Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
LucasArts, Out Spring/Summer 08

Feel like turning to the Dark Side? Well you can in this game, as you’ll be playing Darth Vader’s secret apprentice.

Set in the mainly unexplored era that lies between the movies Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope, you’ll be helping Vader rid the world of the pesky Jedi. It’ll also be the Star Wars universe like never before thanks to new technologies the developers are using. Called Digital Molecular Matter (DMM) and euphoria, these technologies incorporate physical properties of anything in the environment so that everything reacts as it should – wood splinters like wood, glass shatters like glass etc.

In addition, interactive characters move, think and react like real human beings, adapting their behaviour all the time, meaning you’ll never know how they’ll respond to your actions. Throw into the mix that your decisions throughout the game will affect its outcome – leading to a different number of endings, and it sounds like some good stuff to us.

Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning
GOA/EA Mythic, Out Spring 2008

MMORPG’s are growing in popularity and here’s one that might rival the amazingly popular World of Warcraft. Based on Games Workshop's popular Warhammer  fantasy game, war is everywhere in Warhammer Online (WAR), and this game features Realm vs. Realm (RvR) gameplay, where players can either take part Player vs. Environment (PvE) quests or Player vs. Player (PvP) combat.  

Upon entering WAR players must determine their allegiance and join an Army. Those inclined towards the side of good may fight for the Armies of Order as an obstinate Dwarf, noble High Elf, or loyal human soldier of the Empire. Whilst those inclined towards darker deeds may side with the sinister Armies of Destruction as a savage Greenskin (Orc or Goblin), corrupt Dark Elf, or marauding human worshipper of Chaos.

You can choose either to take on quests to help your side fight, or get down and dirty with some one on one skirmishes and even army sized assaults on the opponents capital city. Either way, whatever gameplay style you like, you’ll be immersed in a fantasy world brought to life in a way that will enable you to create characters destined for great deeds and glory on the field of battle.

REVIEWS

Burnout Paradise
Electronic Arts, £49.99
PS3, X360, Out now
Rating: 3+

The fifth edition of the series known for its speed and crashing antics, Burnout Paradise offers something new. Entering the world of sandbox gaming, this latest addition rids itself of menus and options, instead giving you a free run of the whole of the graphically gorgeous Paradise City from the word go. It can feel odd at first when you wander aimlessly around the city, but helpful pointers will have you used to this gameplay style in no time.

You start with a learners license (complete with your own photo if you own a USB camera) and the aim of the game is to achieve goals that eventually lead to a Burnout license - and the best cars money can buy. These challenges can be found at every intersection in the city and range from races, stunts, marked man and car-specific events; something to whet any car lovers’ appetite. Throw in a huge amount of co-op and competitive challenges, and here’s a game that’s definitely value for money.

At first this addition to the series feels a little cold and overwhelming, but given time it will give you that warm, gooey feeling the classic Burnout titles left you with.

We reckon…
4*

Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings
Square Enix, £29.99
DS, Out February 12th
Rating: 12+

Following on from the amazing Final Fantasy XII on the PS2, we again journey to Ivalice for adventures with Vaan and friends. Similar in style to the brilliant Final Fantasy Tactics moons ago, this is a strategy-based outing that sees you fight grander and harder battles as you progress through another great FF story.

With 10 chapters, each approximately made up of five missions, (and some expected side quests) you’ll head to the battlefield not only aiming to survive but keeping to specific goals in order to move forward.  With strategy being key, both you and your enemies have different fighting styles; ranged, flying and melee which work in a ‘rock-paper-scissors’ relationship, i.e. flying attacks work best on melee fighters, ranged attacks on flyers etc. With this in mind you’ll need to think about who to send into battle and how to fight, if you want to be able to walk away from it afterwards.

As in the original FFXII game, you’ll be using familiar combat abilities such gambits, and the graphic interpretation of Ivalice on the DS is fantastic. Another must have game from the Square Enix team.

We reckon…
5*

Asterix at the Olympic Games
Atari, £34.99 on Wii, £29.99 on DS and PS2, £19.99 on PC
DS, PC, PS2, Wii, Out February 29th
Rating: 7+

It might not be anything new or thought provoking, but Asterix’s simplistic gameplay makes this a fun little game, although quite taxing on the hands.

A button basher’s dream, the reviewed PS2 version will find you spending most of this game hammering button combos in an attempt to beat challenges and high scores across the Olympic competitions.

There’s a story behind it too – Asterix, Obelix, Dogmatix and friends must stop villainous Brutus who has opened the gates between the worlds of the book/comic, the film and the game while still finding time and energy to triumph at the Olympic Games themselves. So you’ve got a story to follow as well as getting sucked into the competitions (in-game or against friends).

All in all it’s an overly simplistic game and the graphics – on the PS2 at least – look quite shoddy. Still, although not an award winning title, it’s enjoyable to play and older gamers will feel nostalgic for classic Track and Field-esque titles.

We reckon
3*

Zack & Wiki: Quest for Barbaros’ Treasure
Nintendo, £39.99
Wii, Out now
Rating: 7+

Reckon you’re a gaming genius? Then we challenge you to take on Zack and Wiki, a game that is both fun and a frustrating brainteaser. You might be a god at shooting enemies or timing jumps but this doesn’t mean you’ll find this point and click puzzler easy - this colourful cell-shaded game isn’t just a pretty face; it’s a real cerebral challenge.

Set in a world of Pirates you play young chocoholic pirate Zack and his flying, shapechanging monkey (don’t ask) who sets off on a mission to find the parts of Barbaros’ golden skeleton; a cursed pirate whose remains are scattered across the land.

One of the best uses of the Wii-mote to date, you choose a challenge area and then aim and tap A where you want Zack to move, and twist, turn and thrust the Wii-mote in a variety of different ways to solve puzzles and get to the ultimate prize – the treasure chest.

Examining the setting and all its features will give clear clues on how to solve each puzzle, and you can use Wiki’s special skills to turn its wildlife into useful tools. Kooky and creative, this game’s a refreshing change to all the carnage and gameplay by numbers we’re used to. Give it a go.

We reckon…
4*

Buzz! The Schools Quiz
Sony, £39.99 with 4 buzzers, £24.99 game-only
PS2, Out now
Rating: 3+

Who’d have thought that games would be able to play a role in education, eh? Well, the Buzz! team of developers have done just that with this new game in the series aimed for use in schools to test knowledge.

That might put some of you off, but it shouldn’t – this is still classic Buzz gameplay, just with questions related to topics you cover in school.

You’ve still got the same gameplay style; with the ability to choose your in-game character and have buzzers at the ready, but instead of music or general knowledge being tested, you’ll be quizzed on everything from English and Maths to Science, History and Geography. Challenges like Fastest Finger return, but then there are new rounds like Fact or Fiction where you have to guess if statements are true or false and Top Rank where you have to put things into the correct order. These will really show you where you excel and need work in class, oh and could be a chuckle if you play against your parents and discover you know more about science than them…

Another top game to add to your Buzz! Collection, this is not just great for the brain but great fun, and cool awards like the Genius Cup and Trigger Finger Trophy will also bring out the competitor in you.

We reckon…
4*

The Club
Sega, £34.99 on PC, £49.99 on PS3, X360
PC, PS3, X360, Out February 8th
Rating: 15

We gave you a taster of The Club last month, but now we’ve had some good hands-on time with the game we can tell you that it’s as good as we expected.

Thankfully the opposite of all the stealth and cover orientated shooters currently saturating the market, this game expects you to be running into firefights at every given opportunity and well, it’s a great rush!

Very arcade-styled in it’s ‘mannerisms’ and options, its easy to pick up and play for either quick bursts or marathon sessions. Pretty much a 3D shoot-em-up, you pick a trigger happy character, level, difficulty level and challenge type and you’re good to go.

With controls that are exactly as you want them to be – aside from occasionally rough aiming issues – this is a frantic little game that brings together many of the aspects of classic arcade shooter outings we know and love.

We reckon…
4*

Other great games to look out for this month..!

February is a great month for Final Fantasy fans, with not only a brand new game being released, but two classics coming to the PSP. The original Final Fantasy plus the first follow up, spectacularly titled Final Fantasy II, have been remastered and feature redrawn graphics and character art, plus exclusive all-new dungeons. See where the magic all began… The action orientated will also get their fix with Devil May Cry 4 finally seeing release. In this ‘chapter’ of the series, new guy Nero gets a lead role, after witnessing his leader's slaughter at the hands of Dante. This ‘Order of the Sword’ is made up of 'Holy Knights' who worship Sparda, Dante's father, who as a Dark Knight rebelled against the emperor thousands of years ago. An evil conspiracy unfolds as Dante and Nero’s fates become intertwined…Finally, for those that prefer reality to fantasy, or just love sport, FIFA Street returns with a new look that turns the game’s global football icons into stylised action heroes and a simplified control system that enables you to easily perform over-the-top trick moves. FIFA Street 3 features over 250 of the world’s best players representing 18 of the top international teams, and whether you’re after brawn, brains, silky skills or crunching tackles to complete your team, the perfect street player is out there. Choose from Tricksters, Enforcers, Playmakers and Finishers to give you different options on the ball and make your mark on the street. That should keep you occupied until March is upon us…