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

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

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

It’s been a long time since I played an old-school side scrolling shooter. And while it would be easy to lump Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet (ITSP) into this category, gamers will soon find out there is much more to this game than meets the eye.

FuelCell Games has created a game which blends multiple genres. Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet can best be described as the lovechild of Gradius and Metroid. While you’ll have to keep your finger on the trigger at all times you’ll also spend much of the journey searching for hidden passages and power-ups to help you progress through the planet’s maze-like environment.

A dark spore has infected what was once a bright vibrant planet. Darkness has spread across the land, bringing with it mysterious organic creatures which are anything but friendly. Y0u get the task of hoping into your spaceship and exploring the planet to figure out how to stop the infestation.

The story is told with absolutely no narrative. Instead of hearing a narrator’s voice or reading subtitles you are treated to some of the most beautiful, awe inspiring visuals I’ve seen in a downloadable title.

Gameplay is surprisingly deep. You have a simple blaster to clear your way through the waves of enemies lurking below the planet’s surface, but it doesn’t take long before you realize there’s more to this game than just shooting. Many of the paths are blocked by obstacles. Fortunately your ship is equipped with a scanner which will help determine what you need to acquire in order to ascend deeper into the planet’s core. Pincers will enable you to pick up boulders and missiles will blast open locked gates. These are only two of the many upgrades you will find for your ship.

The planet is huge. The map turns into a sprawling maze, broken down into sectors. Old-school gamers will find it reminiscent to the maps found in Metroid games. Many of the locked doors and obstacles are marked on the map, to remind you to revisit this area later in the game.

Locked gates and rubble won’t be the only obstacles keeping you from uncovering the secrets of this dark planet. You’ll also stumble upon the occasional boss battle. Many of the first bosses can be dispelled with a few well placed blasts while the latter bosses will have you playing finger Twister. Expect a challenge!

ITSP may be dark and eerie but it’s certainly beautiful. The graphics resemble a Tim Burton movie. The stylish art direction alone makes this title worth playing.

The game as a whole is an intensely enjoyable experience but a few glitches raise their ugly head. The interface used to change out weapons is a bit awkward to get used to, but the bigger issue is you can’t pause the action while you try to swap out weapons. Make no mistake about it, you will die at some point while trying to change out your weapon.

Another issue pertains to the map. I love the fact that locked doors appear on the map with the icon showing what is needed to get past it, but why it doesn’t disappear from the map after you open it is beyond me. It makes it next to impossible to remember which doors you have opened and which are still locked. This will be aggravating to achievement whores who will want to explore every nook and cranny and collect everything to receive all of the game’s achievements.

Xbox Live Summer of Arcade is known for showcasing unique, quality games and Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet doesn’t disappoint. The art style, the concept and the challenge make this a recommended download to help bridge the gap to the onslaught of games coming out this fall. I just wish the game was longer!

The Good

Great art style
Fun weapons and gadgets

The Bad

Can’t pause while changing out weapons
Opened doors don’t show up on map
Too short

Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet 9/10

Remember seeing all the press about Medieval Moves Deadmund’s Quest during E3 this year? You don’t? Unfortunately it was one of those titles which seemed to fall through the cracks, forgotten amongst the triple A titles such as Uncharted 3 and the next Gears of War. Deadmund’s may not be receiving the same publicity other titles are receiving right now, but that doesn’t mean it should be overlooked.

Deadmund’s is being developed by the same studio which brought us Sports Champions for the Playstation Move. In fact, many of the same play mechanics have been borrowed in this action adventure title.

“If you’ve played Sports Champions before you’re going to be familiar with them.” Bob Staite, Associate Producer of Deadmund’s Quest told me as he walked me through a demo. “We’re using them as building blocks not necessarily as a port. We’ve improved them from Sports Champions.”

While the actual story isn’t being given away, the game appears to be an adventure style title which has you exploring castles and other medieval themed settings in search of loot. Yes, we’ve seen that before but what we haven’t seen is the seamless weapons system which has been developed for Deadmund’s Quest.

There are no menus, or inventory system. When you want to do something you simply do it and the game will figure it out. When I wanted to swing my sword at an enemy all I had to do was swing the Move controller in my right hand. To block an attack with my shield I lifted up my left hand which also held a Move controller. Flicking my wrist at the screen like I was tossing a Frisbee sent shurikens flying at my enemies. And to send an arrow into my enemy I reached over my shoulder with my right hand while keeping my left in front of me. A quick pull back motion and release of the T button on my right Move controller sent an arrow directly into my enemies chest. You can switch between any weapon as quickly as you want.

“Every move you do in real life is immediately translated into the game. Whether it’s sword slashes, uppercuts with the sword, tracking your shield movement, the angle of your throwing stars when you release them, the fidelity in the controls is the real star here.” said Staite.

The system works well. I was able to quickly switch between weapons at free will and before long I turned into a skeleton, orge killing machine. Impressive. What I was less impressed with was the fact that I couldn’t move on my own during the demo. Staite gave me an awkward look when I described the game as being on rails, and he openly admitted your movement is controlled throughout the entire game.

While I’m not a huge fan of “on rail” games I can say now that I’ve played it I can see why they chose this route. You become so busy reaching for arrows, swinging your sword and blocking attacks with your shield that it would become next to impossible to navigate through the levels. You simply don’t have enough hands or enough time for navigating the levels.

“Even though we control the player’s movement we have a lot of split paths between levels, so there is a lot of forks in the road with different areas for people to explore, different pickups and items by taking all these different paths.” said Staite. “You’re not going to see everything in one play through.”

Another way Zindagi Games mixes up the gameplay is by adding in additional gameplay mechanics that weren’t found in Sports Champions. At one point I had to pick locks by twisting the Move controller in my hand. In another area I had to hold my arms out and help my character balance as he walked across a narrow ledge. There is also a grappling hook used to access restricted areas.

The game looks wonderful. The graphics are colourful and surprisingly detailed. The cartoon-like animations will certainly make the game attractive to a younger audience, which is primarily who Zindagi is targeting. That being said Staite is optimistic the older crowd will pick it up once they see just how seamless the gameplay is.

“Once the adults get their hands on it everybody has a good laugh and it’s all about just having fun.” said Staite.

While I was only allowed to play a 15 minute demo of the single player campaign, Staite informed me this is no mini-game. It’s a full-length Blu-ray game with online and offline cooperative play as well as competitive modes.

Medieval Moves Deadmund’s Quest may not have received as much publicity as some of the other big titles hitting home consoles, but it’s a title I will be keeping my eye on as it gets closer to launch. Look for it to hit the Playstation 3 this fall.

If you’ve never played Ico or Shadow of the Colossus I have one thing to say to you. Shame on you! Although they are nearly a decade old (Ico was released back in 2001 on the PS2) they became cult classics for a reason. Fortunately for you you’ll have the chance to play them again when both get re-released this September on the Playstation 3.

“They were great games back in the day and I think they still are. But the fact is they’re both Playstation 2 games and it’s difficult to find new copies now, even used. It’s very difficult to get a hold of them” said Senior Producer Tsubasa Inaba. “Plus, how many gamers or people still have their PS2’s still active? Maybe they own one but they put it away because their main system is now a PS3 or what ever it may be. We thought why not revisit this.”

Inaba was proud to show me what Bluepoint Games has been working on over the past few months. As I played the remastered collection he anxiously stood over my shoulder, making sure to point out what makes the games different from when I played them years ago. Most notable is the graphical upgrade. Bluepoint took the source code and upped the resolution, transforming the game into high definition.

“We thought maybe the upres might give them more justice so to speak. Back in the day with the ps2 they were restricted in a lot of ways on what they could do with the systems. The Playstation 2 could do a lot for its time but PS3 enables a lot more.” said Inaba.

A lot more including stereoscopic 3D support. Yes the graphics may look more polished then they did back in the day but you couldn’t deny how good the game looked in 3D. I had to remind myself that this game was created 10 years ago before 3D gaming on a home console was a reality. Inaba laughed, agreeing Fumito Ueda created something which was well ahead of its time.

“The creator and his team had a mindset of trying to create the world of Ico and Shadow of the Colossus with a 3D philosophy in mind, even though there were restrictive with the PS2 technology.” said Inaba. “You can see that with all the architecture you see in Ico with the castle for example or in Shadow of the Colossus when you’re climbing on top of the Colossi. The real time dynamic collision…that works phenomenally. The object your climbing is moving and the fact that you’re clinging onto it trying to get to the top that in itself was ahead of it’s time and the game gets justice by delivering it on the PS3.”

The experience will no doubt be a first for many gamers, but other will have the chance to play it again for the first time. Inaba was excited to point out Ico now has a new ending. Ico initially launched in the United States ahead of Europe. Europeans had the chance to see a new re-tooled ending. Now North American gamers will for the first time have the opportunity to see that same ending. Shadow of the Colossus remains unchanged other than the addition of HD graphics and stereoscopic 3D.

Both games will be bundled together for $39.99, a decent price considering what you get. Inaba also spilled the beans on some bonus content which will come with the game. Not only will players get vouchers for two dynamic PS3 themes (one for Ico and one for Shadow of the Colossus), something else will be thrown in; something fans of the series will be excited to see. All Inaba will say at this point is that it’s a video that he worked on with Ueda.

“It’s reminiscent, good old times and I’m looking forward to everyone seeing it.” said Inaba. “You’ll enjoy the piece.”

Of course the timing of the release is a bit strategic. Inaba is working on the third installment in the series with Ueda entitled the Last Guardian. While many have speculated the future of this project, Inaba was pleased to tell me the Team Ico is hard at work and the title will see the light of day.

“Let me just say it’s rolling. it’s coming along slowly but surely, one step at a time. We will be speaking to you on it in the future.”said Inaba. “There’s talks they cancelled the project this and that. No, they did not. They’re still on it. It’s still around, trust me.”

Until then Inaba hopes you’ll bridge the gap and refresh your memory with the soon to be released Ico and Shadow of the Colossus Collection, hitting stores this September.