Blur: A year has made a big difference (Blur)

What a difference a year makes. Last May when we travelled to Bizarre Creations' Liverpool HQ for the first ever hands-on with Blur, we experienced a Frankenstein racer that wasn't nearly as fun to play as it should've been. And now 12 months letter... well, it's sorted...
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Crysis 2 – first look (Crysis 2)

Forget Far Cry 2. The real sequel to Crytek’s tropical PC-only shooter was Crysis, a game so powerful it could only run on a nuclear-powered PC the size of a semi truck. Until now.

For the past twelve months, Crytek have, through a series of tech demos, been floating the very real possibility of a Crysis sequel running on consoles as well as PC. CryEngine 3 videos seemed to point towards modifications – but not many. ...

Just cause 2 – hands-on (Just Cause 2)

We recently got another chance to test out how well Tarzan (er, Rico) the secret agent swings in the run up to his launch into the public sphere in late March. And it turns out that he’s swinging rather well, as it happens.

Let’s do a quick recap for those who haven’t been here very long. Rico is a sort of Hispanic James Bond, but with an even more uncanny ability to dodge death and defeat evil. ...

Just Cause 2 – hands-on (Just Cause 2)

We recently got another chance to test out how well Tarzan (er, Rico) the secret agent swings in the run up to his launch into the public sphere in late March. And it turns out that he’s swinging rather well, as it happens.

Let’s do a quick recap for those who haven’t been here very long. Rico is a sort of Hispanic James Bond, but with an even more uncanny ability to dodge death and defeat evil. ...

Street Fighter IV on iPhone – hands-on (Street Fighter IV)

It’s tough being Capcom. There are fanboys of every stripe in the gaming world, but rarely are there more rabid and stubborn fans than those of fighting games. Die-hards analyze every frame and gameplay change down to its core, and they petition endlessly for their favorite obscure character to be included in every game Capcom releases. ...

Meet Dead Space 2’s necromorphs (Dead Space 2)

Pre-production work on Dead Space 2 has only been official for less than six months, but it was never in serious doubt. Isaac Clarke’s first encounter with the alien virus that created the necromorphs was a hugely atmospheric blend of action shooter, with grim tones of survival horror. Admittedly, it was a survival horror in which you had enough bullets, and the exposition was clumsy. ...

Medal of Honor – first look (Medal of Honor)

We imagine the people who qualify to be Tier 1 Ops have lots of medals. Enough to use them as shuriken, at least. They’re so skilled and sneaky we’d never heard of them, which just makes Green Berets and Commandos look rubbish. ...

6 things you need to know about Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands (Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands)

Since it was announced late last year, there’s been a healthy amount of curiosity swirling around Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands. Set for release this May, it marks a return to the storyline of the last-gen Sands of Time trilogy, something that’s made fans both elated and suspicious. With the release of the movie right around the corner, is it a “real” Prince of Persia game? ...

UFC Undisputed 2010 – first look (UFC Undisputed 2010)

Las Vegas! It’s a beautiful place full of money, food, and unimaginative douchebags out to get married or to act out scenes from Swingers or The Hangover, depending on the age of the choads in question. ...

Pirates of the Caribbean: Armada of the Damned (Pirates of the Caribbean: Armada of the Damned )

The Pirates of the Caribbean movies raked in over a billion dollars worldwide. There’s no doubt that a big part of that success was down to the loveable sea dog Captain Jack Sparrow. So how will a licensed game without him fare? Batman: Arkham Asylum was a big influence on Armada of the Damned. That game took all the things that made the DC characters and the universe so awesome, and then did something fresh and unexpected with them. ...

Resonance of Fate – hands-on (Resonance of Fate)

Putting all of Resonance of Fate’s new ideas into words is impossible, so we’ll just say this: forget what you know about Japanese RPGs, because tri-ACE is changing the formula. For example, the overworld comprises dozens of floors, each with hundreds of hexagonal pieces, all encircling a giant tower. To navigate it, you earn jigsaw pieces to slot into greyed-out, impassable hexagons. ...

Why 2010 FIFA World Cup is the best football game yet (FIFA World Cup 2010 South Africa)

Near 200 national teams. All the stadiums, carnival atmosphere and glamour of the world’s biggest sporting event. A refined, sexier version of the most sophisticated footie engine ever. Yup, it’s safe to say EA’s latest World Cup game is shaping up to be pretty tasty. We got hands-on with the game recently and can confidently state its set to become this generation’s finest footie title yet.

Lead and Gold: Gangs of the Wild West (Lead and Gold: Gangs of the Wild West)

I’m carrying a bag filled with gold. My team is plundering a mine, and I’m the point man - lugging burlap-wrapped bullion back to a capture point in our base. My teammate is a desperado, and he’s yelling at me from beneath his face bandana to hurry the hell up.

“Throw the gold!” he hollers. I’m trying. ...

3D Dot Game Heroes – hands-on (3D Dot Game Heroes)

Something happened as soon as we were handed the controller. Without a moment’s hesitation or guidance, we slashed at the nearest patch of grass and picked up the money that popped out, fired our hookshot-esque device at a wooden post to cross over a gap, pushed blocks around to make our way to a cracked wall, and then exploded said wall with a bomb - but not before poking our sword against the wall to hear if the resulting clanking was different ...

Brink – hands-on (Brink)

Splash Damage announced Brink would be using dedicated servers before it was fashionable. Back when saying you’d support the community in the most basic way wasn’t met with rapturous applause and sighs of relief, but with the blank stare of somebody who’d been told to continue absorbing oxygen through their lungs. ...