Max Payne 3

“Rockstar seamlessly intertwine a breathtaking story with gruesome combat to set the scene for Max Payne to tell the next terrifying chapter of his life.”

It’s almost impossible to give the Max Payne all the credit and praise that the series deserves. To put it simply, if it wasn’t for the original Max Payne games, modern third-person shooters perhaps wouldn’t be how we know them today, that’s how influential this franchise has been on the video game industry. Now Rockstar have taken up the job of bringing the third installment of the series to the masses and what a fantastic job they have done. Max Payne 3 is a shining exemplar of fantastic gameplay, brilliantly story-telling and intricate pacing. This isn’t the Max Payne you remember, our protagonist is older, wiser and a lot angrier, making this a bloodthirsty adventure you won’t soon forget.

Max Payne 3 sees our hero leave New York to flee from his demons and take on a security job in Sao Paulo. The millionaire family and their lifestyle certainly don’t mix with Max, but any opportunity to drink is taken with open arms from the man yet to kick his drinking and pill habits. Max Payne 3 is more than just a third-person shooter; it’s a tale that delves deep into the psyche of Max with James McCaffrey reprising his role perfectly. Max narrates the story from his twisted and introverted perspective, making for an engaging and amusing plot line as you watch things go from bad to worse. While Max is engaging with you the storyline is told in beautifully designed cut scenes that pay homage to the traditional way Max Payne’s story was told. Clever use of blurring and varied colours makes the screen distorted and this intertwines cleverly with Max’s drug and alcohol habits, giving these moments in the game a little more depth.



It’s absolutely apparent that Rockstar are masters of story telling and their skills are showcased exquisitely here. This revenge story dwells much deeper than simply hunt and kill. Max Payne and all the characters around him show certain levels of depth that you’d expect from a Rockstar venture and it’s clear for all to see how the Max Payne story has evolved way beyond its original roots.

When you’re done absorbing Max’s story and the beautiful world he finds himself in, you will eventually be forced to draw your weapon and protect those who fund Max’s intoxicating habits. Max Payne 3 is a third-person shooter that doesn’t stray far from the original formula allowing you to run and gun using the series’ trademark bullet time mechanic. This time round however, enemies are a lot more dangerous and Max is certainly more fragile; as a result a cover mechanic has been implemented to allow Max time to plan his assault. The bullet time mechanic also offers you extra time to carefully place your bullets for that deadly and satisfying kill. Max Payne 3 is all about the gruesome kills and the slow motion bullet camera that occurs when you kill the last enemy in any location. The last bullet is followed and you can continue pumping lead into the poor soul who dared to take you on – messy stuff.

Max Payne 3 is by no means an easy game and as a result you have the option of not only changing the difficulty settings but also aiming options. Gamers looking for the most challenge should use free aim where all the work has to be done by you. Those wanting a little bit of help can opt for soft lock, which sticks the reticle to enemies who are in your sights. Novices can use the game’s handy hard lock system that automatically targets the nearest enemy. Playing using the former two ensures you have a challenging and engaging time with Max Payne as tough and intelligent AI ensure you don’t get through unscathed, but clever use of cover and bullet time will leave you the eventual victor of every conflict.

Once you’ve become accustomed to Max Payne 3’s gameplay mechanics, you’re surely going to want some bigger weapons to play around with. There’s a whole arsenal to choose from and Max has the ability to dual-wield smaller weapons for maximum damage. Launching yourself through the air in bullet time and spraying double Uzi’s has never felt so awesome and there are plenty of opportunities to really make the most out of the action here. There are event golden gun variants of each gun in the game, with 3 pieces of each weapon scattered in secret locations across each level. When you find all 3 pieces you get the golden gun version of that particular weapon next time you pick it up with extra bonus abilities.



The campaign sets these incredible set piece battles so well and pacing is impressive throughout. From dramatic moments like shooting rockets out of the sky in bullet time to the slow paced walks through the slums of Brazil, the campaign takes you on a rollercoaster ride full of fantastic highs and dramatic lows that are sure to cater to fans of story-driven games.

When you’re done with the campaign then perhaps you might be intrigued enough to try the multiplayer. Standard game modes are present with a variety of load outs available to unlock. The perk system known as bursts also help make the action more intense by providing players with a whole variety of abilities like increased damage, bullet time-like abilities, powerful weapons and health boosts. Of particular interest are the two game modes Gang Wars and Payne Killer. The former is a five-round objective game with each round spawning a new objective. The latter has you trying to kill whoever is Max Payne or Passos and then trying to stay that character for as long as possible. The multiplayer isn’t extraordinary, but it’s certainly fun and the tight mechanics Rockstar have created here ensures you’ll have a fun time online.

Altogether then Max Payne 3 is a wonderful package that shines with the expertise you’d expect from Rockstar. A fantastic campaign with one of the best protagonists is intertwined with excellent gameplay and supplemented with a very engaging online multiplayer. I feel that it’s almost impossible for Rockstar to make a bad game and as usual, it’s an absolute must have for everyone.

9.0 | Gameplay |

Excellent gameplay that oozes with style and brutality makes this one of the best third-person shooters on the market. Max Payne’s fantastic bullet time mechanic keeps the action fierce and bloody and the camera slow down implemented for every last kill just never gets old.

10 | Presentation |

An incredible story is told through the eyes of Max Payne, a well thought out and interesting protagonist. Fantastic script writing and dialogue make sure you’re invested in all the characters and everything Max has to say. His pessimistic view of the world and the rich is intriguing and the battle with his inner demons makes for a thoroughly entertaining and dramatic tale. Max Payne is without a doubt one of the most interesting heroes in modern gaming.

8.5 | Replay Value |

You have the options of playing through the campaign again on harder difficulty settings or opting for leaderboard runs in arcade mode. Finding all the hidden clues and golden gun parts is a blast and the online offering is definitely worth checking out. There’s a lot to do throughout this challenging campaign and I’m sure you’ll want to do it more than once. Even if you don’t, the variety of content to unlock in multiplayer could have you hooked on gang wars for a lot longer than you initially expected.

9.0 | Final Thoughts |

It’s obvious that Rockstar are iconic video game developers as each project they take on comes out with a golden lining. The Max Payne series has a serious following so bringing out the third and appeasing all the fans and newcomers alike would not be an easy task. As per usual Rockstar made it look so easy as Max Payne 3 delivers a breathtaking campaign alongside excellent and technically sound gameplay mechanics. There’s something hear for fans of story, narrative and gameplay alike and together these features combine to create one of the best games we shall see in 2012.

Igor Kharin.

Sniper Elite V2

The idea of sniping has always been wholly satisfying throughout gaming history. There really is nothing like biding your time, aiming down a sight, breathing in and taking down a mark. Sniper Elite v2 certainly has you covered in this department as this sequel to 2005’s Sniper Elite arrives in quite stylish fashion as Rebellion Development (the guys behind the recent NeverDead) have ensured fans of strategic and distance warfare will certainly get some kicks out of this WW2 sniper simulator. While it may not be perfect and occasional hitches hold up this third person shooter, it nonetheless caters to many of our gory needs.

Sniper Elite v2 takes you back once again to last remnants of WW2. Lead protagonist Karl Fairburne is sent to Germany to take down leading Nazi scientists involved with the German V-2 ballistic missile project before the Russians can recruit them and gather valuable and potentially deadly information. So most of your time with Sniper Elite v2 will be spent rummaging across a ruined Berlin, which isn’t a bad thing as generally level design is good and with different ways to traverse maps and lots of different sniper spots, it makes for quite an engaging experience.

Obviously the aim of the game is to be use stealth to your advantage. Avoiding guards, timing your kills with background noise and scurrying through destroyed buildings are all options to keep you from being discovered. If things don’t go as smoothly however, Karl has the option to pull out his side-arm weapons and tackle enemies face to face, but his fragile nature almost ensures you won’t be employing this tactic more than once. What is interesting is Karl’s ability to use explosives as traps to lure enemies and avoid direct confrontation. You have land mines, grenades and a bunch of other cool old-school gadgets to try out and they provide a huge help in keeping enemies at bay while you pick them off with your rifle.



The core of Sniper Elite v2’s gameplay comes from of course, the sniper rifle. There’s no greater satisfaction than finding a perfect hiding spot and placing a bullet between the eyes of your target. What makes this even more awesome and totally not gruesome at all, is the X-ray kill cam reminiscent of Mortal Kombat 9’s system. When you successfully take down an enemy, you are rewarded with a slow motion camera pan that follows your bullet as it goes in and out of your enemy. During this time you get to see all the vital organs and bones break into pieces as your bullet does its job, cool right? This addition to the gameplay makes every kill so satisfying and no matter how many times the x-ray kill occurs, you never get bored of it.

Sniper Elite v2’s gameplay is ruined somewhat by the stupid AI. When you are spotted your position is rushed upon instantly and the game gets pretty difficult, but sometimes the computer won’t know where you are or they might run out in an orderly line just waiting for you to put a bullet into row of soldiers. One by one soldiers might line up to try and get on a machine gun turret as you laugh and pick them off, stuff like this ruins the experience considerably and really takes you out of the immersion Sniper Elite v2 tries so hard to set you up for. Thankfully it doesn’t happen all the time and on the game’s harder difficulties things get a whole load tougher and more realistic, especially enemy snipers who can take you down quickly if you’re not careful.

It’s nice to see that the campaign has considerable length, clocking in at around 10 – 12 hours. It can also be played cooperatively online, which is a cool bonus. Sniper Elite v2 offers other multiplayer ventures too like Kill Tally, which is a horde mode and Bombing Run where the goal is to salvage mission airplane parts on a map. The most interesting game mode is Overwatch that puts one player up in a sniping position while the other is a grunt carrying out and completing objectives while the sniper protects. This provides an interesting sense of teamwork but undoubtedly being the sniper is a lot more fun than the grunt.



From a technical perspective Sniper Elite v2 is hit and miss. The graphics, audio and narration are generally good but inconsistent gaming elements hinder the experience. The controls hold out well, which is important for such a precise shooter but on harder difficulties you will have to be lightning fast to get those shots out before another sniper takes your head off.

Ultimately Sniper Elite v2 impresses more than it frustrates and the highlights of this game are certainly highly enjoyable. Pacing can be a huge problem here and the difference in difficulty levels makes it very difficult to recommend where to start. If you’re a fan of the sniping experience and don’t mind a bit of buggy AI, then you can’t go wrong with Sniper Elite v2.

8.0 | Gameplay |

The sniping gameplay is very impressive and clever use of traps and explosives keeps the game exciting and fresh. It’s obvious you’re not supposed to engage enemies face to face so trying to keep yourself concealed and in the best hiding spots provides excellent tension and a new level of gameplay. Moving up to higher difficulties provides serious challenge and can sometimes be overwhelming, so it’s recommending for the more resilient gamer.

7.0 | Presentation |

Sniper Elite v2 depicts a ravaged Berlin during the closing days of WW2 and this vibe can certainly be felt. The level design makes for some very interesting ways to traverse the battlefield and take down enemies. The story as well, while not incredibly deep, keeps the game moving forward as you continue taking down scientists and keeping them away from the Russians. The x-ray kill cam in particular is so amazing and just never gets old as you watch bones and organs explode on screen.

6.0 | Replay Value |

Sniper Elite v2 provides a decent multiplayer experience, but nothing particular overwhelming that will keep you coming back for more. The cooperative online campaign is a lot of fun and playing the game again on a higher difficulty level is certainly a challenge, but I just can’t see the need to play the game over and over again.

7.0 | Final Thoughts |

To be honest, I can’t say anything really bad about Sniper Elite v2 other than the slightly inconsistent AI but there’s nothing really here other than the x-ray kill cam that really stands out and makes you go “wow.” Sniper Elite v2 depicts war time Germany well and is technically and impressive game, but there’s something about the slow pace of the game that while is satisfying when played, can sometimes still feel a little boring in places. So if you fancy wielding a long-barreled sniper and enjoy the idea of stalking your prey before you take them down, then I’m sure there is something here for you. While gamers looking for a more fast-paced run and gun experience are probably better off looking elsewhere.

Igor Kharin.

HTC One X

 
Foreword

This time last year I had become bored of IOS. I had decided it was time to leave the good ship iPhone and embark on new OS seas. I decided on an Android, one reason for this was that I felt (and still do) that Android feels like a more complete package than say WP7 (that’s not to detract from WP7’s design, which I do find gorgeous). The other reason was the HTC Sensation that I had fallen slightly in love with. It was a mistake. Within three weeks I was using a replacement handset that was 3 years old. Whilst my incredibly buggy Sensation was at HTC HQ. The worst thing about the 3 weeks I had my Sensation for though was the moment the H fell off the HTC branding on the back. The Sensation was…well…not sensational. So when I approached this review of HTC’s new flagship it was with some trepidation. I was however, in for a surprise.

Design

Just look at it, it is a thing of beauty. It’s up there in terms of beauty with the Lumia 900 (which to my mind is the best looking Smartphone on the market right now). The One X though feels more understated than the Lumia, the Aston Martin to Nokia’s Lamborghini. The One X feels more solid than previous HTC phones and is made in the Unibody design that has been popular for some years now. This means that unlike the Sensation it does not have a battery cover that is removable. The Unibody design actually makes the phone feel a lot sturdier than others. But with its 8.9mm thickness it never feels unwieldy in the hand. In fact just to give you an idea of the lightness of the phone, when it turned up at my door I actually thought it was a pair of skate socks I’d ordered the previous week, it’s that kind of lightness. Some of the details on the phone really do give this a top quality finish. For example the earpiece and loudspeaker grilles are individually laser drilled into the polycarbonate.



Hardware

The One X boasts a Quad Core 1.5Ghz CPU and an NVidia Tegra 3 chipset. Coupled with its 1GB of Ram the specs really do make sure this phone packs a punch. The One X is capable of playing some truly great looking games with no frame rate drops and on this screen they do look amazing. One thing I have noticed is the fact that the One X does get a little hot on its back panel when playing some beefier games. I would imagine this is down to the chipset and whilst it’s a little annoying it’s really not too much of a deal breaker.
The One X’s screen is a Super IPS LCD2 capacitive touchscreen, and it really does shine. I’ve used AMOLED screens in the past and some colours have seemed too saturated and unnatural but in comparison the One X with its new Super IPS LCD2 display colours feel natural. The viewing angle is also almost 180degrees and when held at this degree Apps still appear really clear and seem to almost hover near the surface of the display.  At 720p the screen is comparable to the beautiful Retina displays of current Gen Apple products for quality.
The Camera is 8MP with Autofocus with facial recognition and an LED flash. Video is 1080p @ 30fps and also has a feature in which you can take still photographs whilst recording HD video, it’s a really nice touch.
Sound wise the phone is ‘powered by Beats’ audio and the system works well. While listening through decent headphones the system provides some great sound. The loud speaker however just doesn’t seem to cut it and at times when the volume is turned up it underperforms noticeably.
Some have complained that the battery life on the One X is pretty low. Honestly though, I haven’t really run into too many issues. I usually get through the day with no real issues and charge over night.

Software

Sense. For those of you that don’t know, Sense is the name for the android skin used by HTC on their devices. If there’s one sticking point with this phone and previous HTC’s its that Sense is not close enough to a stock Android experience like on say, the Galaxy Nexus. The latest iteration (Sense 4.0) is an improvement on previous iterations. It’s been slimmed down somewhat and doesn’t feel as cumbersome as in previous versions. But there are little annoyances. One example is the revamped keyboard of Sense 4.0, which still feels kind of clunky in comparison to the iPhone keyboard and the stock ICS keyboard of the Galaxy Nexus. There is no game breaking part of the software however and these are small niggles; overall Sense 4.0 is a large improvement on previous versions.

Conclusion

There is no denying it. I promised myself that it wouldn’t happen. But I have fallen a little bit in love with this phone. With its superior looks, amazing power and software improvements (which has been one of the fundamental issues of previous HTC’s) it’s a phone I would certainly recommend. It feels like a rebirth for a company that was becoming somewhat stale and predictable. So if you’re looking for a great phone that really does hold it’s own in this ever changing market, you really can’t go too far wrong with this model.

8.5/10

Reviewed by your friendly neighborhood otaku, Makoto.

Starhawk

“A clever combination of third-person shooting and tactical construction makes Starhawk more than a generic run-and-gun game and perhaps the most enjoyable shooter on the PlayStation 3.”

I have always said and will emphasize once again that PlayStation 3 exclusives are more often than not the best home console titles. Starhawk is a third-person shooter from LightBox Interactive and spiritual successor to 2007’s Warhawk that continues this wonderful trend by bringing together exciting action with intricately woven real-time strategy mechanics. Together these two key gameplay elements ensure PlayStation owners will have a blast both in single player and online in Starhawk’s brilliant multiplayer modes.

Starhawk tells the story of a ravaged planet succumb to decay and poverty. Reminiscent of Borderlands, you take on the roll of Emmett Graves, a man who’s goal lies in the removal of all those who disturb peace and get in his way while distancing himself from the negative connotations associated with those affected by ‘Rift’. The story told in Starhawk’s campaign while short, is surprisingly engaging using beautifully animated cut-scenes that take you across a variety of beautiful environments and emotions.



More importantly however, the campaign acts like a tutorial to prepare you for Starhawk’s fantastic online multiplayer. Before you even set foot online, the campaign teaches you basic shooting mechanics, how to use the variety of different vehicles and most importantly, the engaging in-game building mechanic. What can be considered Starhawk’s trump card, the building mechanic allows players to call down building drops from barricades, to turrets to whole structures as you attempt to change the flow of battle with more than just basic weapons. The campaign does a very good job introducing you to all the different possibilities available and even puts you in situations to show off when and where to best use these drops, which comes in very handy when you do eventually make the bold move online.

This is not to say that most of your time will be spent surveying the battlefield trying to build bases like some sort of Command & Conquer game. Battles can be won with sheer brute force but a balance is certainly required. Those of you who prefer to grab a machine gun, strap a rocket launcher to your back and jump into a Starhawk are more than welcome to use that approach. The Starhawks are another fun novelty as these metallic birds jet through the sky and with the press of a button can transform into lethal mech-walkers descimating all that stands in your way on the ground. If these aerial beasts aren’t for you, then jumping on a hover-bike or maybe grabbing a jet pack is your preferred mode of transport? Ultimately it is very clear that LightBox Interactive wanted to make sure there’s variety available for players who would like to tackle Starhawk in a variety of different ways.

You’ll be done with the campaign in a mere 6-hours or so but that’s not a problem considering we know it was designed as a warm-up for Starhawk’s online endeavor. When you first set foot into a global game you will be surprised at how fast and frantic the combat can get. Resembling M.A.G. large maps can accommodate for many players and lots of destruction, especially considering every player has the ability to construct mid-game. It will quickly become apparent that the campaign mode perhaps didn’t provide as much preparation as required, but what better way to learn than to jump straight into the deep end? It is true, you will have to adapt quickly to survive and perhaps reevaluate the strength of certain gameplay styles you have adapted throughout your time with the campaign mode, but this is by no means a deterrent with Starhawk proving to be a whole load of fun online.

For a game that so obviously relies on teamwork and communication, it’s a real shame to see that other than voice chat, there’s really no way to rally your troops and issue commands online. Being able to work together effectively is the essence of victory in Starhawk and a group of mindless players running around doing their own thing will pretty much always lead to failure of your particular objective. So those of you looking for an engaging and cooperative online experience, make sure to pick up a headset if you don’t have one already.




Fortunately once you pass that immediate awkward stage of getting blown to smithereens for the first few games, you will find Starhawk to be one of the PlayStation 3’s most enjoyable and exciting multiplayer experiences. The variety in maps impress both from design to visuals, gameplay is quick, fast-paced and can change in a heart beat while the genius building mechanic intertwines the whole package together to keep everyone busy and on their toes. This is clearly a game that emphasizes tactics and teamwork over big guns and with that in mind, it deserves serious recognition.

To change the pace again slightly, Starhawk also offers split-screen gameplay and a cooperative horde mode. Playing online with a buddy sitting next to you means at the very least you two can communicate with each other and horde mode lets you get offline and just enjoy some casual, yet challenging gameplay against increasingly different AI opponents.

Starhawk impresses on numerous levels and that’s why it’s so easy to recommend to gamers. This PlayStation 3 exclusive builds upon 2007’s thoroughly enjoyable Warhawk by providing great and unique gameplay alongside well-designed terrains to do battle on. Starhawk’s brilliant pacing and savvy in-game building mechanics make it much more than your basic shooter and that is what sets it aside from other run-of-the-mill gun games. If you’re looking for something that little bit deeper, that little bit harder and that little bit more technically efficient, then look no further PlayStation 3 owners, because you’re on to a winner here.

9.0 | Gameplay |
Starhawk’s gameplay is absolutely fantastic. The basic campaign introduces you to all the ideals required to enjoy and participate in Starhawk’s terrific online experience. Once you get online you then truly appreciate the balance between combat and in-game construction, which can very easily be the foundation to a solid victory. Variety is certainly a key word to describe your potential involvement with Starhawk as there are numerous ways to tackle situations here from offense to tactical defence, but ultimately a balance is required to ensure victory.

6.0 | Presentation |
Starhawk’s story and environments deserve particular praise. The beautifully woven animated cut-scenes are pleasing to look at and the varied locations you do battle in are absolutely stunning. The same can’t be said for character models and due to the Western and industrial tone of the game, the bland and rusty colours makes Starhawk quite dull and depressing to look at. I will emphasize however that this is a game where graphics hold no real significant meaning and will absolutely not take away from this fun experience.

9.0 | Replay Value |
The game only really begins when you venture online and once you’ve played through your first few games and taken those training wheels off, you will find yourself immersed in a deep, expansive and thoroughly addictive multiplayer experience that clearly has a lot more to offer than your generic shooter. This is the kind of game you can find yourself invested in for a long time and Starhawk will continue to thrive as long as the community sticks with it.

8.0 | Final Thoughts |
I keep saying it over and over but I never seem to be proven wrong, PlayStation 3 exclusives are always bloody awesome. Starhawk is a breath of fresh air amidst a whole bunch of Call of Duty-like games – taking the first to the third-person perspective and adding a genius gameplay mechanic makes this sci-fi shooter already stand out as an engaging alternative. Add in a whole host of weapons, vehicles and tactical capabilities and you have yourself what I can only describe as a genius blend of Borderlands, Command & Conquer and M.A.G. I highly recommend PlayStation 3 owners to seriously consider Starhawk as a viable contender to at the very least, keep you amused until the next Call of Duty comes out in Q4.

Igor Kharin.

Akai Katana

It’s not every day you see a game like Akai Katana getting shelf space. As only the third disc-based Cave game to hit European shores, Akai Katana (or Red Sword to English speakers) is a rare breed of game. It’s a conversion of a 2D arcade shoot ‘em up that even in 2012, somebody thought worthy of a retail price tag rather than taking the cheap and obvious XBLA route. Those somebodies in question are Rising Star Games and they make a business out of bringing obscure Japanese curiosities to the west, with oddities including No More Heroes 2, Deadly Premonition and Cave’s very own Deathsmiles on their CV. Is their confidence well placed or is Akai Katana destined to be misunderstood?

Unless you’re a dedicated follower of the genre Cave isn’t going to be a household name. Though they’ve achieved a modicum of recognition with their recent iOS ports, the vast majority of their output will have gone unnoticed by western gamers. Over the last seventeen years Cave have been tirelessly perfecting that obnoxiously difficult sub-genre of shooting games intimidatingly known as "bullet hell". Even if you haven’t sampled them yourself, you might be one of the four million-plus YouTube viewers to be amazed (or perhaps frightened) by the legendary HARDEST VIDEO GAME BOSS EVER!!

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Don’t let that put you off – it’s the most extreme of the extreme and not really representative the challenge you will face with Akai Katana.

As ever with the genre, making narrative sense of Cave’s games is often as difficult as surviving the bullet patterns, but the tl;dr version basically involves planes transforming into kids, blood swords demanding human sacrifice, and an empire that needs to be blown to oblivion by said kids with said swords. While making light of the story is an easy (and irrelevant) jibe, the world Cave’s designers have created is beautifully realised. It’s steampunk, Japanese style. Set in the Taisho period of Japanese history when tradition started to be eroded by western industrialisation, Akai Katana takes that juxtaposition very literally. Each of the armed-to-the-teeth fighter planes can transform in to traditionally-garbed sword-wielding humans, and the bulk of the stoic-looking samurai bosses have the ability to pluck hulking great mechanical battleships or trains out of space and time. No, it doesn’t make a lot of sense, but yes, it is quite spectacular.

The same could be said of all aspects of Akai Katana’s visual design – the game is absolutely beautiful. Unlike the majority of lazy 2D ports, Cave didn’t opt for a cheap cash-in that would look ugly on HD displays. Instead they’ve taken the assets of the 2010 arcade original and drawn them in eye-popping 720p, and the results speak for themselves. Cave’s sprite work truly shines. As one of the few horizontal shoot ‘em ups in Cave's catalogue, Akai Katana doesn’t have to worry about confusing modern gamers by only occupying the centre of the screen and it benefits from a full 16:9 transition. Each of the seven levels is meticulously detailed – the underwater beauty of level four, teeming with aquatic life, is especially memorable. Then there are the bullets – Cave demonstrate absolute mastery in the language of bullets, consistently drowning the screen in colourfully creative torrents of the things.

Undeniably beautiful as they are, Cave games are all about scoring systems, and Akai Katana really delivers in this department. You could even say it over-delivers. Those that associate arcade games with simplicity and accessibility are in for a rude awakening – Akai Katana is fiendishly complex. There are three play modes on offer: Origin (arcade replica complete with authentic  4:3 ratio), Slash (a 16:9 version of Origin with the 256 combo cap lifted) and Climax mode (a drastically different arrange mode that tasks you with building Katanas and releasing them into enemies for a massive score bonus).

A detailed breakdown of the scoring system is more the preserve of a strategy guide than a review, but at its core Akai Katana focuses on meter management, ideally ending in banking huge wheels of gold that encircle your ship. There are a daunting number of tools at your disposal to achieve this, including two different forms, four different shot types, two different collectibles, multiple meters, bullet reflecting and bullet cancelling. All must be manipulated cleverly if you hope to get anywhere with scoring. Even by Cave’s standards, this is a seriously obtuse system and it's certainly not for the faint-hearted. The difficulty level is pitched lower than the complexity level, though it still puts up a mighty challenge thanks in no small part to the laser-happy bosses. When it does click, it’s immensely satisfying and incredibly rewarding, but you should definitely know what you’re getting into. Once you do manage to topple the game on a single credit (and if you're not playing it that way, you're playing it wrong), there's plenty of long term challenge through the online leaderboards and downloadable replays to learn from.

Akai Katana is the work of masters at the height of their craft. It is as artistically accomplished as it is devilishly brutal. It’s also the kind of game that will be commercially ignored, critically misunderstood and go sadly unplayed by the majority of Xbox 360 owners. With the arcade industry on its last legs in Japan, it’s unlikely we’re going to see many more games like it. Sure, Akai Katana is stubbornly traditional, and in truth, it's not going to draw new players in. Those brave enough to embrace Cave's vision however will find a game of genuine value. A game that exposes the poorly conceived light shows masquerading as shmups on XBLA for the pretenders that they are. Akai Katana is the real deal – complex, beautiful and rewarding, and worthy of space on any self-respecting gamer's shelf.

Rupert Higham.

Pandora’s Tower

Pandora’s Tower is one of three traditional role-play games that are an absolute must have for the Nintendo Wii. With the release of Xenoblade Chronicles, The Last Story and now Pandora’s Tower, Nintendo’s home console can bow out gracefully to the Wii U knowing that while it hasn’t wholeheartedly served the hardcore gaming demographic, it has still provided breathtaking games to keep veteran gamers busy and the Japanese RPG genre alive.



Pandora’s Tower is an action-adventure and role-play hybrid combining elements similar to The Legend of Zelda and Shadow of the Colossus. This game tells the story of a beautiful damsel who is slowly turning into a monster. It is your role as Aeron to traverse twelve towers and slay twelve demons to then bring back their flesh for Elena to eat and break her demonic curse.

This premise sets up an engaging and enticing adventure that shows off some very interesting and unique gameplay mechanics. First of all Elena’s curse continues to worsen throughout your adventure and as a result, a bar at the bottom of your screen shows the level of the curse. Time mechanics have been known to cause games serious issues; Dead Rising is a fantastic example of a game where timed gameplay simply ruined the fun-factor. Well here luckily that’s not the case because Pandora’s Tower is structured so well that rarely are you forced to frantically race around every area but keeping one eye on the clock ensures you’re always wary of your progress and Elena’s health.



When you do get an opportunity to sit back and take in Pandora’s Tower’s environments you will truly appreciate the well-crafted dungeons. These areas are full of different enemies, puzzles, traps and short cuts to keep you moving forward and constantly in battle. You can always return to Elena should the clock drop down too low and you spent that little bit too much time exploring, but this is a rarity as the game rewards you for pushing forward and finding different paths that help your accessibility throughout the environments.

You may be wondering what the gameplay mechanics are like in Pandora’s Tower. To be honest with you after playing I had a real reminiscent feeling of Team Ico’s work on Ico and Shadow of the Colossus. Your main weapon in Pandora’s Tower is the Oraclos Chai, a mystical weapon that offers a whole lot of variety to the gameplay here. Beside your normal swords, spears and other weapons you come across, the Oraclos Chain allows you to grab enemies, throw them around the screen, sweep their feet, combo moves together, grab distant items and other cool manoeuvres. It also serves as your main weapon for defeating each tower’s final boss.

The Masters of each tower can only be defeated by pulling out their weak flesh that Elena must consume. The use of the Oraclos Chain here is a lot of fun and although the way you are forced to finish them off is similar, there is enough variety in the bosses to make sure each battle is unique in its own way.

Outside of the exploration and towers, there is plenty to do in the Observatory. Pandora’s Tower provides a gripping love tale between Elena and Aeron, which can be explored by keeping in contact with the female lead as frequently as possible. You can also find out more about the story in the Observatory, which really invests you into the game and makes you want to continue exploring the towers.



The Observatory also gives you the opportunity to interact with another main character, Mavda. Mavda serves as your inventory shop and also as a dark and menacing entity, providing you with everything you need throughout a role-play adventure. Pandora’s Tower offers an extensive upgrade system for weapons and armours too, so fans of getting the best and most rare items will really enjoy this part of the game too.

From a technical perspective Pandora’s Tower generally does a great job to impress. Occasional issues with the camera can be frustrating, but this is never serious enough to be a real issue. The control mechanics are quite unique and force players to point on-screen and aim when using the Oraclos Chain etc, which can take some getting used to. Pandora’s Tower is a beautiful game with a wonderful soundtrack to boot, both of which dramatically enhance the experience. Pandora’s Tower offers approximately 20 hours of gameplay in total with a bunch of different endings to unlock. On top of this it’s well worth going through a New Game + as new content is unlocked to get involved with.

Pandora’s Tower is a shining exemplar of role-play adventure and it truly shows that the genre is far from dead. This unique, engaging and thrilling game brings together a set of lovable characters and intertwines a beautiful story with fun and interesting gameplay mechanics. As a result you’re left with a well paced experience, one that’s brilliant fun getting stuck into and difficult to put down. Pandora’s Tower gives you the opportunity to put in time and effort and in return rewards you with one of Nintendo Wii’s best games of 2012.

8.5 | Gameplay |

Pandora’s Tower provides engaging and entertaining gameplay mechanics alongside a beautifully woven story with believable and enlightening characters. The Oraclos Chain offers fans of role-play games something a little different than mere dungeon crawling and the clever use of a time-management mechanic ensures players are always on their toes and worrying about Elena and her terrible curse.

8.0 | Presentation |

Pandora’s Tower is a technically impressive game in gameplay, visual design and audio. The story however is definitely the highlight here as a romance blossoms between a valiant protagonist and a plagued female lead. This relationship gets ever the more interesting the deeper you dwell into the varied towers scattered around the Observatory. The ominous and dark tone of Pandora’s Tower forces you keep faith while at the same time battling the ideas that perhaps Elena might not be able to defeat her curse …

8.5 | Replay Value |

With 20 + hours of gameplay immediately present, five different endings and a New Game + mode well worth undertaking, there’s no reason not to keep coming back to Pandora’s Tower. With a host of upgrades and special weapons and armours also available, there’s all the more reason to keep hunting down rare items and forging the best equipment.

8.5 | Final Thoughts |

Nothing makes me happier than a brand new IP in a genre that desperately needed a breath of life. Indeed between them Xenoblade Chronicles, The Last Story and Pandora’s Tower have shown that the RPG is not a dead genre, in fact it one of the only types of games that can provide a real emotional connection in a beautiful fantasy world. If you’re looking for an immersive and engaging experience, then this is absolutely the game for you. Perhaps the time of Final Fantasy and turn-based games are a thing of the past, with this being the modern way to play role-play games.

Igor Kharin.

Kinect Star Wars

Has there ever been a franchise more iconic than Star Wars? Indeed the magnificent sci-fi story transcends mediums from film, games and even to music – Star Wars is in the blood of modern culture and I believe always will be. With this in mind, nothing pains me more than taking the characters, the environments and the ideals that I love, mashing them into an incoherent mess, sticking a Microsoft Kinect Sensor in the middle and calling it a video game. Make no mistake, the sense of adventure you were probably looking for can’t be found here, instead Kinect Star Wars offers a linear third person on-rails adventure coupled with a bunch of basic mini-games and wait for it, a dance rhythm game.

Your first stop should naturally be the campaign mode Jedi Destiny: Dark Side Rising – set between Episode One and Episode Two, this adventure puts you in the shoes of a young padawan hoping to move up the ranks of Jedi-hood. From the offset things look pretty good for Kinect Star Wars as you pick up a lightsaber and that reminiscent sound fills your living room as you activate your weapon. The Kinect handles your movements quite well as all your swings are recognized and implemented on screen. Things take a pretty strong turn for the worse when you actually put your Jedi skills to the test in real combat however.

Things immediately feel off as you tackle your first set of droid soldiers on Chewbacca’s beautiful home planet. The Kinect has a very difficult time keeping up with fast-paced movements forcing you to slow your swipes down so it can register and catch up. Not only is this frustrating and inconvenient, it’s also irrelevant because any swiping movements will take out groups of enemies as absolutely no skill is required – this is nothing more than a frenzy of flailing hands. While later levels do introduce some more advanced enemies that can block and maneuver more efficiently, a challenge rarely ever arises and nothing more than flailing is ever required. Even the pseudo-boss battles against the Sith are dull and uninspiring. In an attempt to change the tempo of the combat even more, Kinect Star Wars forces you to parry an assortment of slashes from your foe in times sequences and then when their guard is broken unleash a barrage of arm flails to finish them off.



Environments throughout Kinect Star Wars are for the most part visually appealing – it’s a shame however that the on-rails mechanic constricts your movements significantly. When you are unleashed into a small area to do battle, you once again are limited to small movements and dashes to get near your enemies and finish them off. A nice touch however is the ability to use the Force to move objects around the battlefield. A similar mechanic was implemented in Star Wars: The Force Unleashed but this time you have the ability to command the Jedi powers with your non-sword wielding arm. The item detection is certainly hit and miss and it’s very difficult to aim precisely where you want something to land, but you can’t help feel pretty awesome after you’ve successfully hurled a massive object across the map – pretty impressive for a padawan!

These gameplay elements are all supplemented from time to time with vehicle sections, be it the Millennium Falcon, Pod Racer or a Speeder – these segments are relatively entertaining as you use specific hand gestures to avoid destruction and finish off your enemies. Ultimately however all these gameplay elements combine into one rather mundane, forgettable and monotonous package. The story that intertwines these elements is lacklustre and attempts to play off various key moments of the films but with no avail. It’s just a real shame to see such a poor attempt at bringing Star Wars to life on the Kinect, which is potentially a very nifty piece of kit.

Once you get out of the campaign mode there are a host of mini-games you can try, at your own peril. Perhaps the most enjoyable of these is the Rancor Rampage – giving players the opportunity to cause serious Godzilla-like destruction. This mode is very similar to games like Rampage: Total Destruction where there is no depth, just pure carnage – accumulate points by causing as much havoc as possible and surprisingly it’s actually quite entertaining.

A spot of pod racing is also on offer if you’re looking for something a little more engaging. With a bunch of tracks to check out and a cool set of motion controls to implement, the pod racing is actually very similar to the experience in Episode One and as a result, is probably the most nostalgic game mode present in Kinect Star Wars.

I warn all of you now, take a deep breath before continuing with this paragraph. There are times in all of our lives when something we loved and cherished growing up, gets completely destroyed, forever tainting our fond memories. If we’ve learned anything about Star Wars in the past decade is unfortunately, the series is ripe for abuse. Well ladies and gentlemen, the Kinect Star Wars ‘Dance Mode’, yes you read it right, ‘Dance. Mode.” Does just that. Taking our favourite characters and forcing them to dance while listening to classic pop songs with Star Wars themed lyrics, is just, well unbelievable. This next sentence is neutral, I promise – the dance mechanics are enjoyable and precise, the songs are nostalgic and quite fun and playing with friends can be entertaining. This sentence however, is bias – what were they thinking, seriously?



Ultimately this is a very disappointing Xbox 360 exclusive. I admire Microsoft’s willingness to support their Kinect peripheral and games like Child of Eden in particular really do suggest that motion control has a future in the market, but not when it’s packaged with a pile of shallow, repetitive and at times quite visually offensive games. Kinect Star Wars does everything to an absolute average, nothing more, nothing less. Those of you looking for a nostalgic Star Wars trip will find it here in bits and bobs but overall, it’s very difficult to recommend. It says something when the most efficient gameplay mechanics of a Star Wars game, are the dance motion controls…

5.0 | Gameplay |

There is no depth in Kinect Star Wars, and that’s a huge problem. The campaign mode is mindless as you swing away pointlessly, which is a real shame considering that’s the meat of the game. Pod racing and Rancor Rampage are also relatively shallow in depth, but at least they provide some instant gratification and fun. Finally, as much as I hate to say it, the dance element of the game is technically very tight (which is not surprising considering 50% of Kinect’s library is dance games), but that’s not to say I’m not angry with them making a mockery of Star Wars. If you like to boogey and enjoy cheesy music whilst watching Han Solo thrust his manhood all over the show, then go for it you’ll have a blast.

7.0 | Presentation |
There is absolutely a Star Wars vibe present here. From the orchestral soundtrack to the familiar sounds of lightsabers clashing against each other. A visually pleasing artwork was used for the characters that doesn’t necessarily go along with the tone of the movies or the animated series Clone Wars, but is nevertheless quite pretty in its own right. For the most part the Kinect controls do suffice, especially in the mini games but unfortunately they suffer in Jedi Destiny: Dark Side Rising.

4.0 | Replay Value |
There is literally no way you’ll ever go back to the campaign mode so you might as well forget about that straight away. The pod racing and Rancor mini-games can provide a small level of replay value but unfortunately again, it’s the dance mode that sits on top of the pack as the only game mode worth reliving, if you dare.

5.0 | Final Thoughts |
I think the major issue with Kinect Star Wars is it rarely ever feels like a complete package. I also get the impression that it’s almost a bad tech demo for the Kinect camera. If this came out as a launch title I’d understand the issues regarding difficulty in picking up fast movements and so forth, but there’s been plenty of games that have technically excelled with Kinect, so why does Kinect Star Wars feel so rushed and below par? There are glimpses of entertainment here but overall there’s more here that can and will frustrate, rather than entertain.

Igor Kharin.