Darwinia is a world where little computer people mine polygons to fuel their machines and soldiers fight a computer virus with space invaders providing the air strikes. Ironically, it’s a world which has undergone a gradual evolution over its three years on PC, only recently becoming a game developers Introversion are happy with. It’s that version which will be the biggest Live Arcade release of the autumn, and the first console ...

Just as the leaves fall in autumn and the birds migrate south, each August will see the release of a new Madden game. Millions of dutiful fans line up to buy it every year, while the rest of the gaming world looks on and wonders what all the fuss is about. Every year, EA is forced to up the stakes to keep the fanbase happy, but the more complex the game becomes, the fewer new recruits are drafted into the ranks of happy Madden players. Even ...

Dark Void isn’t the kind of game you should bring round for tea with the vicar, and that’s not just because it stars a hero who smashes human skulls for larks. According to Dark Void’s storyline, the true nature of the gods is quite removed from the sugar-coated version used to keep church donation boxes rattling. The gods we’ve worshipped for millennia, Dark Void tells us, were in fact an evil Alien Race who, in ...

When we first saw the first concept art for a new Prince of Persia early last year, we were immediately curious as to why the Prince was sporting a face-covering scarf and metal gauntlet in place of the Dagger of Time and his usual cocky smirk. It wasn't long before the answer was revealed, though: it's a different guy. The new, as-yet-unsubtitled Prince of Persia will be another reboot for the venerable franchise, with zero connection to ...

So... Faith. She’s the dozy-looking chick with the freckles? Nope, that’s just part of the rubbish title. The broad is Ruby, and the bloke is Luke - a deadly duo of romantically-entwined outlaws with more than a sniff of Bonnie and Clyde about them. But whereas most co-op shooters feature strapping tough guys, the nature of Ruby and Luke’s relationship actually has a significant impact upon both aesthetics and ...

The original Far Cry was hugely successful for two huge reasons - presentation and freedom. When the shooter first released on PC in 2004, the lush and unrestricted jungle setting was a revelation. Gamers accustomed to dark hallways and crate-filled rooms suddenly found themselves standing in bright sunlight, surrounded by swaying trees, sparkling water and open expanses of mostly nonlinear terrain. ...

From a distance, HAWX could be mistaken for last year's excellent Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation. As we got closer and actually started playing, the level of ground detail and overall polish exceeded the already impressive visuals of Ace 6, with far more skyscrapers reaching for the clouds and tons of clutter choking the oft-ignored terra firma. Once the shock of the clean, smooth imagery wore off, we plunged into the gameplay, which left ...

There are several reasons that turn-based strategy games haven't really ever caught on for non-PC gamers, and Civilization Revolution is making sure it addresses as many of them that it can. It's the first console only Civilization, so the controls are a huge focus for the design team. Also, the aversion to taking turns that many Halo, Gears of War and CoD 4 console players have is being considered carefully. Overall, the game has a new ...

Since inventing the survival-horror genre 16 years ago, the Alone in the Dark series has been defined mainly by creeping around in dimly lit corridors and hoping something didn't lurch out of the shadows to gnaw your face off. The creators of the new Alone in the Dark, however, want you to know that crawling through claustrophobic spaces won't be the focus this time around - and to hammer that point home, they'll literally tear those spaces ...