With TimeSplitters and its sequel, Free Radical's staff seemed to struggle deliberately against the prevailing trends in FPS and action games, trends that they themselves had helped create in their work at Rare on GoldenEye and Perfect Dark. Filmic style, narrative coherence and considered, tactical combat were all eschewed. In their place were frantic, twitchy arcade shooting and a charmingly silly kitchen-sink conceit that could accommodate every spoof and staple they could think of. The ...
» Read More

11 Aug 2004

Rainbow Six 3: Black Arrow

Xbox Review

What on earth would Tom Clancy do if the world suddenly decided to stop all the hostility and, y'know, everyone just tried to get along? No more trouble hotspots, everyone being the best of chums? Luckily for him there's more chance of a Spice Girls reunion, so those Rainbow fellas will probably be storming embassies years from now, storing extra ammo in their Zimmer frames. Ought to prove amusing when it comes around. But, for now, they're still in their prime and gagging to have another pop ...
» Read More

4 Aug 2004

Sudeki

Xbox Review

One nerdy bloke, one girl over-blessed in the breast department, a muscle-head only too happy to whip out his sword on demand and a half-woman-thing in a thong. You'd be forgiven for mistaking Climax's first outing into RPG territory for last night's instalment of Big Brother.It could also be confused with something that's not an RPG because, levelling up and magical attacks aside, Sudeki is as similar to Ratchet and Clank as it is to Final Fantasy. Turn-based battling is right out the window - ...
» Read More

3 Jun 2004

Harry Potter & the Prisoner of Azkaban

Xbox Review

First off, here's a wizardly word of warning: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is being released on all the consoles and the PC. You'd expect all four games to be the same, but there are vast differences between the consoles' version and the PC one.TOP NOTCH To all intents and purposes, the console version is an altogether different game. And it's a far, far superior one. If you want to spend your money in the wisest way, get Prisoner of Azkaban on PS2, Xbox or GameCube if you can.Just ...
» Read More

24 May 2004

Red Dead Revolver

Xbox Review

Well, pilgrim, in this world, there are two types of people - those who have guns, and those who dig. Or maybe those who like third-person shooters and those who don't. Either way, we don't think it's nice, you laughin'.Ahem. Sorry. This isn't working, is it? We were going to do this entire review in a Clint Eastwood voice, because that's so obviously what Rockstar have in mind for Red Dead Revolver - a gritty homage to the Man With No Name. Since 'acquiring' it from Capcom, they've polished it ...
» Read More

2 Apr 2004

Breakdown

Xbox Review

It's arguable that upping the amount of manual labour in a game can sometimes be a good thing. Having a strong work ethic (as in, say, Morrowind or Shenmue) can be a way of grounding the player in the game world, of strengthening the illusion through a deliberate use of dullness. Small wonders become greater when they feel like you are getting a reward. Entering a new town in Morrowind feels all the more exotic, actual and populated when you've just had to trek across a square mile of ...
» Read More

31 Mar 2004

Ninja Gaiden

Xbox Review

The movement is the first thing you'll notice. There's no need to discuss the control scheme, because every button you press will do exactly what you expect it to - or what you would expect it to if you ever stepped out of the flow to bother analysing what you're so instinctively doing. There's none of the Prince of Persia's flamboyance here. Instead Ryu effortlessly executes the same wall springs, back flips and handstands with his own cold, muscular precision. Gaiden is built on the same ...
» Read More

17 Feb 2004

Carve

Xbox Review

Carve sounds like it ought to be some kind of hack'n'slash adventure, the word being more readily associated with swords, knives and turkey than it is with watersports and 'carving up the waves.' The game's battle for recognition isn't helped by the fact it can't call its vehicles 'Jet Skis' (trademarked by Kawasaki and licensed to Jet Ski Riders) or even 'Sea-doos' (trademarked by Bombardier and licensed to Splashdown), so it's settled for the horribly vague 'watercraft'.Awkward nomenclature ...
» Read More

17 Feb 2004

Sonic Heroes

Xbox Review

It's been several years since gamers moved on from the 16bit era, but Sega, it seems, is still struggling to find a comfy space for Sonic on today's generation of hardware. His defining characteristics - excessive speed and loop-the-loop abandon - still have no acceptable place in 3D platforming, and Sonic Team still seems hogtied by the idea of making a character move this fast in an environment that's more than just a racetrack.So, Sonic Heroes brings with it the prospect of teamwork - ...
» Read More

10 Feb 2004

NFL Street

Xbox Review

After successfully putting the shiznit bizak in the hizoose with NBA Street, EA are trying the exact same trick with the sport of American Football, by including all the moves, the hip happening music and even the Gamebreakers. Sadly though, this Grid Iron funk up lacks basketball's fo shizzle.Part of the problem is the nature of the sport. Basketball is a simple game involving large men putting a ball into hoop. Easy. American Football, on the other hand, still takes seven men executing ...
» Read More