Tag Archives: Brendan Griffiths

Action, PC, Platforms, PlayStation 3, PSN (PlayStation Store), Reviews, RPG, XBLA, Xbox 360

How to Survive (Review)

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Bring duct tape.

Like any good zombie attack, you never see it coming and How to Survive will sink its teeth into your nights if you let your guard down while patiently awaiting the arrival of your shiny next-gen console.

EKO Software’s game is a top-down action-RPG that can be loosely compared with the likes of Diablo III or Dead Nation. After crash landing on a zombie-infested tropical island, you’ll need to scavenge for salvage and build weapons and armour to hold off the infected masses. The overall aim is to make a series of vehicle repairs via completing fetch quests. Ok, so not exactly a revolution of new ideas, but once How to Survive gets going, it’s hard to put down.

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PC, Platformer, Platforms, PlayStation 3, PS4, PSN (PlayStation Store), Reviews, XBLA, Xbox 360

Contrast (PS4 Review)

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Shadow Starlets

Contrast has been thrust into the limelight of the PS4’s launch thanks to its inclusion as a free game for all PS+ subscribers. And given that said subscription is required to play the PS4 online, it may be getting a bigger audience than it expected on opening night. No pressure then.

The game’s setup is an unusual one from the start as you control the odd pairing of Didi -the young girl- and Dawn, a female stage performer. More unusually, the other characters in the game don’t seem to see Dawn, and they only appear as shadows. This is the norm though as we see Didi talk with her parents in their shadow form throughout.

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First Person Shooters, PC, Platforms, PlayStation 3, PSN (PlayStation Store), Reviews, XBLA, Xbox 360

Bioshock Infinite: Burial at Sea – Episode 1 (Review)

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Elizabeth brings us home to Rapture


Bioshock Infinite’s first DLC surprised many of us when Irrational announced it would take place in the original game’s underwater city of Rapture and not in the floating city of Columbia. Surprised? Yes. Disappointed? Not one bit.

With Bioshock Infinite indicating the many possibilities of alternate universes, the concept of taking (a version of) Booker and Elizabeth to one of the most inspired locations in gaming history is one that pulls you in from the start, more so after teasing us with the idea in Infinite.

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Action, Platformer, Platforms, PlayStation 3, Reviews

Ratchet & Clank: Nexus (Review)

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Get your Zurkon!

Sony’s long serving pair are back for another dose of platforming and mad scientist-style firearms. Let’s get straight to what you want to hear, yes, Ratchet & Clank: Nexus is a return to form after the misguided effort that was Q-Force. So, with no threats of ridiculous tower defence to worry about we’re free to enjoy the series as it was always meant to be.

That said, I’ve been surprised to see Insomniac continue to work on the series since they started working on non-Sony titles, but I supposed something has to pay the bills between Fuse and Sunset Overdrive (an upcoming Xbox One exclusive). This could explain why we’re getting a shorter Ratchet adventure than usual, but in fairness, it’s only £20.

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Features, Hands-on previews, Platforms, PlayStation 3, Previews, Video, Xbox 360

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 – Hands-on Playthrough Video

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If you read my hands-on preview of Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 a few weeks ago you may be interested to take a look at my new hands-on preview video. Taking place at what may turn out to be the first stage of the game, you’ll see a variety of new weapons in action such as the Void Sword and the Cestus Claws. And you see Gabriel rip a knight into what can only be described as a red splash. It’s messy.

With only Ryse on the horizon, this is one of our most eagerly-awaited hack n’ slash titles. Kratos better come out of retirement soon if he doesn’t want to lose his title.

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Features, Platforms, PS4, Xbox One

10 Top Tips for Preparing for Your Xbox One or PS4

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After years of waiting, the PS4 and Xbox One are now unbearably close. However, let’s take some time to make sure we’ve planned ahead for the perfect launch experience on the day. You may have more left to do than you think. So don’t get caught out on launch day, check out our 10 Top Tips for Preparing for Your Xbox One or PS4. Then we can all go back to staring at our calendars.

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Features, PC, Platforms, PlayStation 3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One

What’s Right and What’s Wrong with Call of Duty: Ghosts’ Single Player

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Infinity Ward’s latest shooter, Call of Duty: Ghosts, hit the shelves this week and has again proved a big success, although not to the same degree as previous titles. There’s been a drop in sales, albeit one which could be explained by players waiting for next-gen versions later this month. The critical reception has taken a hit too though as the series dips into the ‘dreaded’ yellow zone on Metacritic with a current average of 75 instead of the usual 80-90 range.

Much of the criticism has been aimed at the game’s single player element, which is surprising, given that Infinity Ward should know what they’re doing by now. Have they become lazy? Are we expecting too much? Have our tastes changed? Or do we just want to get on with the multiplayer?

Well, today let’s tackle the single player side of Ghosts, by looking at what’s strong and what’s wrong with it. My experience and thoughts are based on my recent complete playthrough of the campaign on the PS3.

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Action, Platformer, Platforms, PlayStation 3, PSN (PlayStation Store), Reviews, XBLA, Xbox 360

Castlevania: Mirror of Fate HD (Review)

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A Better Reflection

 

The 3DS was always going to struggle with the ambitious graphics in Mirror of Fate, but we no longer have to fend off its ugly with a crucifix, because Konami have unleashed a HD makeover on the PS3 and Xbox 360 digital stores and at a bargain price of £9.99.

For those of you who missed the 3DS version, the game ditches the 3D action feel of Lords of Shadow for something more in line with the classic 2D Castlevania games. So expect lots of platforming, exploration and fending off opponents from both sides.

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Party, Platforms, PlayStation 3, PS4, Reviews, Xbox 360, Xbox One

Just Dance 2014 (Review)

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That’s no way to treat a chair

It’s always exciting when games pop through the letterbox, but a few years ago, I was sent Sony’s DanceStar Party for the PS Move. I was dreading it, but ended enjoying it a lot more than I expected. So, when Just Dance 2014 turned up one bleary-eyed afternoon with its neon-nightmare box art, I knew it was that time again. Time to close the curtains. To apologise to the cat in advance. Time to move the sofa too close to the door. Time to stretch. Time to have a beer. Oh, and time to borrow a Kinect.

This is the fifth full game in the series, which has become frequent enough to ditch the numbered sequels and stick a year on the box. You’d be forgiven for thinking not much has changed; the art style is largely the same with real-life dancers on-screen painted in thick bright colours. Steady improvements have been made to the game itself though. Admittedly, the series started on the Wii with a motion controller that wasn’t up to anything more complex than bowling.

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Hands-on previews, Platforms, PlayStation 3, Previews, Xbox 360

Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII (Hands-On Preview)

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Despite the recent Tokyo Game Show giving players a chance to explore an open world portion of Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII, visitors to the Eurogamer Expo were stuck indoors in a strictly linear series of combat tutorials. With the combat system being my biggest grievance with the FFXIII series though, this is exactly what I wanted.

So after a cutscene that made little sense without the relevant context, I’m thrown straight into a tutorial. Given that Lightning Returns is making bold steps to move away from the ‘bash X to win’ mentality that has plagued 90% of the battles in the last two games I was certainly keen to get stuck into the lesson.

Lightning fights alone in this game, so forget the notion of parties. Stop! Come back, long-suffering Final Fantasy fan. To give combat the depth of a team you have various Schemata outfits to choose from. If you think of the interchangeable dress-spheres from the divisive FFX-2 on the PS2, you’ll find the concept easy to follow.

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Hands-on previews, Platforms, Previews, PS4

Killzone: Shadow Fall (Multiplayer Hands-On Preview)

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Killzone: Shadow Fall Multiplayer Hands-On Preview | Fast-Tracking to the Big Guns

Fast-Tracking to the Big Guns


Guerrilla Games know they’re up against it when competing for our time in the busy arena of FPS multiplayer games. How do you encourage gamers to give you a fair shot when Call of Duty and Battlefield are so dominant? How about unlocking all the core features from the start?

All weapons and class abilities will be available without the usual grinding; enabling you to try everything and discover what combination works best for you. This is a great idea and allows for a more even playing field for newcomers against players that have been living in the servers since launch day.

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Action, Interactive Drama, Platforms, PlayStation 3, Reviews

Beyond: Two Souls (Review)

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Beyond-PS3-boxSpectator Spectre


Following Heavy Rain must have been a daunting task. The interactive drama wasn’t to everyone’s tastes thanks to the quick time event heavy gameplay. But there’s no denying it was a unique game that told a story in a way a film would never be able to.

So here we are with Beyond: Two Souls, another game written and directed by David Cage and developed by the highly respected Quantic Dream. Beyond, enters new territory though, dropping the crime genre for a tale with a sci-fi edge that’s keen to cut into the concept of death and what awaits us on the other side. It has an episodic feel, making it more comparable to a TV series than a film. I mean, how many 12 hour films have you seen recently?

We’ve come to expect actors’ performances to play a key role in Quantic Dream titles, with some excellent work from the cast of Heavy Rain and the excellent facial motion-capture that lifted the game high above the competition. So it makes sense that this time they would reach out to Hollywood and bag some big-name talent.

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Action, Platforms, PlayStation 3, PS Vita, Retro, Reviews, RPG

Dragon’s Crown (Review)

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Dragon’s Crown is a fond throwback to classic side-scrolling beat ‘em ups like Streets of Rage, or more specifically, Golden Axe (you can totally ride dragons!). Stages involve going from left to right with a four-strong group consisting of knights, amazons, dwarves, elves, wizards or sorceresses. There’s a boss with a health bar as wide as your TV at the end of each one too, with one of them being a clever nod to a certain Monty Python film. Sold yet?

You’re spoilt for choice, with six different character types to choose from. They’re ranked from beginner to expert, but to be honest you’ll be fine going with whichever takes your fancy from the start and you’re allowed to have a few on the go at once.

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Action, Platformer, Platforms, PlayStation 3, PSN (PlayStation Store), Puzzle, Reviews

Rain (Review)

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psn ps3 game rain

The Heavens open and darkness falls


Sony have a strong history in recent years of nurturing development talent eager to try something a little offbeat, risky or arty. We’ve had Journey and The Unfinished Swan and we’re bound to see more of their kind on the PS4, but before we take that leap onto next-gen in November, we have a title many of us have been looking forward to since its initial reveal back at Gamescom 2012.

Rain takes place during one evening in the rainy streets of Paris. Hearing a noise outside, a boy looks out his window to see a ghostly silhouette of a little girl run past. He climbs outside to investigate only to discover that he himself has turned into a similar ethereal figure. There isn’t much time to dawdle though as there are sinister creatures on the prowl too, so you must guide him through the streets to help him find the girl and make his way back home.

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Hands-on previews, Platforms, PlayStation 3, Previews, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One

Test Driving the Racers of the Future

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There are a lot of racing games on their way, perhaps too many for those of us planning to splash out on a next-gen console soon. So which of them are shaping up to be worthy of your attention? I endured the queues and hardware crashes of the Eurogamer Expo to tear around various racetracks to bring you my impressions of five of the most anticipated racers of the future on both existing and next generation platforms.

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Hands-on previews, Platforms, Previews, PS Vita

Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate (Hands-On Preview)

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The Vita’s Knight Rises

Past industry form indicates that you’d be forgiven for dismissing the presence of a handheld game when it has a bigger and shinier counterpart on your main console. So often we’ve seen them stumble into our hands as shabby ports or overly simplistic, barely related tie-in fodder. Armature Studio is here to change things with their new Vita game. From what I’ve played, it truly deserves a place on your shopping list if you’ve enjoyed the last two Rocksteady games and are planning on picking up Origins on October 25th.

This game will follow on from the events of the console game Arkham Origins, rather than rehash the same story. The Blackgate in the title refers to the prison where the majority of the game will be set. Home to the non-insane criminals of Gotham -although a few are clearly borderline- various well-known villains ‘run’ different parts of the prison. So expect to take on some infamous faces to get the jail back in order. The story is delivered via motion comics, which I suppose is reasonable given the source material, but there’s no getting around they’ll always feel and look like the cheap option.

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Hands-on previews, PC, Platforms, PlayStation 3, Previews, Xbox 360

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 (Hands-On Preview)

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First things first. This hands-on report will be spoiler-free regarding the first game. I’m currently playing that one through (I know, I’m late) and several previews for the new game have blown the first game’s ending. I don’t want to do the same if you’re yet to play Lords of Shadow. So read this, then get on it, you don’t want to get left behind again.

The word on the wire is that this concluding part of the Lords of Shadow saga is going to be a more open world affair. That’s not on display here though as this is more of an introduction. Don’t worry; it’s much more exciting than it sounds. There’s a massive, Holy Transformer thing for starters! But more on that later.

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