Assassin's Creed II

Author: Martyn Posted under:
Formats: Xbox360, PS3 [Played], PC
Published by: Ubisoft
Developed by: Ubisoft Montreal
Released: November 17, 2009
Score: 93%

With a lot of love for the first game most reviews were mixed saying that the missions were to repetitive but I liked the missions and Parkour of the game so for me this was an ideal game for me. After the confusion of the end of the first game this one sets off directly afterwards throwing you straight into battles and getting used to the controls. For the first 30 minutes of the game you will have to follow the story instead of having the will to free roam.

The story revolves around the "Animus", a machine which makes it possible for the player to view the genetic memories of protagonist Desmond Miles' ancestors, a long line of assassins. This time you are based in late 15 century Italy during the Renaissance and take control of a young nobleman-turned-assassin named Ezio Auditore da Firenze who after witnessing his family killed goes on a journey to uncover a hidden conspiracy after the murder of his family.

The graphics are pretty much the same as the first game with a few jitters in frame rate from time to time.
Not much has changed in the way of controls, a few more moves have been added and the free running works well it seems until you are in a rush and little things like jumping away from a wall you are climbing or diving off buildings when you didn’t want to can be frustration and time consuming especially when you are against the clock. This however is a small problem and once I learnt to let go of “X” at places I deemed dodgy areas then I found this problem happening less and less.
The battle system is mostly the same, you now can take weapons from your enemies and vice versa but for me this makes the combat even easier than before. When I play assassin’s creed I like to be unnoticed and do everything by stealth but I found with this game it did not matter if I was spotted because I could take all the guards out without any problem and get away with ease. The problem that they need to sort is the A.I. of the enemies, they will just hang back and let you pick them off one by one and you even have time to taunt and change weapons while they attack you one at a time. What should happen is all the guards attack you at once forcing you to make a getaway.

Also added is a meter that will tell you how much guards take notice of you, you can clear this by ripping down wanted posters or bribing a public speaker but they might as well not have this meter as I found I could easily walk around the town with a full meter and no one stop me, the only time I ever had problems was the guards on the roofs.
Assassination jobs are easier to pull off then the first game, you also have more of them which is a good thing but I would have liked them to be more of a challenge. What makes it easier is that you can pay prostitutes and thieves to distract guards or pay a group to attack them, giving you all the time in the world to hit your target.

Like the first game things to collect are back but instead of flags you have feathers to collect also statues and codex’s. There are also Glyphs which will unlock puzzles to complete which extend on the main game. Delivering letters against the clock, beating up cheating husbands and races are also small sub quests but again too easy. You also have stores to fix any broken armor or upgrade, a healer you can buy medicine from but I found this useless to have so much I never even used more than 2 bottles and I had 15. You can buy treasure maps and paintings and also change the color of your clothes.
Also swimming has been added which also adds another way of evading the guards as you can duck under the water and somehow they seem to forget you were ever there. Once out of the water your clothes will look wet and you will be dripping for a while which was a nice small touch to the game.
In short this is an amazing game improving on the first with more missions and a stronger story but it also has some of the flaws from the first game such as poor A.I. and issues when it comes to precise jumping.
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Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

Author: Martyn Posted under:
Formats: Xbox360 [Played], PS3, PC
Published by: Activision
Developed by: Infinity Ward
Released: November 10, 2009
Score: 94%

This really was worth the wait and proves to be a suitable sequel to the first game. Graphically it’s outstanding and the gameplay and controls are everything you have come to expect from the Call of Duty games. They have done away with the respawning enemies which are music to some people’s ears but not for mine and I’ll tell you why. The Call of Duty games are the only series of games that I will start playing on the hardest level setting which as you would know is Veteran. Not only to I like the extra achievement points but I thrive on the challenge it presents itself and the feeling of accomplishment afterwards. The problem with MW2 is that it is far too easy on the Veteran setting, sure there were places I died a few times but there was only one point that I remember having a major issue with and that was just down to the autosave saving me as I was being shot at in the middle of making a getaway. The respawning enemies in the first MW meant that you were forced to keep moving forward and anytime you stopped to hide of get under cover you found 4 frag grenades landing next to you again forcing you to run out into gunfire. This and the fact that the game is very short are the only two issues I have with an outstanding game. The levels although easier than previous games are fun and enjoyable, even if there is one level which tests your guilt.
Apart from the main game you also have a Special Ops game which can be played solo or with a friend via the system link or xbox live. If you want to get those Veteran stars you will need to play with a friend because these short levels are tougher then the main game when playing solo. These levels are great when playing with a friend and really do expand on the main game making you work hand in hand with your partner.
Last but not least the multiplayer option gives you bigger maps and more perks as you play though the game. I have not yet touched the surface of this option but I believe it’s more or less the same as the first one but with different perks and a few more options.
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Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days

Author: Martyn Posted under:
Formats: Nintendo DS [Played]
Published by: Square Enix
Developed by: Hand
Released: September 29, 2009
Score: 91%

The first Kingdom Hearts for the Nintendo DS is set between Kingdom Hearts 1 & 2 and after (and during) Chain of Memories on the Gameboy advance. The story follows Roxas (who starts the game in Kingdom Hearts 2) from his first day as he joins the Organization XIII. As you play you will watch his story unfold and learn more about him and what the Organization represents. 358/2 Days introduces a new character Xion but I cannot go into much about her without giving some secrets away and you see Axel who makes his introduction in Chain of Memories and also in KH2 play a bigger role.The battle system is strange at first but after a couple of (game) days into 358/2 Days you will get used to it. There will also be a chance to change the way you rotate the camera after a while which I would advise you do as soon as you get the option.The cut scenes are very good as you progress through the story, showing flashbacks to KH1 and COM for those of you who have played them also adding in some new ones. The battle system is pretty much the same as KH1/2 although you do get a panel system. The panel system is used to hold all your items and potions also level up’s and extra moves. There are also "Link Panels" with which multiple panels can be combined to form new, stronger abilities.
The game is in 3D and for the DS this looks absolutely fantastic although the game makes minimal use of the system's touch screen functionality.

Every day you get set missions by the Organization which can be anything from collecting heats from heatless to taking out boss characters. You will visit some Disney worlds from the previous games and they all have their own recognizable music.

The only cons I have with this game is that some of the bosses have to much HP, once you have worked out how to avoid their attacks some of the bosses become really simple but you end up fighting some of them for 10 minutes plus just to whittle down their HP and this becomes tedious and boring. Some of the missions as you go through the game are the same and feel repetitive, like they have been added just to fill time. Also as the DS relies on its touch screen to play games and this game uses the Dpad I found the game uncomfortable to play for long periods.
My biggest drawback is not with the game itself but the fact it was released on the Nintendo DS. KH 1 & 2 came out for the PS2, then COM came out on the Gameboy and in Japan only on a special edition PS2 game as an add on. This meant that fans of the series have to buy a new console if they did not have it. Now this one is released on the Nintendo DS and another game Birth by Sleep will also be released for the PSP which means anyone who does not own these Hand Held’s will be missing out. I wait to see which system KH3 will be released on.
All in all this game is really good despite the small drawbacks and they are small. You can tell that a lot of time and effort have been made by the developers. One for fans of the series, but you won’t have needed to have played the others in order to enjoy it but those who have would understand it a lot more.
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Mirrors Edge

Author: Martyn Posted under:
Formats: PS3 [Played]
Published by: Electronic Arts
Developed by: DICE Sweden
Released: November 11, 2008
Score: 60%

My next game I wanted to finish off was Mirrors Edge, which was a big release game last Christmas. When I played the demo I absolutely loved the idea of free running across buildings and for me the demo did deliver however what I was yet to realize is that this game gives me motion sickness which means I start to feel sick after 20-30 minutes of gameplay.

For those who don’t know Mirrors edge is a single player first person action game with a slight twist. Your characters name is Faith and she is a 24 year old Runner who provides a courier service around the city via foot, stealing items that others can’t and using the buildings for her getaway. Only for a small parts of this game (and if you choose to) feature any form of shooting enemies most of the time you will be free running over and in buildings climbing walls, using zip lines and running along walls. Graphically although quite basic to a few colors I thought this game looks stunning in places outside but is let down once you are inside buildings. As you run around it really does feel like you are in control of your character as your head will move around while running or shake when you make a difficult jump, you will see your hands come from the sides when running, when you look down you will see your feet etc etc When it comes to game play I have utter love for this game and then in one swoop it changes to disgust and hate. Never have I fell in love and hated a game so much at the same time. Some of the worst points being unable to perform jumps you have done time and time again. What you could do once before you may fail the next time and it’s not down to controls. When you are flowing freely, timing every jump well it looks and feels amazing but all of a sudden you will get to certain area and it’s normally when you are being chased that some jumps let you down. There is a button that shows you the direction you should be going in but there isn’t always a straight forward route.
Take this level for example, I opened a shutter door where there were guards with guns all around and boxes and staircases, I have no gun and I am expected to locate my way through this maze that also has dead ends and at the same time being shot in every direction. Sometimes you are forced to replay parts over and over again and it really spoils what sets out to be a fantastic game. Busting through doors brings a different feel then previous games and I also like the slowdown button but this does not last long and isn’t always helpful. You face armed guards from time to and you can choose to fight them and take their weapon or sometimes it’s just better to try and lose them. All in all this game is both brilliant and too frustrating. You will be flowing through the city one minute then constantly trying to pull off another jump the next.
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Uncharted: Drakes Fortune "Review"

Author: Martyn Posted under:
Formats: PS3 [Played]
Published by: Sony Computer Entertainment
Developed by: Naughty Dog Software
Released: November 20, 2007
Score: 91%

As my Xbox has suspiciously died I have gone back to some old games on my PS3 to finish them off. First off is Uncharted which I actually went back to because I really want to play the second game that is out now.
I am really glad that I did, this Tomb Raider slash Indiana Jones style game brings humor and great story telling to the Playstation 3. My first thought when playing this game was wow this is tomb raider with more fighting humans and there is a lot of fighting in this game which isn’t always a bad thing but in some cases it did go on for a while. You can only hold two weapons at once but you can drop and pickup weapons as you go through the game defeating enemies, which is quickly needed when you are low on ammo and will force you to move from area to area instead of just hiding in one spot. Enemies will also throw grenades at you which again will force you to move out of hiding.
You play as Nathan Drake who is looking for the lost treasure of El Dorado with the help of Sully and Elena who wants to capture the whole adventure on film as she is a reporter.
The gameplay is really good and the aiming system works very well, you can hid behind walls and creates but creates do not last long before falling apart leaving you exposed! The graphics in Uncharted are stunning at times especially the cut scenes. The humor this game brings works perfectly with the setting and both Sully and Elena prove to be fantastic sidekicks.
You can tell that the idea of this game has been taken from Tomb Raider even the puzzles which are a great touch but if you wait too long hints will come up. Also you will from time to time be asked to use the Motion Sensor in your sixaxis. Only criticism comes at the end of the game which some people may like but for me it changed it away from the game I was enjoying. Although I do like the section where you are walking through dark tunnels with a small light waiting for anything to jump out you but like I said before it sidetracks the game away from what it set out to be. The other issue I had was the length of the game, you can play from start to finish in less than 10 hours but the gameplay that you do play makes this one of my favorite games out for the PS3.
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Halo ODST "Review"

Author: Martyn Posted under:
Formats: X360 [Played]
Published by: Microsoft
Developed by: Bungie
Released: Tuesday 22nd Sep 2009
Score: 81%

Another Halo game! Well not really, this one is set between 2 and 3 and does not feature Master Chief. In ODST you play as a Rookie in the streets of Mobassa who has been separated from the rest of his teammates. This area is an open world and you can travel through it to activate the other missions. Only issue is you have to go through the missions in the order they want you too and everywhere just looks the same, I found this the boring part in between missions. There is also a side quest where you can listen to the story of a girl during the Halo wars which I found interesting but didn’t find all the points so I don’t know the ending.
While you are playing at the rookie you will travel to different points to start missions or flashbacks of what the rest of your team is doing during the time you were knocked out. These missions are really good if a little short, you control different characters at each flashback and you get a feeling of being part of the team that is ODST as you unlock the whole story of what has being going on during this very short Halo game.


The controls are just like Halo the only factor is that you control ordinary men and that means you can’t jump as high as the Spartan or you are not as tough so you have to hang back in firefights and not rush in like the other games. This is a good thing especially if you have played through the other games as you get a real sense of being weak. All the weapons and vehicles are the same and handle the same but your energy works in a different way. As you are not the Spartan you can lose health quicker and if this is the case you need to find a health pack dispensers to replenish.
The game is very short, I finished the Normal campaign in just over 4 hours and that’s including looking for all the little girls’ story booths. (I found 28 out of 30) There is a second disk which has all the multiplayer maps from Halo3 which you wont need if you already have Halo 3 and also on the main disk is firefight which could have been a lot better if you could play with anyone online not just who is on your friend list.
In all I would not advise paying more then £30 for it, when its good its great when it’s not its boring and its very short!
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Dissidia - Final Fantasy "Review"

Author: Martyn Posted under:
Formats: PSP [Played]
Published by: Square Enix
Developed by: Square Enix
Released: 11 September 2009
Score: 91%

As a huge Final Fantasy fan this is a dream come true, taking characters from the early games right to FFX good and evil. Dissidia is so much more than a fighting game, you start the game buy choosing which day you want to earn double EXP on and also the game will decided another day which you earn more PP which can be used to unlock a vast amount of items and characters and bonus stuff. This game is a must for anyone who loves Final Fantasy.

The fighting is in a world of its own and battles can last from 5 seconds to 10 minutes, everything really is different from anything you have played before. You start with a prologue where you will learn different moves and some extras you can use within the battles. Once you have completed your training a vast amount of good characters will open up, each has his own story but all have the same objective and that is to acquire a crystal which will be used to defeat Chaos which is the big bad. Each character has his or her own fighting technique but the main buttons will be used for Jump, Attack and super attack which would be used to take out an opponent once you have broken their attacks. Whoever wins does not have to reduce their opponents HP down to 0 you can easily win the battle once you have taken a percent of their bravery down. The more you attack the higher your bravery and the lower your opponent and then once you see theirs break its time to go in for the kill. You also have a bar which builds up with each attack you make spreading something like shiny dust around the level which you can collect when passing through, there will also be a shiny bell which you can lock onto and will raise this bar quickly. Once filled your character can unleash their ultimate move which can finish off most enemies off in one hit.
Like other Final Fantasy games you can equip items to improve your character as s/he levels up, weapons and armor will improve attack and defense while equipping rings will improve HP and other extras. You can also collect and equip summons which will pop up during fights to help out, each summon has their own way of helping and once you collect enough you can choose which character owns which summons.
There really is a lot more to this then I can possibly put in one review, the fighting is really fun and you will find yourself flying through area’s performing stunning moves, the most impressive fight I have seen is Cloud vs Sephiroth fighting in the North Cave. The graphics are stunning for a hand held machine and even past characters have come back to do the voice overs. Yes this does mean Tidus too.
When you have enough PP you can start to unlock all the evil character which will be the main characters opposite from the game, E.G. Tidus vs Jecht, Squall vs Ultimicia etc etc.
Each of the 5 levels are played on a board, each character has their own board and way of traveling through it. Every move will cost you points but can be gained if you complete certain fights; these will be displayed before you choose them and will be things like finish the battle without taking a hit! On your first play through I wouldn’t worry about gaining the extra points and just level up as much as possible and collect all the chest you can, you will be scored at the end of each level and the points will gain your characters story level once you have completed that characters story.
The only bad thing about this game is you can be sailing through quite easy then you meet a character that can take you down within 10 seconds, it’s all down to reading what the character is equipped with so you know just what to do with him.

There really is much more I can tell you but I will leave it there as I am confusing myself let alone anyone reading this. I will add that the music features music from every game of that character with some old remixed. Also you can unlock different looks for each character like Clouds uniform from Advent Children. This game can be played by anyone but a true Final Fantasy Fan will admire it so much more.
Just an extra bit about the collectors set, this is more for fans, the game comes in a very nice box filled with goodies for collectors rather than use. The CD is a nice touch but I wish it was the full album rather than a couple of songs. If you can get one I would advise it but chances are they have sold out and people will resell them for a higher price, which is a shame for any true fan who missed out.
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