Halo 2 Review (Xbox)

Life after Halo... is there such a thing? Days blend into months, months into years. You sit looking at your Xbox hoping one day it will all start again. The dust settles and builds as time passes and everything gradually loses its importance; after saving humanity nothing else seems to matter that much. Then it happens: after a few years of silence the threat is back. Time to suit up and save the world once more - the life of a super soldier is never an easy one.

Halo 2 launched with possibly the biggest amount of hype in gaming history. The wait was finally over: Halo 2 has arrived, the shroud of secrecy had been cast aside and the box of unknown delights unlocked for all to gouge themselves on. But was it worth the wait?

If there is one word to describe the thought process behind Halo 2 it is 'impact'. As soon as you boot up to the title screen it casts its familar spell on you. The improved sound and filtering of the orchestral scores float broodingly across the menu screen immediately drawing you into the Halo world. Even for those not grabbed the first time around it is hard to see anyone not gasping at the feeling of intensity and epic quality projected by the truly outstanding musical score.

Creating the feel of an epic is obviously something Bungie had thought a lot about. Cut scenes are now of a much higher quality - showing us far more insight into the backstage workings of the Halo world. While they can be a little over-the-top and catchphrase-heavy, they succeed in turning Halo 2 into a spectacular overall visceral experience, transforming it into much more than a first person shooter and act to push you forward through the narrative.

Many influences for the set pieces and cut scenes have clearly been taken from films. While playing through the title players will often find themselves in situations influenced by Star Wars, Black Hawk Down, Predator, Tomb Raider, Star Ship Troopers, Aliens and many others. This familiarity often adds to the overall enjoyment of being right there in the middle of the action; though it would have been nice if more of the set pieces were fresh Bungie inventions, rather than Hollywood movies re-created with a Halo twist.

Familiarity is present throughout the title; after all there is nothing new in terms of the game engine. Graphics are better, but still could be improved with problems such as textures appearing to fade in at the last second and indoor areas repeating themselves as in the first Halo (though to a much lesser extent).

New weapons have been added, however: though there a more tools for the job this time around, the similarity between many of the weapons means there is less reason to use everything at your disposal. For example, do we really need so many different variations on a rifle? While there are a few brand new weapon types, most fall into the standard sniper rifle / rocket launcher mould. It's not necessarily a bad thing, but like the set pieces a bit more originality would have been welcome.

Here lies the crux of any problem you may have with Halo 2 - we have seen it all before. Everything here is presented exceptionally and the core gameplay dynamic is tight with the dual wielding adding a new aspect of strategy. But there is nothing here that innovates or pushes boundaries beyond the lofty heights of its forerunner, leaving the feeling that the title is more 'Halo 1.5' than Halo 2... but again, this is not necessarily a bad thing. Indeed, gamers had waited for 3 long years for another game to finally come close to delivering that Halo feeling again; for the sound of dropships overhead; for the frantic charge of vehicles ploughing through Covenant forces; the feel of an intelligent battlefield running its (seemingly) unscripted course.

Though there are faults, to dwell on a few seemingly minor issues is to sour the feel of an epic title. Indeed, the only problem that can really affect gameplay is the occasionally poor enemy AI - even on the Heroic and Legendary settings enemies can seemingly be completely deaf and blind to your presence. The title acts as a highly entertaining journey through the next chapter of the Halo universe and though some levels can test your patience and others turn into checkpoint dashes, when Halo 2 works (which is often the case) it truly is a thing of beauty. In effect the game's numerous highlights show us how the first Halo could have been... with everything we loved about it given more screen time. Concepts and features are fleshed out and expanded, and more tightly focused than before. Many people will have been expecting more - something as ground breaking as the original - but Halo 2 stands up as the biggest, loudest most highly polished and adrenaline-pumping shooter on a console.

It's hard to not feel a little disappointed after all this time due to the high expectations everybody had, but while it may not re-invent the wheel, it certainly refines it past a point not previously seen on a console.

Overall 8/10

Vietcong: Purple Haze Review (Xbox)

Vietcong: Purple Haze released during a glut of games featuring the war with most being average at best. This title came with the promise of dropping players in the conflict and showing what it was like to be a soldier in Vietnam. It broke that promise.

Purple Haze has the player leading a small squad of elite forces through the Vietnam jungle. Your team varies in size from mission to mission with different individuals being added depending on the expected resistance and goals. Each member of the team has their own specialty such as being a medic, radioman or guide for instance. Should any member of the team die then it is game over.

The title starts off promisingly with archive footage of the time showing the political climate surrounding the war and presentation on the whole is of a high standard. That is until you actually get into the game. Graphically, Purple Haze is average at best. The jungle environments that you move through are full of greenery and enough wild life to make things look remotely interesting but it all looks a mess. With the power of Xbox there is no reason environments should look so lack lustre. Add to this the fact that all enemy soldiers look exactly the same and move with some of the strangest animation ever seen and it is far from the experience we where promised.

Controlling your character is solid enough although there are a few situations where doing relatively simple things can become frustrating due to your squad members being in the way. Trying to disarm a trap for instance is almost impossible if a team member is near by, as instead of for example- cutting a trip wire, you will talk to your squad mate. If the Soldier happens to be the guide chances are you will tell him to continue walking and he will walk straight through the trap and blow himself up.

Furthermore, your medic can cause a lot of problems- any time you’re injured going to the medic will see your energy restored, you can do this as many times as you like during a mission meaning any challenge is more or less taken out of the game as you basically have unlimited health, but this is not the biggest problem. When you are injured your medic will come to find you- this seems like a good idea, however when the medic is treating you, you cannot move. Meaning that most of the time you will be standing in a direct line of fire being shot while the medic is healing you- thus you end up worse off than before.

Shooting also throws up its own set of problems. If firing an automatic weapon the recoil causes you to fire wildly, this is realistic and could have been a nice touch but the way it has been implemented means firing anymore than two shots at once leaves you firing in the air. Enemy soldiers also seem immune to bullets unless they re hit straight in the head or the chest, the image of spraying a full magazine at an approaching soldier, only for him to keep walking is laughable. Furthermore, hit a soldier in the chest and they pause and go through an ‘I’ve been hit’ animation before walking on again, while doing this animation they are invulnerable from fire.

Despite the niggles with the game it could have all been forgiven if the experience offered was a quality one. It all starts off ok, with you following your guide through the jungle; he stops at certain points telling you there are traps or Vietcong up ahead. It’s all done at a very slow pace implying an element of stealth is needed. However, levels are under populated with enemies and soon every single mission falls into the same formula; You get dropped at a point, follow the guide, stop two or three times to disarm a trap, engage a small squad of Vietcong then find an enemy soldier camp. There is very little variety and after a few missions and it all leads to a very dull and repetitive experience.

Overall, Vietcong Purple Haze is not a terrible game, but it is the very definition of average. There are some nice ideas in the title and if they had been implemented well then it could have been far more enjoyable. As for making the player feel like they are experiencing the Vietnam War – that is unsurprisingly a load of rubbish.

Overall 5/10

Yager Review (Xbox)

Welcome to the world of Yager: set on earth in the distant future, the planet is no longer divided with borders denoting different countries and regions. Due to mega companies all looking after their own interests, the earth has now been ‘terraformed’, triangulated and assigned ownership. On one side of the sphere is a small province under the control of Proteus – a company based upon old-earth or western philosophies. On the other side is the OST, a militaristic organisation who tend not to get on with their Proteus brothers.

In between these factions lies an area known as the Free Trade Zone; where inhabitants are laid-back and freedom-loving Han Solo-types. The game sees you as pilot Magnus Tide, trying to rebuild your career after an unfortunate incident that left a wing commander with a broken nose. Hooking up with Proteus again, you must undergo a number of training sessions before taking on whatever mission they deem you are capable of.
At its heart, Yager is a sort of Rogue Leader-styled game set on land, with missions requiring you to fly about shooting various hostile forces, as well as doing reconnaissance work and a spot of investigating.

Here is where the game comes into its own as the world of Yager is credible, well-constructed and enticing to explore. Each character you meet seems to have an individual history all of their own, even if they only say a few words to you. This is most notable when you reach the Free Trade Zone to investigate various goings-on. Whilst airborne, numerous pilots will chat to you about various things, such as how trade is going or even inviting you down to the local bar for a drink. It all comes across so well that you become completely immersed in the interaction.

The characters are equally personable and all are complete individuals – from the slightly mad mechanic brothers to the freighter pilots and bar owners – everyone seems to have their own story to tell. Though essentially guided by story parameters, the character involvement covers this up brilliantly, with apparent random meetings with old friends keeping things fresh and interesting all the way through. This is mainly achieved due to the fact that every character you meet does not necessarily have anything to do with the plot as a whole - there are just lots of friendly, hospitable folk about, all aiming to contribute to your sense of belonging.

Graphically, the title is stunning for the Xbox. Areas sprawl off into the distance for miles around, with rolling hills and some of the most astounding water effects ever seen on the system. If there is a weakness, it’s that a lot of the landscapes tend to look the same – being a mix of grass-covered hills, roads and the odd mountain – but this doesn’t really detract from the experience as you get the impression you are working within a fairly small area where the plot is concerned.

Between levels you are treated to some lovely cut-scenes where the story evolves further, and most of the time has Magnus relaxing with a drink in the local bar. Missions are varied, with some being a simple case of shooting things down, while others have you flying underneath the radar to pinpoint locations for missile strikes. Every now and then though, something irregular will pop up – like having to test out the new gun which the bar owner has installed.

This sees you shooting a range of flying targets, pool tables, chairs, and just about anything else they can find to launch as space-aged clay pigeons. Magnus’s ship has two different control styles: it can either hover, allowing you to raise the ship up and down more easily and stay in one place, allowing movement at a fairly slow pace. The second style puts the ship into jet mode, which means you move a lot faster, and is ideally suited for combat situations as it allows for more flexible movements, vital for avoiding incoming missiles and gunfire.

Combat is easy enough to perform, with the ship being as manoeuvrable as is needed in order to take out multiple targets at once. A wide range of weaponry and tools are also available, allowing for different approaches to each situation. The only problem really is that sometimes the combat seems to lack a touch of intensity – which ideally, in the midst of a huge gun battle, should be coming from all quarters.

Overall, Yager is a brilliant attempt at creating a completely engaging and interactive ‘living’ world. It is clear that an awful lot of care and attention has gone into the details. On this count it cannot be faulted, however the lukewarm nature of its combat makes it feel that something is missing. Everyone should experience Yager as it soon becomes one of the most enthralling locations you could uncover.

Overall 8/10

Broken Sword 3: The Sleeping Dragon Review (Xbox)

Broken Sword 3 follows on from the story of Shadow of the Templars, and apart from the occasional aside forgets about the second title. This time the plot revolves around mystical ‘ley lines’ and an evil man named Susaro. Throw in a few Neo-Templars, some characters from the previous title, and a strange monk that keeps appearing and electrocuting people, and the stage is set for George and Nico to once again save the world.

In a way, the original Broken Sword both escalated and killed off the point-and-click adventure. After 1996 the genre has struggled to recapture the magic of earlier titles. Clearly, if anything was going to survive, an evolution was needed. Escape from Monkey Island and Grim Fandango both tried new approaches, but the mainstream public were largely uninterested. Broken Sword 3 arrived with promises of revolutionary gameplay that would send the genre to a new level.

Everything is now presented in three dimensions, with four action-specific buttons at the bottom-right of the screen used to interact with your surroundings. Anything that can be interacted with causes them to light up. Pressing the relevant button will then see either George or Nico carry out the relevant action.

Along with the new interactive element, there are a couple of other tricks on show. For instance, on rare occasions quick time events will occur which require the player to press whichever button is displayed on the screen. The other, far more overused idea is the box shifting puzzle. While these are relatively simple, it becomes farcical when you turn corners in ancient locations only to see several boxes laid out neatly.

It is clear from the start that Broken Sword 3 is not going to appeal to everyone. The game can move at a slow pace, with some sections almost completely conversation based. Luckily, the scripting is absolutely first-class, at least whenever George is the character. Unfortunately, much like Broken Sword 2, Nico's sections can drag.

When all is said and done, Broken Sword 3: The Sleeping Dragon is basically an interactive novel. There are sections which consist of constantly walking back and forth talking to people, the puzzles may not be as great in parts as before, and yes, there are too many block puzzles. But we seriously can’t imagine anyone not having a good time with the game. The story is strong, scripting is well-done and characters are likable. If you enjoy a good adventure game or are a fan of the series, this should be enough to keep you happy. Don't expect to play it on Xbox 360 though, as the game hasn't been patched.

7/10

Dreamfall: The Longest Journey Review (Xbox)

For the uninitiated, The Longest Journey is one of the most highly acclaimed point and click adventures in the history of the genre. It focused on the character of April Ryan, an art student with a destiny of great importance. Set in a near future April discovered she could move between what she saw as the real world (Stark) and the realm of magic (Arcadia). Dreamfall picks up some years later with a new character Zoe Castillo.

First off, it's important to point out that not having played the first game will in no way effect your understanding of what is going on. Zoe Castillo, the first of three characters players will control throughout the adventure, knows as little as any new player would coming into the series. Thus she discovers things at the same time we do which allows everything to remain cohesive and players are not left scratching their heads.

In adventure titles such as this to reveal the plot would be to take away a large amount of the game itself so instead we will focus on the many reasons that you should buy and play it through to the finish. What Dreamfall does very well is bring things to life. Characters, worlds and storylines are all presented in such a way that players should be hooked from very early on. While there are a few slow patches to begin with, things soon become very intriguing. Dreamfall is a title that just when you think it is about to get dull it gets even more interesting, indeed if it was not for the fact that sometimes we had to sleep then there would be no reason not to have played through from beginning to end in one go.

One of the main things that bring the worlds to life is the excellent art direction that makes areas look both apt and interesting. There is certainly no generic level design here with the most ordinary of locations being presented in a way that holds the illusion that the game is set in a very unique and real world. Furthermore, the contrast between the two worlds is stunning with some of Arcadia's locations being absolutely jaw dropping.

The next move to keep players hooked is the high level of scripting and voice acting. Dreamfall, is a game that relies on large amounts of conversation and unlike many games we didn't feel the need to skip through dialogue, instead waiting to let the characters speak it rather than simply reading the subtitles. This is mainly due to the three main characters being both interesting and very likable. Most games can't manage to get one character you actually care about, but here you have three that you feel a real need to protect.

The only thing that doesn't really work is the very infrequent combat. Characters have a simple hard attack, light attack and block system and it's very rigid and slow paced. Combat happens very rarely and the few times it does it's normally a formality to dispatch your opponent in order to push the narrative forward. It may only serve as a means to not have to put a cut scene in to move the plot forward but that can't hide the fact it's still a bit ropey.

As with all adventures most of your time will be spent in conversation or solving puzzles, unlike most adventures the puzzles in dreamfall are normally quite simple affairs. The game is set up so you will never have a huge amount of items on you. Most of the time it's about sneaking in somewhere to find a key or using your mobile to hack a lock via one of the short mini games. While this may seem basic it keeps the narrative fresh and moving along at a good pace.

Dreamfall is a very important game for the adventure genre; here we have, without doubt, the best transition of an adventure title from two dimensions to three. There is none of the general silliness of Fahrenheit and the pacing and puzzle structure is much better than Broken Sword 3. If the adventure game genre is to survive this is the way to do it. For the first time (and having played the first game) we see a world that was always thought about in three dimensions and unlike Broken Sword and Monkey Island the worlds of Stark and Arcadia need to be three dimensional because they come across as fully functioning worlds. The two dimensions of The Longest Journey were always holding these worlds back, now they are alive.

We have not seen a game so enthralling for a long time and the only thing that stops it from achieving perfection is the slightly bitter feeling you may feel upon its ending (for more reasons than one). It may be a little short, but then with this amount of quality it could have been any length and people would still want more. In years to come this may be one of the titles people look back to as a moment when a genre truly evolved, for now we can only bask in its brilliance. All in all and absolute work of genius that everyone needs to play from start to finish, here's hoping the next title in the series emerges sooner rather than later.

9/10