L.A. Noire: game review (ps3/360)

Its not every day a game comes a long that shakes the very foundations of how games should be played but L.A. Noire is quite simply a fantastic achievement  that does all this and a whole lot more. I intentionally went out of my way to not follow previews or leaked information because I wanted to take this game head on with no outside influences or over exaggerated hype.

Its 1947 and you are detective Cole Phelps for the LAPD. Set in a world of glamour wealth and Hollywood fame you must use all your cunning and investigative skills in order to climb the ranks. Unlike Rockstars famed GTA series players cannot freely go around gunning down any one they choose in a fast paced free wheeling whirlwind of havoc, so if you are expecting another GTA then that’s not what you will get. Instead you will be treated to the following.

The direct theme of the game is the stylistic world of tough talking early 50’s film noir cops and the violent yet distinctively charming criminals that evade them. Los Angeles is the perfect setting and its rendered beautifully in perfect clarity, its not all glitz and glam but it all serves a purpose. The game uses similar styles of lighting and looks to the old post-war master pieces of the era. Those unfamiliar with such films should turn to the more recent L.A Confidential as an example of what to expect.

Some people will be under the assumption that L.A. Noire is a lot like Heavy Rain, but its not. The game is easily one of the most absorbing entertainment experiences available on any console or system. Each case is soaked in its own distinctive mix of great writing and is practically soaking with atmosphere. Playing the role of a hardened cop you need to go through the evidence available to you, some of it may be obvious early on but as the game progresses its becomes a real challenge. Showing up at the scene of a gruesome murder is something common place for your character and you will find that the more you do this the better you get at gathering the clues needed to solve the mystery. Some crimes will have you searching through a particular location like a home or warehouse, though not everything you pick up pertains to the crime in question so be prepared for a challenge.

One of the most amazing features of the game is the incredible way characters are realistically portrayed facially. The reason for this is not just to look good but it serves as an integral part of the game. Not just physical clues help to solve a case, interrogation and suspect or witness questioning is very important and you can’t progress without it. I expected it would look good but i find myself constantly shocked and surprised how life like the characters actually are, its really a testament to the hard innovative work developed to make it all possible. When questioning characters you have to spot the difference between a lie and a truth, this might sound easy but its so well rendered that if not watched carefully characters will run circles around you and literally get away with murder. Collected and discovered clues can be used to further press a suspect into giving up information or details, so do your job right and you will climb the ranks faster.

The cases themselves include the likes of traffic/homicide/vice and arson, each one sets you up with a different partner and a different set of crimes to solve. For the most part you will be dealing with gruesome crimes of both passion and greed but as the game progresses the more influential criminal elements will be your soup du jour.  My favourite desk in the game was Vice, i think it nailed the scene brilliantly and gave me everything i expected from a Vice squad. Homicide was probably the most gruesome to deal with, be prepared for violent imagery of deceased corpses some battered and bruised – why Cole refuses to use gloves when dealing with a corpse I'll never understand.

A few people have said to me that they did not like the driving mechanics of the game and at times felt it was clunky and heavy, these are not modern cars they are what was around in the 1940’s and 1950’s but to be honest i didn’t find it a problem. There are almost 100 drivable vehicles in the game each one with realistic damage modelling but unlike GTA when you wreak a car or cause damage to the public you will be penalized at the end of the case. At first i didn’t like this but after playing a few more cases i realized the right way to do it was cut down on the crazy driving and concentrate on getting there in one piece. Another issue someone raised to me was the fact you can’t change the radio station while driving, again it doesn’t really matter and it adds to the authenticity. While on a case Cole will engage in a discussion with his partner, it may be a minor detail but its all these little elements that propel the game to such heights.

Its not all mind boggling gritty cases of murder and deception the game gives you a lot of extra little tasks to do when you want a break from the madness. Being a Rockstar published game you would expect quirky side missions and collectables, well that’s exactly what you get. When in a patrol car you can respond to street crimes happening in your vicinity, some involve car chases or shoot outs. Side missions give you extra experience and unlock extra’s for your character, most are short but are nevertheless fun. Across the map you will also find elusive gold film reels hidden cars and my personal favourite famous landmarks, it may not offer a lifetime of free roaming excitement but it does offer a lot of value for eager treasure hunters that yearn for that little bit more.

L.A. Noire is a tough game to review, not because of the game itself but because its easy to divulge too much and spoil it unintentionally. Its a game that has being surrounded with hype ever since it was first announced back in 1997 so naturally people have high expectations. Everything about it is garnished in a satisfyingly accurate and realistically moulded way that you would expect in the golden age of Hollywood. It is more than a quiet nod to the iconic films of the period its a perfectly rendered addition to those by gone times. Even the map itself is steeped deeply in authentically accurate block by block rendering  unseen in any other game, its no surprise really when you learn that the map is a perfect representation of some 110, 000 aerial photographs taken by Robert Spence – the map being a solid 8 square miles of 1940’s Los Angeles so there is plenty to see.

I really wanted to give L.A. Noire top marks but sadly I can’t, there are one or two issues that hold the game back from complete perfection. I would like if they had offered a little more options when it comes to interacting with characters, instead of playing good cop i would have liked the opportunity to use my badge to take advantage of certain characters – even if it was just to bend the rules a little to get a confession from a stubborn suspect. Depending on your recollection of the story and case files, replaying the story might not be that enjoyable for most gamers. If it wasn’t for a few little issues like that I'd gladly give L.A. Noire a ten but this being an honest review I'm going to have to give it a 9 out of 10. Its still a great score and one of the best games i have ever played. Though very linear at the times there is something here for everyone to enjoy, the amazing voice acting/beautiful visuals/shockingly real facial expressions and uniquely authentic setting serve to tip the balance from just a game to a work of art.   

Family Guy: season ten

I stopped watching TV a long time ago and instead follow all my favourite shows on DVD. Unlike most cartoon shows family guy doesn’t seem to have slipped as the years went by, instead it seems to get funnier and funnier. There is a significant difference between what’s being shown in the US versus what being shown in Europe, so sometimes we get left behind. That may be so but there is no shortage of laughs with this seasons boxset, if anything i enjoyed it more than the previous season 9. I expected the writing would have slipped by now and it would only appeal to loyal fans but every episode was hilarious. I was looking forward to the 150th episode and i think it paid off, even after all this time family guy retains its place in the big leagues of entertainment without feeling old or mediocre.  Family guy has come a long way now since the older DVD sets, in the past we had to be happy with a dull picture format but now Fox have put in the effort making it more crisp and appealing for the viewer. Finally they saw the need to move to widescreen and it will be greatly appreciated by the fans.

Included along with the 15 episodes is the brilliant whodunit episode starring James Woods and the fantastic “tearjerker” American Dad episode, a nice little bonus for family guy fans who may have not seen it yet. The usual extras you would expect like deleted scenes and commentaries are all here, its certainly surpassed season 9 when it comes to value. Family guy season 10 is available now and well worth picking up if you are a fan, or if you didn’t catch the last series when it aired.

Borderlands: game review (ps3/360/pc)

Borderlands is a game I over looked for quite some time, the reason? – graphics. I never really did like the idea of it being almost in the style of a cartoon because i thought it would lack real detail and depth but I was wrong it doesn’t hold the game back instead it pushes it forward. I’m sure to a lot of people this would be something they are not used to seeing but to dismiss it because of this would be a really bad idea and here is why.

Set on the planet Pandora the game gives the player a chance to feel what its like to be a bounty hunter in search of fame and glory. what was once a rich planet full of rare minerals and materials is now an almost post apocalyptic world ruled by psychopathic gangs of cannibals, heavily armed criminals and deadly creatures that all aim to make your stay on Pandora very short and unpleasant. The game is for the most part a first person shooter but it also blends in RPG elements that enhance your overall experience of how you play and how the game reacts to your character.

You can’t cosmetically build a character but you can build it up with stats and skills, by doing this you become a more powerful force to be reckoned with. There are four main categories in the game, The Siren/The Hunter/The Soldier and The Berserker. Each character has unique skills attributed to their class, The Hunter for instance is good with sniper rifles and can be upgraded to carry a hawk which he uses to attack his enemies. The Sire uses speed and cunning rather than pure muscle, The Soldier uses firepower first while the Berserker uses his fists to pulverise and pound. All of the characters carry weapons but the skills do become very useful when faced with too many enemies at once, even with bosses skills usually help to tip the balance in your favour.

Pandora seems to be a gun runners paradise. For a shooter its got all the guns and weapons you could ever ask for, pistols/smg’s/rifles/machine guns/sniper rifles/rocket launchers and high powered shotguns are all on offer. Located all over the map are hundreds of weapons and weapon mods. Guns can be found not just on dead enemies but also in lockers/boxes/vending machines/rooftops/even toilets, the list seems to be endless but there is a catch. Guns are colour coded and level coded, this means if you are not the level the gun requires you can’t use it. Its not such a big problem because most of the guns you will find in single player will be aimed towards your character, and even if they are higher than your current level they might be worth holding onto as you level up quite fast. When it comes to fire power in the game the thing that really impressed me was the inclusion of environmental guns, some guns will cause explosions/fire damage/electric shock and my personal favourite acid bursts. The more you play you learn what weapons are good for certain tasks, acid weapons are good for getting through an enemies armour – I found this especially good when faced with area bosses.

I find it hard to call Borderlands a shooter, sure it has that element and at its core it is one but there is a lot more on offer for fans of free-roaming and exploration. The maps are big enough to hide all sorts of items from stacks of cash to weapons, and their is no shortage of secondary tasks. Along the way you meet characters who offer you jobs and missions, these missions can be very varied though some might feel a little repetitive after time. Its worth doing extra missions and exploring as it builds up your overall experience in the game allowing for new skills and weapon usage. Navigating the map is easy and straight forward enough but you get around quicker using vehicles and fast travel stations, both are unlocked through story progression and make getting around less of a task. The levels themselves can be fun and are mostly large, the map has many interconnecting areas that lead to other regions containing different enemies and loot. At first the graphics don’t really succeed to impressive but over time i found myself falling in love with the visual style, it wouldn’t work with all games but i find it hard to imagine Borderlands without it.

The game features a whole host of ultra violent bad guys and creepy crawlies that will have you either grinning or running for your life. At first you encounter basic raiders with little or no armour but when the game really gets going you will be treated with all kinds of cannon fodder. I’m used to shooters being busy and full of targets but Borderlands really packs them in. There are lots of types of creatures, some are easy to dispatch while others will really put up one hell of a fight. Its a while since I have seen so many fun and challenging level bosses, there is no shortage here. The game didn’t at any time really feel unfair nor did it feel like too much to handle, it always felt like the situation I was in or enemy i faced was something i could deal with. It was in no way a walk in the park but the learning curve is extremely easy and you don’t have to be good at shooters to enjoy the game.

I don’t usually spend much time on multiplayer features of a game because most of the time you are thrown into a match with 20 or so people, some want to play seriously while others don’t care. Borderlands stands out here, you can only have four players per game but it works brilliantly. The experience is Co-op based with characters working together in story mode to progress further, I wondered if more players meant less enemies to deal with but instead the game adapts and scales up making it challenging for everyone involved. Online is a great way to help build up your character, if you are playing in another persons game and they are a higher level than you a lot more experience points are awarded. If however you don’t like the idea of online Co-op there is also a very well put together offline Co-op mode where you and a friend can go split screen, there is unlike most games no need for two consoles as its all done on just one. If that’s not enough the replay value is exceptional, my second play through had me facing harder enemies with even better loot rewards, its a lot more challenging but its worth it for the new weapons and loot you amass.

I loved Borderlands and many things about the game really stood out. For a shooter the story is very deep and you do find yourself wanting to know what’s going to happen next. The mini games and missions scattered around the map gave me hours of extra playtime, but its easy to just go exploring for loot and weapons. Lately I seem to be constantly finding games I overlooked in the past because of either bad reviews or just chatter, while not all turn out to be gems there are the select few like Borderlands that really hit the mark. Everything it does it does brilliantly, the style is amazing and the hours of gameplay on offer are astronomical. I normally don’t try and platinum a game because 100% is time consuming and not something a lot of gamers aim for but Borderlands was the exception. After spending days playing the game both in single player and in online Co-op i finally reached 100%. It doesn’t end there, Borderlands has a lot of DLC available for the game each one adding a little more to an otherwise perfect game. I’m giving Borderlands a 9 out of 10 – I’m taking one point off for some of the mini missions feeling a bit too familiar and a lack of other vehicles. If you are looking for a shooter than dares to do things differently in a stylish and funky manner then I’d recommend Borderlands. I was looking for a refreshing change and I think I found it.

Playstation Network: weeks on, but the service remains off

The outage which has affected millions of psn users of the last few weeks was the result of an external intrusion from an unknown hacker group – some say it was the group known as Anon yet as time went by they have denied involvement. The theft of personal details happened between April 17th and April 19th, yet Sony did not disclose the intrusion to its users until May 4th. An estimated 77 million accounts had personal details stolen from them surpassing previous hacks of any kind on any records. Its no surprise that Sony have had so much negative press through the incident, many governments and agencies accuse Sony of mishandling personal information and lacking to keep its users safe. On April 20th Sony turned off the network and its Qriocity services, stating that it would be back within the week – now on May the 9th it still all remains offline.

At the moment Sony claim they are aggressively trying to track down the hackers who perpetrated the attack, yet even with various law enforcement agencies on the case they have not been found and the service remains offline. Sony have stated that the attack is a criminal cyber attack and that it will remain offline until they have completed extensive security tests. When asked to report to congress Sony had the following to say about the on-going attack on their network.

“Sony Network Entertainment America is continuing its investigation into this criminal intrusion, and more detailed information could be discovered during this process. We are reluctant to make full details publicly available because the information is the subject of an on-going criminal investigation and also the information could be used to exploit vulnerabilities in systems other than Sony's that have similar architecture to the PlayStation Network.”

The real concern comes from the way Sony has dealt with the issue, it took Sony almost a week to notify its users that their had indeed been a theft of information and personal details. The information available to the hackers were highly identifiable and included usernames/passwords/emails addresses/home addresses and even credit card information. The circumstances surrounding Sony got even more controversial when their was strong evidence to suggest that Sony failed to encrypt personal details/held on to older information and made it too easy for external attackers to steal. There are even a number of lawsuits being filed against Sony on behalf of its users, each one addresses Sony’s lack of power to protect private information. Since the initial attack Sony have failed to meet set deadlines and some users have had their personal information openly posted on websites controlled by the hackers.

In response to the outage Sony have released information about what they are calling their “welcome back” program. The idea is to compensate its users with a number of offers including free downloadable content and the use of the Playstation Plus service for 30 days. For many users its not enough, they see Sony’s gross negligence as a betrayal to gamers everywhere. Sony are now saying that it could still be a number of weeks until they are fully back up and running though some services should be restored before then. Many are pointing to May 31st as the day when services are fully restored but as the outage continues there really is not telling when it will be business as usual.

When I first heard about the outage I had serious doubts that it would affect me personally but recently my email account has been compromised. It occurred when my details were stolen and then used to access the account, upon noticing I contacted my email provider and explained what happened. It turns out that my details and password were changed and so I have no chance of recovering the account, a harsh lesson when it comes to using Hotmail . As far as I can tell when the network does come back online I should be able to verify my account through my console, but I'll believe it when i see it.

Sniper: ghost warrior (ps3/360/pc)

Its not every day a game gets exclusively released on the xbox 360 that i really wanted but sniper: ghost warrior was top of the list. originally the game launched on the xbox in june 2010, it went under the radar pretty well and didn’t create much of  following. i don’t usually keep up on xbox games but after seeing it online i really liked what i saw of it, i love sniper sections in first person shooters so a whole game dedicated to sniping sounded really original. luckily a ps3 version packed with extra content has just been released (may 6th 2011) and i made sure to get it on the first day, I've been playing it for a few days now and here's what i thought of it.

The story is set on the fictional island of el trejon, a place that has seen violent civil unrest by the countries tyrannical ruler. you play sergeant tyler wells, a marine sniper kitted out with a high powered rifle and a ghillie suit. the story may be brief enough but the action is far from it, your skills and ability to blend into the environment make you the perfect weapon in this covert operation. during the game you get to know a bit more about what’s actually going on but a lot of it is predictable enough, that said there are a few surprises especially in the extra missions.

The thing that first impressed me about the game were the extremely realistic graphics. the island is full of jungles/beaches/mountains/temples/drug plantations/enemy camps, all feature at one point in the game and all look amazing. i’m used to seeing appealing graphics in games and it does seem like a lot of games are really stepping up to fully optimizing what can be done with a good engine, this game seems to have gone further although i have heard that the ps3 features upgraded graphics and visuals. it really seems like the developers did their home work on what sniper fans would actually be looking for in a game. there are so many missions where they give you the perfect map, and there you are in the perfect hiding place with a view to die for populated with enemies that can’t see you! all this of course follows with the perfect headshot.

One of my favourite features in the game was the bullet cam, it sounds simple enough a bullet travelling from the rifle is tracked with a game camera. its been done before but its never looked so good, when you do take that perfect shot the camera will track the bullet as it whiz's through the air (often covering 100’s of yards) coming to a definite halt as it embeds itself in your unlucky target. i joked to my boyfriend that i’d never get tired of watching the bullet cam in action and after playing through the whole came i can honestly admit its too good to really tire of. so much work has been put into the visuals that its almost jaw droppingly beautiful, and the best part is you don’t have to charge through because if you do you will almost certainly end up getting shot.

The weapons in the game are really well thought out and you never have to ask yourself why you have something you don’t need. at first i wondered why i was given explosives when the main aim was to be stealthy in taking down the enemy, then i realised you could find the best hiding spot and rig the perimeter so that approaching enemies who have compromised your position would be taking out. the sniper rifles you get in the game are as follows:

AS 50 – .50 BMG antimaterial rifle, it packs a punch and holds 5 rounds. (very modern warfare)

MSG90 – militarized version of the PSG1 (used in metal gear solid) lighter with better accuracy

SR 25 – semi-automatic 7.62x51mm Nato caliber

Dragunov SVD – used by enemy snipers, reliable soviet rifle with good accuracy

High Powered L96 & the Super Long Range CheyTac M200 Intervention (both are extremely accurate/deadly and exclusive to the ps3 version of the game)

Along with rifles the player gets to carry a silenced pistol and throwing knives. the ground enemy usually carry assault rifles (probably a variant of the Ak47) while watch towers and other positions are patrolled by sniper rifle wielding soldiers. the AI has apparently been worked over too giving for a more fluid experience of combat. i didn’t notice many glitches with the AI and for the most part they were sharp enough.

There were a few times where i wondered if they had 100% accuracy at long range.. with an assault rifle, i couldn’t see a sniper at the time but its only happened a  small number of times. i don’t know what the AI was like in the original version of the game, i heard it was bad but i’m assuming it was all ironed out. the bullet dynamics and ballistics are all top notch, bullet drop is a huge part of sniping at long range and your bullets trajectory will be affected by things like weather/heart rate – breath can be controlled to slow down what’s seen through your scope so that you are one step closer to the perfect shot. 

As for playability and lifespan there is a lot on offer. when you finish the main game there are a host of extra missions and challenges, in challenge mode you are given limited ammunition and a limited HUD so it all feels the more genuine and the more exciting. the story missions all feel fluid, fun and rewarding. some of the missions will involve sneaking a great distance through enemy forces in order to take out a target while others will have you eradicating enemy camps, others still might be gaining intel or backing up another force fighting alongside you. its all very well put together and each mission lasts anywhere from about 40 minutes to just over an hour. i do think there is replay value in the game because so many of the missions are very entertaining and for fans of sniping it never gets old.

So it has many positive points but it also has a few negative ones too. the auto saving can be a bit of an annoyance at time, though it doesn’t exactly affect your experience it can take you out of the zone. the graphics engine handles weather extremely well yet there are only a few levels that feature rain/fog the rest are bright and sunny, they could have implemented the weather effects more. for a sniping game you would think the developers might add in some mini games such as target practice but they didn’t. the music is a little depthless at the time but i can understand not really needing it when you are trying to concentrate on taking a carefully planned shot.

Finally there seems to be a glitch or glitches in the way that trophies are collected, this could be down to the fact that the options menu features a trophy section. at one point i was trying to get a trophy called “fallen eagle”, all you need to do is shoot 10 eagles – easy to do really and the trophy list on the menu crossed it off as completed yet the trophy itself didn’t activate. its these little negative points that stop the game from attaining a higher score, its a shame really because if all the little issues were dealt with it would be almost perfect.

I really enjoyed the game and i will probably be replaying through the various missions for some time to come. sniper: ghost warrior is a game of patience and finesse as is of course real sniping, if you are expecting fast paced running and gunning action then i’m afraid you won’t find this here and anytime you do its the enemy chasing you down. if however you like the idea of sneaking around the jungle using your environment to pull off your shots with pin point accuracy then i strongly recommend this game. i’m giving the game a 7 out of 10. no other game offers as much high powered long range sniping action, if there is ever a sequel released i’ll definitely be getting it.

Unfortunately i could not test the multiplayer as the playstation network is still down. the ps3 version features new multiplayer maps and game modes such as capture the flag. when the network comes back online i will add a multiplayer section to the review.

Assassin’s Creed: revelations (details)

It seems the latest assassins creed game has not only been named but details are already starting to leak about the different features and locations that will feature in the game. Given that the last game (assassins creed: brotherhood) was not released too long ago you cannot help but hold a little scepticism as to ubisoft blatantly milking the series. I personally don’t think they are milking it, assassins creed is a journey through the ages and every journey tells a tale, whether or not the next game after this will feature desmond as the main character only time will tell.

The final chapter in the Ezio trilogy has been detailed. The latest issue of Game Informer has first information on Assassin’s Creed: Revelations, which sees Ezio searching for the lost ‘seals’ of his assassin ancestor, Altair.

Finding these seals allows Ezio to peek into the life of Altair, just as Desmond peeks into the life of Ezio through the Animus. During these sequences, you’ll control Altair.

The majority of the game takes place in Constantinople, the heart of the Ottoman empire, split into four ‘huge’ districts — Constantin, Beyazid, Imperial, and Galata. You’ll also swing by Cappadocia, Turkey.

As one would would imagine, Ezio’s aged in Revelations. No longer the young lad from the first two Ezio titles, he is now over 50 years-old. Though, with age comes wisdom… or new accessories. He has a new item called the hookblade, allowing him to zipline from point A to point B throughout the city, speeding up navigation by ‘about thirty percent.’ It can also be used as a weapon to pull in and attack enemies. To make for the new accessory, the control scheme’s been modified — Circle/B controls the hookblade and Triangle/Y controls projectiles and bombs.

A crafting system also makes its way to the franchise. Ezio can use the system to make bombs — bombs of over 300 types, according to Ubisoft.

Eagle Vision’s been given a makeover. Now called Eagle Sense, it “let’s your focus on a character and see where he’s been,” according to creative director Alexandre Amancio. “You’ll get an approximation of where he will go. If you’re able to detect the path a guard will take, you can run ahead, set a bomb, and create a trap or an ambush.”

With the Borgia gone and a new area being used for the setting, Borgia Towers no longer exist, but the concept does. A new system has been created in its place. There are locations throughout the city called Assassin’s Dens — you can build these dens by killing off the Templar presence in the area through various assault scenarios. Once obtained, you’ll be able to upgrade the buildings and add ziplines across its rooftops. The guards in the area will shift from hostile to neutral.

Your dens aren’t all safe and sound after their obtained, however. As you gain notoriety in the city, you can lose control of your dens. If your den is under attack and you’re unable to make it to the area to save it, you can send your assassin troops out to do it for you — so long as another den is nearby. You can also have once of your master assassins control a specific den, so you wouldn’t have to worry about it being attacked and taken over.

The leveling mechanic for assassin’s has increased from 10 to 15.

Side-missions are gone in Revelations. Instead of planned events, side-missions are random — you may see a shop owner being mugged as you walk through the city; your mission would be to stop him.

A new facial capture technology dubbed Mocam is being used in the game. The magazine describes it as an “intriguing amalgamation of traditional animation, performance capture and the fascinating new style of performance on display in games like L.A. Noire.”

Desmond, whose accessing Ezio’s memories through the Animus, finds a new safe mode in the machine called the “Black Room.” In this room, you’re able to access Desmond’s own personal lost memories. The gameplay during your time as Desmond are said to be ‘narrative-fueled puzzle sequences.’ The magazine writes, “through the manipulation and creation of geometry with the game world, Desmond seeks to reintegrate the splintered layers of his subconscious.”

As for multiplayer, which is making a return from Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood, you’ll now be able to create your own character with customized appearance and weapons, and start a guild. Ubisoft says that while the component is returning, they’re putting greater focus towards the narrative, as it’s the heart of the franchise. (neogaf)

Operation Flashpoint: red river (ps3/360/pc)

Red river just like dragon rising is a tactical first person shooter and just like its predecessor infuses action and planning to immerse the player into the most realistic war experience available. just like dragon rising the combat is in your face and unforgiving, only this time there seems to be a little bit more leg room when it comes to fire fights. if you can’t take a world where war is real and every bullet counts with deadly accuracy then its best you think twice before heading into the battlefield of red river – it is no doubt a brutal and tough game but it is also one of the most engrossing war experiences you will ever get on any console or system.

Set in the year 2013 the current conflict concerns the breakout of a civil war in tajikistan. just like before the marines are sent in to clean up the mess only this time neighbouring china orders the troops out and when they refuse all hell breaks loose. what results is not just a fight with the locally inexperienced tajik militia but with the far superiorly armed forces of the chinese army. unlike before this game allows the player to pick between classes, you can chose between the likes of a rifleman/grenadier/support gunner and my personal favourite the scout sniper. each class can be finally tuned to give you the perfect loadout for every situation, their skills vary as does their gear.

The great thing is by doing missions you build up a line of combat points that can be used to open additional perks and build up your weapons and guns. all of your guns are fully customizable, sniper rifles can be given better scopes that help you take out that evasive distant target, regular rifles too can be given scopes and suppressers but you won’t be loaded down with weapon selections – whatever is needed is there while the weapons you don’t need are no where to be found. just remember to take bullet drop into account or you will miss and by missing you allow the enemy to take one more critical shot at you and your team.

Again you are in charge of your very own fire team and like before they require your directions and tactics to get the best out of them, if you treat them right they in return will treat you right. in the previous game there was the constant threat of a stray bullet taking you out, the threat is still there but there are so many allies on screen in most battles that the stray bullet won’t have your name on it. that’s not to say the shootouts are not fierce because they are and then some, unlike their FPS counterparts red river is no corridor shooter its all in the field and the landscapes look the part. the tajikistan country side is beautifully rendered, one of the most striking visual effects of the game is the sky its unlike anything i have seen in a game of its calibre.

The sounds in the game are very authentic from the noise of a whizzing bullet passing by your head to the intrusive crackle of the radio as it sparks to life delivering a barrage of radio chatter. i was really surprised to see some of my favourite bands providing a pre-battle soundtrack for the game, which of course added to the realism. this time around the extra presence of a tough talking staff sergeant delivers the what to and what not to do’s, he surely isn’t subtle but he feels completely authentic as he spurs you and your team into action. one of the first missions in the game that really impressed me was one very similar to the hurt locker a movie which features the daily routines of an EOD member disposing of bombs and improvised explosive devices. you are sent into a village to provide support for an EOD team who are there to deal with a car bomb, soon after your arrival a fire fight erupts and you and your team have to fight off the attackers before they remote detonate the device. its really only a small example of how in depth and engrossing the missions are, many of the missions and fire fights verge on epic – you might not live through it but its always one hell of a way to go out.

Realism is something i keep mentioning when referring to red river because red river really is the most realistic combat experience on the market. there are very few bad points in fact i find it hard to say anything bad about the game, probably the only thing i didn’t like was how a lot of dialogue being shouted back and forth from fellow combatants seems to be repeated to frustrating results. though you yourself play the most important roll in turning the tide of war commanding and directing your fire team is integral and you will find yourself issuing orders to not only save your skin but theirs too – you need to keep them alive and that might be a little tough for most people.

Given the games ability to deliver a brilliantly crafted combat simulator it can easily be forgiven of any shortfalls that might pop up but after three or more play trough's i have noticed very little that could possibly drag it down. from playing the previous operation flashpoint game i expected a lot from red river and i wondered if it would abandon everything that made the original so good, thankfully it stuck to the same formula and the only minor changes were those of improvement. i enjoyed every moment of red river it was so well done in every way possible, i’m giving it a rarely awarded 10 out of 10. if you are looking for the usual run and gun corridor shooting call of duty type clone then you will feel far from home here but if you are looking for the perfect ultra realistic combat experience that doesn’t hold the punches instead pummels you whenever it gets a chance then red river is the way to go.

Operation Flashpoint: dragon rising (ps3/360/pc)

I thought about playing this many times but anything i heard about the game made it sound like it was too difficult and punishing to be of any actual fun. given the lack of good shooters lately (most seem to be clones of call of duty) and given my curiosity of the game i went ahead and picked it up. in no way is it the easiest FPS i have ever played in fact its downright crippling, but it is one of the most realistic shooters out there – not because of graphics. the realism comes from how the game plays and how the AI react when drawn into a fire fight.

The story is well written though brief but you will feel like you are really fighting for something on the front lines. you are a marine sent to the island of skira, a 220-square km island off the eastern coast of russia. the island has been invaded by japanese forces who wish to take possession of the oil rich island and you and your team are sent in to prevent total domination. russia has turned to the usa for support and aid, the usa responds by sending in the troops, which means you and your team.

The game play is fast and unrelenting, you can’t just run in and start shooting everything or you will be taken out in an instant. it requires tactical skill and finesse the likes of which will seem alien to a lot of FPS fans. the controls are easy enough to pick up and took me almost no time at all to get used to. there are many different missions available ranging from simple search and destroy to recapturing  a target, all of which require thinking and take time. don’t expect to be charging around destroying all you see, its not that kind of game you do have high powered weapons and guns but you don’t have vast never ending supplies of ammunition. never before have i seen a more perfect example of make every shot count, its easy to run out and enemy weapons picked up are not always that reliable so its best to conserve and use short bursts.

There are a number of weapons available and each one reacts just as you would expect, the recoil in the rifles and handguns especially are some of the best i have seen. the enemy too are well armed and seem to always have the upper hand, using tactics and well planned manoeuvres will most likely result in a win but not always. its a shooter so you will be drawn into situations where you have to engage the enemy, often at a distance and the enemy are far from forgiving. you will find yourself bleeding out from bullet holes more times than you can count, sometimes your team will be close enough to patch you up but not always. this crushing difficulty makes the game unique in terms of other shooters, you are far from bullet proof and even getting around the island can be a task in its own. though you can take control of some vehicles for the most part you will find yourself having to go on foot vast distances to get to where you are going. 

Finishing the main campaign will take countless restarts but thankfully it provides a decent amount of checkpoints so you get back into the action without having to go back too far. there were some ridiculously hard missions that i thought i’d never finish but i found by changing tactics and improvising i finally got through, this game calls for a lot of improvisation because your enemy is not always easy to read. one of the big things the game has going for it is the vast expanse of the battlefield, you are not locked into place in a certain area you can go where you want and that’s where the realism really kicks in, if you want to flank an enemy you will have lots of room to more around – this also helps when you are low on ammo and need to avoid an enemy patrol.

Dragon rising is not the best shooter out there but it may be one of the best tactical shooters on the market (it was until the sequel Red River was released.) it is no doubt one of the hardest games i have ever played but also one of the most rewarding, there is a tremendous sense of accomplishment when you beat a mission – often after shooting your way through platoons of heavily armed enemy forces. the controls are solid and it handles well with a minimal learning curve, the graphics are not ground-breaking but they are not ugly either. the music is there when you need it but doesn't intrude on your concentration. there are some extra fire team missions available by simply inputting codes found easily on the internet, the fire team missions though short are challenging and will provide that extra boom as will the typical enough multiplayer maps and objectives.

Its not all straight forward though, some missions have objectives that must be completed under stringent time restraints so you really have to hustle if you want to get them done, frustrating yes but also it adds to the realism. another point that will put a lot of people off is the almost certain event of you being taken down by a stray bullet, sometimes it can be non fatal so you can get patched up quick enough but a lot of the time the stray bullet can be a deadly headshot planting you firmly in the ground. if you can get around these points and do appreciate a challenge then dragon rising should not be skipped over, just be prepared to have your ass kicked by the AI. i got tons and tons of play from the game and even though it wasn’t a walk  in the park it was highly satisfying and so i’m giving it a 7 out of 10 – all it was missing was slightly more variation to the map, some more vehicles and more responsive AI for your own team. given that its an old game now i’d highly recommend playing the latest instalment “Red River”, it was a first day buy for me/delivered days of action and is currently my favourite shooter on the market.