A rebel ship disappears from orbit, sucked into the belly of an Imperial Star Destroyer. Rebels hold their breath and take up defensive positions as a door is breached. Stormtroopers flood in. Shots are fired. Cute plastic heads clatter to the floor and slowly blink out of existence. Beginning with the first scene of A New Hope, Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy finally gives fans what they really want: the chance to play through Lego versions of the first three films. We've finally had ...
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12 Jul 2006

Scarface: The World is Yours hands-on

Xbox Preview | Scarface: The World is Yours

We got our first real crack at the newly redesigned Scarface: The World is Yours back in March, and while it was still in early form - having been recently torn apart and redesigned from scratch - it was already shaping up to be much more than just another Grand Theft Auto clone. Tony Montana looked and sounded slick, the city of Miami was intricately detailed and the cars handled much more smoothly than GTA's bar-of-soap-on-wet-tile rides. The game looks even more polished since then, and we ...
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10 Jul 2006

FlatOut 2 hands-on

Xbox Preview | FlatOut 2

The sequel to the crash-happy racer FlatOut will careen into stores next month, and unlike the original - which was notable mainly for sending your driver flying through the windshield at the drop of a hat - FlatOut 2 looks to have plenty to help it stand out. For starters, the game looks beautiful. Sure, it starts you off racing junkers on dirt tracks, but there's a lot of detail packed into everything you see. Your car, for instance, sports nice-looking light reflections when it's pristine, ...
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7 Jul 2006

Avatar: The Last Airbender - hands on

Xbox Preview | Avatar: The Last Airbender

Avatar: The Last Airbender is one of the coolest cartoons on Nickelodeon these days. A far cry from the misshapen adventures of the Rugrats, it blends action and magic into a tasty blend of kick-ass Asian action. Just as a show like this can bridge the gap between kids and adults, the game THQ is cooking up brings the series' slick cartoon visuals together with the kind of action RPG gameplay mature gamers have come to love. Think X-Men Legends, and you're getting there. Avatar's world is ...
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30 Jun 2006

World Tour Golf first look

Xbox Preview | ProStroke Golf: World Tour 2007

With World Tour Golf, developer Gusto Games wants to create a game that real golfers would want to play - something they intend to do by taking a uniquely realistic approach to the game. Eschewing the simple, arcade-style swinging of Tiger Woods PGA Tour and other similar series, World Tour enables players to control the power and trajectory of their shots directly. This system, called "Pro Stroke," allows players to set up their swing by making minute adjustments to their golfer's stance, the ...
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30 Jun 2006

Just Cause

Xbox Preview | Just Cause

Just Cause is shaping up to be something beyond incredible. When were mighty impressed when we saw it at E3 and now, after savoring another hands-on with the game, we're still smitten. And it's not just the eye-meltingly gorgeous graphics or the indulgently expansive play area that has us quivering at the knees - when you play Just Cause it's like a mushroom cloud-laying fun bomb going off in your face. If you're unfamiliar with the set-up, here's a quick rundown: you play CIA agent Rico ...
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20 Jun 2006

Superman Returns hands-on

Xbox Preview | Superman Returns

Thursday 11 May 2006 EA's heroic action game, Superman Returns, is ready to launch on 26 June for PS2, Xbox 360, Xbox, PSP and DS. So like some magical Kryptonite-wrought typewriter, we got personal with the game to drain the Man of Steel's essence and put it into words. Clark Kent's home, Metropolis, is faithfully reproduced - and ready to be bombed, broken, burnt and torn to pieces if you fail in your super-saving duties. The whole city is there to stretch your muscle in, but thanks to ...
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12 Jun 2006

Crusty Demons hands-on

Xbox Preview | Crusty Demons

Imagine a Tony Hawk-style, stunt-focused game with dirt bikes instead of skateboards, and you'll have a pretty good idea of what to expect from Crusty Demons. You'll tear around small, freely explorable levels on the back of a roaring, wheeled gas can, taking on stunt challenges from random weirdos in an effort to make it to the next level. Oh, and you'll get hurt. A lot. While it's ostensibly about stunts, the main draw of what we've played of Crusty Demons is in watching our riders get ...
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8 Jun 2006

Urban Chaos: Riot Response

Xbox Preview | Urban Chaos Riot Response

The Hope Street Police Station is already swarming with masked thugs and practically engulfed in flames by the time the cavalry arrives. Our armored police wagon smashes through the gate and into the snowy precinct courtyard, and as a lifeless punk slides off our hood, our sergeant kicks open the doors and we spill out onto the pavement. We're not five seconds out of the van when the pyromaniacs who call themselves the Burners crash a garbage truck through the outer wall, blowing up a police ...
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24 May 2006

The Da Vinci Code

Xbox Preview | The Da Vinci Code

Friday 28 April 2006 The film is out next month. The multi-million selling book is still pounding the sales charts week after week. It's was about time we delve into The Da Vinci Code game and unravel the mystery of what it's actually like to play. Although it's based on the film, The Da Vinci Code fleshes out the action with a fresh line-up of cryptic puzzles and locations. For example, Langdon - the bookish hero - treads the stones in a church called Saint-Sulpice, while his cryptologist ...
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