Feature- The Demise of 1 vs. 100

Sadly, Microsoft have formally announced that 1 vs. 100 is no more, after a short stint of two seasons. But why, you may ask!? Well, it turns out the demand isn't big enough for the record-breaking game show, although Microsoft's spokesperson stated that the company were extremely “proud” of the creative team, nevertheless.

Was it always destined for failure, however? The beta may have seen over 100,000 try it out, but those astronomical figures dwindled to an average of around 10,000 on those nights that weren't hosting the live show (although the live shows' figures were also on a slippery slope!) So what was it that killed 1 vs. 100 before it could return for its third season? Was it over-zealous ambition from Microsoft? After all, they seemed to flood us with game modes night after night during each season which surely couldn't have helped inability to sustain any resounding figures. I'd take a guess that if they solely stuck to live shows, they'd have experienced a much more positive vibe from us gamers, for what they were, the live shows were on the whole, excellent. Other from the missing host most of the time and seemingly random pickings of the '1', the live shows were engaging and thoroughly entertaining to play through, each game weighing in at mere minutes for quick and swift bites of tense multiplayer quizzing action.

Many bemoaned the choice picks of the '1' and '100', complaining how they'd “not been picked yet”. Infuriating me in equal measure for their inability to calculate probability, I didn't have a problem myself with how the show was conducted. Out of the two seasons, I knew of one person to get into the top 100- my brother was lucky enough to be picked on that fateful Friday night to rapturous hollering from the demanding avatars in the stands. Sufficient to say, his nervousness got the better of him and he left with nothing...

I can't falter Microsoft either in what they held back for winners either, with one night the grand prize being a car! So, I'm going to take a wild punt and put the blame solely onto Microsoft's ingenuity. We've never had anything like it before, where members of the public can turn on a device in their living room and take part in a live game show for prizes. Therefore, I don't see 1 vs. 100 as a failure, I see it as the very beginning of something much bigger to come...

E3 2010- Microsoft Press Conference

Did the ambitious and hugely entertaining press conference for Microsoft at last year's E3 come too early? The progressive and frankly brilliant announcement of 'Project Natal' last year has been somewhat overshadowed by the constant barrage of negativity regarding Microsoft's inexcusable avoidance of any mention of the product. We've had to wait all 365 days for yet another look at the lovely piece of kit, that truly delivers “hands-free entertainment” for everyday users. I mention the fact since such a wait led me to perhaps supersede any reasonable level of expectation- negativity seemed not to hinder my approach towards 'Natal' (as it was previously code-named, now the much less attractive 'Kinect'!), instead keen on insisting my compatriots to “wait until E3” where I expected insurmountable levels of ambition, uniqueness and innovation. Instead, I was met with casual pet sims, over-the-top party games, rhythm-action dance routines, and mediocre sports titles (the latter coming from the otherwise influential industry stalwart, Rare!)

Big Names, Big Games?

Perhaps we were spoilt last year in E3's tour-de-force return to the big scene after the shambles that was E3 2008, but Microsoft's stage this year failed to match last year's influential list of huge names. No, there were no rumblings from veteran movie directors (Steven Spielberg) or music legends (Sir Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr) this time round. Instead, this year's show seemed somewhat muted in contrast, lacking any of the enthusiasm or drama that last year's stage show boasted. We were however greeted by friendly faces from the industry- Metal Gear Solid creator, Hideo Kojima, presenting the spin-off from the main Solid Snake series, with Raiden's-own Metal Gear Solid: Rising, and the ever-charismatic Cliff Blezinski from Epic Games, with debuting game play footage of the much sought after Gears of War 3. Joined on stage by three team-mates, 'Cliffy B'- as he used to refer to himself- showed off the all-new four-player cooperative campaign, showcasing the latest Unreal technology in action with the insanely powerful 'Lambent' mutations in attack. The showing cut to black as the new 'Lambent Beserker' leaped the metal fence that the COGs resided behind, reaching unsurpassed heights of anticipation at what lay in store come April 2011. He also teased the audience with a new mode that is to be featured in the last in the series, entitled “Beast”- now showing on the show floor.

Peter Molyneux was also present once again, introducing Lionhead's Fable III debut trailer- beginning with a vengeful ruler, leading to the picturesque setting of Albion (now much more Industrialised than before), and colourful game play footage. The guys at Bungie Studios also took to the stage in what will be their final hurrah as developers developing exclusively for Microsoft's system, with Halo prequel- Halo: Reach. What followed was typical Halo 'run-and-gun' fare, with added suit powers. I'm slightly disappointed of the game's showing, if I'm brutally honest, but hey, multiplayer is and always will be Bungie's strong suit- it's for that reason why my pre-order for Reach was taken a few months back! I'm also reluctant to go into too much detail in regards to Treyarch's showing of the latest in Activision's cranked-out super-franchise Call of Duty with Call of Duty: Black Ops. Overkill or not, I fail to see myself getting excited about this in any fashion, although it did look impressive nonetheless, with a set piece sequence involving a gun-toting helicopter sweeping its way through the lush and fully destructible jungles of Vietnam. You'll buy it though, you all know you will.

The only 'surprise' came from Crytek, with a trailer for their latest game that is exclusive to the Xbox 360: Codename Kingdoms. The live-action trailer showed a gladiator, blood dripping from his sword although we'll have to wait for any further details regarding what it really is about, let it be known, however, that Crytek can not be underestimated in any circumstance.

Kinect

The industry-insider audience were hardly interest, you felt, as Microsoft continued to big-up their progressive technology, now re-named 'Kinect'. We are of course all interested in what such a technology can provide, although if the show has anything to say for itself, expect bundles upon bundles of cheap, tacky and outrageously poor mini-game collections (say hello, Nintendo). My lofty ambitions of core game experiences with Kinect at the forefront were quashed, replaced by the the animal kingdom's replacement to Milo with Kinectimals (played out on stage between the cutest girl you ever will see, and a tiger pup named “Skittles”- no, he wasn't real!) It also saddens me to see Rare's initiative, that has given them incredible success for some time, disappear from sight- instead squandered by those at Microsoft, with the cheap mini-game collection look and feel of their Kinect Sports showing. The basic Kinect Adventures also doing little to subside my then subdued positivity further (a variety of mini-games that use whole body movement). One particular demo seemed like 'Hole on the Wall' embedded with Super Mario World- bizarre. Even those making fools on themselves on stage failed to raise a smile on my glum exterior. Oh, and remember that kart game featuring your customised avatar? What was the name...Joy Ride!? Well, stick a 'Kinect' before the title, add in motion controls, and what do you have? You guessed it, Kinect Joy Ride.

Core gamers had reasons to be fearful initially, but with the announcement of Ubisoft's fitness game Your Shape: Fitness Evolved and Harmonix's rhythm-action dance title Dance Central also shown, we now have every reason to have been sceptical from day one. OK, something inside me makes me want to bust out some moves to the “authentically choreographed 600 dance moves” that are featured within the latter title but don't question me why, I have no reason to- although that guy on stage sure had undeterred fun!

The only integration of the tech into core games came down to the aforementioned Metal Gear Solid: Rising demo, amounting to the slicing and dicing of a watermelon! And a LucasArts “controller free” Star Wars title, which looked incredibly linear, with the lead character (wielding a lightsaber, no less) dodging oncoming bullets from Stormtroopers with frantic motion gestures, using the force, and dashing forward. On the presentation front, it looked like The Force Unleashed blended with third-person, lacklustre green screen. The game is expected in 2011.

The only other look at Kinect came from Turn 10, developers of Forza Motorsport 3, who showed off their new game mode that used Kinect to interact with the steering wheel. The game mode tasks players to overtake as many AI opponents in the time provided by holding out your hands at “2 and 10”, although I didn't get an indication if support would be extended to the rest of the game.

Kinect is set for a US launch of November 4^th. No prices have as yet been confirmed.

Other features?

Other than a look at how Kinect would work with interaction to the Xbox, which admittedly looks fluid and simple (a wave signs you in, flicks of the wrist navigate, speech commands can select menu buttons, pause a movie, etc.), the only other main addition to the Xbox Live service came from two ESPN presenters who were keen in sharing Microsoft's partnership with the sports channel in delivering live games, a stat-tracking online service and more, all from the Xbox.

Anything hiding under that hollow shell of an Xbox 360?

The show ended with Microsoft's main presenter lifting a hollow, external shell of an Xbox 360 that had been on the stage the entirety of the presentation. It was expected, but it came as a nice surprise nevertheless- the much rumoured 'slim Xbox 360'. Boasting a new slim-line, more angular and shinier, black finish, the new Xbox also comes with built in Wi-Fi capabilities and a 250GB hard drive. It truly looks stunning and sleek, supposed to be “whisper quiet”, and is being shipped to US retailers as we speak for the same price tag as the current model. The announcement was met with rapturous hollering and applause from the crowd who were told that each of them were to be sent one of the new systems at the expense of Microsoft. That's great, but what about us!?

Review- Battlefield: Bad Company 2 [PS3]

Publisher: EA

Developer: DICE
Released: 5^th March 2010

Other Formats: PC, Xbox 360

Inviting direct comparison to the most successful video game of all time is a risky strategy no doubt. But, Battlefield: Bad Company 2 embraces it; interjecting sharp, cutting remarks via “Bad Company's” bravado dialogue, “snowmobiles are for cissies”. DICE have undertaken a major job in trying to deliver a comparable experience to the might of Infinity Ward's epic shooter Modern Warfare 2, and therefore it's extremely humbling to say that they have delivered with aplomb.

The comparison to MW2 lays with the initial FPS game mechanics, which are positively fantastic. The shooting mechanics are tight, delivering a great sense of force to the weapons. The Modern Warfare-approved cross-hair also makes an appearance upon accurate fire, meaning there is a constant feedback loop that works extremely well. And where MW2 in particular was fiercely criticised, its handling of story- with characters swapped to-and-fro and a highly convoluted plot. Bad Company 2, in contrast, excels, following the misfit “Bad Company” once again- the group of rag-tag characters that form the central core of the game. Delivering comedic dialogue and likeable personalities mean characters are developed well whilst also allowing DICE to craft an engaging narrative (the soldiers are tasked to seek out a secret weapon, codenamed “Aurora”) that entertains to the end. And whilst this means that Bad Company 2 can not quite match its competition's set piece count or style (due to its rooting in a central location), it does have a few neat tricks of its own (the aircraft finale, for example) to keep it feeling inspired and fresh.

The improvement of DICE's own engine, “Frostbite”, has meant that the game is also visually excellent. The dank darkness that opens Bad Company 2's campaign soon envelops to the openness of the bright jungle setting, giving the engine a chance to shine. The visuals are crisp, colourful and incredibly detailed. The upheaval in technology to the engine has also meant DICE have delivered on their promise of true destruction. No other game, other than last year's Red Faction Guerilla have been so successful in doing similar tricks that can alter the way in which the game is played. The original Bad Company's 'hole in the wall' effects have been stripped. Here, witnessing the destruction physics in motion is breathtaking, whilst it also means combat is rich and varied in variety. No longer can the player stay in one place for the duration of a battle, as cover can be decimated in front of you as quickly as you pulling the trigger. On the other hand, it offers great tactical awareness in terms of offing the enemy forces- pick off them one-by-one with a trusty pistol or risk using a valuable RPG in the hope the collapsed building does the work for you? The variety afforded to the player is also improved with the vast openness of the level design on show, only squandered in the final third as the levels tighten and become much more linear. In conjunction with the brilliant visual clarity and particle effects, BC2 also delivers an immensely satisfying masquerade to the senses with its sound. From the metallic clinking of the gun to the low thud of bullets hitting enemies.

The featured single player campaign of Bad Company 2 is a resounding success for DICE and EA. The blend of believable (whilst slightly stereotyped) characters, an involving plot, a good sense of variety in level structure and location and short, snappy and well scripted cut scenes all mean that the experience is incredibly satisfying.

Multiplayer acts as a team-based, tactical FPS experience. Players can choose from any of four weapon kits before each spawn (Medic, Engineer, Assault or Recon), all with an initial primary weapon and a pair of gadgets unique to that class. Experience points are awarded during play, with a level cap of 50 on offer. Game types include a defend/attack objective mode, 'Rush', a capture-the-flag mode, named 'Conquest', 'Squad Death match' and 'Squad Rush'.

Overall, Battlefield: Bad Company 2 deserves to stand on its own two feet, not under the shadow of behemoth Modern Warfare 2. Rather it is, in actuality, a more fulfilling game in many instances. The conclusion to the campaign points straight towards a sequel, and frankly, if the step up from the first to second game is anything to go by, it's going to be fantastic.

Extended Preview- Crysis 2

Release Date: Holiday 2010

Format(s): PC, PS3, Xbox 360

Developer: Crytek

Publisher: EA

Released late-2007, the original Crysis by Crytek was a monumental achievement for a video game. Not only did it perform exceptionally well critically, the game was so technically demanding that to run at its highest resolution was unfeasible, even for the most high-end of rigs. Still the most graphically demanding video game for PC hardware, Crysis continues to be used to test PC efficiency.

A little over two years later, the sequel is well on its way to release for a 'Holiday 2010' launch for Xbox 360, PS3 and PC. Not to beat about the bush, Crytek have been treading the fine line between hype, 'PA' talk, harsh appraisal and extreme gloating or arrogance.

Lead programmer for the PS3, Michael Gluck, has been raising awareness of the game's graphical output, stating that it will set a new benchmark in terms of visual quality. Speaking with 'Play Magazine' he proposed, “I think with Crysis 2 you will see the quality bar being set at a very high level that games will struggle to excel”.

Similarly, in a remarkable display of one-upmanship, award-winning novelist and lead writer on Crysis 2, Richard Morgan, in an interview with 'NowGamer', has been criticising the most successful video games of recent years, including last year's BAFTA-winning Batman: Arkham Asylum and fan-favourite Halo- to which he says includes “bull*h** characters” and having “no real emotional impact”. Morgan went on to claim that his involvement in the latest Crysis has meant characters have been crafted “with weight and gravitas”.

Crytek have announced that the second in the series is somewhat a “resetting of the franchise”. Set in New York City, evacuated due to alien infestation, 'Nomad' returns to his role as lead protagonist. In addition to a broader freedom provided to the player, the 'urban jungle' setting also allows for improved tactical manoeuvrability and, due to the technical excellence of its game engine, CryEngine 3*, will feature destructible environments- like that seen in Battlefield: Bad Company 2. Crytek have also stated that combat will be “beautiful” with the new and improved 'Nanosuit 2' taking centre stage.

With so many first-person shooters already on the market, and with the weight of such huge releases as Modern Warfare 2 just past, can we really expect so much from Crysis 2? The talk may reek of arrogance but perhaps the current climate in where first-person shooters over-saturate the market, Crytek have had to stand their ground and be as aggressive. One thing's for sure, if it doesn't live up to the hype, they're sure going to know about it. I, for one, am not overly excited about the game. With little announced in terms of actual game play and still a long way off release, I'm hoping it is something more than a visual feast for the eyes and a press release comes along that announces a new game mechanic that will separate this from the competition. Until then, I couldn't really care.

(*Take a look at the 'CryEngine3' demo video on the 'Game Videos' page that showed at this year's GDC to get a feel of what the engine is capable of.)

Original Xbox Live Disabled- The State of Things to Come?

Yesterday marked the end of Xbox Live for the original Xbox console and its games. As reported in February, at midnight last night, the plug was indeed pulled, the service was deemed to be a drain on resources when they could be much more effective elsewhere. Xbox's Mark Whitton claims the move will “provide the greatest benefit to the Xbox Live community”.

But at what cost does this action really weigh? Is this a state of things to come in terms of gaming? An 8 year reign may indeed be enough hours to wring from Halo 2 online, yes, but it marks the start of a worrying future. I'm talking of course towards the medium as a whole moving towards the reliance on digital distribution methods, where not only indie, bite-size titles are released on our online services, but full fledged titles, such as for example, Warhawk and SOCOM: Confrontation for the PS3. Furthermore, the announcement of services such as 'Gaikai' and 'OnLive', which is released in the US this summer (in which full titles are processed and streamed to users via the services own servers), it's hard not to question whether the content we buy now will be available to us, from day-to-day, like a regular disc-based product is. Granted, services such as Steam already exist within the gaming sphere and has been met with huge success since its initial release in 2003, ultimately, referred to as the saviour of PC gaming.

Microsoft's innocuous pull of Xbox Live's proverbial plug casts huge doubts in my mind. So all games still run, which is important to be reminded, however a title such as Halo 2 relies on its online capability, and is now, unplayable. It has been let known to the public that if for some reason Valve was to shut down the Steam service, then all games would be patched to allow to be run in offline mode. With services such as 'OnLive', it can not be this simple...

Now, imagine yourself, the proud owner of such titles as GTA VI and Final Fantasy XVII, all available through an online-only service such as 'OnLive' where the under-the-TV box is merely a thin client, a device that's only purpose is to send and receive digital signals, with little to no processing power of its own. What happens when a service like this is shut down? Does our legally downloaded content vanish into the virtual esther?

Sadly, it is an answer, that after much sifting, I can not locate, but it is worth thinking about. It seems we will only really find out once the service is made available to us. The shift to digital distribution and 'cloud computing' holds a tremendous amount of positives, but also, as covered, can hold its own problems. Is this the future we want, or should we be sticking to physical products?

Preview- Nier

Released: 23^rd April 2010

Format(s): PS3, Xbox 360

The latest franchise from Square Enix, developed by Cavia, Nier for the Xbox 360 and PS3 is an action role-playing game with a delicate balance of intricate story line, well-developed characters, action-packed battle sequences, and traditional RPG mechanics. 'Nier' is the name of the title's protagonist, who is resolute in finding a cure for his daughters mysterious illness, from the 'Black Scrawl' virus- desperate to overcome any challenge that comes up against him.

News- 'Gears of War 3' Officially Announced

Cliff Blezinski, of Epic Games, officially unveiled Gears of War 3 during Jimmy Fallon's late-night chat US chat show last night. Blezinski joked, "It's about the worst kept secret in the world" since the announcement was leaked earlier in the week after an Xbox 360 dashboard slip (see my story here).


The announcement came with a teaser trailer- entitled 'Ashes to Ashes' which features Marcus Fenix and his crew coming up against a raging army of Locust. The trailer also shows a female soldier as a part of the COG squad, a first for the series. Blezinski noted the game is set after the events of Gears of War 2 and also features a number of new weapons.


The confirmed release date is 8th April 2011. Check out the teaser trailer below for some awesome COG-action. With a year to wait, I'm already hugely excited about the prospect of playing as Fenix and co. once again. Expect more to be announced at E3 in June.

Preview- Red Dead Redemption

Released: 21^st May 2010

Format(s): Xbox 360, PS3

I wait with baited breath for Rockstar's latest, Red Dead Redemption, coming to PS3 and Xbox 360 in just under 6 weeks' time. Lazily referred to as “GTA with horses” because of its sandbox roots, third-person game play and its Western genre trappings- the successor to Red Dead Revolver is so, so much more than that. And here's why...

First of all, the game is developed by Rockstar San Diego and published by Rockstar Games- a signifier of quality if ever there was one. The team in San Diego, having worked loyally on the Red Dead and Midnight Club series for many years, also originally developed the 'RAGE' engine, on which many of Rockstar's games are based- including none other than GTA IV.

Red Dead Redemption is set in the back country of the Western American plains, 1911. John Marston, a former outlaw, is where the focus of the game lies. Given an ultimatum by Government agents, Marston must capture or kill his former gang mates including his old friend and gang leader, Bill Williamson. If he fails to comply, his family will pay the price. Judging by the screen shots, Redemption's true character lies in its location- a huge amount of detail seems to have gone into the game's sprawling wilderness, with the world populated by fully realised towns, reactionary characters and, of course, as is necessary in open world gaming, chance encounters that stick in the mind. These procedurally generated nuggets can happen any place and at any time in RDD. Do you intervene at the hold up you come across at the bank, help out a woman in need? Whatever you decide to take on, the scale is huge and incredibly diversified. Yes, this is one of those games, like Fallout 3, that will populate discussion threads on unique encounters that players are witnessing.

Other tasks within the game include hunting the varied wildlife in the game (over 40 have been named) which, after skinned, can be sold to stores around the map for the meat. Rare plants and flora can also be gathered, harvested and sold. If these sort of menial tasks don't take your fancy however, how about a game of Hold 'Em Poker for a bit of extra cash? Or, for those treasure hunters out there, treasure maps can be bought or found in the game. With little more than a sketch or description of the area the treasure is located, players will have to work hard in order to turn that effort and those long hours into hard, solid gold.

Like many other games of this type, a morality meter is also presented. Do the right thing and your 'honour' will rise- affecting the way those within the game react to your presence, which may mean discounts at stores, for instance. Break the law however, and Marston will have a bounty put on his head, only taken off if the bounty is paid or he is excused through some other means.

With just over a month to wait, Red Dead Redemption really ought to be on your mind. Here's a game play video that illustrates perfectly what you could be missing...

News- 'Alan Wake' release gets pushed forward

Remedy Entertainment's anticipated psychological thriller Alan Wake is now set to hit European shelves on 14th May 2010, a week earlier than previously set, after Microsoft announced this week that the release date had indeed been brought forward. The US release is currently slated for 18th May 2010.

Preview- GTA IV: Episodes from Liberty City

Released: 16^th April 2010

Format(s): PS3, PC

Featuring both of the expansions to GTA IV; 'The Lost and Damned' and 'The Ballad of Gay Tony', Grand Theft Auto: Episodes from Liberty City is now to be released onto both the PS3 and PC after Microsoft's exclusivity comes to a close. As separate story lines to the main game, 'The Lost and Damned' allows players to fill the boots of Johnny, a veteran member of the notorious bike gang, the Lost, as they look to fight rival gangs for power in the city by any means necessary. 'The Ballad of Gay Tony' injects a little more fun into Liberty City, you play as Luis Lopez- assistant to night club owner Tony Prince (“Gay Tony”), in a more glitzed up take on the city with added weapons and vehicles.

Review- Just Cause 2 [Xbox 360]

Publisher Square Enix

Developer Avalanche Studios

Released: 26^th March 2010

Released late 2006 for the original Xbox and the recently released Xbox 360, Just Cause was an ambitious and deeply enjoyable open-world experience with swathes of fun attached for those willing to play it first time around. Just Cause 2 is again willing to give and give on its open-world promise, a superior experience in pretty much every aspect to that of the prequel.

For starters, upon completing the opening tutorial, players will witness the sheer scope and size of the Southeast Asian open world with which Avalanche Studios has kindly provided- the island of Panau. The world is absolutely huge, spanning across various inter-connected islands. It really is incredible to behold the level of detail that has been poured heart and soul into the game from the Swedish developers, meaning it feels instantly more gratifying and accomplished than the original. We can only be grateful for the insurmountable number of man-hours it must have taken to even try to fill the world, and thus the team can be congratulated on their achievement but ultimately as an envisioned game world it still fails in that vast areas are, obviously, sparse and unfulfilled (even with the 1000s of collectibles scattered over the map). Yes, there are significant disadvantages to the size of the island! Travelling to and from missions is often tedious and an unnecessary slog for the disappointment in the mission you are greeted with (more on that later) and thus, the vehicles that are provided goes some way to redeeming some of the negatives associated with travelling from one side of the island to the other. A swathe of content is available within the game, which can be found anywhere at any time somewhere on the island but also, through progression, can also be accessed through mobile drops. From military helicopters, to speedboats and Boeing 737s and weapons which include triggered explosives, RPGS and assault rifles (all also upgradeable). The amount of work it must have taken to create even the basic foundation of the game is monumental and hugely impressive.

Moving onto the game itself, the experience is built around the mechanic of 'Chaos'. Ultimately a cumulative destruction meter, 'chaos' measures the amount of destruction that has been caused throughout the game, whether it be through destroying military signal towers or laying waste to fuel depots. The impressive physics engine comes into its own within these instances, providing real-time destruction visuals with the dexterity and intensity of explosions and eruptions from the sound mixing. The 'chaos' system also means that the sense of progression is always right beside you since the amount of 'chaos' accumulated throughout the game leads to story missions, faction missions and 'black market' items to be unlocked- these the weapons and vehicles that can be called in at any time through a quick press down on the D-pad and the 'Y' button for a measly sum of money. This mechanic means that whether through basic meandering along the shores of the island or taking part in the over-arching storyline- the game is always being led towards its severely sub-standard climax.

This is but one of the sections in the game where Just Cause 2 really falls down from being a truly great game into an accomplished but ultimately flawed game. Of what little 'story' there is trickled through (involving Agent Rodriguez teaming up with the various criminal factions through the various missions scattered across the island to get to his ultimate goal of tracking a rogue and uncovering further governmental conspiracies, phew!), it really is done in the worst possible fashion. The voice acting is horrible, with blank expressions on the faces of Just Cause 2's NPCs accompanied with un-inspired dialogue and dodgy accents. The second barrier to greatness is ultimately where its greatest asset also lies- the grappling hook. The publisher has not been shy of showing off this neat little device in the run up to release, allowing players to play with the toys in its playground of Panau. This is where the game shines brightest, the endless hours of fun that can be experienced in playing with the hook and the physics engine is sandbox gaming at its best. With the dual hook ability enabled, attaching a helicopter to a car mid-flight for instance, is a breeze. The grappling hook also means vast leaps over the battlefield can be accomplished with little more than a push of the left bumper. The forgiving physics engine meaning the game very rarely fails to excite in the adrenaline-fuelled quarters of game play. However, as much fun that can be had here, the combat is seemingly an afterthought to the main heft. The guns feel severely underpowered and inaccurate, even with the help of the aim assist. And where most shooters are often harshly criticised for their over reliance on cover mechanic game design, Just Cause 2 could so have done with it, if little more than to give pockets of respite to the non-stop action. Pair this with the strange design choice of using a non-regenerating health bar and an extreme lack of ammunition and it is easy to see where the game fails to truly deliver.

So, to summarise, Just Cause 2 is by no means an outstanding game, whereas it is neither disappointing. To call it average would be somewhat insulting also, it is a game of unfulfilled promises. A game where a sequel is very much needed to unlock its true potential. Avalanche Studios has an opportunity now to expand onto what they have already achieved- a more narrative-driven storyline? Co-op? We'll only have to wait and see but the foundations have thankfully already been set, now time can be taken to make that good game, spectacular. For now at least, we can stick to diving out of helicopters at several thousand feet in the air, as the island comes ever closer, trees growing larger and larger, only to greet the wistful silence of the chute opening once again with a smirk that only comes from truly experiencing the game in its most giving.