The first thing gamers noticed about Rage were the glorious screenshots, and the attention was fair given that the game is absolutely gorgeous. The new id tech 4 engine produces an stunning environment, with huge draw-distances and lighting that leaves players staring in awe. Character models and the astonishing enemy AI highlight the game’s beauty as enemies move beautifully and fluidly, even though they usually want to pull your head off. There is some texture pop-in here and there, but it doesn’t detract anything from the stellar visuals you’ll be treated to.

The premise for Rage is pretty simple – after waking from cryogenic freezing, you find Earth has been devastated by a meteor strike and all that’s left is barren wastelands and sporadic settlements, while bandits and mutants terrorize all that’s left. While the premise does sound quite exciting, you also thinking that it sounds incredibly familiar. It just seems that the post-apocalyptic setting and plot has become a sense of déjà-vu over recent years; and given the game’s technical prowess, it’s a bit of a downer that the story is so uninventive.

Players have to find their way around their new environments and engage with a number of different characters and factions in order to access missions and objectives. Missions usually entail you travelling to certain locations in order to acquire an item, deliver a package or help the settlement, although they all end up in the same manner – some awesome shooting. And this is where Rage shines as the shooting mechanics are as solid as they come, where every gun has a great feel and impact to it. Developers id really do know how to make shooters and they prove it with Rage.

The map is pretty spread out and you’ll be travelling some pretty big distances, therefore vehicles were a necessity in the game. The driving component of Rage could be a game of its own, with vehicles having the ability to be mounted with guns, upgraded and even taken into races. The driving is definitely not a highlight, but it rounds off the experience very well.

Multiplayer does exist in the form of competitive races and a broken-down co-op mode which lets you and friends play through certain segments of particular levels. It’s a nice addition, but the emphasis is on the campaign, and we’re ok with that.

When the dust settles, Rage isn’t anything revolutionary. It may have been the extremely high expectations set by fans, but that said, it’s still one of the best and most gorgeous shooters out there. There’s enough here to keep you busy for 20+ hours and the stuff id does right is phenomenal. So if you’re looking for a well-rounded shooter that’s had some serious spit-and-polish, Rage should be on your list.

Pros

• Amazing gun-play
• Gorgeous visuals
• Enemy AI keeps you on your toes

Cons

• Story is a bit weak
• Some mission objectives feel mundane
• Post-apocalyptic setting leaves déjà vu feeling  right from the start

First and foremost, Rugby Challenge doesn’t attempt to be like HB-Studios’ Rugby World Cup 2011 in any way; this game feels, plays and looks different in every aspect – and it looks good. Everything from the intro video and menus to the team layouts and title cards ooze style. The character models are truly worthy of the ‘current-gen’ label and players represent their real-life counterparts, right down to the smallest of tattoos. It’s evident that Sidhe really have put a lot into the visual presentation of the game, and it’s something fans definitely deserve.

While the game looks phenomenal, it sometimes struggles when the action heats up. The framerate does suffer during gameplay and even the dynamic commentary duo of Grant Nisbett and Justin Marshall seems really sketchy at times as you can clearly distinguish the separately recorded words or phrases thrown together. This said, it’s nothing game breaking and that’s where sports games count – the gameplay.

For those who may of played a Rugby League title, Rugby Challenge may be fairly familiar at first. The gameplay has a slower pace than other rugby titles on the market and patience is required with the different elements of the game. Passing uses the shoulder buttons, with skip passes becoming available when the shoulder buttons are held. The passing is dynamic and allows for a lot of variety to distributions, such as inside balls and long cut-out passes, but sometimes passes will not meet their man and just launch into touch. Off-loads also play a pivotal role as players can release a late mid-tackle pass to a supporting player, although they are similar to the normal passes and can go awry if the timing is off. It seems the game is more about when to pass, as opposed to when not to pass.

Kicking follows the mechanics of the Rugby League titles with the ability to kick a punt, grubber, up-and-under or drop-goal quickly with the tap of the respective button. Although players can also hold down the kick button and enter a slow-mo type scenario where more precision and accuracy can be executed. On the whole, the kicking works well and adds a lot of variety to the game.

Defensively, players can use either a normal and heavy tackle depending on their playing style and intention. You never know if you are going to wrap up a player or he may slip free, so it’s all about getting the timing right and staying on your marked man.

The general running feels really smooth and players carry a certain weight to them, which is refreshing for the genre as a whole. Sidestepping, fends and dummys are also available with the use of the right analog stick, and feel really dynamic as each has different outcomes depending on the angle of the incoming tackler, the speed of the attacking player and obviously the skill attributes of the ball carrier.

Rucks also have a unique mechanic to them as players are offered the opportunity to enter with a quick or heavy bind when a breakdown occurs. Quick bind is faster and basically just secures the ball if there isn’t much resistance. Heavy bind is when you really want to compete for the ball, although it plays out as a bit of a risk/reward scenario as you could pull in a lot of players and leave space for the opponent to attack.

Lineouts and scrums are nothing revolutionary and use timed sequences in order to win your scrum or throw in straight to your lineout. Theses work well although their barebone nature bring out the bizarre omissions in the game. There is no option to pick up off the back of a scrum, as the ball always goes straight to the scrum-half who suddenly pop up and waits for you to make your move. Similarly, there are no choices to maul after a lineout,  as the ball is immediately taken into contact to form a ruck or once again popped to the scrum-half. There is also no option for a quick-lineout and tap penalties become pointless as the AI is always set back in their defensive positions after a quick cut-scene, throwing away the chance for you to catch them unaware and offsides. While these are strange things to leave out of a current-gen rugby title, they end up being mere annoyances as opposed to game-breaking omissions.

Sidhe seemed to of have compensated for the lack of in-game spontaneity with an incredibly extensive customization tool. Everything from teams, to players, to tournaments and even logos can be edited and customized within the game. This does solve the lack-of-South-African-licenses issue, as team names and players can be renamed and rebuilt to represent your favourite SA team.

The online component also works well and offers some interesting fun with 4v4 options and a leaderboards that you can track to show your virtual rugby worth.

At the end of the day, rugby fans and gamers have been eager for a meritable game that recreates one of the world’s favourite sports, and Sidhe have definitely delivered that with Rugby Challenge. While it does miss out on some of the finer details, the grand scale of gameplay, visuals and extensive customization will not disappoint those who have been eagerly waiting for their rugby fix.

Pros

• Great player likenesses
• Free-flowing gameplay
• Extensive customisation options

Cons

• Some features of gameplay missing
• No custom replay camera
• Some AI bugs

The game’s use of “augments” to customize and improve your character boils down to very cool and useful perks. Completing an objective rewards the player with EXP, and a certain  amount of EXP is then converted into one “Praxis Point”. Augments cost either one or two Praxis Points depending on how good they are. The augments are divided into neat segments related to hacking, vision upgrades, armor, strength, etc. This setup makes it easy to customize Adam to your playing style, with cloaking, lifting heavier objects or stabilizing your aim all keeping the gameplay fresh and interesting

The game has a pretty standard objective-based point A to B structure. A small orange icon on both the mini-map and on-screen will direct you to your next destination. A larger and more comprehensive map is available, never making it necessary to pointlessly run around in search of hard to find mission starting point.

Graphically the game delivers; anybody that has played a Square-Enix game can see that they know about making colorful and vibrant environments. You won’t mistake what’s on screen for something real, but it is realistic enough to imagine the world possibly looking like that in the near future. The sound and musical score also contribute to an involving experience, accurately recreating sounds in the environment and adding some tension building music before a boss fight.

The game is not without faults though, one of the inclusions I find puzzling is the occurrence of occasional “boss fights”. This pretty much consists of being thrown into an enclosed space with somebody that has infinite ammo and ridiculous amounts of health. Now although the boss fights make a good break from just knocking out/stealth killing normal guards, the execution is slightly off the mark. The game is extremely realistic in most ways, as physics and what your character and other NPC’s are capable of are quite spot-on, until you fight a boss. The bosses feel either like they’re massively overpowered and you have to patiently (and safely) chip away at their health until finally killing them, or the only way to do it is by using some sort of cheap method (flashbanging and repeatedly headshotting come to mind). The patient and resourceful nature of the game is abruptly abandoned with a “shoot it ’til it dies” mentality in regard to the bosses.

Another possible criticism is that ammo is somewhat scarce, but in truth all that does is reinforce the notion that the game is not to be approached like the average shooter. Although the game lacks an online mode, the different ways of playing the game certainly make for a bit of replay value.

Overall it’s a rewarding experience and is quite different from a lot of games on the market. If trying something fresh and outside the “grab LMG and sprint through respawning enemies” monotony sounds good, Deus Ex is definitely worth checking out. Fans of RPG Shooters like Fallout or Bioshock won’t be disappointed with what Deus Ex has to offer.

Pros:

• Fun upgrade system.
• Freedom and availability of choices when accomplishing mission objectives.
• Good-looking game and realistic environments.
• Menu interface is intuitive and easy to use.

Cons:

• Boss fights can be somewhat annoying.
• Combination of auto and manual saving can be confusing.

To even try to describe the premise of The Cartel is a mission unto itself. The game allows you to choose from three different characters from different agencies. Despite the choice, you’ll be thrown into the streets and heights of Los Angeles in an attempt to bust an underground drug and sex-trafficking ring, while also looking for the suspect to a bombing. All the inter-agency fighting and clichéd gang references do get a little overwhelming, and the over-the-top dialogue doesn’t help the story’s cause.

The shooting in the game is not that bad, as it really does feel satisfying letting off rounds of the many different weapons. The impact and attention of the guns is really good, the only problem is that the game doesn’t provide you with interesting ways to use them. You’ll always find yourself playing it the same way – running like a child on a sugar-rush squeezing the trigger until no enemy is left moving. That said, it is really fun, and a ‘concentration meter’ also allows a brief time of slow-mo to kick in, which just never seems to get old.

The developers also attempt to mix up the action with some action-packed driving sequences. They are pretty intense when you’re hanging out of the window and blowing up cars with a shotgun on the busy LA highways, but the segments where you actually drive are painfully slow. The cars just seem to move at a turtle’s pace and the steering is a nightmare.

Graphically, The Cartel is all over the place. Some levels and environments look really good with wide open spaces and decent lighting, while NPC’s seem to move really smoothly; but the focal blur and field of vision just never seems to be on-the-money during gun fights. The effect is understandable, its implementation is just not that great.

Mutiplayer does attempt to offer a few twist-ups on the traditional modes we’ve become accustomed too, although nothing stands out amongst the hordes of online shooters out there. The only thing that’ll keep you coming back is the gangster attitude and attatchement to some of the weapons.

There are a few negative things to say about The Cartel, but in all honesty, I had a great time playing it. To look at it critically, it’s a bare-boned shooter that ticks all the boxes it needs to, while leaving off all the stuff that makes games stand out. So while it may not live up to its predecessors, it does manage to fulfill that balls-to-the-wall fun factor that many games these days miss out on.

Pros

• Gritty feel
• Shooting is fun

Cons

• Driving feels painfully slow
• Unnecesarily crude dialogue
• Story is as convoluted as a chinese puzzle

Armageddon is very different to Guerilla. It’s completely linear based and doesn’t include any side missions. Also the pain of traversing over kilometers of land to reach the next mission is gone due to its linearity. This is not a bad thing as the game flows extremely well from one mission to the next and keeps you in the action.

Red Faction has become the definition of destruction in videogames, and although you won’t be shooting solar baric missiles at massive towers and walls that collapse and destroy everything around it, you will be using a state-of-the-art magnet gun to attract large boulders into bunkers and power nodes or disintegrating enemies and shelters with the singularity cannon. Armageddon has slightly more of a strategy in terms of how you prepare for each battle as compared to Guerilla. Each situation is about choosing the four most appropriate weapons available to you, and there are quite a few.

Probably the main highlights of the game are the different weapons to use and vehicles that Darius will pilot to continue his bug exterminating rampage. As it is 50 years after Guerilla, Nano technology is being used in weapons and Darius has a unique arm console which he uses to create Nano Forge. Nano forge is a lethal shockwave of energy that destroys anything in front of him. It also allows him to enhance his weapons through damage and fire rate and gives him the much needed ability to create a protective orb that reflects any projectiles straight back at the enemy.

Destruction is not always the key to victory. In Armageddon you will have to use the Nano Forge to repair armory and upgrade terminals. Most importantly you will need to repair power generators, elevator shafts and even a set of stair cases or a whole in the floor in order to progress. The Nano Forge is a brilliant piece of technology that gives the player the extra needed fire power.

As the humans and Red Faction have taken refuge underground, the means of buying and selling weapons have changed. New weapons are found instead of unlocked and purchased. The high frequency in which you will discover new weapons makes the adventure even more interesting as you will need to continually swop old with new and vice versa. A welcomed addition is the way you upgrade Darius. By collecting experience and leveling up, you can select from any of the many different traits to give Darius the upper hand. Fire rate, Weapon damage, reload speed, Nano Forge Recharge rate and upgrading health are just some of the traits that can be promoted.

Armageddon has some of the best vehicles to pilot in a video game. You will have Darius streaming through large tunnel cannels in a flying marauder ship that shoots lock on missiles. Then you will pilot a massive crab tank that shoots a ridiculously devastating ray as well as a mech and a smaller very maneuverable walker.

Armageddon feels like Starship Troopers in a way. When there are enemies, there are plenty. Swarms upon swarms of these very generic looking aliens will attack from all sides, top and bottom. There will even be times when you will think that you will have to proceed to stop the onslaught, which isn’t the case; you just have to continue pulverizing those buggers until the area is clear.

To understand how much is happening at any time during the game and keep a solid framerate with such detail to the enemy and surrounding buildings is overwhelming. The game does a fantastic job to bring all the chaos together.

The voice acting and sound effects are top of its class. Every so often Darius will throw out a one-liner which makes for some light hearted humor. The guns also sound so unique and each to their own. The Alien screeches and hissings seem more real than one can imagine which makes it chilling at times.

Armageddon does a lot that Guerilla didn’t as it’s a straight to the point third person shooter. It doesn’t waste time with side stories and optional missions to help you gain experience and cash. It just wants you to grip and rip and that’s exactly what it does. Again the highlight of the game is the weapons and the vehicular combat. Unfortunately though, the lack of enemy differentiation and repetitive alien massacring prevent Armageddon from reaching its potential. It is addictive and if you are a fan of Guerilla, what are you waiting for?

The story once again follows Portal’s original protagonist Chell and her battle of mind and body against the psychopathic AI known as GLaDOS. After the events of the original game, Chell was put into stasis for a number of years to find herself once again trapped in the Aperture science facility. After GLaDOS is acidentially rebooted, Chell has to once again face the challenges and testing of GLaDOS with nothing more than a portal gun. The story’s context isn’t necessary the draw, but GLaDOS’ constant call-outs throughout the game make it one of the most unique and interesting narratives in gaming today. The inclusion of some other characters also adds a bit of depth to the experience.

Gameplay remains largely unchanged from Portal, with players only having a portal gun which can fire two portals, one for entry and exit (to a certain degree). The levels usually take form of challenge rooms where players will move from one test to the next, however Portal 2 opts for a more open-ended experience where it’s chapters as opposed to ’50 levels’.

Players need to incorporate velocity, direction and weight when trying to solve the puzzles throughout the game. New to Portal 2 are the inclusion of light bridges, tractor beams and different gels. The light bridges can be transported through the portals and are effective for long gaps or blocking turrets. Tractor beams can be used to pick up objects or travel across certain areas; and can also be reversed which adds some complexity to the puzzles. The three kinds of gel are probably the most fun, with a blue, orange and white gel mixing up the formula to add an extra jump, speed and a place to put portals respectively. The portals alone are an innovative gameplay addition to the genre, and the fact that Valve found some more tricks only makes this series more and more exciting.

Another inclusion is co-op multiplayer (either split-screen or online) where two players take control of some of Aperture’s robots as they take on some team-based puzzles. Two players equals four portals. Just let that simmer in your minds for a second. The co-op is an absolute blast and surprisingly the highlight of the whole game.

While Portal was probably the most innovative game of the decade, it had a rather simple presentation. Portal 2 adds a bit of visual flair with some foliage, motion blur, objects within the environment, and a much bigger scale. However the Source engine is starting to show a little age despite the physics and feel being top-notch.

Portal 2 is essentially a puzzle game wrapped in a first-person title. That said, it’s one of the best puzzle games ever made. The new multiplayer co-op mode alone is a great enough addition to warrarent a purchase, then the fact that it has a bigger campaign and story makes it even greater. If you liked Portal, you’ll love this; and if you’re simply looking for an alternative to headshotting Nazis, it’s definitely worth a look.

Pros

• “Longer” campaign than original (but still a little short)
• Co-op
• Dark humor of story

Cons

• Replay value of puzzle games in general
• Steep learning curve

The events in Dragon Age II take place shortly after those in the first installment: Large parts of the earth have been left in ruin and whatever cities do still exist, live in fear of magic and evil. The plot follows the footsteps of a character named Hawke and his/hers journey toward becoming a champion.  Overall, the story is great and while it may not have one specific, moment making climax, it remains an interesting and immersive experience which is found in the subplots as well as top notch voice acting and conversation options. A key aspect to note is that your choices in the game will in fact have an influence on the story itself which makes the game that much more interesting to play.

In terms of gameplay, Dragon Age II seems to have polished some of the bumpy elements of its predecessor. Firstly, the console versions have zero frame rate issues, as opposed to the first which seemed to suffer at times. The combat has been beefed up greatly as it feels more fluid and fast paced than before. This really makes for a more enjoyable experience as battles play a very large role within the story. There’s also a bit of a hack and slash feel at times which is great.

As you go through the game, you’ll earn XP for killing enemies and completing missions. Ranking up will allow you to specialize your characters attributes as well as assign them special abilities which are available to each specific class. Each class boasts its own unique and awesome sets of abilities and you’ll find yourself playing the game again to choose another class. The leveling up system has been altered and feels less overwhelming and chaotic than before. Unfortunately, players will not be able to pick the race of their main character but luckily you’ll find other races which will eventually join your party.

The entire user interface has also been fixed up and feels less sloppy than before. This time around, menu’s are easier to navigate around which makes going through your characters, inventory, maps and options feels a lot less frustrating.

Visually, Dragon Age II has had some improvements and these can clearly be seen in the character modeling as well as the level design.  Characters and facial animations are well executed and the level design sees some great looking environments. Unfortunately, there is a lack of continuity as many of the levels are regurgitated and will make you feel as if the developers gave up half way.

Dragon Age II is a great RPG game with loads of charm. Its story is great, interesting and less chaotic. It  boasts a great leveling up system, with loads of variety for players to use their own agency. Combat is incredibly fun and the dialogue options superb. Add some solid visuals and subtract the poor frame rate from the original and you have one awesome game on your hands which is sure to keep your attention for hours to come.

Pros

• Excellent Story
• Entertaining Conversation choices
• Great leveling up system

Cons

• Repeated environments

The first thing that is strikingly obvious about Crysis 2 is that the series has left the trademark tropical islands for a concrete one. New York sets the stage for some seriously catastrophic events and that’s where you come in. Playing as a marine known as ‘Alcatraz’, you are given the infamous Nanosuit from the original game’s protagonist, Prophet. After being informed of the alien invasion currently taking place, Alcatraz needs to track down a man named Dr. Gould who could have the key to stopping the takeover.

The story itself is actually very good and it builds relevantly on the original game’s premise. The protagonist doesn’t say much, but the narrative is held down by great voice acting of the supporting cast. The pace and direction of the story is also very well timed, and given the 12+ hour campaign, you’re definitely getting your money’s worth.

While the gameplay expands on what the first Crysis introduced, it also gains an identity for itself. Essentially Crysis 2’s missions are structured a little more linear than its predecessor, but don’t be put off, it actually works in the game’s favor. Where the original Crysis stumbled slightly was in its focus and direction for missions, here in Crysis 2, the player is put into large (and we mean large) areas where some objective needs to be completed before progressing to the next area.

There is a multitude of ways to do every segment, although the little bit of structure makes the whole experience much more immersive. Players can use a Tactical Visor which allows a detailed schematic of the battlefield to pop up, highlighting vantage points and objects such as weapon caches.

The hook of the whole Crysis experience is undoubtedly the Nanosuit and its powers. Players need to balance the power of cloaking and armor as each ability depletes an energy bar. Cloaking works well and gives the chance to flank enemies and perform stealth kills, while armor gives that extra boost when standing your ground in fire fights. Both these features add a lot to the strategy of how you approach each situation and really do mix up the traditional FPS formula.

The Nanosuit also increases speed and strength substantially, allowing players to be more agile on the battlefield. Scaling walls, vaulting over ledges and a very handy slide mechanic all help the pace of the game as you can traverse objects fast and efficiently. Players can also interact with certain objects, such as kicking cars, which sometimes gives that extra little ‘thump’ that your enemies may need.

While initially it may not be as striking as the original Crysis’ lush tropical jungles, the sequel is no slouch and is the eye-candy everyone has been waiting for. While many may disagree, the level of detail, gorgeous lighting, fluid animations and absolutely stellar vistas and backdrops trump the original in every department. There are slight graphical and AI glitches; however there is no denying that Crysis 2 is one of the best looking games ever made. Period

All of the Nanosuit’s powers and abilities are undoubtedly carried over into the multiplayer arena. There are a number of team and free-for-all deathmatches, with some capture the flag type modes to mix up the component. Using cloak and armor in multiplayer adds a new level of depth to the online strategy, and with the dynamic and well-designed maps giving players a chance to attack from anywhere, you definately get an experience no other game will offer. 

Crysis 2 is exactly the game you’ve been waiting for. It’s an absolutely drop-gorgeous visual masterpiece, but it’s also so much more than that. All the gameplay mechanics have been tightened up from the original, and all the loose fatty ends cut off. This is a unique FPS experience that you won’t find anywhere else.

Pros

• Eyegasm
• Variety in play styles
• Impressive length of campaign given the quality

Cons

• Controls may overwhelm noobs
• Framerate on console version sometimes trips

You play as Robert Jacobs, a member of the American resistance where you will find yourself gunning down hundreds of Korean forces in an attempt to liberate America from its devastation. The story does a fantastic job to not show the usual overpowering American force and instead puts them on their last hope for survival.

Homefront lets the team down with its generic gameplay. Its core gameplay mechanics, especially the shooting are very familiar to the likes of the Modern Warfare series and doesn’t introduce anything too fresh. There is one exception where you will take control of the Goliath, a very powerful and heavily armored Mechanical Drone the size of a tank which is extremely fun to use.

The visuals tell the same story to that of the gameplay….dated. A game with so much hype should have looked better considering some of its 2011 rivals that have already broken the barriers for graphic prowess. However, it does reveal some vibrant colors, good draw distances and interesting level design that really does a good job of bringing war to American neighborhoods.

The Multiplayer side of things shows the exact reason why this game was made. There is a large amount of customization including six different loadout’s where each loadout can be changed from a large selection of guns. There are also a lot of perks to be unlocked when reaching higher levels and each perk can then be attributed to a specific loadout. You will also be able to pilot tanks and air and ground drones which add a well deserved dynamic.

There are two main multiplayer modes, team Deathmatch and Ground Control where 16, 24 or 32 players can compete. Ground Control is divided into rounds where one of the two sides will have to conquer a minimum two of the three areas in a specific map and hold them until the time runs out, and then advance onto the next round but within a different location on one of the same gigantic maps.
The design and variety of the multiplayer maps makes the game so much more. There are desert locations, suburbs and neighborhoods as well as city type scenarios. The maps are large and provide almost unlimited opportunities for sniping and exciting open warfare.

Overall, Homefront is a very mixed bag that doesn’t really warrant a full purchase if you are only going to play through the single player campaign which can be completed in an average of 4 to 5 hours. On the other hand the game completely redeems itself due to its fantastic online multiplayer. Homefront is a Multiplayer marvel that ticks all the boxes for online warfare.

Have a look at some gameplay below from the single player campaign.

Dead Space 2 once again follows Isaac Clarke, the engineer from the first game who escaped the necromorph infested ship known as the Ishimura. Its three years later and Isaac finds himself trapped in a space colony called the Sprawl, where all hell has broken loose. Isaac has to slowly battle his way through the Sprawl and find out why he is in another fight for survival.

All the core gameplay mechanics, namely blasting off limbs, that made the original so much fun are still the same this time around. However here are also new suits to be unlocked by finding the schematics and purchasing them at any store throughout the campaign. There are also a couple new guns that are added to Isaac’s arsenal for those tricky situations, where a certain gun will provide a greater advantage than another. The added Necromorphs create a better balance between the different challenging situations that Isaac will encounter and also create some new heart-stopping moments.

The most significant thing about Dead Space 2 is the prominance of Isaac’s voice, which creates a deeper and more meaningful story that makes the player feel much more immersed. The voice acting is done superbly, as the player is able to get a sense of feeling from Isaac’s emotions throughout the game.

The visuals have been ramped up as the use of lens flares and dynamic lighting make the entire experience much more real. The levels are more detailed and open compared to the narrow pathways of the Ishimura from the first game, which mean bigger scares as there are more dark corners for the enemies to hide.

The game transitions smoothly from chapter to chapter as the player will never be taken away from the thrilling action as there are no loading screens and even the cut scenes are all generated in-game, which gives familiarity to something such as the Uncharted series, emphasising how well they also fit in here.

The game does reach some points of frustration as the difficulty spikes more than it did in the original. Although when the 9 to 11 hour campaign is completed, the player is awarded with special new suits and upgrades and many will find themselves coming back for a second or third play-through to conquer those difficult parts.

The added multiplayer mode allows players to team up and fight either on the human or necromorph sides. Teams have to complete a set number of goals in each map while the alien team will just concentrate on killing the humans until the round has ended, where the teams will then swop sides and the map will change.

Dead Space 2 has taken the franchise to a scarrier, more gruesome and immersive experience with the sequel. It is the best survival (space) horror for this generation, and expectations will be exceeded with Isaac Clark’s second adventure.

Pros

• Variety of New weapons and suits
• Oustanding visuals
• Amazing in-game cut-scenes

Cons

• Extremely difficult at times
• No major boss battles