I've had my X360 for sometime now, just over two years in fact. The game most played on it, is without a doubt Team Fortress 2 (or The Orange Box to be more specific), while the second-most played game, is an arcade gem, by the name of Geometry Wars. It's abstract twin-stick shooting explosion of colour and sound is just one of those games I keep going back to for blasts at a time, but that stops today; i've bought the sequel. It's an unwritten law that videogame sequels can either fall into one of two categories, a) they be weaker than the original and more of the same, or b) the sequel that not only refreshes the original title but reinvents it entriely while still playing on it's strengths. Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2 is thankfuly the latter.

So everything's bigger. It's brighter, louder, and thanks to the addition of five new game modes, it's a lot more varied. Naturally scoring high is always the objective, no matter what the rules, but the new games reinvigorate the title by putting a spin on things, some of which can change the game completely. King decides that firing is disallowed unless you're in a zone, the catch being these small safe-zones only allowing a few seconds of cover. when they're out, it's a dash to the next one, weaving the enemies on your way. Pacifism is silimar, but ensures you're unable to fire at all, flying through gates to evaporate your pursuers. Waves is a barrage or criss-cross attacks from the enemy travelling in lines the length and width of the map, while Deadline, the most similar to the original gamemode gives you unlimited lives and three minutes to get your high score. The final new addition is Sequence; twenty stages, each lasting thirty seconds, pre-determined enemy positions.The new modes, collectively are a lot of fun, and ensure that when you're stuck or tired of one, there's more to try. They're pretty imaginative, and well...different, but they feel altogether classic GW, no matter what new rules they may bring to the table.

In the screenshots it's hard to see the game as perhaps being any different to it's predecessors, but after only a few seconds playing you'll realise this isn't the case, and the game does pack more of a visual punch with all the neon-fireworking happening on screen. The music too, is thankfuly as exciting and fast-paced as previously, with again, minor reworks instead of full-scale reimaginings. Multiplayer is unfortunately restricted to only local-play, but with a plethora of online leaderboards, you versus the world style, what does it matter? Overall, it's a sequel that delivers. It's more of the same yes, but the new ideas and modes that litter that basic formula make the game altogether more refreshing, and while it will always be debatable if this is the definitive version of the series or otherwise, one thing is true, I have found my new addiction.

Monday and Tuesday (and the rest of this week) was all about E3, that electronic gaming convention held annually in LA that announces the games, unveils the hardware and for gamers like me, at least determines my spending or wishlist for the coming winter months. Things are now on that list, things are now off, all future Wii purchases are temporarily suspended, and i'm caught with the impossible decision of whether or not to buy a PS3.

 Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony's press conferences took place on Monday and Tuesday respectively, and being the loser geek that I am, I streamed all three as with every year. That these conferences were radically different from last year is unsurprising, but with the worldwide success of the Wii, it was inevitable that more time this year would be given to casual gaming. So more sequels, for both Guitar Hero and Rockband, games that of course don't need sequels (and rather, just more DLC), an attempt by Microsoft to replicate Sony's Singstar franchise, and Nintendo pimping their Wiimote any way they can. Revealed this year by the big N? Wave your remote and arms wildly, and your screen Mii will make music randomly...um yeah, I think i'll pass. Thankfully 'proper' games were shown as well, though all Nintendo could actually produce was a new Animal Crossing. It's something i've been excited about for a while, but when it came to it's debut and unveiling, I felt a little disappointed.

There were proper games too of course though thankfully. Resident Evil 5, Far Cry 2, Fable 2, new Portal, some MMOs from Sony and the huge news that Final Fantasy XIII is appearing on the Xbox 360. Oh, and shooters, plenty of mindless shooters, because, you know, that's what the in thing at the moment is. While it's also something i've been planning for sometime, I think E3's also finally prompted me to buy a PS3 sooner rather than later. Sony's conference was far from perfect- but then, whose was?- but there seems to be an increasing amount of games i'm wanting to play that I currently can't. Metal Gear Solid 4, obviously is top of that list, but Sony's upcoming emphasis on MMOs is mighty interesting, and something Microsoft should've perhaps been focussing on with the X360 to begin with.

While it's natural that the games industry is changing, the three press conferences from the last two days show this compellingly, with multiple 'casual' titles that previously wouldn't have been greenlit, and worryingly, a real lack of eastern presence as far as future games are concerned. The thing that this year's E3 shows more than any previous year before it however, is that while none of this generation's current three consoles are entirely perfect, and thus, the "BEST CONSOLE EVAR!!!111!" etc, they all have things going for them and exclusive games, ensuring that for this generation, owning all three consoles is perhaps more necessary than before if you're wanting a varied and exciting experience.

Game of the Year. Yes, it's silly mentioning such an accolade only six months into the year, but after buying multiple games that I ended up not liking and thus, ignoring to finish, Burnout Paradise is the one game this year that's truly impressed. 'Course there's another six months of releases, and having not played MGS4 yet (next month, hopefully) handing out the award still seems a little premature. That aside, Burnout Paradise is a stellar collection of great ideas and an example of how things should be working this gen.

I'll admit, after playing the demo earlier this year I was heavily disappointed, but mere hours of playing the game properly I am in love. Here's some reasons why:

• The game is fast. You will crash, a lot. It's a fucking rush that demands your undivided attention. Even better, it's a racing game without those horribly fenced courses- the city is yours, the racetrack is the route you choose. A racing game without a track seems baffling, but it works, and how.
• Again side-stepping racing-game law, the AI of the opponents is what it should be, intelligent. Your opponents crash, they cheat, they win and they're just as deviantly sneaky during races as yourself. They don't stick to the roads, they take the time-saving jumps and they go out of their way to prevent you from winning, even if it means taking themselves out.
• It shows GTAIV what a sandbox play area really looks like. Districts and areas are unique, vibrant, and remarkably different from each other- everywhere is worth exploring, and reward lies in adventuring.
• The soundtrack is awesome. Brand New, Junkie XL, LCD Soundsystem, Soundgarden, and the seemingly misplaced but equally awesome Avril Lavigne. Turn them up loud though, they compliment the driving and drown out engine rattle and metal meets road screeching.
• As a single player experience the game is great, online, it's eight times better, and a hell of a lot more competitive to boot. Team challenges and a free-play online mode where the city is yours and seven others dominate the line-up, while high-scores are broken, boastings and stories made.
• Flames come out the back of cars that glow greens and entire mountains can be driven off of across lakes, all while performing a double barrel roll. The game is full of moments of satisfying omg car porn, and despite not being anywhere near a petrolhead, I love it.

Burnout Paradise, then, is surprisingly my favourite game of the year so far. I say surprisingly because, yes when it comes to racing games (or god forbid driving in any game) I roll my eyes right out of their sockets, but 'Paradise not only completely refreshes the stale genre that is racing, but feels so complete that it's a great game in it's own right. With promised continued developer support through DLC, my interest and new found love of this game is sure to continue for more than the next few weeks, unlike that 'other' supposed game of the year...

 

I've been excited about Grand Theft Auto IV for sometime. Long before those first promos were revealed and those early details were released, being honest, it's a game i've been looking forward to for years, and the promise of a then next-gen sequel is something that would presumably get everyone excited about. Naturally as the weeks drew nearer and the hype machine started making more and more noise, it was something that I was anticipating so much. Then the TV promo, then those early across the board ten out of ten reviews, and then finally, the release.

I'm not a fan of numbers in reviews- what's the point in writing all those words and arguments if you're going to degrade it all with a single digit?- but the truth has to be told, this is not a 10-worthy game, despite what the gaming press may have been telling you. To be completely honest, the fourth installment of the series is just that; a sequel, and while it's obvious rather early on that improvements have been made to the gameplay-most noticeably the fantastic new gunplay cover system- the game, as ever, is still plagued with the same problems that it's predecessors before it suffered horrendously from.

Alarmingly, pop-up is still an integral part of the game, with an all manner of in game objects ranging from lone trees to sprawling play-parks randomly appearing before you as you drive. Certainly this is perhaps something that would be expected of the background, but textures loading five seconds after your arrival is not just annoying, but completely off-putting, and certainly not something you expect to see given the already well showcased abilities of this generation through other games. The game feels unnaturally slow, even when you're at your fastest, and the game continues to struggle with having anything near a smooth framerate, evident when there's explosions and onscreen havoc, something I imagine most players will notice given the game's focus and content. The game feels sluggish in places, slow in others, but collectively, incomplete, and certainly far from perfect. In regards to the new-fangled sandbox genre itself, Crackdown seemed like a gigantic leap forward, whereas with GTA IV that forward direction seems merely a small step.

But while pregnated with faults and shortcomings, GTA IV is lots of positive things. It's fun, it's exciting, ambitious, huge, and most of all enjoyable, as long as you pay no heed to the 'revolutionary' adjectives attached to the game reviews and desires for the game in your head. While Rockstar are perhaps already renowned with immersion in their games and the so wildly-designed cities that play host to these games, the Liberty City sets new precedent to the genre in this regard. As with GTA III this isn't a mere city-themed level, it's a gameworld that for once, deserves to be named as such. More than ever this feeling of immersion seems so complete, and the gameworld with it's unique citizens, politics, TV channels, shoe-brands and car companies is an aspirating addition that not only completes the game, but in someway, completes it. While indirectly it doesn't affect the gameplay, that freedom to do whatever you want -whenever you want- is as ever the game's biggest strength, with plenty of more options in here from the previous titles in the franchise.

GTA IV is, depending how you look at it, not exactly innovative. As a game, it contains many of the elements from other genres driving, shooting, platforming et al and combines them to relative success. Obviously if you want a driving game you'd do better to search elsewhere, while, again, if you're after a third-person shooter, there's plenty of better examples out there. That GTA IV -and the series of which it belongs- can combine these elements as one set against a backdrop of a sprawling city backdrop is now the stuff of legend, but it's crucial to remember that GTA IV is a sequel, and that it not only doesn't improve much on previous faults, but also, that it hasn't fixed some of those problems the series is renowned for, just yet.

Maybe next time?

Like all good stories, the plot to Bioshock begins with little introduction and a huge emphasis on impact.

Beginning with the crashing of an aeroplane into the ocean, within seconds the player is subjected to the brightly-lit 1960's underwater universe that is Rapture, and subsequently, the psychotic and on edge population that comes with it. As an introduction it ticks the list of emotions like no other, these opening minutes being exciting, epic, unnerving and altogether tense. It is not only one of the best videogame openers of all time, but rather, one of the best fictitious openings, that truly has to be played or witnessed once by any fan of the medium.

Thankfully, this is no cheap-trick, and throughout the playthrough Bioshock continues to evoke a multitude of emotions while still providing consistently good gameplay. Okay, so on first impressions this is nothing more than just another mere first-person-shooter, but beyond the visuals, the game also innovates in many areas. First and most notably Bioshock adds a layer of RPG gaming to the experience. It may sound baffling, and while there's no battling mages or the like, there is a surprising emphasis on levelling-up and abilities, such as casting fire or freezing enemies. Again, it sounds odd, but in conjunction with the game's tone and story, it soon becomes second-nature.

The story though is one of the game's biggest draw, again, going against pre-conceptions and conventions of the FPS. Here there is no multiplayer, but with a single-player adventure so very on par with that of Half-Life 2, you don't need it. Beyond your arrival into Rapture the game world will continue to dazzle and awe, despite the ugly, sinister subject matter it occasionally represents. Full of backstory and with more than one significant plot-twist through the playthrough it's better experienced rather than described, but the game is undoubtedly an adventure in this respect, rather than just a mere shoot-em-up.

So it stands to reason then that mentioning the gameplay and shooting elements of a FPS last in a review is batshit insane, especially when the actual gameplay is so entertainingly satisfying. The gunplay on offer is successful, responsive, and in keeping with the rest of the game, always visually stunning and innovative. It is...fun, but with the game such an overall rewarding and enjoyable experience from beginning to end it is easy to forget about the characteristics of the weaponry entirely, simply because of the visual fireworks that will be going on around you. That said, judged simply as a shooter and nothing else, Bioshock is fantastic, the rest of the optional gameplay elements, obviously, just making the game all that bit sweeter.



Bioshock was released in August last year. While there's no doubt i'm completely late to the party in declaring this game's awesomeness, having just completed this game myself recently I am now all the more aware of the error of my ways in not playing this much sooner. The game is a rollercoaster of emotions, great gameplay, and audio/visual heaven, and if you didn't play it last year, then please do so, as soon as humanly possible.

With the Xbox360 in it's second year, and the Wii and PS3 both in their first, 2007 is undoubtedly the first chance of all three consoles to shine and show gamers their worth. The answer, for the Xbox 360, is a lot, if you don't mind getting a replacement console every now and then, while the answer for the PS3 is not much, despite an empty wallet and a shoddy conversion or five. The Wii, still the most wanted console despite now being it's second Christmas, continues to deliver nothing but promises and licensed tat, and while there's no denying the appeal of the console or it's respective technology, it's certainly not the gaming experience many of the gaming audience were probably expecting.

That said, altogether 2007 has been a fantastic year for gaming as all three consoles (along with regular competition from the PC) continue to battle, the winner, of course, always being the gamers and consumers alike.

Crackdown (X360)
As the first opportunity to take part in the Halo 3 public beta, and with a big-ass sticker on the front of the box emphasizing so, looking back, Crackdown for the X360 maybe wasn't bought for all the right reasons when it was originally released- always overshadowed throughout it's lifetime by that ever infamous four-lettered H-word. But beyond being a mere part of the hype-machine, Crackdown is one of the finest first-party games available on the X360.

While the game certainly conforms to the run & gun gameplay that the X360 audience is fond of, the game completely revolutionises the new-fangled sandbox genre that every game wants to be. Here, there is no story, cut-scenes or missions, instead, only a list of objectives lie in place that can be tackled whenever you're ready, allowing for freedom both physically and rather literally. But Crackdown places you in the shoes of an altogether different kind of game character, in essence, you're a superhero- equipped with the ability to lift up trucks and jump storeys, and with this comes a long overdue update and refresh of the platform genre- a twenty-first century update of one of videogaming's oldest genres with a living breathing city your playground. Turning structure, gameplay, and character abilities on their head, there's no denying Crackdown's innovation to both the sandbox genre and gaming in general this year.

Super Mario Galaxy (Wii)
Super Mario 64 was originally released in Europe in 1997, forever changing both the platformer genre and 3D gaming in general. Since then the technology and ideas have been bested by numerous titles, but the sequel to it for the GC, titled Super Mario Sunshine, would do little to improve either the formula or idea. Fast-forward to the Nintendo console of 2007 with a backlog of non-gamer titles, and Nintendo have a lot of work to do if they're to entice their long-term gaming fans.

Somehow, Nintendo manage it, and Super Mario Galaxy is easily the only killer-ap that the Wii has. Bringing the platformer genre into the domains of space is the title's biggest innovation, but more than just a refreshing change in setting, it completely alters your preconceptions of both the genre and videogames. Asteroids and planets allow for a fully three-dimensional experience, and the impact of the first moments of '64 are almost certainly included here, and then multiplied by a hundred. As ever the freedom included is absolutely immense, but the game also shares the rather easy-to-accomplish accolade of being the best-looking Wii title there is out there. That said, as with the rest of the game, particularly the sound, the visuals here and charming, full of depth, and most of all, contribute significantly to the overall experience. To use a rather horrible and cheap pun, it is out of this world.

The Orange Box (PC, PS3, X360)
Bringing together one the best single-player videogaming experiences (and it's two subsequent DLC episodes), the best online multiplayer of this year, and the most wickedly satisfying puzzler in ages, the game of the year is undoubtedly The Orange Box. Released by Valve, it is a single disc of everything that makes the esteemed developer's titles so good to begin with, combining all the different and unique subgenres of the first-person-shooter into one single package of absolute excitement and value.

The main depth of the collection naturally comes from Half-Life 2, and it's following Episode 1 and Episode 2 chapters. Now three years old and in an entertainment medium of constant change, there's no denying that HL2 isn't quite the visual charmer it once was. Regardless, it's environmental art-direction makes up for this almost alone, and what the game loses in visuals, it makes up for with both depth and enjoyment. It is immersion at it's finest, with the game's story taking place in front of you, and not in a pre-directed cut-scene that the industry somewhat unfortunately prefers. The dialogue, the characters, and the plot itself, ever fantastic and engaging, while the actual gameplay and content supplement it all oh-so nicely. The two episodes that accompany continue both the story and gameplay in new and imaginative settings, pushing an idea graciously further than required, thankfully, still making it immensely enjoyable and satisfying.

Portal, the other 'third' of the collection is the seemingly opposite. Set in overtly clinical science chambers, the game is more than a FPS in that there is no shooting, but rather, a puzzler. Given a weapon capable of creating entry and exit warpholes you're set about the task of completing #19 different test chambers, guided on your way by the AI voiceover and with no explanation or reason why, other than, rather notoriously, 'cake'. What starts off so incredibly simple and niche soon becomes a sinister trawl through ever more fiendish and dangerous rooms, ending with a battle against your enemy. As with it's HL2 sister there is a story here too, and while it does take a backseat to the more involved gameplay and structure to an extent, there is no avoiding it here whatsoever, as the last level will show you only too well. Theoretically it isn't even a story per se, only the one you make yourself, but with of the most darkly sinister dialogue spoken in a game (by your AI friend) it is there purely for your consumption, and consume it, you will.

The remaining disc-space is taken up by Team Fortress 2. Forget what the media's been gaffing about all year regarding Halo 3, because this is without a doubt the online multiplayer title of the year. Structured and based around a class-system consisting of Medics, Demomen, and Heavies, the game forces you to work together with others if you have any plans on winning. Naturally, each class has it's own strongpoints and faults, but the composition of these classes is what drives the game forward as the title suggests. But beyond this, the game features one of the most iconic, bizarre and surreal art-directions in a long time, and while it doesn't contribute much to an extent, the ensuing cartoon violence and dialogue is an absolute joy to both watch and be a part of. And it makes sense- if you're going to have a FPS with detachable limbs and heads, why not make it cartoon-esque? Maps, game design and the HUD itself benefit also from the simplicity of the game's visuals, and while the title is certainly a contrast to all the other macho shit currently within the FPS genre, it is certainly all the better for it.

Not just one game of the year, but in essence, five, and all equally successful and enjoyable in their design and experience. As an overall package it is the most complete collection of titles ever presented, and at £40, New Year sales will be rendered insignificant. Awesome in a box, this is it.

The Orange Box was released this past Friday for the X360. As a selection of five titles all produced and developed by software powerhouse Valve, the main draw for many will undoubtedly be the ability to finally play Half Life 2 and it's subsequent episodic gaming on a console for the first time- not being a PC gamer, myself included. There is of course, more, as also included on the disc is the renowned multiplayer-fest Team Fortress 2 and Portal, a spiritual successor to Narbacular Drop, and the game I played and completed last night to much delight.

Beginning in the overtly-clinical Aperture Science laboratories, the story starts with you waking up from a cell, as with all good stories, your memories in tatters. From here and through the voice of a computer AI governing your every move, you soon learn that you're to take part in a series of tests. Armed with the subsequently found portal gun -a device that allows you to create portals in space, this is where the majority of the gameplay lies, and where the game naturally gets it's title from. Controlled entirely from a first-person-perspective and set largely in corridor-based mazes, your job is to reach the end of each of the nineteen chambers, in an idea that's seemingly very inspired by the notion of "guinea pig". Your new-found 'gun' allows you to move about the 3D space at your leisure, with you able to create both exit and entry holes to the portal. What follows is a somewhat inhumane endurance of traversing the chambers by solving the puzzle(s) in that room, where early levels involve only teleporting crates to act as lever weights, and later levels demanding you think about momentum between the holes and the scenarios around you.

As you progress, levels become more sinister and taxing, with obstacles such as toxic waste and even robot sentries standing in your path, slowly making the game more difficult with each chamber. The lone notion of this sinister, dark, even doom-laden experiment however is reinforced numerous times throughout the game. With the environments so disturbingly white and clean there's a slight shock to be had from discovering that you are indeed not the first person here, and obscure wall markings of madness and paranoia make a rather interesting distraction from both the game mechanics and the art direction as a whole. This idea is emphasized further with the fantastic mini plot-twist that takes place within the final chamber, and the closing half hour of the game is at a complete contrast to the previous three hours, the game ending both fantastically eerie and surreal at the sametime. For a game that seemingly needs no story whatsoever, it is appreciated, and as a drive, a focus, it certainly helps. While not noticeable at first, there is, very much, an enemy or two in this game as you'll soon discover.


At anything from two to four (or more?) hours playtime, Portal certainly isn't a game with much depth or even lifespan. As a title however, it's surprising how much thought and production has gone into the game overall- certainly more than many contemporary full-price games. Similarly there's more innovation and fresh thinking in these four hours alone than many first-party titles, making this game an absolute must. With the game's ending fresh in the mind however, it is slightly difficult to go back to the game again, but also because, well, you know how to solve these puzzles. As an adventure into gameplay mechanics and physics on crack however, that first play of Portal is awe-inspiring, special, and more importantly, memorable...there was cake.

With a summer videogame line-up of nothing more than a weekly tie-in for the latest kid's CG animation flick, the annual game summer drought is finally over, and in it's place, a series of fantastic releases all the way to Christmas and then beyond. But forget that, there's plenty of fantastic games this month.

Skate-
With excessive play of the already released demo, the best thing about this game -obviously- is finally being able to break away from that lone, sparse skatepark and riding into the city, all on the hunt for kickers verts and rails. It's a surprisingly all-encompassing quest however, something you realise as soon as you reach the bottom of the first hill- this city is f**king huge. Throwing in the reference again for shits and giggles, unlike the Tony Hawk games here there is no pre-determined or designated areas and sections, with the city and geography flowing into itself naturally, as you'll notice when riding from Downtown to Oldtown.

The main focus of the game then is a roll around the gameworld completing objectives and doing tricks, which generally works well, though, as with the city, it is very easy to get a little overwhelmed, as well as perhaps frustrated, thanks to the increasing dexterity required to pull off many of the tricks and goals. But as with the demo, that sense of accomplishment and relief, as well as joy once you do pull off a successful trick is immense, with the tight physics and realism meaning this is more than mere button presses- this is an achievement. As with other EA games, the presentation is tight and the loading screens are many, but with mountains of goals and the somewhat infinite appeal of freeskating, this is one game that certainly doesn't need a yearly sequel.

Stranglehold-
The spiritual predecessor of the 1992 John Woo/Chow Yun Fat collaboration Hard Boiled, Stranglehold is, as you'd expect, a gun-laden playthrough with a bodycount of epic proportions. With obvious influences ranging from Max Payne to Devil May Cry, the game keeps sending enemies your way with only the sole goal of the game being to neutralise them with any means necessary. Aside from the obvious functions of the game's arsenal however, the game also features a surprisingly robust physics engine, allowing for the scenery, and thus the objects within it to your advantage. Swinging from lanterns, sliding down handrails and wall springing, all with the use of slow-motion "Tequila Time", as well as some arcade-based power-ups and abilities, including Precision Aim, Health Boosts and more.

They're needed of course, and are completely integral to the game, as you'll discover when playing through many of the set pieces and levels. On the normal difficulty alone things can get pretty hectic at times with an almost un-relentless assault from the enemies, but bosses at the end of stages do help break up the flow of the game, and provide a somewhat, though not always obvious, breathing moment and rest. Additionally the game also packs an online multiplayer, lifting many of the settings and abilities from the main game. As a mode it's perhaps limited in it's appeal, never anything more than a fun diversion. A co-op mode for the main game, would perhaps have been better implemented somehow.

Halo 3-
As one of the leading franchises for the X360 and the conclusion to one of videogaming's best trilogies, there's a lot of pressure and anticipation for Halo 3 to live up to. Touted by many as the videogame event of the decade (and thus overhyped to hell), it's easy to dismiss Halo simply for that alone. Thankfully however, the game lives up to all expectation, and perhaps embodies the Xbox 360 culture and mantra perfectly.

Providing more than just a solo campaign mode to plow through, the game allows you and three others to work together as a team through the story, all with voice chat and the same missions as in solo-player. Naturally if you don't like the notion of even working co-operatively with someone else a multitude of deathmatch variations are also included, with the longevity stretched even further by allowing fully-customisable matches and even if you so wish, the geography and play areas. Forge mode allows user-customisation over the environment, allowing you to place extra vehicles and objects within the game -similar to the Create-A-Park mode made famous by a certain skating game- meaning that, more so than normal, every game will be unique. The online activity continues further with leaderboards and player rankings, as well as the ability to upload footage of shots from the game to dedicated Bungie.net servers, creating something very web 2.0.

Visually, the game is good. On graphical first impressions it may not match Bioshock or Gears of War for presentation, but when you're waiting to respawn and you see your character gently flowing down stream, lying face down before getting caught on the rocks, it's hard not to appreciate the game aesthetically. The little things such as this, shadows, textures, the wind breeze affecting blades of grass, while perhaps minor in the game overall, are certainly nice additions that help to create believable play areas, reinforced with the epic surroundings of both the landscape and backgrounds. For depth and immersion, it's certainly successful. As a game, it seems endless- with it's predecessor retaining the top spot on Xbox live for three years, there is certainly no reason that this follow-up can gap that distance and more.

Skateboarding. As a videogame genre you really wouldn't think there would be much room for improvisation or innovation. Afterall, it's a sport just like Football, and you can only go so far with that concept before you break away from it entirely. With the Tony Hawk's Pro Skater series undoubtedly having been the dominant skateboarding title in the last decade, the thought alone of trying to change the genre for the better is a brave move, but when pulled off successfully, for once, EA should be praised.

The demo for EA's answer to the skateboarding genre skate. hit the Xbox Live Marketplace yesterday, and after about fourteen hours of downloading (I kid not) I finally got to try it out. Lasting half an hour the demo gives you a chance to learn the controls and moves of the game while also allowing for some free skating and some mini-challenges, before rudely, turning itself off. From the outset it's quickly established that this is a born-again experience, and within minutes you find yourself struggling to forget old strategies and controls developed in past titles and subsequently learn new ones. Suddenly a mere ollie is a technical accomplishment, while grinding and kickflips are pure joy to perform, such is the intuitive controls and accompanying learning difficulty. It's all so satisfying, even better, one of those demos that you'll be revisiting everyday until the release of the game.

But there are problems. what am I saying, of course there's problems. With the camera for the most part focussed on the trucks of the board a la skate videos there are times where it's difficult to see exactly where you're going, and perspective can be tricky to judge occasionally, particularly when grinding. Likewise, it's a little too easy to find your character stuck in some of the environments with no means of getting out.Despite this the physics and movement of the game works well, as does thankfully the collision detection, perhaps a little too well, but if you've seen footage of skateboardings hurting themselves, well, that seems appropriate.

skate. from EA may finally be the game to rob the Tony Hawk series of it's crown. A year ago or even at the height of the series this would've been laughed of, but with fantastic presentation, great visuals and most of all, innovation in all the right places, EA may be the new kings of the skateboarding genre.

Alongside a certain trilogy-ending FPS, the fourth Grand Theft Auto due for release on the 19th of October is easily looking to be a contender for game of the year onthe X360, unless developers Rockstar North make a complete balls up sometime between now and then.

With the release of the first promo back in March I was pretty much neutral towards the whole release, helped of course by the complete overload of "sand-box" games we've received these past few months. But the new promo unveiled today has helped hype me up a little bit, though, as expected by everyone the world over, it's still just a trailer that fails to give much away.

What is interesting is the inclusion of a Just Cause-esque action moveset, allowing the main character (whose name escapes me) to cling on to vehicles as they try to escape, including, most satisfyingly, helicopters. Like the recent "spin-off" sequels of the series however such as GTA San Andreas, it's very probable that this is going to be another game that's devoid of revolution or innovation, but for pure out random videogaming action, GTA IV, hopefully, will be a winner from the outset.