Little Big Planet

Little Big Planet is a novel, imaginative, and highly customisable platform game.

Although Little Big Planet could be described as a platforming game, its dedication to creativity in every area takes it far beyond the confines of the genre. Everything from your character to the environment is geared towards user creation and adaptation, via stickers and costumes right up to a full-blown level creator. Each level of the story mode is an unforgettable trip through the wild imagination of the designers, and it would be difficult to find a game that's as much fun to play with friends co-operatively. It's a little disheartening that the Story mode is over so quickly, and although there's some longevity to be had from finding all the hidden extras, you can still see everything the story has to offer in six hours. Then there's the level creator--an astoundingly powerful toolset that theoretically allows you to recreate anything you see in the included levels and much more. However, it still requires a great deal of time and skill to develop something that people will actually want to play, and despite the best intentions of the developer, it's a feature that not everyone will be able to take full advantage of. The overall result is a game that's incredibly fun while it lasts, and one that has the potential to be taken further by its community.

The titular Little Big Planet is the place where all human imagination collects--the planet above the cosmos where our untapped creativity escapes when we're asleep or daydreaming. That's the background, anyway, and though characters occasionally refer to each other in the game, this fantastical journey has little in the way of exposition or backstory. There are eight themed worlds in total, and they vary in style from places such as the African savannah to the Mexican desert and ninja-obsessed Japan. Each world has either three or four individual levels, most of which can be completed in less than 10 minutes, and each level also has a bonus challenge or race if you can find the key hidden within. These bonus levels offer some of the most fun and imaginative experiences in the game, with an homage to Line Rider, skipping contests, and even drag racing competitions.
Little Big Planet's emphasis on creativity is completely embodied by its mascot, Sackboy. This endearingly cute rag doll acts as a blank slate for your creativity, and as you collect new materials and clothing in the story mode, you can constantly try out new looks. You can dress him up in costumes, add accessories such as hats and glasses, and even change his covering from that familiar brown to a particularly gaudy pink. Sackboy is also highly expressive, and you can use the controller's triggers and analog stick to move his arms and even smack unruly players. The D pad controls his facial expressions: up for happy, down for sad, left for scared, and right for angry, and repeatedly tapping in that direction further emphasises these emotions. You can also use the motion sensor to move Sackboy's head and hips, nodding knowingly if you win a level, at least until someone inevitably smacks you in the face for being so smug. With so much control over your character, you often end up spending a good deal of time just changing clothes, pulling faces, and maybe even sticking a "LOLZ" sticker on your buddy's forehead.

Although the character customisation may be in-depth, the platforming itself is not. There are only two action buttons: X to jump, and R1 to grab hold of swings and move objects. Sackboy doesn't use any special powers, and he doesn't become any faster or stronger throughout the course of the game. This is platforming in its purest form: jumping from platform to platform, dodging obstacles such as fire and electricity, and collecting blue orbs to score points along the way. What makes Little Big Planet unique is that it frequently goes way beyond platforming into something else entirely, seemingly for no other reason than to satisfy the designer's rampant imagination. With scenarios such as hot-air balloon riding, animal prison breaks, and ninja henchmen battles, every level of Little Big Planet demonstrates incredible imagination.
The main story mode follows a sequential progression, so you open up new levels by completing them in order. However, even when you've finished a level, you'll want to return to collect the hidden items, keys, and point bubbles that you likely missed the first time around. Collecting items allows you more creative freedom in the form of stickers and costumes, whereas music and materials can be used in the creation mode afterward. You can also collect loot drops by putting stickers down in certain places, and there are puzzles that you can only solve by playing in the two- to four-player mode. These include gates that can only be opened remotely, objects that require multiple characters to pull, and in one brilliant scene, a car driven by one character while another dangles on a trapeze underneath.
Little Big Planet poses a bit of a dilemma; it's miles more fun in multiplayer, but also more flawed. Figuring out the puzzles and experiencing the set pieces for the first time with others is one of the most memorable experiences we've had this year, and chances are that you'll find yourself recounting the best moments with your friends afterwards. Unfortunately, there's a downside to playing in multiplayer, and it's something that often afflicts platforming games: the camera. It frequently struggles to frame the action, and considering many precision jumps are required, certain sections become nigh-on impossible. The generous spacing of respawn points lets you retry most of the tricky sections, but if you fail after using up your lives, you have to restart the entire level. There were many occasions in multiplayer in which we intentionally killed ourselves, just so that one player could try a section without the camera jerking around all of the time.
Sadly, with no scalable difficulty level and relatively few truly testing challenges, stalwarts of the genre will be able to reach the last boss in less than six hours. This isn't counting the time it takes to go back and collect everything, but the fact remains, you can see all the main levels in one prolonged sitting. Clearly, if the community jumps on the creation tools then this longevity will be extended, but it will take time and great skill from home designers to match the creativity and professionalism of Media Molecule's work.

Age of Booty (Xbox Game)

This pirate-themed strategy game is accessible enough to be enjoyed by just about anyone.

Age of Booty is a lighthearted strategy game pits pirates against other pirates in a race to seize control of towns on hex-based maps that belie its fast-paced nature. There's fun to be had playing through 20-plus single-player challenges, but like more traditional strategy games, Age of Booty is definitely at its best when played with friends. You can sail the multiplayer seas either online or locally, and even if strategy games are something that you're normally intimidated by, this one is well worth a look.

Regardless of which map and which mode you're playing, your goal in Age of Booty is always the same: To control more towns than the opposing pirate factions. Games are either played to a time limit or until one team controls a specified number of towns, which--in a closely contested game--can take a lot longer than the 10 to 20 minutes for which timed games are generally set. Capturing a town is as easy as parking your ship next to it, provided your ship's cannons can destroy the defenses before the town's cannons manage to sink you. Combat is automatically initiated any time you're adjacent to a potential target, so other than pushing a couple of buttons to upgrade your ships and towns when you have enough resources to do so, the only controls you need are for movement. You move the cursor to the hexagonal tile that you'd like to sail to, and then you push a button to start moving; it really is that simple. The unseen crew aboard your ship also does a great job of navigating around islands and such for the quickest possible route.
When you're not docked at your faction's base for repairs and upgrades or attempting to capture or defend a town, there are resources to consider. Although there are three distinct resources (wood, gold, and rum) used to purchase ship and town upgrades in Age of Booty, the time that you need to spend concerning yourself with them is minimal. Captured towns will automatically generate resources for you, and additional stocks can be found inside crates floating in the water, among the debris of enemy vessels, or in the ruins of native villages that you've destroyed. Merchant ships also drop crates when you sink them, though these contain power-ups, such as whirlpools that will transport ships to other parts of the map, monkeys that will pilfer resources from enemies, and bombs that damage anything on an adjacent tile a short time after you place them. On paper, the power-ups seem overpowered, but in practice, they don't come into play all that often because, perhaps, time spent sinking merchant ships is time that you can't spend capturing or defending towns.

With that said, AI pirates will occasionally use power-ups very effectively; using a bomb to damage a town's defenses before they attack or using a whirlpool to get you away from one of their towns, for example. Sadly, intelligent actions such as these are the exception rather than the rule, and the AI pirates that you share the water with in single-player challenges are prone to moments of stupidity that--while occasionally fun to exploit when they're opponents--are really frustrating when they're allies. For example, when capturing a town that you can clearly handle on your own, one of your AI allies will often decide to come and assist you anyway. That's not so bad, but if you decide to leave him there to finish the job because your time would be better spent elsewhere, there's a good chance that he'll follow you like a puppy, leaving the town behind before your faction's flag has been raised there.

The questionable intelligence of the AI pirates is perhaps the reason why, in most of the more difficult challenges, they significantly outnumber you. Being pitted against two enemies when you're sailing solo inevitably makes things tough; this is especially true when the winning condition is that you seize and maintain control of the map's three towns simultaneously. At this point, figuring out how to win becomes a puzzle, and exploiting the enemies' rudimentary AI is the key to success. If you try that same map with other players on evenly matched teams, though, it's a completely different story.
There's a lot to like in Age of Booty's multiplayer mode. The gameplay is accessible enough for players to join in the fun and feel like they're contributing, but there's also plenty of strategizing to be done before your team can come out on top. Up to four players can sail the split-screen seas on a single console, and online games support up to eight players total. More than 30 official maps of various sizes are available, and the included map editor is so easy to use that adding your own creations to that number doesn't have to take more than a few minutes. Regardless of map choice, one problem has already cropped up in online multiplayer games. Because ship power-ups (cannons, armor, and speed) can only be obtained at faction bases, some players are reluctant to stray too far away from them for fear that one of their teammates might use shared resources before they can.
With its colorful visuals, cheery soundtrack, and accessible controls, Age of Booty is an Xbox Live Arcade game that's difficult to dislike. Even when you're frustrated because AI pirates are sinking your hopes of winning, you get your fair share of gameplay treasure.

The Witcher Enhanced Edition

The Witcher: Enhanced Edition is what this role-playing game should have been when it made its debut a year ago.

The Witcher: Enhanced Edition is a great role-playing game. Developer CD Projekt has corrected almost all of the problems that made the original something of a flawed gem. Butchered English dialogue has been rewritten and expanded upon, removing the nonsensical lines that made the plot something of a guessing game last year. Engine performance has been dramatically improved across the board, so the game runs smoother on moderate systems, and you no longer have time to read a magazine while waiting for levels to load. Character models have been dramatically enhanced, removing a fair number of the unrealistic features that made the original game come off as somewhat cartoonish in spots. A pair of new stand-alone adventures has been added to bulk up gameplay outside of the main storyline. Just about everything seems more solid and stable, from the smooth-as-glass combat mechanics to the speedier interface. And, best of all, these gameplay enhancements are freely available to download for those who purchased the original game last year.

The Witcher: Enhanced Edition is a great role-playing game. Developer CD Projekt has corrected almost all of the problems that made the original something of a flawed gem. Butchered English dialogue has been rewritten and expanded upon, removing the nonsensical lines that made the plot something of a guessing game last year. Engine performance has been dramatically improved across the board, so the game runs smoother on moderate systems, and you no longer have time to read a magazine while waiting for levels to load. Character models have been dramatically enhanced, removing a fair number of the unrealistic features that made the original game come off as somewhat cartoonish in spots. A pair of new stand-alone adventures has been added to bulk up gameplay outside of the main storyline. Just about everything seems more solid and stable, from the smooth-as-glass combat mechanics to the speedier interface. And, best of all, these gameplay enhancements are freely available to download for those who purchased the original game last year.

Visuals have also been renovated, albeit not as dramatically as the script. The original Witcher looked pretty good in the first place, so there wasn't as much room for improvement here. The big changes come with the color palette, which has been made more vibrant while keeping the game's overall grim and gray atmosphere. Spell effects--particularly the fire-based Igni sign ones--practically flow right off the screen now. Basic background colors for such things as foliage and clothing have also been given more pop. Character art has been given an overhaul, while facial and body features that didn't pass muster last year have been given a once-over with additional details. Although some non-player character faces still appear almost mannequin-like, particularly common village peasants and streetwalkers, major characters now have a more realistic range of expressions. There are also more facial types, so you're not running into the same people over and over again. Geralt was pretty nimble last year, but now he twirls his swords and jumps around like an acrobat. Best of all, these improvements have no effect on game performance. This new Witcher actually runs a lot faster than the old one. Loading times have been slashed, and there are no more combat slowdowns, frame-rate hitches, or pauses to bring up the interface.
That said, the new visuals are not perfect. Clipping is still a minor issue at times. Background scenery, such as shrubs and trees, still acts too much like walls. The game still pauses for a couple of seconds after enemies are killed, making you wait a moment before being able to loot a corpse. The camera now also tends to cut characters out of the frame during conversations, an unintended side effect of having characters move around more while talking to liven up dialogue scenes that were awfully static last year. So you're treated to gabfests where the speaker's head is cut off, completely out of the picture off to the left, blocked by a door, or constantly moving in and out of sight. Thankfully, these camera quirks aren't too common and are limited to talking scenes where you don't need to see everyone's faces.
The Witcher: Enhanced Edition also doesn't get off to a very good start. A common problem with Windows XP systems causes the game to crash on start-up due to conflicts with audio drivers. This issue can generally be fixed in short order by turning down or shutting off sound acceleration or by downloading new audio files to swap out the troublesome ones that came on the game disc. But still, this is no way for a game to reintroduce itself. Technical issues with the initial release of The Witcher led to this redone version being made in the first place, so it's more than a bit disappointing to hit major crashes before you can even get the game up and running.

Much of the brand new content also leaves a bit to be desired. The two new stand-alone Geralt adventures purport to give a better look into the witcher's earlier career, but they're too inconsequential to be all that engrossing and too reliant on familiar locations from the main storyline. Even rooms are reused here. The Price of Neutrality gets off to a great start with a story about a princess who may or may not be cursed, but then, it peters out and ends abruptly after about two hours. Side Effects is merely a collection of mundane quests where Geralt has to run all over Vizima doing odd jobs to raise 2,000 orens to pay off a debt owed to his bard pal Dandelion. There are enough choices in the latter adventure to give it some moderate replay value, although you do little aside from play errand boy. Other extra goodies are more worthwhile. The box includes a number of collectible items, such as a game guide; a CD soundtrack of the game's fantastically atmospheric background tunes, plus some "inspired by" tracks; a behind-the-scenes DVD; and a paper map, along with the Djinni game editor for modders. Many of these extras are also available to download from the game's official Website if you choose to get the Enhanced Edition digitally.
Barring the initial installation bugs, this is what The Witcher should have been last year. While the original game was an undeniably very good RPG epic with one of the most authentically adult storylines to ever grace the genre, this overhauled edition has turned that near-classic into a near-masterpiece.

Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway Review

Hell's Highway proves to be an exciting, engaging ride
despite a few bumps along the way.

The first two games in the Brothers in Arms series distinguished themselves among the crowd of WWII shooters on the strength of their smoothly integrated first-person squad control and gritty, moving portrayal of a band of Allied soldiers. Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway sticks to these strengths, and commanding your squads through Nazi-occupied territory is more thrilling than ever thanks to the vibrant, beautiful scenery and the brutal, exhilarating action. Sergeant Baker (your character) and his squad are all nuanced, sympathetic characters, though the story doesn't quite live up to the promise of its protagonists. Despite a few irregular beats, Hell's Highway is an exciting, intense shooter that is sure to quicken your pulse.
This go-around finds Sergeant Matt Baker and his crew carrying the memories of their fallen brothers and welcoming replacements into the fold. As they get set to drop into Holland as a part of the ambitious but doomed Operation Market-Garden, you meet the men whose lives you will be responsible for. The story isn't so much a narrative as it is an exploration of the relationships between soldiers; it's a mature look at the way bonds can be forged and broken in the emotional furnace of war. Through engaging cutscenes and lively battlefield communication, you'll find yourself developing an attachment to these characters. Many great moments, both comic and tragic, resonate with an admirable emotional clarity that unflinchingly evokes the turbid reality of war, where triumph and tragedy walk hand in hand.

Unfortunately, some of these potentially great moments will fall flat if you're not well acquainted with old characters like Leggett, Allen, and Garnett. Hell's Highway often tries to lean on emotional pillars created by traumas from the first two games (both released in 2005), but the "previously on Brothers in Arms" segment isn't solid enough to support these references, and the framework crumbles a bit as a result. As the game progresses you'll gain the knowledge needed to prop up these references; this makes a second play-through more appealing, but it's a shame this understanding isn't established earlier.
Once on the battlefield, your comrades become potent weapons at your command. Hell's Highway offers a tutorial on the proper way to manage your squads, and you'd best pay attention, since going it alone will get you into trouble in a hurry. Strategy boils down to firing on German positions to keep them suppressed, then flanking around to a better angle and finishing them off. Your men are capable soldiers and will shout advice at you if you seem to be stagnating. They will also do their fair share of killing but are still occasionally liable to run on the wrong side of a wall when ordered to a different position. It hurts to lose one of your men in battle, regardless of the fact that he'll be patched up at your next checkpoint. You are their commander and they are entrusting their lives to you, a weight expertly transferred to your shoulders by Sgt. Baker's cutscenes and voice-overs. Hell's Highway motivates you strategically and emotionally to be a smart leader, and it's surprisingly engaging to focus on something other than yourself in a first-person shooter.
Battles become even more complex as you take more squads under your command and incorporate machine gun and bazooka units. The former is excellent at suppressing enemies, while the latter can destroy sandbag barriers and elevated enemy positions in houses and towers (particularly awesome). As you get the hang of squad command, you'll begin wielding your men as extensions of yourself and moving through battlefields as an elite, coordinated unit. Taking apart and dispatching a field full of entrenched German units is immensely satisfying, and this feeling of power is what makes Brothers in Arms so rewarding.
Despite the focus on squad combat, Hell's Highway demands a strong individual performance from you. Oftentimes you'll be the lone flanking unit, and you'll have to shoot accurately and make smart use of cover to survive. There are also sections where you go it alone, and you'll have to be nimble to both suppress and flank the Nazis yourself. Fortunately, you are a crack shot and can hit half-exposed German helmets from a substantial distance if you can find enough time to pop your head out and aim down your sights. When you score a particularly impressive shot or throw a well-aimed grenade, the action camera will kick in to highlight your success. The camera will zoom in on the Germans and the action will slow down dramatically, treating you to a gory display of flying limbs, severed torsos, or burst skulls. It's a bit overblown, but you'll probably be too busy roaring triumphantly to care.

Realism is abundant throughout the game, though, thanks to the excellent audio and visual design. Each gun has a variety of unique sounds, and nearby explosions cause your ears to ring, drowning out all other battlefield noise. Bullets smack into cover you've hidden behind and whistle by your head disconcertingly, while tables and fences splinter and break in ways that both sound and look realistic. Your comrades are also quite detailed, though occasionally their facial textures will load a bit late, leaving you with a blurry, expressionless facsimile that can vitiate any emotional involvement you may feel. As you venture through the Dutch countryside and into more-populated zones, the landscape will change, but the superb level of detail will be constant throughout, only periodically marred by a lackluster texture or two. The different landscapes do have a certain sameness to them, as each tries to allow for squad-based tactics, but on the whole these battlefields provide fantastic arenas for combat.
There are a number of multiplayer maps as well, and each supports up to 20 combatants. Two teams face off in successive standard capture-the-territory contests, respawning only at the beginning of each round. The twist is that each squad member has a certain role, from squad leader to weapons specialist to tank operator. Squad leaders can call in aerial recon, while weapon specialists travel with protective squads and deal their own unique brand of destruction. Well populated matches are lively and intense, as fully-manned teams work together to stay alive, back each other up, and thwart their opponents. Add in a vocal squad leader, and there is ample potential for exciting battles. However, there are still plenty of lone wolves roaming about, and whether players will fully embrace the squad mentality remains to be seen.
What is certain now is that Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway is another rousing entry in a great series. The beautiful landscapes complement the gritty combat, and thoughtful cinematic techniques breathe life into the engaging characters. Despite the somewhat spotty story and sundry oddities, Hell's Highway is a game you should consider playing twice. The unlockable "authentic" difficulty mode removes all the heads-up display elements and really allows the visual design to shine. The story resonates more powerfully because you know the characters well, and the renewed challenge ratchets up the intensity. With so many exciting elements, Hell's Highway provides ample motivation to don the Allied uniform once more.