APB is a PVP-oriented online experience where gamers can align themselves with one of two factions – Criminals or Enforcers. These two forces must then go at it, for the good of a rather boring setting of San Paro, split into three different areas, there’s the two action zones, Waterfront and Financial, where missions are carried out and battles are fought, and the peaceful social area where players can design new outfits, car liveries, tattoos, music, and give their avatar some expensive plastic surgery. It reminded us of an edgier version of the Sims – if EALA let off the shackles and let players design anything they wanted to.

The heart of the game is in the action zones, where players for either team carry out missions for a handful of contacts scattered around the city. As objectives are met, opposing squads made up of real players will be dispatched against you, transforming the tepid ‘travel here, interact with this dynamic there’, to tyre-squealing, gun-blazing, all-out action. Teams can accommodate six players to take out opposing members and civilians but not other random players, which means that griefing potential is definitely dialed down considerably on the 80-player servers.

Most of the game time revolves around driving or shooting, the former of which is great fun, but the latter just feels too loose. Damage caused to other players isn’t communicated properly, so usually you’ll just pepper away until somebody rag dolls.

Puzzling element

Perhaps the most puzzling element of APB is the payment structure, which offers players 50 hours of action zone play out of the box and more time can be purchased via a top-up fee. It’s bizarre because other than the PvP aspect, it’s really hard to excuse the additional cost of playing.

Realtime Worlds has created a game unlike any other, and it’s worth experiencing initially. There are some unforgettable moments to be had when teams work together – such as jumping off ramps to escape pursuers, or rolling into an ambush all-guns blazing. Viewed as a standard 50-hour experience, most players will get enjoy their time with APB until their time expires. As a standard third-person game, this online experience represents great throwaway fun, but when compared to the play-to-play heavyweights all vying for your cash, it lacks real depth.

Game Uber’s Related Posts:

APB – Beta

Singularity could best be described as a first-person horror shooter mixed with an uninspiring yet wonderfully chilling time-shifting sci-fi plot. Those pesky Russian scientists have once again found themselves playing with things they don’t quite understand, this time an energy source known as E99 which Stalin believes can be used to manipulate time, pushing their experiments to the point of creating a catastrophic time rift dubbed ‘Singularity’, and sending the island of Katorga-12 spiralling into chaos – and quarantined off from the rest of the world. 55 years later, following intelligence reports of activity on the island, a US recon team is sent in to find out what’s happening on the mysterious island, before discovering that they’re not the only one determined to get to the bottom of it.

So far, so early-noughties TV show, but Singularity’s influences don’t end there. It rips off almost every major game of the last decade, and some of the not so big ones, too. Its BioShock-alike tendencies are obvious from the get go, from Singularity’s crash-landing into an unknown civilization to the frequent radio chatter, while Wolfenstein appears to have been Raven’s proving ground for some of the features of the game’s Time Manipulation Device, which can be used to slow down time, rip open time rifts, and punish the island’s ghouls with a Force Unleashed-alike push. The game also frequently flirts with ideas from Half-Life, System Shock and TimeShift, with the player seamlessly switching between 1955 and 2010 on the fly, while the new abilities regularly paced throughout the entire game are similar to the gameplay-changing elements seen in Metroid Prime.

More impressively, Raven have presented a previously untapped Valve-alike quality in Singularity, with some perfect pacing, a harrowing atmosphere and an initial sense of player vulnerability that gradually transcends into an unstoppable, telekinesis-abled one-man killing machine. Whether being stalked by time-manipulating predators, plucking rockets out of the sky or walking through abandoned schoolyards complete with visions and haunted screams of slaughtered children, it’ll have you gripped all the way up to the final mindblowingly awesome end sequence.

The odd kinks do occasionally show – a brief section where the player is tasked with outrunning an army of explosive spiders proves to be utterly frustrating and ultimately unnecessary, while the reliance on using the same puzzle mechanic to prop open gates and security shooters goes someway to prove that Raven lacks an ability to think outside of the box.

But to focus on these elements would be to discredit Raven’s forte – its ability to set up jaw-dropping set-pieces and boss battles. Imagine a fantastic armament of weaponry, and scenarios that will remain with you long after the credits roll around. It deserves to live in the memory alongside the games it so desperately seeks to imitate, and indeed, it seems almost criminal that so few will likely get round to experiencing one of the better shooters we’ve seen this generation. But if you’re one of those gamers prepared to give it a try, rest safe in the knowledge that Singularity will likely prove to be one of the games of the summer.

Nameless but for its number, 3.3.5 the penultimate patch and we’re no longer in Wrath territory, rather these patches are adding cool new gaming mechanics and paving the way for Cataclysm, which has just entered its closed Beta. Compared to other patches, this one might feel lightweight but there are some pretty hefty changes, most notably the introduction of Real ID, Blizzard’s take on in-game social networking.

On the offensive

Deathwing is coming, and the new raid which sees players assaulting on Ruby Sanctum offers the first tantalizing hints of the expansion to come. Kirin Tor Mage Rhonin sends you to Krasus, his old friend from the Red Dragonflight, and he gives you the bad news. The Red Dragonflight’s sanctuary has been overrun by agents of Deathwing – Halion and his three minions, Saviana Ragefire, Baltharus the Warborn and General Zarithian. Corpses of red dragons litter the leafy glade and black dragonkin stalk, practically begging you to pick a fight. In some ways, this raid is reminiscent of the Obsidian Sanctum, only turned up to the Nth degree. There are even more trash mobs to clear – and they pack a punch to boot – as well as the dragon lieutenants, before you finally get to face the Twilight Dragon, Halion, the self-proclaimed Herald of Deathwing. The raid set-up might be simple but don’t be fooled, the loot is on the same level as that dropped by the Lich King, so this is not going to be a walk in the park. Yes, the multi-night wipefest raid is back with a vengeance, but the inclusion of the Ruby Sanctum will keep players entertained in those slow months to Cataclysm. At the same time, it should also prompt you to get out of Dalaran and revisit the old world and finish all those epic quests. Time is short and Deathwing is coming…

BlizzBook

Real ID has been sometime coming, but has been rolled out with this patch to tie-in with the release of StarCraft II, Blizzard’s other big franchise which will finally be released at the end of July. Battle.net is not new; it’s been the foundation stone for all of Blizzard’s other titles from Diablo and Warcraft III to the original StarCraft. It’s also become an important backbone for World of Warcraft since the introduction of Battle.net accounts and authenticators. Real ID takes this to the next level by allowing gamers to befriend other players and keep in contact with them whether they are leveling in Outland, fighting Diablo or zerging in StarCraft.

Like the systems created by the Big Three console makers, Blizzard has decided mutual agreement is the way to go. To get someone’s Real ID, you need either their email address (yes, the one they use to access WoW) or you can add them by trolling through other people’s lists (which is a lot harder than it sounds). You then add them and if they want to, they can add you and will then appear under their real name in your friends’ list.

You’ll be able to see each time they log on – regardless of game, realm or character – and will even be updated whenever they decided to change whether they are available, busy or away, or broadcast a Facebook-like status message.

Yes, this new system is fun and frivolous, and it’s also ripe for misuse – there’s a profanity filter in place – but also a nice way to communicate in this world of social networking. Want to broadcast your innermost thoughts or just suggest a trip out for an impromptu raid? Go for it.

The only downside to this is that it can be very disconcerting when someone whispers you using their real name and you have to check your friends’ list to find out who they are. If you’re after a private chit-chat you can whisper as normal or invite a couple of players for a chat. It’s worth reiterating that Real ID is voluntary and you can completely ignore it if you want; the old friend’s system remains (you’ll find characters underneath Real ID friends).

As Cataclysm comes ever closer, it’s clear Blizzard are trying to do their best to implement new features that will enhance the gameplay experience as well as keep folk occupied in the pre-expansion lull. Real ID is fun but based on the social networks we know and love – it’s a new fun way to make the game a little bit more down with the current trends of Real ID is promising and geekdom.

The Ruby Sanctum is short and tough. Looks are deceiving but it’s sure to keep people occupied while they wait for those oh-so-precious Beta invites.

Yet bizarrely, that gut-wrenching feeling is met by one of sheer satisfaction. Other people are racing around our creation alongside us, rating it and commenting on it. Perhaps this could be the one that will gain us stardom in ModSpot, ModNation’s hub filled with podiums of the world’s most popular user-generated tracks, mods and karts that seamlessly bridges each game mode and menu, or featured on forums the world over.

Achievement and ingenuity, then, is something developers United Front Games are all too keen to see recognized in ModNation Racers. Yet, with the game being the studio’s first title, reward and recognition is perhaps something that would be better lauded at the team itself. They’ve created a stunning kart racer here, obviously inspired by genre king Mario Kart, but, unlike the majority of other kart racers on the market today, superbly polished and with enough of its own innovations to avoid appearing like another also-ran.

First and foremost is Creation Station, an extension on Sony’s Play, Create, Share moniker that allows you to create your own tracks, racers and karts via incredibly intuitive and easy-to-use toolsets, before publishing them to PSN for others to download. Creating your own kart and racer is simple, utilizing a similar system to LBP’s Popit menu, while laying down track is as simple as driving a cement mixer around a vast open space, tilting the elevation with the right stick, and reversing backwards to undo any mistakes. At its most basic level it’s a wonderfully simple opportunity for the most inexperienced user to boost the number of tracks available to them, with the option to auto-populate their track with boost pads, item pods and scenery making it possible to have a great track up and running in minutes. But an incredible amount of depth lies in wait of those willing to put the hours into creating something a little more special, right down to subtly tweaking turns and altering specific terrain. Just don’t go expecting some of the more mind-bending creations seen in LittleBigPlanet; options to create in ModNation are rooted firmly within the realms of racing.

When you do want to settle down for some races, the game’s career is surprisingly worthy of your time, refusing to sidle up to genre standards by moving away from the usual cup structure seen in your typical kart racer. Instead it’s a proper campaign, trekking the career of an up-and-coming racer looking to achieve victory in the ModNation Racing Championship. Races are broken down into various series, and bonus Creation Station items are awarded for achieving certain objectives, such as drafting behind racers for a certain amount of time or collecting a set number of item pods. Multiplayer too, is insanely fun and the online infrastructure is seamless, instantly allowing you to jump directly into an online casual or ranked race. You’re even able to play online with a local friend via a split-screen option, a feature often overlooked by the majority of racers.

But that’s ModNation Racers in a nutshell. It’s a kart racer that dares to tread outside of conventionality, using its inspirations effectively to deliver a highly polished, best-in-class experience full of charm and personality, and the best kart racer since Mario Kart.

It’s easy to laugh at Alan Wake. It’s a stupid name for one, and he’s a fairly stupid guy. He’s a writer with a much-referenced obsession with Stephen King, and his constant soliloquies about his surroundings are as flat as some of the game’s more threadbare textures. To dismiss all of Remedy’s literary ambitions though, is to do the Finnish team a disservice.

Alan Wake, on a narrative level, actually tries to do something interesting. Much like Max Payne before it, Alan Wake is a pastiche executed with some skill. It cleverly plays with your expectations and preconceptions – and even with the medium itself – and while the consistency of the cast is a letdown, the yarn it spins isn’t.

Backing up this well-paced romp – and it is a romp, there’s very little here to be taken seriously – is an atmosphere that takes full advantage of its host technology to deliver something really quite unsettling. Without spoiling the story, Alan spends a lot of his time in the woods of Pacific town Bright Falls. At night. With a torch. And his not on best terms with the dark.

Machete-wielding shadow monsters hurl themselves at you from the jet-black shroud of the night, and they can only be stopped with a well-aimed torch beam and a few shots from your revolver. It’s a slick system, one that outperforms most of its survival horror brethren in its tactility.

Sadly though, by its final third, Alan Wake has lost its way. Later sections feel tacked on for pacing or padding, and the focus shifts from snappy storytelling to drawn-out, frustrating gun-battles. Only a fantastic last 20 minutes save it from the abyss, although the ending itself leaves a lot to be desired. Here’s hoping for some conclusive downloadable content.

Still, regardless of how long it’s been in development and how stupid its name is, this is a supremely slick and thoroughly entertaining lark in the woods, and a refreshing change of pace on a console dominated by war. A happy ending after all.

Game Uber’s Related Posts:

Alan Wake – Hands-On

Such a subtle moment, one that very few other players would have ever experienced, but one that helps to define what’s surely the best example of the Rockstar open-world yet. GTA IV had detail, satire and violence, but Liberty City feels almost juvenile when compared to this. For starters, it looks incredible. Amazing, in fact. The sweeping panoramas, the searing sunsets, the way the outback’s living ecosystem skips or prowls the dusty trails and rocky outcrops. It’s a technical achievement without parity, but Dead Redemption a masterpiece. No, for that, it needs atmosphere. And boy does it have that.

John Marston, the reformed outlaw, is as good a protagonist as you’ll find in a videogame. He’s etched out of the same stock as countless cinematic Western heroes before him, but is still his own man, one who believes in honor but accepts violence, who places more faith in family than technology. He’s a man not quite at peace with the changing world around him, and unlike most open-world games, his actions don’t always change his universe. He just exists in the world. He doesn’t control it.

As matters settle down, Red Dead Redemption soon follows the GTA template of mission-givers and cut-scenes, broken up by all manner of distractions. You can hunt and skin the wildlife, seek out treasure or take on bounties. Unlike most games of this ilk though, you never know what to expect around Red Dead’s next sun-scorched corner. Random events spawn into the world around you, leaving you free to interact with them or just trot on by on your beautifully animated steed. Do you rescue the hanging man from bandits? Do you return the stagecoach that has been stolen? It’s up to you, and your actions will determine both your Fame (XP, essentially) and your Honor (Karma).

Marston is such a likeable lead that it’s tough to carry out nasty acts, and Rockstar knows this. Being ‘evil’ will make you rich quick, but can you sleep at night when you’ve just murdered an innocent landlord or ignored the cries of a dying woman?

Whether you choose to be one of the good guys or not, you’re going to have to get used to handling a weapon – and quickly, as firefights are frequent and brutal. The combat is the finest Rockstar has managed yet, with a solid if niggly cover system but a seriously satisfying group of weapons that have the kind of impact that most games don’t even bother trying to mimic. Enemies will drop after one or two shots, so if you’re able to be accurate then you’ll be deadly.

Of course, if you’re not the sharpest eye in the West, Dead Eye mode will help. It’s essentially bullet time, and the sole hangover from Red Dead Revolver. It allows you to ‘paint’ your slo-mo’d targets with small crosses before Marston fires off rapid rounds. Dead Eye shows off the superb Euphoria physics engine, and makes for some of the most memorable killshots in gaming history. Especially when you’re battling on horseback.

What the team at Rockstar San Diego has managed to capture so well though, is the feeling of existing a century ago. It’s the Wild West of the movies rather than the history books, but nevertheless, the conflict between tradition and modernity creates a society that not only looks the part, but talks it and lives it, too. You’ll hear off-hand remarks about the power-hungry government, or embellished tales of great gunslingers and outlaws. It’s a taste of a world where life is slower and communication is simpler. You may not want to come back.

It’s a game of moments too, both scripted and systemic. The crossing to Mexico will go down as one of gaming’s truly memorable set pieces, and there’s not a shot fired or an angry word spoken. The beautifully woven and skillfully written plot will drag you into Marston’s world, and ends with such style and poise that TV writers should be taking notes. It’s the little things though; the splashed of rain underfoot, the heartbreaking story of Eva (who you could quite feasibly never even meet), the gut-wrenching sadness of seeing your horse collapse to the ground during an ambush… these are what make Red Dead Redemption.

Few games have the capacity to make you feel validated as a gamer. Red Dead Redemption not only makes you feel thrilled, excited and overawed, it’ll make you feel proud. And there’s not many times we can say that.

Game Uber’s Related Posts:

Red Dead Redemption – Hands – On •
Red Dead Redemption – Preview