driver San Francisco is a unique experience, but it can also be a frustrating one. The behavior of the vehicles you are not driving is enough to give you serious road rage. If you ever crash into another vehicle, even gently, the other vehicle will not budge. Even if you put the pedal to the metal you will not push the other vehicle out of the way so you can continue on your way. You’re only option is to backup and drive around it. There are also “tag races” where you must “shift” between two vehicles in order to finish first and second n a race. I found I often would jump into a vehicle only to find it was about to crash. Unfair since I hadn’t been controlling the vehicle up to that point. I can understand if it happened once, but when it happens time and time again it becomes frustrating.

In the end Driver San Francisco is fun. That’s what it comes down to. The AI may not be ideal, and some of the side missions may get a bit redundant but you are guaranteed to have some edge of your seat moments.

The Good

Unique premise
More than 120 licensed vehicles
Fun missions

The Bad

Frustrating Vehicle AI
Side missions become tiring

Driver San Francisco 8/10

Nearly six million people around the globe have seen the trailer for Dead Island. There is no denying it is easily one of the most compelling, dramatic trailers for a video game ever produced. A family vacationing on a island paradise fighting for their lives against a horde of zombies, played in reverse in slow motion set to dramatic music. It’s a marketing masterpiece which got not only gamers talking, but the general public.

There’s always a danger when you produce something so buzz worthy. It’s the same trap movies fall into. Can a title live up to the hype created by the trailer? In the case of Dead Island it certainly comes close, but falls a bit short.

Chaos and carnage has taken over the Royal Palms Resort on the tropical island of Banoi. A contagious zombie outbreak has sent the island into a frenzy. There are a few survivors, and those who are left are looking to you for help. For some reason you and three other tourists seem to be immune to zombification. It’s up to you to find a way off the island and save whoever you can.

We’ve seen a fair share of zombie-themed games lately across all platforms. Left 4 Dead seemed to start the craze only to be followed up by Capcom’s Dead Rising. Dead Island takes some of the best elements of those games and mixes it into a much larger experience.

You have the choice between one of four characters, each with their own special skill. One character excels at using firearms, another character’s forte is sharp-edged weapons and a third prefers blunt objects. You get the picture. However no matter who you choose the overall experience is still pretty much the same.

The island is pretty much yours to explore. It’s up to you to find weapons and medical supplies to ensure you survive long enough to find a way off the island. Fortunately weapons are plentiful. Knives, pieces of lumber, axes, and guns can be found if you know where to look. Many are hidden from plain sight and require careful exploration before you discover them.

You also have the opportunity to upgrade and create your own weapons. Like Dead Rising, you will stumble upon work benches where you can piece together makeshift weapons such as a fire axe, that is if you can find the blueprints and the material needed. You can have endless fun trying out new weapons and seeing how effective they are when battling a pack of zombies at close range. These workbenches can also be used to repair your weapons as extended use will render them useless.

The island is huge! In fact it’s so large you need a vehicle to cross it or else spend an eternity trying to cross it on foot. Vehicles themselves turn into weapons as you can plow into zombies. Nothing is more satisfying then barreling through a crowd of zombies in your truck.

With each zombie you kill you gain experience points which can be used to gain new skills such as lock picking to open locked crates and increased damage for certain types of weapons. Skills take a long time to acquire as you only receive one skill point every time you reach a new level. There are plenty of skills to opening them all will take plenty of game play.

Unlike Dead Rising the zombies in Dead Island are fast! Of course there are a few which lumber around but many run at you full bore screaming as they see fresh flesh to devour. These zombies get even faster and begin to not only dodge your attacks but use weapons against you as you progress through the game. They also get more powerful. One hit from a Thug zomobie will send your character flying back losing nearly a third of your energy. Fortunately each zombie has a power meter so you can see how much energy they have left before you snuff them out for good.

As I played through the first few hours of Dead Island I had mixed feelings. There are plenty of entertaining elements thrown into the game, but some of them didn’t seem very polished. When the game detects another player online with roughly the same level of experience as you, you’ll be given the opportunity to team up. While the co-op can be a lot of fun one has to question why you can’t team up with friends or strangers who are at a much higher or lower level than you which is a bit disappointing.

Another issue concerns re-spawning. Since you are immune to zombification you re-spawn if you lose all your health. Unfortunately you often re-spawn in a different location from where you died. Usually it’s only a short away but if you were in the process of gathering items it is an inconvenience to find your way back to the location where you just died. A patch seemed to fix this in co-op mode, but the issue still remains in single player mode.

My final beef is the constant searching you’re forced to do. You can open everything from computers and trash bins to suitcases to find money and other random objects to upgrade your weapons. The problem is there are so many places to search that the momentum of the game comes to a crashing halt. You’ll find yourself opening suitcase after suitcase finding small bits of money. I would rather find the occasional suitcase with $100 in it than 15 cases all next to each other with $5 to $10 in each.

While Dead Island may not be as polished as I’d like it to be I can’t deny the high fun factor of this game. Hitting zombies in the legs to bring them down to their knees before slicing their head off with a machete is just pure zombie slaying fun. The environment is fun to explore and you never really feel safe, thanks to the continuous growls and wails coming from unknown parts of the island. That’s the way a zombie game should feel. The fact that the island is so big and there are so many quests also adds to the value. Dead Island may not live up to the incredible trailer, but it’s still worth picking up.

The Good

Hundreds of weapons
Huge island to explore
You can drive vehicles!
Plenty of sidequests

The Bad

No communication between strangers during co-op
Fetch quests can get tedious
Annoying re-spawning issues
Gameplay a bit glitchy

Dead Island – 8/10

There are many reasons why you might want to own a MacBook Air. They’re very light and incredibly thin. But did you know you can also use them in the kitchen?

Blogger Sakaiehita has done everything from de-vein shrimp to cut cabbage with his razor-thin MacBook Air. In fact he’s created a blog outlining the food he’s prepared.

Take a look at the video below.

the MacBook Air doesn’t do so well when it comes to cutting bacon or cabbage. You can check out Check out Sakaiehita’s full blog here.

Nathan Hale is dead. The man who lead the war against the Chimera has now fallen victim to the virus he fought so valiantly against. Now a new man must pick up the fight.

It’s an interesting way to kick off the third installment to a widely popular video game franchise; kill off the main character which people have grown to know and start fresh with someone new. Yet Insomniac has chosen to do just that in Resistance 3.

Earth has been over run by the Chimera. 90% of the planet’s population has been killed and those who remain live in hidden colonies scattered across the globe. Humans are getting used to their new way of life, but nothing has prepared them for the biggest change yet to come. The Chimera are slowly changing the Earth’s environment. Terraformers have been brought in to cool down the planet’s temperature to make it more hospitable for the invading species to live. The temperature is becoming unbearable for humans. Now Joseph Capelli must begrudgingly pick up the fight, leave his family, and risk his life to reclaim Earth.

Slight changes make the third installment a bit more like the original Resistance. The weapon wheel returns, making it easier to switch weapons on the fly. We also see the return of the health bar. Yes, a first person shooter where you have to gather health packs….imagine that. Fortunately there is plenty of health lying around just waiting to be picked up, that is if you know where to look.

While many of the classic weapons can be found and used in the game, Insomniac has introduced a few new firearms. The Mutator is a biological weapons which fires blobs of bacteria at your enemies which destroy Chimera flesh. Then there’s the Deadeye, a Chimeran sniper rifle ideal for picking off enemies at a distance. Each weapon also has a secondary fire option. The Mutator for example can also release a toxic cloud of diseased mist which can disorient large groups of enemies, rather than just target a single Chimera.

Once a weapon is acquired, you can switch to it at any time. You just have to ensure you have ammunition to use the particular weapon. This is great since it’s an absolute blast (pun not intended) to create devastating attacks by circulating through your weapon wheel. Nothing brings more joy than using three or four weapons in quick succession in close combat, waiting for the messy results.

Controls in Resistance 3 are clean and precise. I never questioned a death due to awkward controls or poor hit detection. The only real hiccup may be the re-introduced weapon wheel. You use your right analog stick to select which weapon on the wheel you would like to equip. There were times I had selected a weapon but when I went back into battle I noticed my old weapon was still in my hands. This usually happened when I tried to switch weapons too quickly.

Resistance 3 has a much bigger feel than previous titles in the franchise. A lot of that comes down to level design. The levels feel wide open, with a variety of paths to take to your ultimate goal. How you reach your goal is up to you. In fact it’s easy to get turned around and lost in some of the vast environments. Fortunately if you spend too much time roaming around a small icon will appear on the screen to guide you to your next objective.

The game itself is quite beautiful, especially the sprawling environments. One has to look no further than the level which puts you in the Pennsylvania woods at night to see the graphical power of the Playstation 3. Hybrid Snipers use the Deadeye sniper rifles to hunt you down. The air is filled with not only laser sites, but spotlights from Chimera air ships all working in unison to hunt you down. Add in a full moon and Insomniac has set the stage for one of the most beautiful levels ever seen in a game. It’s absolutely stunning.

On the downside the facial animations and expressions on characters you run into within the game itself are a bit more lack lustre. While cut scenes look great computer controlled characters feel a but automated. Some of the characters such as the father feeding his son repeat the same movement over and over again with no variation. While it takes away from the moment it does little to take away little from the overall experience.

Gamers will be happy to discover a high replay value for Resistance 3. Once you complete the game you will be rewarded with credits which can be used to unlock behind the scenes videos and art work. Cheats are also available for purchase which can reward players with everything from unlimited ammo to the ability to use even the most powerful weapons at the start of the game. Let’s not forget multi-player, online co-op and the ability to play in 3D or with the Playstation Move controller.

I found it interesting to see the direction Insomniac has taken Resistance. Despite it’s hardcore shooter outer shell, the game really targets player’s emotions by throwing a young family into emotional turmoil. A father forced to leave his wife and young child in an effort to save the planet so his son can grow-up without having to live in fear. Insomniac never resorts to using over-the-top gore or foul language which just goes to prove a good M rated game doesn’t require either. It’s a refreshing approach not many developers would be willing to take.

When you look at the big picture Resistance 3 is a shining example of what first person shooter should be. The game play is well paced with fun weapons and smart enemy AI. Add to that some truly impressive graphics and the package becomes a solid experience that should not be missed. Resistance 3 is the most impressive entry in the franchise. Let’s hope Insomniac isn’t ready to throw in the towel on the series just yet.

The Good

Great story
Fun weapons
Vast environments
Solid graphics
Plenty of gameplay modes

The Bad

Stiff in-game character animations
Over-sensitive weapon wheel

Resistance 3 – 9.5/10

As I type away on my laptop a dull throb is radiating down my upper right arm. The pain has been there for two days now and is only starting to subside now that I have abandoned my Xbox. My training to become a ninja has been thwarted, defeated by mere pieces of fruit.

Last year Halfbrick Studios took the mobile gaming world by storm with the release of Fruit Ninja for the iPhone. Gamers across the globe sliced and diced fruit by swiping their fingers across their screens. Now the blockbuster game has come to the Xbox 360, to recruit a new batch of ninjas. But just how well does it translate from mobile phone to console? Surprisingly well.

Playing Fruit Ninja on the iPhone was easy. All you had to do was swipe your finger to slice fruit thrown up in the air, dodge the occasional bomb and make sure you don’t miss more than 3 pieces of produce. If you succeeded you became a legendary finger ninja. The Kinect version of Fruit Ninja isn’t much different.

Instead of swiping your finger across the screen, you will now have to make a swiping motion with your arm (or arms) in order to cut through the fruit tossed up into the air. The Kinect camera scans your image into the game as a shadow so you can see where your hands are on the screen without interfering with the other visuals.

While all your movements are picked up by the Kinect sensor only sharp fast movements count as an actual “slice”. This made it easy to move around the screen without accidentally slicing through a bomb. The occasional accidental slice did happen when I went to scratch an itchy arm or leg, but the overall motion detection was quite reliable in single player mode.

While you can play through the classic mode, just like the iPhone version of the game, Halfbrick Studios has tossed in a few additional modes. In Zen mode you can slice through fruit without having to worry about bombs or power-ups. Then there’s Party mode where two players work together to slice through fruit and collect bonuses to rack up a high score. If you’re feeling competitive you can play against each other to see who can get the higher score. This mode is probably the most fun as it can get quite physical, pushing each other off the screen to get the upper hand. Just don’t slice through your neighbours produce or you will be penalized.

I will admit Fruit Ninja Kinect is addictive. Even though the games only last between 60 and 90 seconds I found myself continuously wanting to try and beat my previous score. It’s also hard not to look at the online leaderboards to see if you can kill more fruit than your friends. For those of you who like to collect bonuses, you can unlock different blade colours, and backgrounds for the game.

I will point out the transition to Xbox Live isn’t without issue. While the Kinect sensor did a good job registering movements in single player mode, cooperative two player mode became a bit of a challenge. As soon as my hand went behind another player I found it difficult to slice through fruit. The Kinect sensor wasn’t always able to register movements in the frenzy of two player mode.

Overall I enjoyed Fruit Ninja Kinect but I have to say it feels like more like a mini game rather than a full fledged Xbox Live title. Part of me was hoping Halfbrick would have created a story mode or something similar, but I was left a bit disappointed. It’s one thing to pay 99 cents for an app on the iPhone but some will feel $10 for basically the same game on the Xbox is a bit steep. Don’t get me wrong, Fruit Ninja Kinect is fun in small doses but extended periods of play will eventually leave you with a sore arm wanting more.

The Good

Almost identical to the iPhone version
Fun two player mode

The Bad

Feels like mini game rather than full fledged title
Issues with hit detection in two player mode

Fruit Ninja Kinect 7/10

The iPhone 4 has a pretty amazing built-in camera. But if there was an Achilles heel it would have to be the digital zoom. Like many smartphones on the market it’s hard to get a nice closeup shot of something unless you are standing relatively close. Sure the digital zoom can help you get a closer shot but you certainly sacrifice picture quality as your image can become quite pixelated. So when I saw Photojojo’s Telephoto iPhone lens I was intrigued!

The lens promises to get you up close and personal to your subject “like having a Sigma 500 for your iPhone”. In layman’s terms you can get 8 times the zoom without having to resort to using digital zoom. Sounds impressive, but how well does it actually work?

When the lens arrived I was immediately impressed by the packaging. Despite the budget price it wasn’t in a clam shell package, rather a sturdy box with plenty of protective material inside. I quickly took out all the contents to see what it came with and noticed something was missing…instructions. I know, I’m a guy I shouldn’t read instructions, but when products come in multiple pieces sometimes instructions can be a good reference to make sure assembly goes smoothly.

There was initially a lot of guess work involved with the lens. I looked at the lens, looked at my iPhone and wondered how on earth it would connect to my phone. I struggled for a few minutes before I looked back into the box and realized one piece remained inside, the protective case. This is the key to the lens. The telephoto lens screws into the case which then goes on the iPhone.

The case is rather thin. It would provide more protection from scratches rather than protect from a drop. That being said it has a simple stylish black design which means you can leave it on your phone all the time and you wont be embarrassed.

Once the lens is in place you can clearly see the difference in terms of optics through your iPhone. Images do in fact appear much closer than without the telephoto lens.

The photos taken above were taken with no digital zoom. The top picture is the standard photo you would get from your iPhone 4. The bottom picture is the picture you would get by attaching the Photojojo iPhone Telephoto lens.

If you take a look at the photos above you’ll notice a couple of things. First of all the difference is quite dramatic. You have to take a close look at the top photo to see where the playhouse is. The second thing you’ll notice is a slight vignetting around the outer edges of the Photojojo image. This can’t be avoided. The Photojojo website warns this is natural and will simply have to be cropped.

I found focusing while using the telephoto lens to be a bit of a challenge. Sometimes it was difficult to get my subject in focus. There is a focus ring on the telephoto lens but it is very touchy.

The lens kit also comes with a mini tripod for your iPhone. This certainly helps setting up your shot, but is by no means needed for still photos. However I would highly recommend using this is you plan on taking video with the telephoto lens. Your video will be much more stable than if you were to attempt shooting the video handheld. Common sense I suppose. The lens really isn’t built for video but it works.

Although the lens does come with two lens caps (one for the front and one for the rear) you do have to be very careful when it comes to dust on the lens. Both lenses are inset inside the plastic casing which make it a trap for dust and lint. It does come with a handy carrying bag which will help protect it from dust and debris.

I was also a bit disappointed the lens casing was made form plastic and not metal. It just made the lens feel a bit cheap. I suppose even larger more professional lenses for cameras have plastic bodies as well.

Overall I was quite impressed with Photojojo’s Telephoto iPhone lens. While it takes a bit of playing around to get the pictures just right, the results are quite astonishing. Do you need a telephoto lens for your iPhone? Probably most people would say no, but it is a lot of fun to see the photos you can take when you have a decent zoom on your iPhone. Just be prepared for a bit of guess work as to how to put everything together once it arrives.

The Good

Great price $35
Works on iPhone 3/3GS and iPhone 4
Simple to use
Comes with tripod and small case

The Bad

Body made of plastic
Noticeable vignetting around photos
tripod recommended if taking video

The Telephoto iPhone lens can be purchased from Photojojo