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Asphalt 6 : Adrenaline

Release Date: December 21st, 2010
Developers: Gameloft
Publishers: Gameloft
Platforms: iOS, Android, Mac
Genre: Racing
Players: 1-6
Rating: 7.5

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Synopsis

Engine noise roaring in your ears, the stereo pumping out tunes at full volume, scenery streaming past your eyes faster than you can take it all in, competing cars trying to knock you off the road, power up 'nitros' to collect en route, majestic scenery..... and normal urban traffic coming at you "the wrong way" with every chance of an imminent head on collision at a closing speed of 300kph. Sound like fun? Or a nightmare? Either way, it's part and parcel of the Asphalt series and this is its latest and greatest incarnation.

Gameplay

In this game, you can discover 42 cars and bikes from Ferrari, Lamborghini, Aston Martin, Ducati and other world-class manufacturers. Collect them in your own 3-Dimensional garage that you can explore using the gyroscope. You can use these cars in several fun game types, such as normal racing or drifting and eliminator. These street races will have you tearing up city streets in L.A., Tokyo, the Bahamas and more.

Multiplayer

You can challenge friends locally via Bluetooth or WiFi, or connect to Gamelofts online service that will match you with other players. Using Gameloft Live requires a simple registration so that you can sign in, but it provides very fast load times and matchmaking so it is worth completing the process.

Graphics

Each location and vehicle is rendered in beautiful High Definition graphics that take full advantage of the Retina display, which is not that bad considering the iPod and iPhone's graphics limitations. Real-time shadows will show under the players car, and real-time road lighting gives the tracks an even more detailed and realistic look.

Final Thoughts

To me, the Asphalt series is the portable version of other console racing games like Gran Turismo and Forza Motorsport, and it has the "hard to put down" factor that good games have. Definitely a 10/10 in my book.

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Game Platform(s): Nintendo 3DS

Publisher: Nintendo

Developers: Shigeru Miyamoto

Release Date: JP December 1, 2011
EU December 2, 2011
AUS December 3, 2011
NA December 4, 2011
Genre: Racing

Ratings: ACB: G
CERO: A
ESRB: E
PEGI: 3

Mario Kart 7 is the same overall gameplay as the previous Mario Kart games. Some new characters added to the game are Queen Bee, Wiggler, Metal Mario and Lakitu. You may also play as your Mii characters (Created on the Mii channel on the Nintendo 3DS). It has also lost many characters such as the baby characters (Baby Mario, Luigi, Peach, and Daisy), Toadette, Funky Kong, Bowser Jr, Dry Bones, Dry Bowser, R.O.B., Petey Pirahna, and Waluigi. You are also able to customize the vehicles. Each vehicle has separate frames, wheels and parachutes. Each customization item affects the Karts movement and gameplay. Another new feature is that you are now able to drive under water for the first time in Mario Kart history. There are also new weapons such as the Fire Flower, The Super Leaf and Lucky 7. And for the first time you are now able to play in First person. The game features an online multiplayer mode of up to Eight players per race or Battle Track, also the game also uses StreetPass. You may also use Ds download play to play with one another however, you are only allowed to play as Shy Guy and you may not customize your karts.

Analog stick: Steer
A/Y: Accelerate
X/L: Use Item
R: Hop/Drift/Perform tricks in midair.
Up on D-Pad: Toggle first person view
B: Brake/Reverse

IGN Rating:

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Personal Rating: 9.5/10

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Basic Information:

Developer(s) Rockstar North
Publisher(s) Rockstar Games
Writer(s) Dan Houser
Series Grand Theft Auto
Genre(s) Open world,[2] action-adventure, third-person shooter
Mode(s) Single-player, multiplayer
Platforms- Xbox 360, PS3, PC

Synopsis:


Grand Theft Auto V heads to the city of Los Santos and surrounding hills, countryside and beaches in the largest and most ambitious game Rockstar has yet created. This Grand Theft Auto will be like no other. More automobiles, newer songs, and better missions. The main objective in this game, will be to complete all of your missions, drive around and have some fun!

Gameplay:

This gameplay will be like no other. You can drift your cars around turns. I think this was a great add into this game. Also with new weapons, and fighting styles. This game, all you do, is complete every mission, run around, and kill. This game is for mature players only 17+.

Graphics:

The graphics is this game, are outstanding. It looks real. I will provide some pictures below.

Controls:

Game Rating:

9/10

Deus Ex: Human Revolution
The popular franchise makes a welcome return

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Game Details

Platform - Xbox 360
Also on - PC, PS3
Players - 1
Developer Eidos Montreal
Publisher Square Enix
SRP - 49.99
Released 26 August 2011
PEGI - 18
Genres - Action RPG

Summary

The third game in the Deus Ex series is a prequel to the groundbreaking original, in a time when augmentations are just beginning to reshape mankind. Featuring a flexible approach to gameplay, a conspiracy-ridden plot and an intelligent examination of the impacts of transhumanism, Human Revolution is nothing if not ambitious. A couple of odd design choices will alienate some players, but most fans should rejoice, for here is a game thats worthy of the name Deus Ex.

Scores

Gameplay - 5/5
Story - 5/5
Graphics - 4/5
Audio - 3/5
Single-player - 5/5
Multiplayer - N/A
Longevity - 4/5

Overall - 5/5

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Full Review

Theres a demonstration outside a LIMB clinic - the place where people can go to get bio-mechanic augmentations. Some of the more extreme protesters are no doubt associated with the Purity First movement, who believe the clinics work is immoral and unnatural. Playing as Adam Jensen, I mill around questioning people until theyve nothing new to say. In the course of this, someone comments, Its our limitations that make us human. Theres a subtext to this remark: hes suggesting that the heavily-augmented Jensen himself is something other than human. In a manner recalling the social tensions of the X-men universe, those with superhuman abilities are seen as somehow subhuman by a number of the envious or mistrusting masses.

Its the constant trickle of lines like those that added so much depth to the original Deus Ex, and do the same for Human Revolution (for the purposes of this review, 2004s awkward Invisible War never happened). Everything you see, hear and do in this game contributes to a carefully crafted process of world-building and storytelling. While stealthing around guarded areas, youll hear enemies discussing political ideologies. Outside, in the (almost) perpetual nighttime, youll overhear homeless people bemoaning the societal problems that arise in a world where corporations have more power than governments. And so it goes on.

Human Revolution is a prequel to the groundbreaking Deus Ex. Adam Jensen is security chief for Sarif Industries, whose researchers have made a major breakthrough in the nascent field of human augmentations. On the eve of the discovery being made public, the office is attacked by mercenaries and.well, the following few minutes of plot is basically the Robocop origin story under a different name. Jensen is brutally taken down, only to be revived, repaired and rebuilt as the ultimate cyborg.

Six months later Jensen is back on his feet, augmented from head to toe. At first, only a small number of these enhancements are activated. The rest have to be enabled via Praxis points (Praxis can be defined as the realisation or practice of a skill). These points are either earned through accumulating XP, bought, or on rare occasions, found.

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Gameplay is predominately from a first person perspective but it switches to the third person when Jensen's in cover or climbing ladders. Occasionally the movement between the two can be momentarily disorienting, but the cover mechanic wouldn't have worked so well in the first person and on balance it's the right design choice. The weapons feel sturdy to hold and fire and the one-button takedowns are visually impressive - think Neo in the Matrix. That said, the transition into the takedown animation is a flow-interrupting cut-to-black, which is both aesthetically and functionally irritating.

The much-touted 'four modes of play' is a legitimate claim. Obstacles can be tackled by stealth, all-guns-blazing combat, hacking and exploration - or any combination of those. In practice there are two ways that most players will approach this game: quick and lethal or slow and non-lethal. To get the most out of playing, the latter is the right choice. Stealth and careful attention to the environment is the best way to enjoy Human Revolution. Be patient, read everything, talk to everyone, sneak around.

Jensen's various augmentations lend themselves to the different styles of gameplay. For example, players favouring combat will want to activate the Rhino Dermal Armor, which enables Jensen to take more hits. Those preferring stealth might opt for temporary invisibility or the ability to see enemies through walls.

Regardless of your approach to the game, there will be a handful of times where direct combat is more or less unavoidable. The inclusion of four boss battles is a controversial choice, because it seems to unduly punish the player who has chosen to avoid physical confrontation (read: the player taking the most gratifying approach). Go in under-equipped at your peril.

The four possible approaches are not particularly well-balanced. Hacking offers the greatest rewards, not only in terms of the goodies and XP you can accumulate from an individual terminal, but also because of the sheer volume of hacking opportunities around. Its all done through a minigame that will no doubt divide opinion, but love or hate it, upgrading the relevant augmentations early on is definitely in your best interests.

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And its important to focus your upgrades on the augmentations that will complement your chosen method of play, because you dont want to end up spreading your enhancements too thin to be of use. This matters because Human Revolution is not an easy game. It is a grown-up game, and not just in the violence and sex mature sense. If you want to fully experience the world, youll need to do a lot of reading of newspapers, ebooks and the like. Furthermore, some sections are extremely challenging, especially if you opt for a stealthy approach (which, in case this review hasnt been clear so far, you should). Expect to be making a lot of manual saves as insurance against repeated deaths but be warned: loading times can be quite lengthy; I clocked some at upwards of 25 seconds. Youll be suffering that every two minutes when you fail time and again during a boss battle.

Human Revoluion is shorter than the original but a thorough playthrough will certainly take upwards of 20 hours - nearer 30 if you play it slow - and the chances youll see everything your first time are slim so theres a lot of replay value.

Naturally, developing a sizable game with such a broad scope increases the risk of gameplay niggles. There will be many with legitimate complaints about the inclusion of boss battles, and others who tire quickly of the hacking minigame. Disappointingly, the graphics dont quite deliver on the atmospheres promise: character animations are often awkward (I dont think anyone would have missed Jensens odd arm-crossing stance if it had been omitted), and some of the voice acting is sub-par.

But these criticisms shouldnt be overblown; Human Revolution is a rare gem. Many would no doubt say that the flexible gameplay is the main draw, but that distracts attention from whats really special about this game: the world Eidos Montreal have created. Its a world thats very much in keeping with the original game, a world of conspiracy and corruption - but most importantly, its a world built on a fantastic what-if scenario, explored thoroughly and intelligently. Go get it.

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Basic Information:

Developer- Game Freak
Publisher- Nintendo
Distributor- Nintendo
Composers- Junichi Masuda, Go Inchinose, Shota Kageyama, Hitomi Sato, Morikazu Aoki, Minako Adachi, Satoshi Nohara.
Platform- Nintendo DS
Release Date- JP( September 18,20100, EU ( March 4, 2011), NA ( March 6, 2011), AUS ( March 10, 2011)
Rating- E ( Everyone)

Synopsis:

Pokemon White Version is similar to the rest of the Pokemon games. Except with newer Pokemon, and Gym leaders. In this game, your main goal, is to catch every Pokemon, and make they evolve to their last stage, and complete the Elite Four. Before going to the Elite Four, there are 8 Gym leaders in each town that you need to beat in order to obtain that badge.

Gameplay:

I have personally played this game, the gameplay is pretty fun. I am not a Pokemon fan, but I gave it a shot. Basically you are just a Trainer, who catches Pokemon, and has random battles for fun and money! Ranking up your Pokemon is key! Without them being high levels, it is going to be very difficult in the later Gym leaders.

Graphics:

The graphics are pretty good. The Nintendo DS delivers better graphics, considering it is a newer handheld device. I will provide some pictures below.

Controls:

Ending:

As we all know, it is the same ending for every Pokemon game. You beat all of the town Gym leaders. You catch as many Pokemon as you can. Go to the Elite Four and defeat all of the opponents. After doing that, you have beaten the game. Now go and catch all the Pokemon!

Rating:

8/10