The basic rules of Bejeweled 3 are simple: The player is gifted a grid and tasked with matching up three or more of the same coloured jewels in order to eliminate them from the grid of play. Jewels can be stacked horizontally or vertically. Eliminating jewels offers a number of chances to earn the player special types of jewels that offer high score multipliers plus ways of eliminating jewels in bulk. The variation of the jewels (and ways of eliminating them) keeps things from becoming stale and as the gameplay hooks the player in. There is a certain sense of satisfaction when chaining a high scoring combo together, which acts as an incentive for the player to carry on. Whilst the basic game (known as classic mode) hasn’t ever truly changed over the years, it is nevertheless a fun experience that will no doubt claim numerous hours of any player’s life.

Bejeweled 3 offers the same addictive classic gameplay as its predecessors, only this time with a few more fresh game modes on offer.

Bejeweled 3 offers some twists on its basic format, with some modes playing far better than others. Arguably the worst (or perhaps least inventive/fun) is the Zen mode. Essentially a method of relaxation Zen mode has no ways of losing or winning and plays as an endless ‘classic mode’ game. It acts a nice way to get to grips with the games rules and gameplay, but beyond that it’s nothing more than an extra game mode which fails to shine among the others on offer. Game modes such as ‘Diamond Mine’ and ‘Butterflies’ offer a more challenging experience which are both highly addictive and enjoyable.

‘Butterflies’ is a particular highlight, tasking players with freeing butterflies which are dotted around the grid before the time runs out. It’s a simple yet refreshing twist on the gameplay which adds an extra layer of replay value to proceedings. The game modes are unlocked through various ways (mostly just playing the game, so nothing too taxing) and once unlocked, Bewjewled 3 comes into its element. All the modes have something different to offer. Additionally, the Xbox live edition of Bejeweled 3 benefits from online leaderboards thus adding a competitive nature to each game mode.

Puzzle fans will see no issue with the 1200MSP investment however others may wish to wait for the game to appear on Deal of the Week.

Bejeweled 3 is host to some rewards for players in for the long haul. Players can unlock a number of badges and, of course, achievements, for their efforts within the game. Whilst the prospect of earning badges within the game may not appeal to everyone, there will surely be a market for completionists who are prepared to earn their badges. A levelling system is present but doesn’t offer anything worthy of mention other than a reason to keep playing. In terms of visuals there isn’t much to talk about given what the game is. The effects of some of the special jewels are nice enough to the eye and they spice things up visually. Audio wise Bewjeweled 3 has a few tracks that are quite catchy, but unfortunately most of the tracks tend to sound alike and become rather forgettable. The easiest way to describe the music is to liken it to the sort of thing you’d hear in an elevator or during a shopping trip at the local super market.

Bejeweled 3 offers the same addictive classic gameplay as its predecessors, only this time with a few more fresh game modes on offer. The main flaw of Bejeweled 3 is the price tag of 1200MSP which seems steep given the cost of Bejeweled 2 is at these days. With the price tag in mind it’s undeniable that Bejeweled 3 is a fine puzzle game with all the charm and enjoyment you’d expect from a PopCap game – Its addictive nature will turn a ten minute session into a 1 hour binge without you even noticing. Hours of replay value wrapped into one big bundle of fun; it’s the core trait of the game. Puzzle fans will see no issue with the 1200MSP investment however others may wish to wait for the game to appear on Deal of the Week.

After defeating the Old Ones, the heroes of the land bound them inside crystals and heroically marched off to another crusade far away. Not-so-heroically, they left their children to look after these crystals of great power. Being kids, they immediately shirk their duties and somehow release an ancient force bent on resurrecting the Old Ones and, presumably, killing everyone they come across. You play as one of these children, defending your castle and clearing up the place before your parents find out and ground you for life.

You do this by constructing defences in well placed locations around the map, as per the standard Tower Defence formula. The twist is that you control a character, and can fight the oncoming hordes yourself, meaning that managing your towers is much more hands-on. Dungeon Defenders is not the first game to do this, Orcs Must Die recently used the same formula. What makes Dungeon Defenders special is the depth within the game, and how well it executes each piece of the puzzle.

Dungeon Defenders genuinely made me smile because of it's cute presentation contrasted with the backbreaking demands it makes of you, and no matter how many times I died, I just kept coming back.

You have four different classes to choose from that range from novice to master. The Apprentice is a wizard, complete with robes and a floppy hat who constructs barriers to stop the enemy, and builds ranged towers to pummel them from afar. The Squire is more melee based and puts down blockades that both damage the enemy and allow him to lay into them with his sword. The Huntress is for more advanced players. As well as laying explosive and concussive traps that she may have to restock in the heat of the battle, she can also turn invisible and move amongst the enemy, allowing her to single out particularly dangerous types of enemy. The Monk is the most challenging class, and uses auras to heal allies and slow, confuse or damage enemies.

The class you choose determines the difficulty of the solo campaign, and the learning curve for the Huntress and Monk in particular is very steep. There is a full tutorial you can take which covers all the bases, but once you begin playing on your own, the amount of enemies you face increases rapidly and you’ll be scrambling around trying to hold back the tide. There is a ‘build’ phase, free of enemies, in which you lay out your defences, repair any that have been damaged and manage your resources. This is followed by the ‘combat’ phase where the killing is done. It is still possible to build and repair new positions, but it takes considerably longer to do so in the combat phase. The result? You need meticulous planning and a clear head on your shoulders to cope with the ever more difficult waves.

Luckily, there is an upgrade system available which helps you out as you level up, and the amount of upgradable and customisable pieces in this game reflects how deep and detailed it really is. You can improve your hero’s personal capabilities such as damage or health, and your defences too. There is also the option to sell the items you loot from dead enemies for mana, which you can then ‘invest’ into your best items to upgrade their stats. Your home base is the Tavern, a cosy place where you can sell and buy goods and banter with the barman, as well as select what game mode to play, and all the while your accomplishment trophies are on display to anyone else in that Tavern with you.

The class you choose determines the difficulty of the solo campaign, and the learning curve for the Huntress and Monk in particular is very steep.

Because, you see, Dungeon Defenders is absolutely, without a single doubt, a multiplayer game. Yes, there is a single player but the sheer difficulty of the later levels requires more than one person to complete them, whether that be split screen or online. Each class has their strengths, and they need to be used in tandem to be truly effective. There is an option in single player to switch between classes to create the most effective defence, but in practise this is a fairly slow and tedious thing to do and begins to make a fun game slightly boring. It also means that you’re spreading experience between classes when you might want to focus on levelling up your favourite class instead. Multiplayer is the solution to this and it works magnificently.

When you hit the online menu you are greeted with a server list detailing the level of the host’s character, the map, game mode, difficulty setting, ping and open slots. It covers all the bases. Or, you could create a game yourself that suits your own needs. Either way, hopping in and out of games is very easy and quick. Working together to create an impenetrable defence is immensely satisfying, and even the little details, like going back to the hosts tavern after completing a map to examine his trophies makes you appreciate Trendy Entertainment’s efforts.

The game’s achievements are difficult – really difficult. In fact their difficulty shows how Trendy Entertainment have multiplayer in mind, because you won’t be unlocking many of these without the help someone else. Completing the campaign on insane, or completing all the challenges on insane difficulty is a hard task in co-op, and impossible alone. In fact out of the two hundred points available, only about forty are easily obtainable. It makes you work but when the game is this well made, I say band up, dig in and crank up that difficulty meter.

You need a sharp eye for detail and a good memory.

I’ve covered several bases so far in this review but in a way, I’ve barely scratched the surface of what this game has to offer. But that’s a double-edged sword. There are different game modes such as Pure Strategy, which offers the classic Tower Defence gameplay but without your hero, and challenges that you unlock while completing the campaign. I’ve mentioned the items you can get and the stats you can upgrade, but there are so many details that Dungeon Defenders does not explain adequately enough. After the tutorial video you are thrown into the experience and if you’re not careful you might end up missing out on some of the content that the game has to offer. Item statistics are shown by thumbnail and their effects are never properly explained, and it can become difficult to figure out what works best for each specific hero. Likewise the myriad of game modes and options are mentioned, but there is nowhere for the player to go to find out more information about them. You need a sharp eye for detail and a good memory.

These issues ultimately pale in the face of a game that has so much to offer. Yes, the learning curve is difficult and the single player nigh impossible, but this is a game designed around multiplayer and once you dive into it with some friends, many of the issues you find in the singleplayer are mitigated by the co-op experience. It has hours and hours of content on offer and for 1200 MSP, or a little over £10 on PSN, it gives you more game than many retail titles. Dungeon Defenders genuinely made me smile because of it’s cute presentation contrasted with the backbreaking demands it makes of you, and no matter how many times I died, I just kept coming back.

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

While the core gameplay is pretty much the same as its predecessor the visual and environments have improved to the point things are nicer on the eye. Detail on units have been increased which allows for the toy like look to get over more effectively and add the overall visual theme. Detail on the environment is also a improvement Cold War has to offer with buildings looking more fleshed out and more natural to the environment. The range of environments is also an aspect that has been improved on with a wide array of battlefields to fight in.  The likes Vietnam styled villages are enjoyable to play though and offer an instant change from the constantly brown and dull levels found within the original Toy Soldiers. Things are often broken up in terms of level themes and the units and combat style the level focuses on. Some level designs enforce fast paced frantic gameplay which on the harder difficulties offer a challenge. The animation on offer by Cold War is another improvement made on the original as units move more fluently. Vehicles tend move more naturally across the terrain which adds the overall smoothness the game visually offers.

The 1200MSP price tag may be excessive for some but fans of the original will enjoy what Cold War has to offer.

Toy Soldiers: Cold War has a number of ways in which to play the game. The primary mode is campaign which spans over 11 maps. The campaign mode is simply a rinse and repeat deal throughout various levels, all of which have two bonuses to challenges to complete. If players wish to climb the leaderboards then completing challenges (known as Decorations) is a must. Other ways to gain high scores is by chaining kills together, effectively placing defences and of course defending your toy box to maintain 100% uphold. The campaign will last around five hours depending on the set difficulty.  The campaign is interesting enough to keep players invested as it show cases all the various units and enemy types on offer from the game. Towards the end of the campaign some levels do drag on a bit creating a sense of repetition which does detract from the overall experience. The benefits of playing through the campaign are gaining a full understanding of game as well as the ability to experience all the unit and enemy types, campaign is easily the most robust game mode on offer. Survival is a simple yet frantic game mode which places players on one of three maps. The objective is simply to hold out for as long as possible as wave after wave of enemies attack. The mode is fun to start with but comes quite repetitive after twenty waves or so. It may add a extra sense of replay value but it’s a bit to similar to the core game to really make any real impact on the game.  Cold War has a number of mini games on offer which will act as nothing more than a brief distraction. Each mini game places you in control of one unit and tasks you with destroying certain targets for points. It’s not a deep game mode nor does it offer much in terms of game time or replay value but never the less it’s a slight addition to the overall product and will appeal to leaderboard concerned players.  The final mode is Versus which is Cold War’s main multiplayer offering. It plays pretty much the same as the core game with each player having a toy box opposite each other and platforms to build defences. It plays slightly faster than the single player experience though it doesn’t really feel as satisfying to play no does it require any real player skill. While versus offers replay value it’s never the less not all that great. There are a few issues with match making with two in five games being rather laggy.

While Cold War improves on the predecessor there are still aspects that require a bit more attention. More unit and enemy types would improve the overall game as would more variation on gameplay. Replay value is a little low (due to the repetitive nature of the gameplay) for a title that has a 1200MSP price tag attached to it however if you’re a fan of the first Toy Soldiers then the price tag shouldn’t be a issue.  The game has plenty of positives as the gameplay is both enjoyable (in doses) and accessible. Taking control of a commando is an amusing and satisfying experience and when you add the Rambo references to things   and the nostalgia beings to pore over. It’s clear the developers had a love for all this 80’s and this shines through into all aspects of the game which adds character to the game, something the original was missing. The 1200MSP price tag may be excessive for some but fans of the original will enjoy what Cold War has to offer. Pick and play tower defence with a sense of polish is what is on offer here and for that reason perhaps it would be correct to be cautious over investing in the game.  A love letter to the 80’s and Tower Defence games Cold War is an enjoyable if not a little short sighted entry into Xbox Live Arcade’s Summer of Arcade. Fans of the genre (and 80’s iconic action films) will enjoy what’s on offer, everyone else may feel hard done by the price tag.

Thanks to Microsoft for supplying us with a promotional copy in order to provide this review.

This is the basic premise of Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet. Your planet,is infected by a virus. It’s your job to cleanse the planet, and return harmony to your world. So you jump in your space ship and set off to right the wrongs.

The game opens beautifully. The opening cut scene is an amazing cinematic with incredibly sharp animated graphics to which I was immedietely intrigued. The whole thing, just looked, sharp. Upon entering the game itself, a thought struck me immediately. “This is Limbo, with colour”. I’m purely referencing the visual style here, but if you were to colour in Limbo’s world from it’s black and white tones, this is what you’d end up with. It’s at this point I finally get to take control of my spacecraft, which responds beautifully as I lift off from the docking station – and off I go, to save the world.

It’s fun, even if a little easy. It’s got a decent length, without getting boring. The visuals are stunning and varied, and the controls are spot on. Simple is never a bad thing.

At it’s core, ITSP is a platforming shooter/puzzle game. It reminds me of both Lunar Landar with feels of Echo the Dolphin. Each zone has a start point and a final destination – with a combination of enemies and gates along the way impeding your progress.

The game itself is set into seven zones incorporated into one huge map. There are no loading screens here as you can freely move from one zone to the next without having to wait. Each zone is distinctly different, from the submerged Ocean zone to the darkness of the Electric zone. The enemies in each zone are different too, although some are shared across multiple zones ; but there is still a unique feel in each. The Ice zone features snowflakes which break up upon destruction, the Ocean zone features Jellyfish that release a deadly ink cloud when they get shot. ShadowPlanet Productions have done a good job in making the worlds feel different, despite the fact the game runs on the same concepts all the way through.

To tackle the various enemies throughout the world, we’re going to need some serious firepower. Unfortunately, when the game starts, we have no weapons whatsover; but it doesn’t take long until we obtain our first, the gun. It’s as simple as it comes, but its effective. Click the right trigger, fire a bullet. It’s like a HD version of Asteroids. As you progress through the game you are slowly drip-fed weapons and utilities until you have a collection of eight, including a shield, a buzzsaw, an EMP pulse and rocket missiles. Each weapon has an enemy that it works incredibly well against, so you’ll find yourself using each weapon as you progress throughout the game.

The weapons also have a secondary purpose – most puzzles involve gates, and most gates can only be opened via usage of the correct weapon. It’s here that ITSP tries to offer some longevity ; for example, putting a gate in the second zone that requires the Traction Beam to open yet you only recieve the traction beam towards the end of the game. If you want to explore everywhere and get those collectibles, you’re going to have to backtrack.

Speaking of collectibles, there are quite a lot of them. We have 24 concept art icons, that when picked up open a new set of art in the extras menu of the main menu; we have armour and weapon upgrades, that as you collect more your ships armour/firepower will increase, and we have artifacts. There are eighteen artifacts, but I couldn’t discern their purpose. They do offer a small cutsecne when each tier is completed, but aside from that I think its just an added incentive to go back.

The opening cutscene is all you will get - no dialogue, no in game cutscenes to explain a bit more of the plot. Pretty much, the planet is infected, go save it.

The soundtrack in the game is of a mediocre standard. It didn’t stand out to be in any way, yet it was ambient enough so that I didn’t hate it by the end of the playsession. It did a job : the gun sounded like a gun, the saw, like a saw, with an eerie feel to the ambiance in the background.

The puzzles in the game are intriguing. Some were so easy they couldn’t be classed as puzzles yet some required such an obscure solution that I spent thirty minutes trying to solve them (I’m looking at you Mr Snake in the wind tunnel!). Most puzzles just consist of playing the game, selecting the correct loadout then backtracking to shoot a switch/move a box/grab a rock. There is no real tutorial system in the game, with the exception of one screen explaining the controls for each weapon – it means that you have to work out the best way to utilise your loadouts. The “info-beam” is a handy tool though; you fire it at an object, and it then tells you the corresponding weapon that interacts with it. Unfortunately, it takes away a lot of the intrigue and mystery, and ultimately makes the fairly easy puzzles even easier to solve. If I need to saw through a wall, let me figure it out on my own – I don’t want a big “saw” icon slapped on the wall when I use the info beam on it.

It’s here that I start to point out flaws with ITSP, and for me it has a few big ones. My main concern was the sheer lack of story. I know not all games need a story, but this is not Tetris. The opening cutscene is all you will get – no dialogue, no in game cutscenes to explain a bit more of the plot. Pretty much, the planet is infected, go save it. Seven hours later when you complete the game, we get the opening cutscene again, but this time in reverse (or near enough). I just felt that in between zones, a small 30 second clip to just hold the pace for a minute would of been wonderful. I wanted to be more immersed in ITSP, but unfortuntely, there was nothing to be immersed in.

My second huge issue with the game, is that most enemies can be bypassed. It’s a risky decision for any developer to make ; do we keep you locked in that room until all enemies are destroyed, or let you go where you want. They chose the latter, and unfortunately the game suffers for it. Players need a reason to stay and fight, and it just wasn’t offered here. I found myself nimbly dodging most enemies in my hunt for the next collectible, just because it was faster. Not necessarily easier, just faster.

My final issue, is once again related to the combat. ITSP is a puzzle/shooter, which is fine. The problem here I have, is the pace of the game. The puzzles slow the game right down, but unfortunately the combat sections do not speed it up. The enemies are usually slow, and killing or avoiding them is easy. They feel more of a nuisance than a threat. In fact, aside from boss battles throughout the game, I didn’t die once.

So how was the Multiplayer? It was great. Fun, fast and frantic.

The boss battles were entertaining enough, and I could sense inspiration from many older games. In fact, I’m pretty sure every boss mechanic here has featured in Sonic in some form or the other, but it wasn’t until I hit the last boss that I thought “Hey, I’m actually fighting a boss”. There were hundreds of mini enemies screaming towards me, whilst I’m dodging them and also trying to destroy my objective. The previous five bosses were much slower paced, and rather than being a frantic pot of mayhem, they were slow paced and co-ordinated exercises of patience. It’s a shame really, every boss should of been like the last boss – it would of made for a much more fun experience.

There is only one multiplayer mode on the game, and it’s called Lantern Run. The premise is simple (again) – your team has to drag your lanterns as far as you can go throughout the “rooms”. For every player there is a lantern, and they can be pulled or left at your discretion. Be warned though, you’re being chased by “The Hunter”. If he catches you, you die. If he catches your lantern, it pops. If all lanterns pop, or all team members die, its game over.

So how was it? It was great. Fun, fast and frantic. I played with three Americans (I’m English) and suffered no lag whatsoever, which is always a great start. Lantern Run brought the frantic feel of Asteroids that I was longing for, but co-operatively. There are mini puzzles here, but its more of a case of working as a team and communicating properly to get down the corridors to the “room”. Each room has a fight in it, where as the aim is to clear all the enemies then dig yourself out, get your lantern out, and get to the next room.

Every upgrade from the campaign is here in multiplayer, but its an added tactical choice as to who gets what. If a player dies, there are “checkpoints” where you will be reborn. If I was sounding like the campaign, was too slow paced and too easy, this is the exact opposite. It’s difficult in the later stages, and its incredibly fast paced. You can’t rest, not for a second – and if you think it’d get boring fast, doing the same thing over, your wrong. The corridors are random – corridor #1 on one playthrough will be different from corridor #1 on the next run. The random generation of the order of the corridors combined with the increased Hunter speed at later levels means sometimes getting the hard parts first is better – but you never know, and it just adds to the suspense. For a multiplayer mode so simple, the depth is incredible. With the decision of who gets the upgrades, whether you carry all four lanterns or just one, if you have an assigned shielder, shooter, carrier ; the possibilities are endless, and I can’t see it getting old.

Now, you’ve read the review to this point and your probably thinking it’s a very negative review. You’re wrong. ITSP is a very hard game to review due to it’s total simplicity. It’s hard to praise something thats good, if there isn’t much depth to what your praising. I can write about the flaws, because there is something there to write about – ITSP is a good game,I’m not sure if it’s 1200msp’s worth, but at 800msp I’d be happy with my purchase. It’s fun, even if a little easy. It’s got a decent length, without getting boring. The visuals are stunning and varied, and the controls are spot on. Simple is never a bad thing, just look at beans on toast.

Thanks to ShadowPlanet Productions and Microsoft for supplying us with a promotional copy in order to supply this review.

Bastion’s basic gameplay is reminiscent to ‘Retro’ games with players adventuring through the world hacking and slashing (and shooting) their way through each level to reach their goal. The gameplay is a simple mix of melee combat, ranged combat and a special skill that combine to make an accessible yet highly satisfying experience. Bastion also offers a blocking mechanic which allows players to counter attacks adding a tactical twist to proceedings; players can also evade attacks which adds to the fantastic combat on offer. The majority of the game consists of combat and thus the importance of getting right is vital and thankfully Bastion ticks all the boxes. Each enemy tends to have a certain method required to dispatch them and this forces the player to make use of the skills and mechanics at hand, while this may frustrate some people it does add a nice mixture to the combat and stops players from spamming one attack. Although there isn’t a true range of attacks combat can change with a healthy stream of weapons. From heavy handed high damaging hammers to quick war blades that do less damage but attack at a much faster rate, the combat can be alerted by the weapon selections chosen by the players.

Awaking in a destroyed world with only a narrator’s voice for company Bastion opens in bold yet gentle manner. It sets the tone for the experience to come almost perfectly.

Throughout the game it will often become clear that some sections are better suited to a certain weapon and skill set up, this adds a little extra depth to the core gameplay as well as a minor challenge in terms of picking the right tools for the job. Further depth is added in the shape of upgrading your weapons power by using certain items (e.g. for upgrading the hammer requires the item ‘something heavy’) which unlock two options which often consist of either damage boost or a weapon effect. It’s both enjoyable and addictive to upgrade your weapons and customize to your play style and adds a certain sense of identity to each weapon. The Kids arsenal also includes a number of skills which are connected to certain weapons; these skills require the use of Black Tonic which is often dropped by enemies.  The skills can be your best friend and your worst enemies depending on the level and the enemies within the level. Some skills will allow a player to breeze through certain sections while others will double the difficulty due to various variables; it adds an almost rock, paper scissors element to the game which adds extra challenge to the gameplay.

Bastion is beauty to behold. The visuals are in the same vein as an illustrations found within story books with locations and characters being brightly coloured and nicely detailed. The colour scheme is both bold and beautiful which allows for the game too look both exceptional and charming. The game manages to pull off a look that carries a sense of every detail has been hand crafted and painted, it’s an unusual feeling but is extremely welcoming and alluring and is an utter triumph. Bastion is also home to some fantastic character design and animation. The enemies fit in with the worlds atheistic and are varied enough to stay interesting. Animation is smooth and natural which all adds nicely to the look that Bastion has on offer. The locations are something to enjoy with a fantastic range variations and themes to battle through all of which look absolutely stunning. From crumbling fortresses to swamps to nicely detailed forest like locations Bastion is host to some of the most beautiful locations on Xbox Live Arcade.

The price tag of 1200MSP may seem a little bit steep but when you consider the quality of the game at hand the price tag seems something like a bargain.

Bastion is clearly a labour of love and it shows. The game never features one section which feels forced in or underdeveloped, every section of the game is beautifully detailed as the next and the charm is present within each nook and cranny of the locations.  Each game mechanic of Bastion compliments each other creating a wonderful experience that leaves the core gamepaly far from repetitive. The games suffer from a few minor issues in the shape of the top down camera view concealing some enemies and holes in the ground which lead to cheap deaths. Other issues stem from personal preference for example being forced to use a weapon though a level due to picking it up may be frustrating to some players. Bastion is linear and this will of course frustrate some players but in the grand scheme of things it doesn’t detract from the overall experience. For 1200MSP’s some people may not be happy with a fantastic single player than stands at around 4-6 hours in length (depending on if the player wishes to 100% the game) with replay value in the shape of collecting all the skills, weapon upgrades and topping the leader boards supported by the game. There is also replay value to be had by completing a number of challenges set by the memorial (which is built via progression in the single player) and the weapon related tasks scattered throughout the single player.

Bastion is a highly enjoyable game that offers an interesting story conveyed by the charismatic Narrator. The bold art style is something to behold as is the utterly brilliant musical score, both the visuals and audio combine effectively to create a stunning and charming world. Bastion is not an over produced game but a perfectly and lovingly crafted title that has been crafted by a, (what feels like) a caring team    who set out with one goal in mind and didn’t not cut any corners to achieve it. The price tag of 1200MSP may seem a little bit steep but when you consider the quality of the game at hand the price tag seems something like a bargain. Bold, beautiful and brilliant are words that apply to Bastion in nutshell.

On the 19th July 2011 it was time for PS3 games to sink their teeth into Limbo. So why on the 20th July 2011 did an article arise on PlayStation Blog with nearly 300 comments – most of which complaining about the unfair pricing of Limbo.

The general feel within the comments section seems to be that Limbo is overpriced. It has a PlayStation store price of £9.99/€12.99 – even with the Playstation Plus discount subscribers get it is still coming in at £1.01/€1.15 – which is more expensive than the ‘Xbox Live: Hits Collection’ 3 game package which includes Limbo.

Commenter Shou_Kobayashi stated that ‘Limbo is a tad too expensive for me‘ – then going on to comment about how he finds the other games more appealing.

It is indeed a shame that the pricing of Limbo have put a lot of people off the experience. As it is a fantastic game which we rated highly – and would recommend to anybody.

360 users will notice no changes, as it’s just a “preperation for additional system enchancements”.

However, if your planning on playing online today, be warned that when the update lands you may be automatically signed out of Xbox Live and prompted to install the patch.

The patch could be in preperation for a number of followups Microsoft have in the works, with Avatar Kinect being the favourite as we are led to believe it’s the next system feature we are scheduled to recieve.

Microsoft have now announced that their efforts to make Xbox 360 the complete “entertainment” package has paid off. According to a blog post by corporate vice president of corporate communications Frank Shaw, an impressive 40 percent of all Xbox activity is spent not gaming.

Even more impressively, the top non-game use for the console appears to be the video services, with the average Xbox 360 user ploughing through 30 hours of “video consumption” per month.

In light of knowing this what do you think you spend 40% of Activity on Xbox 360 gaming? With the rest being focused on “entertainment” facilities?

Beyond crystal-sharp, high-definition graphics, Bejeweled Blitz LIVE for XBLA boasts two styles of play: classic and an all new twist. In addition to real-time leaderboards driving up-to-the-minute scores from you and your friends, the game also provides the all new Friendscore. Friendscore allows you to combine your score with the scores of your Xbox LIVE friends for the highest weekly and all-time totals.

About PopCap

PopCap Games is the leading global developer, publisher and operator of casual video games: fun, easy-to-learn, captivating games that appeal to all ages across PC, mobile, social and other platforms. Based in Seattle, Washington, PopCap was founded in 2000 and has a worldwide staff of more than 380 people in Seattle, San Francisco, Chicago, Vancouver, B.C., Dublin, Seoul, Shanghai and Tokyo. PopCap’s games have been downloaded over 1.5 billion times by consumers worldwide, and its flagship franchise, Bejeweled^®, has sold more than 50 million units.

Very simply, this is “Old School” gaming at its very best, while the game may come across as having an Indy look…its in its simplicity that the true genius of the game shines through.

Each level, is bascially get from point A to point B, the game eases you into the controls from the start, but the levels become more complexed as you progress, but you adapt quickly to the change in difficulty but the challenge is always there. The game is more “trial and error” as you work out the puzzles with each attempt, annoying but just so incredibly addictive.

It has a very sublime sense of humor working through the game, nods to many other Lengend games feature in Super Meat Boy’s presentation, some nice touches as you make your way through the 300 levels handed to you. The increasing difficulty is forgiven when you see the well thought out level designs, knowing that there is a solution but you are just not finding it will drive you nuts, but the satisfaction when you do finally find it is worth sticking it out, with the option to save the replays of the attempts making it all the more worthwhile, especially when you do complete a level, the successful run aswell as all failed attempts are shown before you move on

For me, its Limbo meets Sonic, its designed to make you think fast with your brain and your fingers, timing is essential and that alone makes it a stand out arcade game when you can compare your times against your Friendslist…its a must have Arcade game, and shows the real potential of what a well thought out Arcade Title can do for your collection.

You will keep coming back for more…when you start finding the bonus bits, “Darkworld” which is just a more Evil version of the levels you play is worthy of its own game”…you will not regret picking this title up, and you will learn to love its “challenging annoyance”!!

Thanks to Team Meat for supplying us with a reviewer copy.