The real problem as far as I can see was that the series was getting old.  It was stale and none of the previous games really improved that much on the previous before that. In a nutshell it was the same gameplay, different location each time and very similar storyline.  Splinter Cell Conviction throws away the old rigid rule book and starts afresh with a new set of rules.  He is no longer an operative in a silly black outfit and donning night vision goggles but is working alone in civvies to his own agenda.

Gameplay wise, Ubisoft have now implemented an quick execute option so you can tag and kill multiple enemies with a couple of button presses.  I like this option. I have problem with some games sometimes in that my reactions are a bit slow so creating a set piece for multiple kills I think is excellent. It is not a given right either, so not to make it too easy, the execute option has to be earned by close up kills.  If anyone complains this makes the game too simple then the easy answer is do not use it. You are not forced to use the tag-then-execute option, it is merely there for those who do want to use it.

Personally I love the new gameplay. It is very fresh and I love the fact that they have moved away from the dry old black-clad-super-spy theme to give us something new.  This may be the recipe they need to bring back gamers who abandoned the series before because it was getting stale.

Roll on April, I will now submit my pre-order.

My friend Cat hates the changes  and you can read her well thought out rant on here

http://carocat.co.uk/2010/03/21/splinter-cell-conviction-demo/

Cat gives more information about the changes although I do not think they are all negative things. Two very polarised opinions

Well the game is out now and has gone straight to Number 1 in the all formats chart. I purchased this game on release day and I have to say it is one of the best games I have ever played. Actually it is not really a game it is more like an interactive movie with many different endings depending on your choices in the game.

I was so immersed into the story of the game I was actually upset that I made a single wrong button press ending in the death of a minor character that I had to restart that chapter again and do it properly because what I did felt so wrong and this is how the moral decisions within the game play on the players emotions.

Like all games, Heavy Rain is not perfect and sometimes suffers from confusing controls especially during moments of intensity like a car chase or a fight and confusing scenes are made more confusing because the more stressed the character gets, the faster the commands display on the screen. Fortunately if you are struggling with this aspect you can turn the difficulty down and play it a little slower.

Despite the niggles, I will now whip out my thesaurus and list some words which describe it – amazing, brilliant, unique, gorgeous, memorable and breathtaking. Yes the game and the ending was so brilliantly executed that when the credits rolled at the end it left me breathless and truly lost for words.  EXCELLENT/10

Out now on Playstation 3 only. Rated 18 years

In at number 5 is Professor Layton & Pandoras Box. The successor to Professor Layton & the Curious Village, this game brings you more mind bending puzzles than you can flick a baked bean at and is recommended for all ages although may be quite hard for younger gamers.

RRP £34.99

At 4 is Singstar Volume 2 on PS3. Old and young there are songs to sing for everyone.  The bundle comes complete with two microphones so you can further deafen your deaf great grandma.

RRP £49.99

In at 3 is the Xbox 360 Messenger Kit. An unusual gift maybe, this pack is a mini keyboard and headset which attaches to an Xbox 360 controller. Today Microsoft released an update which allows for Twitter and Facebook on the 360 so this mini keyboard can be a thumb-saver for typing messages over Xbox live.

RRP £24.99

Number 2 is Grand Theft Auto: Episodes From Liberty City. This standalone disc contains the two downloadable add-on packs which were released for the original game on Xbox marketplace – The Ballad of Gay Tony and The Lost and the Damned.. The great thing about this is if your boyfriend/wife/husband has sold/traded/lost their original disc, they do not need the original to play this game. Available on Xbox 360.

RRP £34.99

At Number 1 slot I do recommend an Xbox 360 4200 points card for the marketplace.  On the face of it, it looks like a boring pressie but believe me this will give hours of fun to the internet connected Xbox 360 gamer.  For those not in the know and are shopping for others, a points card is like a voucher which a person can spend online via their xbox 360 to buy games, movies and additional content for games.  Games range typically between 800-1200 points each so they can choose for themselves what games they wish to download. This is very useful when buying for someone when you know they have an Xbox 360 but you have no idea what to buy them.  Ultimately they get a valuable gift for them but they can choose the real prize

RRP £34.99

If you decide any of these products might be a good gift or even want to browse for other products, www.vouchercodes.co.uk can offer you some money saving vouchers to try and help ease the Christmas spending burden, every penny saved is an extra tot of brandy or nibble of a mince pie (with cream)! Go directly to the link above or below are some handy links direct to a few video game retailers discounts.

Game – www.vouchercodes.co.uk/game.co.uk

Play.com – www.vouchercodes.co.uk/play.com

Amazon – www.vouchercodes.co.uk/amazon.co.uk

These are just a few of the stores who offer discount vouchers from free delivery to money off, bogoffs and so on.

Merry Christmas!

I feel honoured to0 be this age (36) that I am now.  I have seen computer games from birth to the present day and all their incarnations and have enjoyed the excitement and amazement that every new games generation console has brought me and assuming I live another 50 years, I cannot wait for the next generation of consoles and then one after that and that etc.  I could see 5 more generations of consoles and be 86 years old playing Call of Duty: Gulf War 10 and having 10 year old kids telling me they are going to kill my mother when she will probably already be dead by then. I really cannot wait for what is to come and how game graphics will be seen in future generations.

That is all too far into the future though and right here and right now we have a slew of games coming out in the first quarter of 2010 which are beginning to excite the games playing audience. This is not an exhaustive list and some dates may slip further.

Bayonetta – devil woman attacks peeps with her long hair.  Xbox 360, PS3 – 8th January

Alan Wake – Been in production for many years, will it make it? – Xbox 360 exclusive – 29th January (let us at least pretend)

MAG Massive Action Game – First MMORPG for the PS3 (exclusive) 29th January

Mass Effect 2 – It has to be played, its the law. Xbox 360 exclusive, 29th January

Dead Rising 2 – More millions of zombies causing claustrophobia and dirty pants. Xbox 360, PS3.  29th January

Bioshock 2 – Needs no description of this awesome game.  Xbox 360, PS3 – 9th February

Dante’s Inferno – More horror/evil/hell/demons/devils.  Xbox 360, PS3.  26th February

Dead to Rights: Retribution – Will the dog be in it?  PS3 only.  26th February

Final Fantasy XIII – Not my cup of tea but worthy of a mention. Xbox 360, PS3.  9th March

Splinter Cell Conviction. Its a pretend date really…  Xbox 360.  26th March

Mafia 2 – Bring on  the Mafia in the cars going at 20mph! woo.  Xbox 360, PS3. 26th March

Red Dead Redemption – Cowboys and Indians go open world and free roam. Xbox 360, PS3 26th March

Max Payne 3 – Please no more dream sequences. Xbox 360, PS3 – sometime next year maybe

It started out as a game with more realistic graphics but over time the developer decided to scrap the realistic look and go for a cel-shaded cartoon look.  This does actually fit in very well with the games humour and sometimes it feels akin to a comic book.

The weapons system is quite unique and the developer wrote a program which randomised weapons and gives you a theoretical hundreds of thousands of guns, although when playing through the game it did actually feel like only 100 guns, this is because even though there may be a sniper rifle made lovingly of plywood, it has a number of them with different tweaks to make it seem like there are lots when really it is just the same gun.  There are still many guns you just only get to see a few types with lots of combinations.

The missions are quite repetitive but when playing them the game does not give that air of repetitiveness at all, each mission feels unique with it’s own personality but really deep down it is like 10 tins of beans made by the same company but with different labels, it does not feel that though and that is good game design.

I actually got hooked on this game and played it from start to finish in almost every available moment and I finished it at around level 34 in 36 hours.  I had so much fun it was such a shame when the game ended and I knew there were no missions left to play.

This game definitely gives great value for money.  It has a large world, tons of missions and has a funny storyline.  If you love RPG games and shooters then this is an excellent mix and I doubt anybody would regret buying it.  Lots of games being released this time of the year so if you cannot afford it now, do rent it or wait for it to drop in price because it is an excellent game.

It is rare, but I give it an EXCELLENT/10

Mini Ninjas is a fun game and has some replayability when you want to go back and repeat a level to find the items you missed.  Lots to collect and great fun.  GOOD/10

“UP” is a new game from Disney Pixar which follows in the adventures of Russell and Carl – an elderly gentleman and a young boy – from the upcoming film UP due soon. Russell and Carl are tied by a very long piece of ribbon to a floating house.  You have to navigate through the levels and you can choose to play either of them at any time.  They follow each other so you can easily switch between them to do different tasks.  Some tasks require a certain character to play so you can switch when necessary.  It all seems an okay platforming game at first but you soon realise that the game is very broken and not very well programmed. Voice acting can be out of sync with what is happening and also voices get repeated a lot. The other problem is that when the computer controls your other character it is doing a terrible job and may miss jumps and die.  The game is very slow, cumbersome and and glitchy.  I do not recommend anybody buy this game full price.  Accept it gracefully as a gift or wait until it is in the bargain bin.  TERRIBLE/10

Ice Age 3 is another movie which has been transformed into a game. Ice Age 3 was actually released a few months ago but I have only just got around to playing it.  This game is incredibly fun and is the best of the 3 in this issue. In fact it is the best platformer released  this year.  You play as various characters from the film in various locations from the snow of the Ice Age to the jungles riddled with dinosaurs.  The game starts off feeling a little bit generic but soon it blows open and the levels become insanely fun.  To go with a fun game, the script is also quite funny. There are fruits to collect to spend in the Ice Age store on upgrades and you can collect weapons as you go, including a rocket launcher made of a giant bamboo cane!

Ice Age 3 has everything you can want from a platformer including typical platforming styles taken from the likes of Crash Bandicoot. The only downside is that it is quite short and I completed it in around the 5 hour mark.  So it is a short game but well worth playing.  It is probably not worth the full high street asking price at the moment, but try and get it second hand or wait until the price drops, it is definitely not one to be missed. GREAT/10

The Castle of Wolfenstein games have come a long way since their inception many sunrises ago.  Wolfenstein is it’s latest incarnation and is the first on the current generation of consoles.  Set in World War 2, you are fighting the Nazi German’s and their zombies.  You find an old talisman which has special secret powers to unlock.  As you progress through the game you gain extra powers to the talisman – powers like the ability to make enemies glow up so you can see them easily and a special power to see hidden doors and secrets. Weaponry comes in the form of the usual WW2 guns – MP4, M23 and the rifle.

The game is made by Activision who are the publishers of the Call of Duty series, this is no Call of Duty but there are influences from those games.  The controls are very similar and have the same feel and even the mission markers look just like the Call of Duty stars.

Graphically the game does look good but there are sometimes low resolution detail and you can see they could have put a little bit more into the presentation. It is certainly no deal-breaker though and there are far worse looking games around.

Wolfenstein is of average length and a casual gamer can get through the campaign in 10-12 hours, maybe a little more if you do all the side extras.

Good/10

Shadow Complex  – Xbox Live Arcade 1200 points

For 1200 points you are getting a fantastic game which is almost of full retail price proportions and is far better than some of the sludge that has been released lately.

Shadow Complex is a side scrolling 3D platformer/shooter/puzzler all thrown into one tasty package. It is made by Epic Games – of Gears of War fame, so you know that every effort has been made to give you a great gaming experience.  It looks good, the graphics are high detail for an arcade game and I experienced no problems.  There was only one time when the game showed some screen tearing and that was when riding the minecart.

The game is quite easy to play and even grandad’s would not have a problem with the controls.  My finish play time was over 6 hours but I did not take the time to collect all items and visit every room.  My stat at the end of the game was only 49% of items to complete so it has the possibility of a good 4-5 hours extra if you are wishing for 100% completion.

Shadow Complex in my opinion is the best Xbox Live Arcade game to date, bar none and is worth every penny I spent on it.

Great/10

Batman: Arkham Asylum

History shows that video games made from movies/comic books have always been very poor, with little gameplay, lots of bugs and look graphically rubbish.  It is like the developers are trying to milk a cash cow without putting in any effort.

Batman: Arkham Asylum is here and is definitely one to break the mould.  This game looks every bit a high definition game with amazing visuals. I would go as far to say next to Call of Duty 4, it is the best looking game on the Xbox 360 to date. There were no bugs, no glitches, no tearing and no framerate problems except for a bit near the end – some cutscenes with the Joker. I am not saying it is the best game ever, only that it looks the best, nearly.

The game is a bit of a hack and slash button mashing affair when it comes to combat, this makes it a relatively easy game to play except really when it comes to the boss battles.  I have to admit I have not completed the game.  I have come to a boss battle near the end and I simply cannot do it and there seems no way to change the difficulty.  This may be a game which ends up unfinished, which is a shame as I have throughly enjoyed it.

There are lots to collect, from riddler puzzles to trophies and interview tapes with prisoners.  There are also challenges to unlock, these can be timed challenges or set pieces to achieve certain goals.  The challenges are accessed through the main menu.  If you have the PS3 version of the game it does include the Joker challenge missions for free.  Sadly the Xbox 360 version does not have these challenges and you will probably have to pay for them if you want them at a later date.

This is a must have game which is worth at the very least a rental.

Great/10

I really want Call of Duty 2 as I have never been able to find it again in the shops but at £20 I think that is far too expsnive for a game which is 5 years old.  If it was £9.99 I would buy it instantly but not at £20, I am not that desperate.

They should really have prices whcih reflect the market for older games.  Maybe have a tier system – new games at near full price, games over 2-3 years old should be bargain bucket.

Unfortunately I think people will accept these prices and pay them which will in turn justify them to Microsoft and they will not bother changing them.

It is not that the controls do not work well, it is just that there are too many of them.  It can take 4 hours or more to get to grips with what to do and then after upgrading you have to learn a whole new set.  Because of this confusing control set I find I am not actually using my powers to the best of their ability because I forget even what I am allowed to do.

We have normal moves, extra super moves, critical mass moves plus moves which only work in a certain mode and it is all mind boggling.  I think I need 2 extra hands to play it to it’s fullest.  God forbid anyone play this that have a finger or two missing.

Well done to the developer for trying something different but I really think they could have simplified things a little.  The end result is that I am not sure I have the willpower to actually complete this game.

One thing in the game that a lot of games do which annoyed me is nagging me to do things. For example I had to climb a high tower and activate lifts so my partner could get to the top of the building aswell. The game was nagging me and the partner kept shouting at me to hurry up and activate the lifts. There was no timer on these sections so there was no need for him to keep nagging me to get to the lifts. I am playing the game, I know what I am supposed to do, so stop rushing me!

Moans aside, inFamous does have flair and style and explosions aplenty and also the added bonus of being good or evil with your powers. There are times in the game you have to make moral decisions. This can increase your good karma or bad karma depending on which decisions you choose. Obviously if you are playing for a good character then you will want to increase your good karma as much as possible. Completing missions, committing good acts and so on give you experience points which you can spend on upgrading your powers.

It is a solid game and whilst it certainly for me is not game of the year material, I had a lot of fun and that is what games are about. If you can get past the difficulty spiking then this is definitely a game to try and maybe buy. There is a free demo on the PSN store.