Delving straight into the campaign, the story picks up directly after the events of MW2, with America under armed invasion by Russia. In the opening scenes, the player assumes the role of Delta Force operative Frost. His convoy in New York’s Wall Street district has been hit, and after exiting the overturned Humvee jet-fighters are seen pulverising high-rise buildings, sending chunks of debris crashing to the ground. Frost’s mission culminates in his team infiltrating a sub in the Hudson, turning it against the Russian fleet and escaping via helicopter.

Delving straight into the campaign, the story picks up directly after the events of MW2, with America under armed invasion by Russia.

Sounds exciting, and it is. This is how MW3 wants you see the world; a massive Michael Bay-esque world filled with explosions, obtuse plot devices and high bodycounts. The plot is as shallow as it has ever been, but it is a lot less ragged than its predecessor as it tries to tie up the hairy mess of loose ends left by MW2. Makarov is still on the loose and Captain Price, still sporting his dashing facial hair, and Co.are aiming to take him down with the help of the rebel Yuri.

There are a lot of nods to previous instalments of the Modern Warfare series, dropping names for those that were paying attention and flashbacks to help those that weren’t, as it tries to recapture the spark that made it such a great game. Unfortunately, all the AC-130 gunner sections in the world will live up to the original moment when you realised you had control of that beast, and the tension of Ghillies in the Mist is lost on the streets of Russia.

Despite some intense and well designed set-pieces, it’s a campaign that’s missing the spark of the original MW despite trying so hard to stick to a formula, but that may be half the problem. The constant globe trotting still instils a sense of global conflict, and the streets of Paris, the tube tunnels of London and the blistering heat and sandstorms of Africa create unique battlegrounds for familiar gunplay.

This is how MW3 wants you see the world; a massive Michael Bay-esque world filled with explosions, obtuse plot devices and high bodycounts.

It still handles as well as any of the other Call of Duty titles, but there is little in the way of new concepts and ideas. A few new guns and air-strikes are scattered in for good measure, but it’s still the same old shooting-gallery combat we’re familiar with. Taking control of air assets is standard fare now, and a few tweaks to ground-missions involving the AC-130 are a visual feast, but there’s nothing strikingly bold or original.

As smooth as it runs, and as explosive as the set pieces are, there’s no denying that it looks dated. It may run at a smooth 60 frames per second, but the engine has so many cracks in it is definitely showing its age. Textures are muddy and bland, and the character models lack that certain something. It’s a very cut and paste job at times.

The musical score is as excellent as always and is perfectly orchestrated for each scene, though it sounds like much of the music from the series and from any action movie. The usual pops and whizz sounds make up the gun effects and explosions and while they’re capable of rocking your ears through headphones, they rarely carry the weight you would expect.

Campaigns in most modern shooters have become almost disposable like bubblegum. MW3 is no exception; once you’ve chewed for a while, blew a few bubbles and popped them, there’s nothing that draws the player back in. It’s a five or so hour long thrill-ride that never lets up its manic pace. As enjoyable as it is at the time, it’s not memorable.

It’s a five or so hour long thrill-ride that never lets up its manic pace. As enjoyable as it is at the time, it’s not memorable.

Multiplayer comes in the form of the returning co-operative Spec-Ops missions, and the ever popular multiplayer.

Spec-Ops are bite-sized missions that range from simple time-based shooting-galleries to wearing Juggernaut armour and there’s even a mission set on a plane that’s reminiscent of MW’s Mile High Club bonus mission. Just like MW2, the Ops are open to two players but a few require a co-op partner to play. The objective remains the same; try to score three stars on each Op.

As well as the standard Ops, Survival mode is new to the franchise. Instead of Treyarch’s tried and tested Zombie mode, the developers have gone for a more traditional and less supernatural approach. Each wave sees squads of A.I. descend on the player, and partner if you so wish, varying in strength and size as the game continues. Players will face off against dogs with det-packs, heavily armoured juggernauts and attack choppers, while reaching for high scores. Shops become available as the player progresses through waves of enemies, allowing access to new guns, armour and perks, and air-support. It’s an addictive game mode, and while it may seem passé to some, it’s a neat inclusion that fits well with the whole package.

Multiplayer makes its usual noise, and sees players running around like headless chickens, quick-scoping and camping in the usual fashion we’ve all become accustomed to. There are some new gimmicks and, obviously, a new set of maps to kill each other on, but interestingly, there are two new game modes.

Kill Confirmed puts a new spin on team deathmatch. It’s a point based game where kills earn points, but to truly score players have to collect the dogtags of their victims.

Kill Confirmed puts a new spin on team deathmatch. It’s a point based game where kills earn points, but to truly score players have to collect the dogtags of their victims. Likewise, teams can score by collecting the tags of their fallen comrades, earning points for denying the confirmation. It’s an interesting spin on vanilla deathmatch, but ultimately does very little to change the gameplay.

Flag Defender is an odd mode. The first player to get killed drops a flag, the it’s a race to capture and hold on to the flag. It’s a variation on King of the Hill really, where the hill is mobile and carries its own gun. Bonus points are earned for kills by to the team who hold the flag, though points are still earned per kill. Again though, standard Call of Duty play is at the forefront.

The usual assortment of modes, like Free-for-all and Harcode Team Deathmatch make their usual return, but it is the kill-streak system and gun upgrades that have received an overhaul of sorts.

Kill-streaks are broken in to three categories now; Assault, Support and Specialist. The former is standard, where kills equal aggressive rewards ranging from turrets to chopper gunners. If you die while using the Assault package the streak resets, unlike the Support package, where it only resets once you’ve used the highest available reward. Support players can hand out Kevlar vests, call in advanced UAVs and help out their team in general. Finally, the Specialist package is designed for those lone-wolves who play fro themselves, by themselves. Each reward in this option is a new perk, and it’s possible to have every perk in the game active with this kill-streak package. The player becomes a walking kill-streak.

the multiplayer portion is the same tried and tested formula that players have come to love - but after four years the age is definitely showing. It's hard to see the Modern Warfare name continuing from here, but the next Call of Duty entry should bring much needed change.

Despite the tweaks made to the overall system, the maps on offer are a mixture of disappointment and confusion. Modelled on the single player elements, they are much tighter than previous titles, to the extent that there is a real sense that we’re playing a corridor shooter and nothing more. No map stands out as real joy to play, and Dome simply recalls the madcap nature of Nuketown in Black Ops. It’s a disappointing show indeed.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 was supposed to be the triumphant and spectacular end to a story that started four years ago. It succeeds in creating an immensely enjoyable, yet ultimately forgettable campaign, and while the Spec Ops and Survival modes might keep you and a friend entertained for a while, the multiplayer portion is the same tried and tested formula that players have come to love – but after four years the age is definitely showing. It’s hard to see the Modern Warfare name continuing from here, but the next Call of Duty entry should bring much needed change. Kudos to the team for managing to bring MW3 to the table after such a massive rift in the developer’s studio, but this instalment shows that the series has already begun to lose its steam and the flies may be circling on that donkey.

Hammering out the door from the offset, Battlefield’s campaign tries to create a cinematic and exciting experience. The player falls into the shoes of Sgt. Blackburn as he rushes through a speeding subway train, taking out the usual bad-guys with balaclavas and Russian guns to the tune of several QTEs. This is not the authentic war experience that EA’s marketing team shovelled at us on a bi-weekly basis.

The story follows Blackburn through a campaign against the terrorist group the PLR, Russians and the usual villain who has a dastardly plot involving WMDs. It plays out in a series of flashbacks that shares more in common with last generation shooter Black than Black Ops, but it bears all the hallmarks of a modern shooter.

Hammering out the door from the offset, Battlefield’s campaign tries to create a cinematic and exciting experience.

So far it ticks all the boxes of what we’ve come to expect from a military shooter, but it does very little to innovate or challenge and actually manages to miss a few steps in the action department. The jet-fighter mission is on the rails, so rather than put you in the pilot’s seat as a form of flight training for the multiplayer portion, the player has the exciting job of checking rudders, firing flares and occasionally missiles.

Unlike both Bad Company games, Battlefield 3 follows a more linear story driven experience. Gone are the open fields and hills and in their place are corridors and set-pieces, which could have been successful had they not been so uninspiring.

Set pieces seem to be a mish-mash of other people’s good ideas, but there are so many similarities to other brands that it’s hard to ignore the generic standard of combat. Activision are probably quite happy that Battlefield’s set-pieces bear more than a passing resemblance to their work, but it will leave a bad taste in any Battlefield fan’s mouth.

By the time the five or so hours of the campaign are over, there’s little to write home about and excessive QTEs, on-rails sections and uninspired set-pieces leave it all falling very flat. The Battlefield series is not well known for its single player elements, but this seems to echo almost everything that was wrong with last year’s Medal of Honour campaign.

It’s safe enough to assume that most people will buy it for the multiplayer exclusively, and they can be glad they did because it is immensely entertaining, but just don’t expect a great solo experience or you’ll be left dissapointed.

Despite a poor show, it’s a visually astounding game and once the HD features have been installed, and you’ll really want to do it, it’s an amazing showcase of what can be done with the console. While the Frostbite 2 engine’s destructive capabilities have been toned down for the campaign, soft cover shatters and splinters satisfyingly, particles spray naturally into the air as bullets rip in to the environment and the lighting effects are used in some exceptionally great moments.

The character animations are superb and are more realistic than any seen before in an FPS, and that goes for everything right down to the facial animations. It’s safe enough to assume that the team has learnt a thing or two from their work on Mirror’s Edge.

While the console visuals are excellent, it’s important to be aware that most of the trailers were based on PC footage, so don’t expect a level of detail that comes close to those promotional trailers.

One aspect that Battlefield has never failed to deliver on is its ability to blow holes in ears with their audio, and this instalment is no exception. From the loading screen to the battlefield, there are heavy base tones that aurally pound the player. The music builds tension in every scene, and it even makes the fighter-jet take off build into a crescendo of anticipation, but it repeats over and over and eventually loses that excitement factor later in the game.

The crack and bang of bullets on the battlefield is blistering. There’s nothing quite like the sound of a bullet whizzing past your ears and hitting a wall behind. Explosions and guns firing in the distance are probably as authentic as you’re going to get without strolling into a warzone.

It’s definitely not the successor to Battlefield 2 that everyone expected, but that’s not to say it’s bad in any way.

The multiplayer aspects come in two flavours; CO-OP and Multiplayer and both show that the series is reaching to grab a share of the FPS market, and hopefully steal a few gamers away from the Call of Duty franchise.

CO-OP sees you and a buddy gunning your way through scenarios similar to that of the single player campaign. There’s a good blend of stealth, sniping and vehicular combat to keep players happy and while it’s shorter than Blackburn’s story, it definitely raises the stakes with some crazy action sequences and cleverly designed set-pieces.

One mission sees you and your buddy piloting a Littlebird chopper while protecting two teams on the ground. One player pilots the chopper and the other takes the gunner seat. Another sees you both sneaking into a building to extract an informative, bringing co-operative play and stealth to the forefront, while another is an all out gun rampage from the top floor of a building, to the basement garage. There’s a good variety of missions on offer and setting times on the leaderboards can be very addictive.

Competitive multiplayer is exactly what you expect it to be. This in itself is an issue. Despite the return of jet-fighters to the warzone, there just isn’t enough variation to differentiate this title from Bad Company. It’s definitely not the successor to Battlefield 2 that everyone expected, but that’s not to say it’s bad in any way. There are enough tweeks to give it it’s own character, but gameplay remains mostly unchanged, which again is not a bad thing.

Classic modes like Conquest, and Bad Company’s Rush, return in force accompanied by Squad Rush and Squad Deatmatch. No surprises there, but it’s exactly what every fan wants. An odd strategy is the conclusion of Team Deathmatch, as it removes vehicles from combat, condenses the battlefield into a narrow playground and uses randomised spawn points that can be a complete disaster.

Despite a lacklustre campaign that only hits the high notes on occasion, the game shines on the multiplayer front.

Playing classic modes is where the real fun lies, whether hitting the ground running in a vehicle, or taking up strategic vantage points, gameplay is as intense as ever. The Frostbite 2 engine shines, playing up its destructive capabilities and general sheen. It makes the battlefield a glorious place to be and is genuinely thrilling, as long as your connection holds as there are some server issues as of writing.

If you’re a completionist, there’s plenty on offer here as there are bucket loads of unlockables for each gun, class and vehicle. On top of that, there are plenty of medals and dogtags to unlock, some of which show off your prowess with vehicles and other forms of combat.

Unfortunately, there are those maps that don’t fit with the regular design of Battlefield maps. Operation Metro, the Xbox’s only Beta map, is a perfect example of this due to its linear design and over use of chokepoint combat. It underplays the strengths of the game leaves encounters feeling flat.

There are some genuine standout maps that make the experience an exciting prospect. The well advertised Caspian Border and Kharg Island provide all the thrills and spills of all out vehicular and infantry warfare. Planes and choppers roar over head as infantry and combat vehicles skirmish on the ground. This is what everyone wants from Battlefield 24/7 and where the game truly shines. There are no other games on console that compare to the brilliance of its online play, and that alone makes it stand out in a crowded market.

Despite a lacklustre campaign that only hits the high notes on occasion, the game shines on the multiplayer front. If Battlefield had been sold as a multiplayer only experience it probably would have ticked all the boxes, but DICE’s inability to weave an original and complex story falls by the wayside and it drags the package down, something they can work towards in all of their shooter franchises. It’s safe enough to assume that most people will buy it for the multiplayer exclusively, and they can be glad they did because it is immensely entertaining, but just don’t expect a great solo experience or you’ll be left dissapointed.

In Tropico you play ‘El Presidente’, the leader of the Caribbean nation Tropico. The game features a campaign of twenty missions (plus four tutorial missions) where you will take control of one of Tropico’s many islands in various states of despair and take them to prosperity.

Tropico 4 is a top down management sim giving you an aerial view of your island. Each mission starts you off with a brief history of the island and the goal is usually to turn a profit. The islands and the campaign missions themselves do have a decent amount of variety for a management sim (unlike, for example the Rollercoaster Tycoon games). Some islands have no natural resources so have to resort to imports and tourism to make money, some are prone to natural disasters with live volcanoes on site and some the terrain is too unsuitable to turn it into anything productive.

Tropico 4 is incredibly deep, so much so that if I were to explore all avenues this review would end up at around eight thousand words.

Despite the islands economic conditioning, the terrain or anything else the gameplay is still the same. You must turn your remote island into a success. Now, there are a few ways to do this whether you turn it into the latest tourist hotspot, a beacon of faith attracting those searching for hope or maybe even the pinnacle of industry. There are lots of ways to accomplish this task, but usually in campaign (or at least the start) you are directed to do it in a certain way.

Tropico 4 features many buildings for you to build that are split into different categories depending on their function; there are government buildings such as the prison and customs, entertainment spots such as nightclubs and theme parks, utility buildings such as power plants and wind towers, industry buildings like the furniture or cigar factories, resource buildings such as the mines or logging camps, civilian buildings like the block of flats and tourist buildings like the hotel. In fact, the game contains that many buildings it is doubtful that you will get them all on one island.

Three of the most important buildings are your palace, the teamsters unit and the construction yard. These are the staple of every island, and usually the only buildings you start with. The palace is where you live as El Presidente, ruling from above in luxury. The Teamsters are the guys who make your island run, they will collect chopped logs from your logging camp and transport them to the logging camp for cutting. They’ll take them from the logging camp to the furniture factory then take the finished furniture to the docks for export. As you can see, Tropico 4 lets you control the industry side from the start to the finish. Finally, the construction yard is the building that houses your workers, the guys that will run around building whatever you command. You’ll find that you will need multiple of each of these buildings (except the palace) as your island grows otherwise everything will just grind to a standstill.

Islands have volcanoes or troubling currents offshore which can promote natural disasters a plenty – Tsunamis, eruptions, tornadoes, you name it. How will your government prepare?

As El Presidente, you can move around your island as you please. If you go to a construction yard, the workers will speed up. If you go to a protest, the protesters will calm down. It’s a small touch, but over the course of the game is fairly useless and you’ll find yourself ignoring the feature.

El Presidente can be fully customised, from his looks to his background and political ideals. These traits can be changed before the start of every mission and this gives the player chance to change his or herself for the benefit of the island. Not that realistic, but still. For example, if your goal is to create a tourist hotspot, by picking the popstar background (you were a famous popstar who somehow ended up president) your tourist rating gets an increase. If you have to make a certain amount through industry, you’d select a trait that increases the price people pay for your exports. There are about 15 backgrounds and 20 traits in total, and the traits have a level rating from 1 to 5 stars. Every time you complete a mission with a trait (you’re allowed three at a time) it gains a star, which also increases its productivity. That 2% decrease in building costs might go to 4%, all the way to a maximum of 10%.

Whilst playing Tropico 4 there is also the ledger, where you can see all your financial dealings, allow imports and exports, and check the happiness of your citizens and the various factions. Factions you ask? Yes, as in the real world the populace is split into factions. These can be loyalists who value Tropico 4 above all else, the religious who believe in God and think he should come first, the environmentalists who want to preserve Tropico just to name a few. Most of your actions will please a few sets of factions and displease others. For example, if your short on workers you might let customs get those extra few immigrants in – this might be good for industry, but the loyalists will go nuts. Those jobs belong to Tropicans, not immigrants. It’s this kind of balancing act that makes succeeding at Tropico difficult, you really need to watch what your doing and every decision has a consequence, so you must plan wisely. And if you don’t plan wisely, you must be prepared to make reparations incredibly quickly before they revolt.

Staying as El Presidente is the key factor here. Yes, you need to make your island a success, but it’s no good if you get ousted from office. There are elections (which as El Presidente you can abandon) if you feel like it (but once again, consequences) or use your military might to instil fear so there are no repercussions. You can talk your way through the elections giving speeches and appealing to the right factions and see where the ballot papers lie. Either way, prepare for citizens to revolt and try to bring down your government.

Tropico 4 is a top down management sim giving you an aerial view of your island. Each mission starts you off with a brief history of the island and the goal is usually to turn a profit.

If all the above wasn’t enough to keep an eye on, many islands have volcanoes or troubling currents offshore which can promote natural disasters a plenty – Tsunamis, eruptions, tornadoes, you name it. How will your government prepare? How will you deal with the aftermath? Accept foreign aid? Keep it all localised? The choices in Tropico 4 are nearly endless…

The graphics on Tropico 4 are fantastic. Whether you are fully panned out or zoomed in to see peoples faces, the island and it’s inhabitants look and sound fantastic, as do the buildings. Luckily we don’t have the annoying Sims style chatter, just the hustle and bustle of everyday life on a tropical island paradise. There is nothing ground-breaking with regards to the sound or the graphics, but they do the job they are intended to do without causing pop-up or frame lag despite an awful lot happening on your screen at once

Tropico 4 features no multiplayer, either local or online. It’s just not that kind of game. There is no war (only political) and you could never get two people on the same island anyway.

Achievement wise, it’s a hard bunch to crack. To earn anywhere near the full 1000g you’ll have to put a lot of time into both story mode and sandbox mode meeting certain criteria as you go (such as earn $1million via industry on a map). While a lot will unlock just from playing, you’re going to have to aim for certain ones and stick at it for a long time.

Tropico 4 is incredibly deep, so much so that if I were to explore all avenues this review would end up at around eight thousand words. It’s a game of choice and micro-management and how you choose to rule is completely down to you. Every choice has a consequence, just as managing a a real government would, and for every two people you please you will probably annoy another. It’s a great game that any RTS fan will enjoy despite being deeper than something like Halo Wars or Command & Conquer…but I’ll leave you with a little tip.

There can be no ‘true’ Tropico, just remember that…

The universe of Disney is in trouble. After creating a perfect computer simulation for its inhabitants so that they could explore previous Disney masterpieces, a virus known as Hex has come along and corrupted everything! The once friendly guards have been turned into killing machines with turrets and spike traps popping up all over the place…..

OK, your probably asking me what I’m on about. Well, that is the very vague plot premise of DU. In simpler terms, you play a race of small blue people (of unknown name and origin) and you are tasked with entering the computer simulation, going to all the previous Disney Worlds and freeing it from the virus. Oh, and rescuing trapped inhabitants.

Upon entering your first world you will realise that Disney Universe is a 3D platformer. Each world is split into three chapters, which is split into three levels. So, a total of nine levels per world. Level nine in each world contains a trapped guest, whom you must free to break the curse. Sounds simple.

One of the big draws of Disney Universe is the amount of playable characters. You start off with around six, and for every chapter you complete you will unlock a new character.

One of the big draws of Disney Universe is the amount of playable characters. You start off with around six, and for every chapter you complete you will unlock a new character. If you complete each chapter twice, you’ll get another character, and the choice is amazing. Disney focusses the character and world selection on some of it’s major blockbusters – The Lion King, Alice in Wonderland, Pirates of the Caribbean, Monsters Inc., Aladdin, and Wall-E. We get the major characters from each film, as well as miscellaneous characters such as Mickey and Minnie, Goofy, Donald and Daisy….there really is loads. The new characters are unlocked via spending the coins you collect within the games levels, however it’s a redundant system as you will soon find yourself with more coins than you can spend, even whilst buying everything you want going along. A typical level run will net you 1500-2000 coins, with the character that is unlocked costing 400-600, leaving you with a spare 1000 at the end of every level.

However, and I’m going to point this out at the start because it’s important. They are not characters. They are merely skins, and for me this is the biggest disappointment with the game. The forty playable characters play the same. That’s because your actually a little blue dude wearing a suit that resembles the character. Nothing differentiates Aladdin from Simba, from Goofy to Daisy, and for me that’s a killer. No different attacks, no different abilities. Nothing. Just a different character COSTUME and a different weapon skin. Disney certainly missed a trick here.

The worlds (focussing on the above films) do look great though. From Pride Rock to the Cave of Wonders, each world looks and feels fairly differently, with different obstacles in the way. Every world contains a multitude of enemies that to be honest, I wasn’t sure if they different much or stayed the same. This is down to the combat system, which basically consists of running around smashing X. I know its a game designed at kids, and rightly so, but even my five year old son wanted a bit more diversity. And he’s five.

You play a race of small blue people (of unknown name and origin) and you are tasked with entering the computer simulation, going to all the previous Disney Worlds and freeing it from the virus.

Each level contains three collectibles that are mostly very easy to find plus a star to level your character up. So lets get to that. Another disappointment is that levelling your character doesn’t actually change anything really, it just changes your weapon skin and adds a graphic (flame/lightning etc.). Maybe your weapon got stronger, maybe it didn’t. It was hard to tell. This is down to the combat system, whereby you just run around and smash X. If your feeling adventurous, you can jump then smash X to give a ground pound style attack. So, there you have it. Two types of attack. X. Jump and X.

Every level also contains an arcade machine, where you can play a challenge. These are little mini-games that are quite fun to play and range from killing X enemies, dodging attacks, transforming into a shoe and kicking balls, or a chicken pecking at people. They break up the monotony of some of the levels and offer a thirty second window where you can just break loose. Unfortunately, on the combat ones, it’s back to that combat system…..

One last thing I will say on the combat of the game, is that the enemies are pretty ruthless. Due to the lack of accuracy you are afforded, you will find yourself being swarmed by enemies and dying quite often. Luckily, the only penalty to death is a loss of a few coins, the currency used to buy your new skins.

To offer a slight buff to the combat system, the game contains powerups. Now these do change the combat slightly, as they can turn you into a whirlwind to wreak havoc on enemies, give you one hit kill boxing gloves (but you still have to smash X), give you a super sword and on and on. There are ranged powerups which are far more fun to play, such as the laser gun, the snowman frost beam or Medusa’s petrify. Unfortunately, to get the most out of these, you just hold down X and point. I’m not sure which I had more fun with, just holding down X, or smashing the nuts out of it. It’s a tough call, to be perfectly honest.

The idea was right, the execution and implementation was wrong.

Disney Universe does look the part. The worlds look great, Pride rock feels like Pride Rock and the Monsters Inc. factory looks just like the Pixar films. The soundtrack is also pretty nice, with an awful lot of ambient music that can be played. A nice touch, is that the soundtracks can be customised, so you can only hear what you want to hear.

The combat sounds are fairly repetitive, but luckily aren’t annoying. I got through the game listening to the same sounds over and over, but never really got annoyed. With a game like this, that is always a huge plus. The characters don’t speak (which the exception of narration from the cubes), so most of the game is filled with either the sounds of swords clanking or the ambient tune that is playing in the background.

Disney Universe features an easy 800g out of its total 1000, with only three achievements posing any real problems. One is for playing with four people (you need four real controllers, guitars etc. won’t work), one is for completing every level twice, and one is for getting five stars on every level. Unfortunately, these two achievements do tend to be a grind, but overall it’s an incredibly easy set.

The multiplayer in Disney Universe is local only, so you can only play with people in your living room depending on how many controllers you possess. Nothing changes really in the MP modes, except that you can either play co-operatively or competitively. You can throw your friend/foe off ledges, pass on curses….but it’s all redundant. Due to the fact that only the host levels up, only the host stats are saved, only the host gains the coins….it doesn’t give any incentive for the other players to steal those coins, to kill their foes. At best, its someone to talk to whilst playing through the levels.

Disney Universe is an apparent rival to the Lego games in theory, but Lego does everything better.

I understand this is a game aimed at children, and playing from an adult perspective is not always the best way. Which is why, my partner in crime (my five year old son) is always my go to guy. His views pretty much shared with mine, in that there was nothing to keep him playing, nothing to interest him. Run around, smash X. Collect coins. He can do that on most childrens games to be honest. He can do it on the Lego games…

Disney Universe is an apparent rival to the Lego games in theory, but Lego does everything better. Characters that look and play differently, better looking worlds, more depth, amazing puzzles. Disney were close here, and they are probably the only people in the world that have a roster that can rival the Lego Games. Give us puzzles, give us characters that play differently. I want Simba to run on all fours and pounce with his claws out. I want Aladdin to move quickly and nimbly whilst slashing his sword, I want Goofy to have a funny run…..

The idea was right, the execution and implementation was wrong. However, I will be keeping a very close eye on Disney Universe 2 (if it is created), and to see if DIS have learnt from their failings, as they could have something wonderful on their hands…

The premise of Uncharted 3 remains in the same vein as the previous instalments with players taking the role of the modern day Indiana Jones like Nathan Drake. Joined by fan favourites Sully and Chloe (along with some new characters and reappearances of familiar favourites making appearance later on) the story see’s past events in Drakes and Sully’s life come back to haunt them during their latest adventure. The game’s plot still heavily revolves around Sir Francis Drake exploits and Drakes fascination with his ancestor’s adventures. The main meat of this story is Drakes attempt to uncover a secret hidden from the world by Sir Francis Drake 400 years ago. Of course things don’t quite go to Drakes plans and he soon finds himself in a world of trouble. The story itself starts off in typical Uncharted fashion and instantly sets the tone for things to come. The plot is less fantastical this time around with the creatures of the last two games being replaced with more natural foes. While this change may please some people, and ground the story a little more, it takes an element of pop corn action fun that previous two had to offer. It’s not a criticism as such due to the manner in which the story conveys it’s self. There is slight themes of mystery and fantastical elements at play but in a much more sinister and realistic manner. The more grounded nature of the story allows Uncharted 3 to introduce its most realistic and menacing antagonist in the franchise’s history.

Unchartered 3: Drakes Deception isn’t trying to revolutionise the franchise but instead perfect the experience.

One reason for the success of Uncharted as a franchise is the journey it takes the player on. Uncharted 3 carries on the trend and showcases a simply stunning amount of environments. From dense jungles, to richly detailed ruins there is so much stunning imagery on offer you will often find yourself stopping still and taking it all in. The environments are all integral to the plot allowing for the story to flow neatly into each act. The key ingredient into what makes an Uncharted story compelling is the character interaction. The way in which the core cast talk to each other is both extremely well voice acted and well written. Nolan North (Drake) and Richard McGonagle (Victor Sullivan) both shine in their respective roles and portray a true sense of comradery. Their banter is both interesting and genuinely funny which lets their chatter feel natural. Both Emily Rose (Elena) and Claudia Black (Chloe) return to their roles and continue to voice the best female characters in modern day video games. There isn’t a single line that feels forced or is delivered poorly and this is a true testament to the quality of the voice acting and well written script. Drake and Sully’s bond is developed further within the plot of Uncharted 3, exploring the background to how the two meet is a nice simple touch that adds character depth.

The core gameplay and principles have not changed within the Uncharted franchise and the third entry keeps things intact. The cover based combat is still highly effective and has been slightly tightened up. The gunplay is still as intense as ever and remains accessible while staying constantly enjoyable. There’s a larger focus on hand to hand combat this time around with Drake being able to pull off more combos and counters than ever before. The melee combat feels more responsive and effective allowing hand to hand combat to be a viable tactic in game. Uncharted 3 keeps its gameplay mixed with various platforming sections being regularly introduced as well as puzzles. The amount of puzzles has been increased compared to Uncharted 2 and given the plot and the environments in the story it makes perfect sense. The puzzles offer a decent mix of visual challenges and referencing Drakes journal to crack codes. There’s a giddy sense of satisfaction when completing a tricky puzzle, there’s also a cheeky feeling of being Indiana Jones like. The puzzles aren’t a total mind melt but at the same time they are not simple to solve and never feel like padding. The way in which puzzles are introduced into the gameplay is both well executed and fits perfectly into the plot points. There’s still plenty of section that will see Drake scaling towers, walls and ruins in order to continues his journey, the climbing system is still utterly thrilling. Scaling walls is easily done and remains satisfying time after time. The climbing is kept thrilling by the use of imagery and camera works which allows the player to feel a real sense of scale. More often than not Drake will come close to falling due to a lose stone or a rusty drain pipe; these sections add a little extra thrill to what could easily be a dull section.

Uncharted 3: Drake Deception is a master class in how a video game can convey a story in such a fantastic way and command respect while doing it.

The majority of developers would be satisfied with incorporating a single epic sequence into their game, Naughty Dog however have taken things to a new extreme. One of the most memorable moments in the past two Uncharted games is the opening Train wreck section from Uncharted 2. The train wreck section was utterly enthralling with its perfect combination audio, player interaction and tense atmosphere. However the Train Wreck is quickly surpassed in one of many sequences that ooze sheer cinematic greatness. There is so many breath taking sections in Uncharted 3 you’d be forgiven for needing a break to readjust yourself. Escaping a burning chateau is just one of the mentioned sections of Uncharted 3 that is simply stunning from stat to end. A simple idea that is made thrilling by Naughty Dog’s flare for creating cinematic set piece. The way in which the fire rips through the building in a natural manner is hugely impressive, the action is intensified by the way in which the environment falls apart around you. Each second of this section is as thrilling as the last and is an utter joy to play through. The sheer brilliance of the major set pieces is unrivalled by any other game, or form of media for that matter, and is true testament to the production value at hand in Uncharted 3.

Uncharted 3: Drakes Deception showcases the power of Sony’s black beast and provides some of the most stunning visuals seen in video games. The attention to detail in every aspect of the game is a true wonder to behold. The environments are nothing short of beautiful with light bouncing around them in a realistic manner, there’s an abundance of fantastic imagery to behold and treasure. Character models look stunning with textures being super realistic allowing for every character to look perfectly human. Facial animation has been improved upon with expressions being more varied and detailed; this adds extra realism to cut scenes and general character banter. No other game has been able to render such beauty perfectly married with destruction in such a fantastic manner. The game runs smoothly allowing for the player to stay engaged in the action.

Uncharted 3: Drakes Deception showcases the power of Sony’s black beast and provides some of the most stunning visuals seen in video games.

The experience isn’t a perfect one however with some sections feeling slightly prolonged. This is especially true with some of the fire fights which seem to go on and on and become rather repetitive to a point. The lack of variation in enemy skins is a little disappointing as you will find you self taking on the same character model multiple times. While it may be nit picking, there is a few cases of the villains in the story having Drake at gun point but in classic Bond/Indiana Jones style they prefer to monologue rather than just kill Drake. While this is a cliché thing for villains to do it is understandable. It plays into the feel of Uncharted’s film like presentation and storytelling and assists in the overall result. However some may take issue with this. Other issues are thankfully minor. Enemies seem to have one too many grenades at their disposal and often flood the player with them. In past entries the player would be forced into diving out of the way but in Uncharted 3 players can throw back the grenades via a timed press of the triangle button. Another slight issue is trying to pick up ammo on the floor. Sometimes it can become bit messy when the ground is littered with multiple guns with accidental weapon pickups becoming common place. These gripes are all minor in the grand scale of things and thankfully don’t detract from the epic single player experience.

After the single player is all said and done Uncharted 3 has a deep multiplayer to dive into. Boasting several expansive, perks system, customizable characters and weapon load-outs its clear to see this isn’t just a tacked on extra. While the game types are not anything particularly special, the maps are something of a piece of genius. The dynamic maps on offer are some of the most enjoyable to hit current generation systems. A key example of this is the Air Strip map which starts off with players starting on a plane, and the others chasing the plane in trucks. Leaping from truck to tuck to gain access to the plane is thrilling. As players continue to battle the plane lifts off and the action travels to a new environment. The change from plane to air strip base is seamless and hugely impressive. The maps themselves offer numerous hot spots for action with covered being scattered around the maps along with turrets and sniper towers. Each level normally contains multiple levels and hall ways for players to duke it out in allowing for games to carry a sense of variation throughout. Uncharted 3’s levelling system isn’t anything original, same can be said for its weapons and perks, but it is well put together. The action is fast paced and addictive as well as being hugely enjoyable. The multiplayer isn’t all about competitive modes with a nice selection of co-operative game types on offer. These co-op sections don’t carry as much weight as the single player experience but are never the less a welcomed side dish.

After the single player is all said and done Uncharted 3 has a deep multiplayer to dive into - boasting several expansive, perks system, customizable characters and weapon load-outs.

Unchartered 3: Drakes Deception isn’t trying to revolutionise the franchise but instead perfect the experience. It was always going to be a hard job topping the greatness that was ‘Among Thieves’’ but Uncharted 3 has done exactly that. Everything within the game is so finely crafted you really do feel a sense that you’re playing something special, made by people with a special talent. The story is the best yet in the franchise with the entire cast being on top form. The action is intense and enjoyable with the puzzles being delightful and meaningful. The utterly jaw dropping set pieces set a new benchmark for video games. The visuals and audio design is utterly magnificent and allows Uncharted 3 to truly deliver its stunning impact in full. With a great multiplayer to offer countless hours of replay value, the price tag is easily justifiable. Naughty Dog have truly crafted a truly video game experience that will enthral and excite anyone who plays it, be it a ‘casual or ‘hardcore’ gamer or even someone whose never picked up a pad before. Uncharted 3: Drake Deception is a master class in how a video game can convey a story in such a fantastic way and command respect while doing it. There isn’t any need for a Uncharted movie when the games do such a fantastic job of being cinematic

Uncharted 3 isn’t just a brilliant game, but a brilliant experience.

Thanks to  Sony for supplying us with a promotional sample in order to provide this review

Fans of the original ZA will know that the premise of the game is simple. The end of the world is nigh, zombies are everywhere (and I mean everywhere) and you just have to survive. Unlike the first game, NDA does try to introduce a small plot linking together the chapters and some depth to the characters.

In fact, the characters are awesome. There are four altogether from the hardcore gamer, the vicar, the weed smoking rapstar and the reclusive weapons researcher. Each has a small back story and plays his or her own part in the plot as you progress from the zombie outbreak to the safety of the rappers yacht, where you will ultimately make your getaway.

The game plays like many top down shooters with movement being controlled by the left thumbstick and the shooting controlled by the right. It’s a tried and tested formula that has worked with countless games over recent years, and it continues to work well here.

Each character plays distinctly differently due to their different gun, their different item and their different ‘Pwnage Ability’. Not only is it a different skin on the guns, they all have a different function – the assault rifle is fantastic at range, the shotgun is amazing close up, the sniper rifle can take down more than one target in the line of fire and the duel pistols…well, actually, I didn’t think they did anything particularly well. But, it shows the difference. The carried items return from the original game, with the C4 bear making a return along with bombs, a dukebox and a molotov cocktail.

One of the key features of NDA though is the pwnage moves – as you kill, your gauge fills until you’re ready to ‘pwn’. These are the abilities that really turn the tide of battle, and can take you from wiping to survival in the blink of an eye. They include ’4x damage’, a heal, a ‘super fast melee one shot mode’ and an automated turret. Filling the gauges and using these abilities is a key skill you will have to learn if you want to succeed in NDA, as the game is hard.

In fact, when playing single player the difficulty did border on frustration at times. From out of nowhere, you will get swarmed by zombies and as you can only control one character at once you’ll find yourself crying as your not so intelligent ‘AI’ partners get picked off before you succumb yourself. With the multiplayer though these problems didn’t arise as it seems two human players (the game supports four) was enough to counteract these moments and carry you through.

The game has three distint modes :

• Campaign – This can be played in either single player or multiplayer and features ten separate chapters with progressive levels. Each level is conjoined via a thin plot and introduction.
• Classic – A horde style mode where you are placed on a static map and are tasked with surviving until the end of the ‘day’. Each day lasts around 2-3minutes but get progressively harder as you go on.

Blackout – This mode returns from the original ZA, and is the same as classic mode with the exception of that the whole map is dark – except the spotlight that shines on your team. The darkness does add a new element that means it’s hard to see where the attacks are coming from.

There is also a nice levelling system in NDA for your four characters to play around with. Each character has four stats which can be levelled to a maximum of five. Levelling them up comes with progressive play (I.e – movement, shooting, using your pwnage ability, using your melee attack and using your item) and once the next level is reached you then have to purchase the level up itself with money collected off the dead. Unfortunately this level progression only applied to campaign and I think it’s a bit of a shame it didn’t make it to the Blackout and Classic game modes.

The game also has a pretty detailed scoring system built in with everything from the amount of survivors rescued to the amount of limbs severed totalling up your points. There is a multiplier which will increase by one for every zombie killed, until a member of your team gets downed. Even when you revive that player (done by a tiny mini-game) it’s too late and your multiplier will be back at 1.

The graphics on NDA are good enough for what they do. The game is dark with decent lighting effects and the zombies and characters all look and move well enough. Due to the zoomed out camera its hard to see any real details but due to the nature of the game this actually turns out to be a good thing. With any game that can feature fifty or more on-screen enemies, lag is a worry and due to the aforementioned camera angle and its lack of ‘high detail’ the game never slows down or locks up .

However, it is with the games audio that it really shines. It’s just fantastic. The characters are all distinctly voiced with Jeremy being the highlight for me. His dialogue and one liners are humerous and kept me laughing throughout most of the adventure. The other cast members seem to play off Jeremy as the ‘main’ character but it works well and they all get an equal share.

Another nice touch, which I loved was the boombox item. When thrown it lays down an old-school stereo system which plays music and causes the zombies to get lost in the moment ; the thing is, the dukebox acutally belts out hits such as Smashmouths ‘Why can’t we be friends’ and ‘Do you really want to hurt me?’ by Culture Club. Genius.

Achievement hunters will get a mixed bag here with around 75% of the achievements earnt with not much trouble and giving around 100g. However, the final 100g is a time grind and requires 3 friends to complete the game in one sitting with you.

Zombie Apocalypse : Never Die Alone is a worthy addition to any fan of the iso-shooter. It builds on the original Zombie Apocalypse despite offering up anything really new to the series. The character development does help you feel immersed in the thin plotline and the little details here and there will put a smile on your face. The biggest plus with NDA is the price ; at 800MSP they’ve offered you a great amount of good quality content at a reasonable price. They could of opted for the ‘the last game was a success,lets slap a 1200MSP tag on it’ attitude, but instead decided to offer us a good game at a good price.

Thanks to Konami for supplying us with a promotional sample in order to provide this review

To avoid spoiling the original game, I’m going to be vague here. Remember the part with the bomb? Followed shortly by a ship? Then when you get off the ship, three days have passed? Well, TML is set during the missing three days.

As with the original game, you are playing as super cyborg Adam Jensen. The DLC plot runs parallel to the main campaign, intertwining occasionally. When you awake from the stasis pod on the ship, you find yourself locked in the brig being questioned by two mysterious figures. You don’t know who they are, but on the bright side, they don’t know who you are, or why you are on their ship. The only information that can be garnered is that the figures work for Belltower. That’s right, they’re back. Once your left to rot in the prison, your sprang from your trap by a mysterious hacker who then gives you instructions on how to proceed. While Jensen aims to get back on track, he will uncover a conspiracy involving not only Belltower where lives are at stake, and the consequences dire.

Remember the part with the bomb? Followed shortly by a ship? Then when you get off the ship, three days have passed? Well, TML is set during the missing three days.

The DLC does have a decent plot that runs off on a brand new tangent but also interlocks with the main campaign enough to make it feel plausible and not just ‘tacked’ on. The original games main objective is always the priority even in the DLC and we are constantly reminded of Jensen’s original plight. We are introduced to some new characters who flesh out existing organisations well, adding more background and colour to Belltower and another (that I won’t mention as to not spoil). The game does feature some moral choices as well that puts you on the spot with tough decisions, with no right or wrong answer and both paths eventually leading to the same place.

A nice twist with the DLC is that you start with no augmentations. The chair you are being held in at the start is an electromagnet pulse chair, which has disabled all of your augmentations. This gives you the chance to play as a totally different character to the one you may have used in your campaign playthrough. So if you fancy going all guns blazing instead of the sneaky silent type, this is your chance without replaying content you’ve already played.

The games mission system works the same as Human Revolution with The Missing Link offering up both primary and secondary objectives. The side objectives however in the DLC are nowhere near as fleshed out as the original game, with the objectives only taking a few minutes each to accomplish.

A nice twist with the DLC is that you start with no augmentations. The chair you are being held in at the start is an electromagnet pulse chair, which has disabled them all.

Deus Ex fans will be pleased to note that the guys at Eidos Montreal have been listening, as The Missing Link contains none of the boss fights that the original game was criticised for. The main protagonist is featured but in more of a free flow environment as opposed to a scripted setup.

The Missing Link clocks in at approximately four to six hours playtime in completely new locales. The majority of the game is set in two places, starting off on the container ship before moving onto a secret Belltower facility. The two locations provide a nice contrast to fight through, with the container ship being full of thin corridors with no room to manoeuvre versus the large sprawling Warehouses of Belltowers yard.

Unfortunately, the DLC adds no new augmentations or weapons to play around with. I had no problems with this, but maybe an additional augmentation or two would have been a great way to bring something fresh to a game you’ve probably already put thirty hours into.

The DLC is launched from the main menu, although I’m currently unsure as to whether it will auto insert into the main campaign so you can play it chronologically (I’ve contacted Square about this). I will presume it doesn’t though, as it would act as an augmentation reset but if so, then the original game would play far better with this DLC included rather than started separately. It would make much more sense in the games time line, and would offer more of a continuous story rather than having to revisit it after the game.

The Missing Link clocks in at approximately four to six hours playtime in completely new locales.

The graphics, audio and gameplay for the DLC are all identical to Human Revolution with no noticeable changes. The same core features including cover, speech and gun play are all worked the same way. The new characters that feature prominently in The Missing Link all look and sound fantastic, with a personal favourite being Quinn.

The achievements in The Missing Link are all fairly easy posing no real problem in getting the full 250g. Unfortunately, there is an achievement that restricts playstyle with ‘Factory Zero’ being awarded for a playthrough using no weapons, praxis kits or grenades.

Overall, The Missing Link fits into Deus Ex Human Revolution well, with a fairly strong plot and new solid characters. The length is admirable for DLC of this kind with you completing it before it ever gets stale. The DLC adds nothing new to the Deus Ex experience but it will sustain the game for its fans. The only downside is the price and at 1200MSP it’s a pretty steep one. The game can be bought in stores now for around £25 brand new, so paying £10 just for the DLC is a real eye opener. However, for fans of the game, it is highly recommended.

Thanks to Square Enix for supplying us with a promotional sample in order to provide this review

You take control of three characters; Phineas, Ferb and Perry. Each character has a different attack style, for example, Phineas uses a baseball gun, Ferb uses a gun that shoots electricity and Perry prefers hand-to-hand combat and his trusty grapple hook. Your combat choices are rather lacking, you can use a normal attack with the A button which can be charged, the B button is used for jumping while the Y button is reserved for special attacks such as a spread shot for Phineas’ baseball gun. Using the touch screen you can swap between the three characters quickly although there is rarely any need. Specific characters are used for certain “switches”, for example, Ferb can stun robots while Agent P can wall jump to higher areas but apart from this however, the character you use doesn’t matter. Character control is simple and responsive however combat is repetitive. Enemies, bar the Ferb-specfic robots or the shielded robot, require no skill to defeat and eventually have you mashing the A button in an effort to finish it quickly. The game itself is split into five Mario-like worlds each with multiple levels. Each level is pretty short and ridiculously easy, altogether the game only lasts a few hours.

The only reason to go back to the levels and play through the game again is the three hidden medals scattered through-out each level and the level specific “Monogram” mission; the medals aren’t hidden very well and it takes very little skill to find them. The “Monogram” missions are, as I mentioned, le vel specific and they revolve around completing certain goals such as destroying all of the crates in the level or defeating a small amount of enemies with a certain character. These ‘Monogram’ missions unlock costumes which you can buy in the in-game shop with batteries collected in game. Batteries are easy to come by and you can usually pick up 100 to 200 batteries in a level. The levels are usually platforming-based however, the game occasionally switches it up with different elements such as an R-Type style shoot ‘em up in Agent P’s car. Occasional boss battles are also fun at first but because of predictable enemy patterns and the simple difficulty level they get repetitive quickly.

Upon loading the game, the menu screen presented me with the usual messages about how the game was ‘inserting the chaos matrix’ and (for the Sim City fans out there) how it was ‘Reticulating Splines’, it felt comforting, and familiar – I was ready for yet another Sims experience. But with pets.

And that’s exactly what I got.

This latest instalment includes a few extra additions such as new traits for your Sims (e.g. 'Dog/Cat Person' or 'Allergic To Fur')

From the box art and menu screens to the gamplay itself, EA are sitting, screaming at you: ‘LOOK! There are pets in this one!’. Even the character creation screen, upon completion, directs you straight in to the ‘create-a-pet’ section automatically. Maybe I don’t want a pet? ‘Tough’ says EA. That’s what you paid for. It goes as far as that, when you buy new furniture for your house, the first category is: (Yes…) Pets. They’re up there, more important than all of your basic human rights. But I suppose that’s what you paid for. The Sims 3: Pets. Pets and bloody Pets.

Back to the game itself. If you have played any Sims game before, you will be familiar with the premise. You create a character or two and guide them through their day-to-day lives, getting a job, earning money, crafting relationships from the ground up etc. Your character (or ‘Sim’)'s needs are measured on small gauges and include everything you’d expect, ranging from hygiene to hunger. They grow up and they die. Repeat. In premise, it’s intensely simple, but as we know from its predecessors, it’s strangely addictive.

This latest instalment includes a few extra additions such as new traits for your Sims (e.g. ‘Dog/Cat Person’ or ‘Allergic To Fur’), but except for the actual four-legged friends, very little has changed. At the core of the game is one thing to remember: It feels strangely like DLC.

By completing certain challenges, such as 'Dig a hole in your neighbour's garden', you gain points and unlock rewards which allow you to adjust your moods, increase your luck or edit your characters.

My character, I thought, was to be a writer. A self-employed, literary genius who works from home. The logic behind this was that, being familiar with The Sims 3, I could use my flexible work hours to focus more time on my Great Dane called ‘Cat The Dog’. One thing that has to be said about Pets is that the range of cats/dogs you can choose from is truly vast. Rather than one or two customisable breeds, the game contains dozens of fully adjustable pets. But only cats and dogs, may I add – I read somewhere a while back that I could get a horse: I was to be disappointed. But if anything from Maine Coons to Labradoodles are your thing, then no doubt they will be faithfully recreated in the game. The pets even get their own traits, needs and desires too. It’s almost as if they’re people. But therein lies one of my major issues with Pets.

The animals are far too independent for my tastes. If my dog needed the toilet in the night, I could click on him, and order him to the toilet outside without even waking my Sim up. He could walk to the park himself, socialise with the other dogs of the neighbourhood, dig, run, and play, all without my help. In fact, short of putting some food in his bowl every other day, I barely needed to pay any attention to him at all. He just existed autonomously around the house. Don’t get me wrong, If I chose to, I could pay as much attention to him as I wanted, teach him tricks, bathe him and play tug of war. But why bother? I was too busy having my Sim write his latest tour-de-force on the PC – which broke almost every day (Not surprising considering he attempted to fix it using only a screwdriver… Why can I not just buy a pen in this game?!).

One new feature of the game are the abstract ‘Karmic’ rewards, as opposed to the solid fulfilment rewards you could purchase in earlier games such as ‘The Elixir of Life’ or ‘The Noodlesoother’. By completing certain challenges, such as ‘Dig a hole in your neighbour’s garden’, you gain points and unlock rewards which allow you to adjust your moods, increase your luck or edit your characters. These, along with the Achievements for the game, vary in difficulty greatly. They range from having your character become ‘BFFs’ with your pet, a feat which (however nauseating) took me about 30 minutes play time, to one which involves transmogrifying a male Sim in to a dog, a female sim in to a cat, and then forcing them in to some twisted interspecies erotica worthy of Kinky Kelly and the Sexy Stud. Whilst I’m sure all would become apparent over time, I still have no idea how I’d even begin to start that one. Most of the achievements which I garnered were by accident, such as having my dog become best friends with a cat, which occurred without me even noticing after my faithful friend wandered off down the street to entertain himself. It is possible, however, to lose your pet, according to the achievement list (as you rake in some GS for finding him again), but I’ve yet to find out how. You also gain a healthy dose of GamerScore when you complete all the challenges in a specific category, which will keep completionists coming back for more, again and again. Not that the Sims needs help with that – it’s one of those games where you sit down for an hour and then realise days have past.

Aside from these sporadic faults, The Sims 3: Pets is an enjoyable game and nothing is lost in this newest version. But as I said earlier, it feels like DLC.

As for the more technical side of the gameplay, the game is a mixed bag. The graphics are smooth, and the audio is what we’ve come to love about the series – The Sims has spawned its own genre of latin elevator music for generations to come. This, combined with the game’s own nonsensical language and TV channels (which are always blaring in my game), creates a reassuring aural wall upon which all gamers between 15-30 will find some comforting nostalgia. My main issue with the game was more the controls. I admit going in to this review with some presumptions, but the fact of the matter is, is I find games such as this much more suited for a mouse. EA have done everything possible to port the game over to the console market, and I have rarely found an occasion in which I can’t figure out how to do what I want, but it just seems clunky. It’s impossible to highlight a single item – you highlight an area and then select the item you wish to interact with from a list – and each aspect of the game, of which there are several, is controlled by a different button on the gamepad. You get used to it after a while, but it never becomes second nature. The Sims 3: Pets genuinely feels like a game which needs to be played on a PC. These pauses in gameplay where you try and figure out which button does what, distracts from the immersive, vicarious world which the game creates – and that immersion is what is fundamental to The Sims. You live and control the life of another. Which, I admit, sounds very depressing on paper.

Aside from these sporadic faults, The Sims 3: Pets is an enjoyable game and nothing is lost in this newest version. But as I said earlier, it feels like DLC. Whilst I would recommend this to any of my friends (or possibly enemies, if I wished to deprive them of any of their free time), I would advise anyone who already owns the original to stay away. Very little has changed here, except for the addition of letting your house-mate walk around on all fours. Your pets can live their own lives, get ‘jobs’ (or opportunities etc.) and have their own desires and needs, but if you’re anything like me, you’ll soon find them an annoyance and have them walk themselves to the park. They merely seem to get in the way if you let them. I was happy to have a dog in my Sims’ house, but I found very little reason to focus on him as much as EA intended me to.

Long story short, if you don’t own the game already, go for it. The Sims is a very addictive, very enjoyable game full of love, laughs and relationships. But for those of you who are just looking to expand your current game, it may not be worth it to pay the full price tag for the sake of a glorified expansion pack.

Thanks to EA for supplying us with a promotional sample in order to provide this review

After the events of Batman: AA, the island asylum is declared unfit for purpose, and somehow Hugo Strange has convinced the city of Gotham, that a mega-prison is their only hope of containing all the criminal scum in the city. Instead of being locked in cells, prisoners are left to wander the streets of the city and have full reign to cause as much chaos as they can manage.

It’s this city that Batman is thrust into and he’ll face off against Hugo Strange, the man that knows Batman’s true identity, and a whole host of villains and criminals looking to carve a name for themselves by taking down the famous Batman, all the while uncovering a sinister plot at the heart of Arkham City.

Arkham City is not just an exceptional sequel, but without a doubt the best super-hero game of all time.

The plot unfolds at a steady pace and takes the player on a rollercoaster ride for over eight hours, if you’re playing through the story and don’t become too distracted by all the extras. Despite the vast amount of villains in the game, it never feels overloaded and forced. Each of the gangs are led by the likes of Two-Face, The Joker and The Penguin, and their individual sub-plots are well-written and involving.

If you’ve purchased the game new you’ll get hands-on with Catwoman, who has her own storyline and relationship with the villains of Arkham, being that she frequently toes the line between good guy/bad guy, but there is always a desire to get back into the boots of the Bat as it feels almost alien playing as Catwoman due to the slower pace of movement.

The voice acting is superb, as expected, and the inimitable Mark Hamill returns for his last outing as the Joker. There’s never a dull moment in any cut scene as the dialogue is delivered with intent and care by every actor. Since this is Rocksteady’s take on the Batman universe, The Penguin is a different beast altogether and doesn’t quack-quack like his 60s counterpart, but instead has a heavy cockney accent, which as odd as it seems at first, is quite fitting in this dark and realistic vision of Gotham.

Batman himself has picked up a bit of attitude since the first Arkham, and he spouts lines about breaking bones and people eating their food through a straw. His lines have been revamped since the last game, and there is a much darker side of Batman on display.

The plot unfolds at a steady pace and takes the player on a rollercoaster ride for over eight hours, if you’re playing through the story and don’t become too distracted by all the extras.

While your journey through the city, you’ll be accompanied by the sound of your grapnel gun and the conversations of criminals and political prisoners below on the city streets. The music is dark and brooding and it only really kicks in when it’s needed for dramatic effect during combat and it enforces the sombre, drastic and dangerous tone of the game.

Arkham City uses the Unreal 3 Engine and it really pushes the tech to its limit without every feeling like it’s at breaking point. The Gotham City skyline is fantastic, and though the draw distance doesn’t incorporate the largest of vistas, there’s a real sense that this is an organic breathing city and every district has a unique look and feel that fits with the motif of each super-villain.

Combat and exploration were the real meat and bones of the original and they return in greater scale. Whilst the core mechanics of the free-flow combat remain as satisfying as the original, there are a few tweaks that make it a more enjoyable experience. Quick-fire gadgets add an extra layer to combat that really lets the player mix things up, keeping foes at a distance, stunning them or bringing them in close for a knockout bat-clothesline.

New enemy types provide opportunities to take full advantage of every move and gadget and none of your abilities feel tacked on and useless, making earning XP from combat and exploration an essential part of the overall experience, as unlocking new moves and gadget upgrades further enhances your ability to mash the opposition into a pulp.

Don’t miss out what is probably 2011s Games of the Year.

Given that Arkham is walled off part of Gotham City, it’s a veritable playground open to exploration. There are now many ways to handle travelling between objectives, combat and stealthy takedowns. The grapnel gun allows the player to grab ledges and vantage points to escape a losing battle, survey your surroundings and prep for combat. Used in conjunction with the gliding ability, making your way round the city becomes a simple task, and indoor areas are handled in a familiar way utilising gargoyles, grates and cover.

Stalking your prey remains identical, with the usual assortment of silent takedowns, glide-kicks and vertical takedowns on offer, but in the open streets of the city you’ll find that all out ass-kicking is the order of the day.

There are hundreds of Riddler trophies and riddles in the city, all providing XP and access to Riddler side missions. The obsessive collectors will be happy with the amount of tasks on offer, and returning to areas with new gadgets becomes commonplace. Finding each of the riddles and trophies is made easier if you can manage to track down Riddler informants and beat the information out of them.

After completing the game, there are challenge modes to complete, a game plus mode and the chance to free-roam to clean up all those side missions and trophies you may have missed, so the game keeps on giving. On top of that, Catwoman is playable in the challenge rooms, with more characters on their way as DLC.

If you’ve purchased the game new you’ll get hands-on with Catwoman, who has her own storyline and relationship with the villains of Arkham, being that she frequently toes the line between good guy/bad guy.

Playing through the game will net you around half of the achievements on offer, with side-missions and combat challenges boosting your score throughout the campaign. The rest of the points come from being a completionist and performing exceptionally well in the Riddler’s Revenge challenges.

Arkham City is not just an exceptional sequel, but without a doubt the best super-hero game of all time. Developers should take note, as the pacing, dialogue and story are phenomenal and the action is superb. The new setting opens up the world, and allows players to feel a natural progression from the Asylum to this open world and every little addition to the game just feels right. With around 10+ hours on the campaign and 20+ for all the extras, this is the one game where players can truly feel like the bat. Don’t miss out what is probably 2011s Games of the Year.