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While 2006 gave us some incredible shooters including both Call of Duty 3 and Gears of War, one stands out above the rest. Rainbow Six Vegas. This game looks great with the new Unreal 3 engine, and while it may be true that Gears of War has slightly superior graphics (though the difference isn’t drastic) it’s the detail, design, and gameplay that steals the show. Having played through both single and multiplayer, I can tell you there is nothing better than rappelling down the side of a building, breaching through the glass, taking cover, swinging around and busting some heads before swinging back around to reload and move in. The game has a good balance of tactics, and a little pinch of “we don’t suggest it, but if you wanna go alone here, try it.” Sometimes works, other times you get your ass handed to you. Again, the ability to rappel and take cover are incredible, and to say even smoother than Gears of War (though Gears of War lets you do certain moves while in cover,...

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First of all let me say this. This game is good. Very good. Not really hard, I suppose, when you consider that it's based on an all time classic—Transport Tycoon Deluxe. The original game was created by Chris Sawyer, commonly regarded as a game creating genius. His games have stood the test of time amazingly well, holding their own in gameplay terms against many newer games. For those of you who have been living under a rock for most of your (gaming) life, I'll explain. Transport Tycoon is about making money with transportation. "Duh", right? Well, the best ideas are often the simplest. You start off by controlling a company with a loan of £100,000 and the option to borrow more (how much depends on the difficulty level). Your mission is to make as much money as possible by transporting all types of items from place to place. You can take coal to the power station, wood to the sawmill, passengers and mail from town to town, and so forth. There are various options, and each...

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The newest addition to the venerable Total War series has arrived, but can it make improvements after the success of Rome?

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You have to feel sorry for the good folk at Virgin Interactive. With a vast array of delightful cartoon landscapes and a cast featuring Dan Castellaneta, Tim Curry and Christopher Lloyd lined up for their 1996 release, they probably thought they couldn’t fail. Often cited as the twisted spawn of Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, Toonstruck blends animation with real life, and finds artist Drew Blanc (Christopher Lloyd) trapped in a cartoon world. He must save this world from the evil clutches of his nemesis before he can return home, etc etc. With a heavy reliance on the words "Cutopia" and "Cutifier", the weak plot was perhaps a little too obviously childish for teenage or adult gamers, but they should have been able to pull it off. Before I launch into a lengthy list of this game’s flaws, let me add this disclaimer: I really did love this release, so much so that I completed it thrice in my youth. It has a lot going for it: a huge array of puzzles; a clean linearity;...

Videogame

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Freeware driving sim.

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A review of New Super Mario Bros for Nintendo DS

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The world of MORPGs (multiplayer online role playing games) has long been dominated by games such as Star Wars Galaxies and World of Warcraft. These have drawn in huge numbers of gamers who wish to experience vast gameplay with limitless possibilities; these two games provide this. Which brings us on to NCSOFT's release of the MORPG Guild Wars. The first thing that stands out about Guild Wars, even before you play it, is the fact there is no subscription fee. With Star Wars Galaxies and World of Warcraft you have to pay a set fee which normally works out at about £7 a month. The greatest thing about Guild Wars' lack of subscription fee (apart from paying extra money obviously) is the simple fact you don't feel the pressure of having to play the game; you're not paying per month for this so if you take a break from the game it's not like you're wasting your money. Also a bonus if you don't have a credit card. Guild Wars has a set story you follow through to the end. It's the...

Videogame

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Review on the xbox 360 game Condemned.

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The first thing that strikes you about Lucasarts’ 1998 release, Grim Fandango, is that it’s so damn stylish. Jaded, chain-smoking skeletons; Aztec-influenced scenery; a poor salesman struggling against the corruption above... the whole thing smacks of a deliciously warped film noir. The story centres around Manny Calavera: a salesman specialising in travel packages for the recently deceased. Stuck in the Land of the Dead until he works off his debt to society, he becomes suspicious when all the good clients are offered to his rather sinister colleague. Your transport to the next world depends on how well you’ve lived your life, so Manny is confused when a seemingly saintly (and rather alluring) woman barely qualifies for any sort of travel package. Thus begins a search for the truth behind the company and a hunt for the poor woman he sent away. The story spans four years: a nice variation which gives the real feeling of a quest. My favourite touch came in the fact that even...

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http://www.alternativenation.net/photos/data/500/2295title.jpg Katamari Damacy for the PlayStation 2 from Namco (the same folks that brought you Tekken), is a downright ludicrous Japanese import game that makes you think of a lot of the brighter stars from the Dreamcast and Gamecube legacy of cute skill-based puzzlers. For you non fan-boys of the various anime and manga to filter across the Asian borders, Katamari Damacy roughly translates as "Clump of Souls" - obviously keeping the original name was a wise move, but since I'm so in love with the word "clump" I'm going to use it repeatedly here. The game starts with you, the Prince, watching your father the King of All Cosmos take a drunken tumble in the stars and accidentally wipe out all the stars. It's your job to find material to replace all those stars. As the King says "Our problem is your problem yes? Mmmmm. Yes". To do this, you go to Earth and roll a large sticky ball around to attract bits and...