Game Review: Prince of Persia

After the series' success during the last generation of consoles it was only a matter of time before Ubisoft Montreal, the developers behind 2007's Assassin's Creed, attempted to relaunch the Prince of Persia franchise. Could the new Prince live up to the standards of the old, or would he fall at the first great leap?

Prince of Persia is the standard Dark versus Light story, with the Prince and his partner Elika fighting to suppress Ahriman, the black, gloopy god of all things corrupt and malevolent. The Prince himself is, simply put, one of the most arrogant characters in any game, reinforcing just about every possible stereotype and without an ounce of originality or wit in his character or speech. Elika isn't much better, playing that irritatingly Disney-esque Princess - who's strength is apparently hindered by her tiny, beautiful shell - a character that has been used so many times that she is now entirely predictable. With the Prince and Elika being polar opposites there's a lot of banter throughout the game, usually revolving around asking and subsequently evading personal questions, or each character's philosophy on the world, perfectly regurgitated from 'The Clichéd Guide to the Inner Workings of Heroes and Heroines'.
Did I mention she could use magic? No? Well, you probably could have figured it out anyway.

However, while the characters may get on your nerves, it won't be enough for you to stop playing, thanks to Prince of Persia's excellent gameplay.

Most of your time playing Prince of Persia will be spent running, jumping, and falling down holes, in true platformer style, although somehow without the frustration and irritation that usually comes as standard in similar games. The platforming element is extremely well polished and refined, and Ubisoft have nailed the flow that can make other, similar games great. Admittedly, it can occasionally feel a little simplistic because you'll often be attempting similar, and fairly basic, challenges, and it's not nearly as frantic as other platforming experiences on the 360 (such as Ninja Gaiden II), so seasoned or veteran gamers may find Prince of Persia a little easy, at times.

Early into the game, you'll unlock Power Plates, which open up a whole new dimension of platforming - and the basic platforming is hardly restrictive! Running up walls and along roofs, being blown by divine winds across the world and even flight are all now possible, and despite the games inherent linearity, gives a fantastic sense of freedom. They add to the difficulty, too, as later levels require you to meticulously combine basic platforming with the power plates, resulting in an incredibly satisfactory spectacle.

Combat takes a back seat in Prince of Persia, and on the rare occasion it does take place you'll be locked into it, and forced to fight. When it comes to controlling the Prince in combat it's similar to Assassin's Creed, encouraging you to wait for the opportune moment before attacking your enemy. Unfortunately, while the combat is fairly enjoyably the first time round, it quickly becomes quite repetitive, as you'll only fight six different types of enemy, and most will be fought the same way. Also, once you've figured out how to effectively deflect attacks (which won't be hard, because half the time you'll be prompted), the combat becomes insultingly easy, and more a test of graft than skill.

The combat isn't the only thing that resembles Assassin's Creed...

As well as being important to the story, Elika also plays a very important role in the gameplay. As well as being used in platforming and combat, Elika's unique talents also prevent you from properly dying at any point in the game. Admittedly this isn't really different to any other game that uses checkpoints or autosaves, but having the game hold your hand so tightly does take the edge off the challenge. There isn't that pants-crapping panic after you've made the wrong jump, or the in depth planning of a difficult looking run, because you'll never be punished for it without as much as a snide remark. It's not something that more seasoned or veteran players are going to appreciate.

Even strong, independent princesses can't turn down a piggy back ride.

Prince of Persia boasts a unique art style, similar to a comic book. As you traverse the huge palace you'll be stunned by some of the views, and it only becomes more impressive as you play. As you gradually bring light back into the world, you'll be treated to incredible colours, which contrast the dark, gloomy worlds controlled by Ahriman beautifully. The musical score, too, is gorgeous, and again there is a noticeable contrast between the music for the light and dark worlds. It works perfectly in tune with the game's world, creating a superb cinematic experience.

Prince of Persia makes the leap between generations with style. While there are flaws, it remains a stylish and fun game, and arguably one of the best platformers on the 360. If you liked Assassin's Creed, this is definitely worth a look.

8/10

Then again, Disney is making the Prince of Persia film, maybe that's why the characters were ripped right out of Aladdin.

Still gutted he never unlocked the Assassin's Creed costume - tomdoodle16@live.co.uk

TV Review: Heroes Season 3, Episode 11 "The Eclipse, Part Two"

There were high expectations for the second part of The Eclipse. But, despite following on from a solid and entertaining episode, there's always the possibility of a Heroes episode being just another disappointment. Hopefully, with the series seemingly going in the right direction again, this wouldn't be the case.

The episode opens with Hiro and Ando in a comic book store, owned by cameo kings Seth Green and Breckin Meyer. Believing he is still ten years old, Hiro frantically searches through the old issues of 9th Wonders, in an attempt to regain his lost memory. How 9th Wonders is still being published is still a mystery since the artist, Isaac Mendez, died over a year ago in this story arc. Maybe that one is best left unexplained. As per usual, the scenes with the ten year old Hiro are funny, charming viewing, and the cameos from Seth Green and Breckin Meyer (you know, that guy from er...what was he in again?) only add to the entertainment value.

We rejoin Sylar and Elle, who we saw through the sight of Noah's rifle at the end of the first part, curled up underneath a sheet after doing the super hero business. Despite having a perfect shot, it seems that the man with the horn rimmed glasses had instead opted for watching and having a brief self-fondle while watching the couple's antics. When he finally does take the shot (no, not like that), he misses, and is forced to give chase. Eventually he is confronted by a powerless Sylar, and wastes no time in kicking his arse and slitting his throat.

Meanwhile Claire, who has fallen into a critical condition, is dying in hospital, unable to repel the infections that swarmed through her body upon losing her powers. Nothing to do with the bullet wound though, obviously. Halfway through her stint in hospital, she codes and momentarily dies, in one of the most disturbing scenes in the show to date.

Conveniently, shortly after Claire and Sylar's death the Eclipse ends, conveyed oh-so-subtly with a hilariously overdone shot where the sunlight gradually creeps through the window onto Claire's unconscious body as she is revived. Conversely, the ending of the eclipse is a inconvenience for Mohinder, who finds his scales have regrown just as he is about to rekindle his relationship with Maya.

The eclipse brings back powers across the globe, which allows Nathan, Peter and the Haitian to fight their way in and out of Baron Samedi's military camp, saving the damsels in distress as they go. The fight scene raised a couple of questions; like when did Peter, a New York nurse, learn to fire a machine gun? However that question takes a back seat to asking why the hell the Haitian isn't included more in the series. Not only does he have a great power both in and outside of fights, he's a fairly complex and mysterious character, as well as being superbly portrayed by Jimmy Jean-Louis. Why he's constantly pushed to the fringes of the show to be replaced with girly-haired High School Musical rejects like West or yokel dullards like Flint is beyond reasoning.

With their powers back, Sylar and Elle do not hesitate in tracking down Claire, and hold the Bennet family hostage. At least, they do until Hiro Nakamura comically shows up and teleports the couple to a random beach. Then Heroes pulls off another one of it's famous dick moves, as Sylar decides that all his rehabilitation over the course of the season was pointless. Why does Heroes insist on developing characters or plots up to the point when it's about to get interesting, before doing another U-turn and wasting all of our time. There's no point, other than to continue to drag out the series with another season or two, and it's genuinely pathetic.

Even though the end of the episode was a heavy hint that the series is about to take yet another nose dive into the deep pits of mediocrity, the episode itself wasn't bad. It's a little heavy on the cheese sometimes, and as usual Heroes' trademark inconsistency is lurking around the corner of every scene, but that's to be expected. On the whole, it's still an enjoyable episode, and probably one of the better episodes this season.

3/5

Matt and Daphne also spend some time standing in a corn field talking about scare crows. Even the ass who wrote the Claire and West scenes was laughing at that.

Is thinking of starting a Haitian fan club - tomdoodle16@live.co.uk

So, December then.

With my review of Mirror's Edge, I hit a personal milestone of 50 written reviews, which I'm very happy about. Mostly because I've proven to myself that I can actually commit to something, which I've never really been able to do before.

I've got a few reviews planned for this month, too. Prince of Persia, Sonic Unleashed, and some of the other big games from the pre Christmas rush are on my list. There's also some downloadable content coming out for Fable 2 which I'll be looking to review.

Then there's Twilight, a film coming out in the UK on December 19th, and I'm really looking forward to this one. Not because I'm a fan of the books, or because I liked the look of the trailers. But because I think it will be bad, which gives me an chance to try out some more comedic or cynical writing, which I love doing. There's also a new Wallace and Gromit film out this Christmas, and it would be criminal if I didn't do a write up on that!

I'll be continuing the written TV reviews as usual, but there's something that I've wanted to try for a while, and that's a video review of the entire third season of Heroes. I'll be going for a different angle with the video reviews than I would with a written review. The balance will still be there, but it'll be hidden under several layers of cynical and crude rantings, similar to Charlie Brooker's style on his show 'Screenwipe'. I'm not sure how it will turn out, but I'll try and make it entertaining.

Hope you've enjoyed the reviews I wrote in November, and I hope you like whatever I come up with this month. As usual, feedback is more than welcome!

Cheers,

Tom

The cumulative word count for my first 50 reviews is 40,816. Which is 10,000 less than what my girlfriend managed in her one month of NaNoWriMo. Damn...

Refuses to dress up as Mrs Clause this year...again - tomdoodle16@live.co.uk

TV Review: Heroes Season 3, Episode 10 "The Eclipse, Part One"

The third season of Heroes is drawing to a close, and there is only so much more side swapping and line smudging to be done before the shows dramatic climax. With episode ten's focal point being a huge astronomical event, hopefully 'The Eclipse, Part One' could take place on a similarly impressive scale.

With Daphne and Matt experiencing trust issues, a lot of the episode is spent following the couple, joined by Ando and Hiro (who is still convinced that he is ten years old). While the romantic element is, as always, flat and clichéd, the presence of Ando and Hiro make the scenes infinitely more enjoyable. It's a reminder of how appealing the characters were in season one, back when they only spoke Japanese and when Hiro acted as if he was in a comic book. There are some quality lines and scenes, including one where Hiro flings corn at a bewildered Matt, and it's genuinely funny. And, for once, it's intentional. It doesn't do much, if anything, to advance the plot, but it's so entertaining you won't care.

Meanwhile, Sylar and Elle are attempting to track down Claire Bennet, the catalyst to the formula (which is possibly the most obvious plot twist in the entire series so far). Unlike Matt and Daphne, the relationship between Sylar and Elle is much more bearable, partly thanks to the characters themselves, and partly thanks to the depth and complexity of the relationship (even if it was made up to kill fifteen minutes of a flashback episode, it's still effective). The pair are constantly challenging each other, and the chemistry between the characters makes for great viewing, although the motivation behind the challenges is sketchy, at best.

The eclipse - the episodes namesake – happens halfway through the episode, and as a result everyone loses their powers. Why this happens hasn't been explained yet, although the scaly Spiderman is sure to deliver a half-arsed explanation at some point. With DNA, adrenaline, formulas, viruses and now the moon having some effect on the extra ordinary abilities, Heroes is rapidly loosing the credibility and believability that it barely ever had. If the show didn't insist on taking itself so seriously, this wouldn't be an issue.

The loss in powers forces Nathan and Peter, who are searching for the Haitian, to fall into the jungle. The conflict between the two - with Peter confronting Nathan about the future, believing that Nathan will join his father and destroy the world – is a nice reminder of the characters interactions in the first season, as the powerless but moral younger brother tries to help his corruptible sibling. Peter reprising the role that made him such a popular character in the first season is excellent, and it's a massive improvement on the supercharged, overly dramatic version of Peter that we've been subjected to for the bulk of season two and three.

Episode ten builds up the suspension well for the next episode, and has managed a steady balance between comedic and serious elements. Mohinder and his silly theories get a little too much time, but otherwise it's a solid, entertaining episode.

3/5

If you were wondering why Claire and Mohinder are barely mentioned in the review, it's because all Claire did is hit things with sticks, and all Mohinder did was waffle and cough.

Never thought he'd start to like Peter again - tomdoodle16@live.co.uk

Game Review: Mirror's Edge

There was a lot of anticipation for Mirror's Edge on release. Possessing an original concept, with great visuals and gameplay to back it up, it didn't seem like a lot could go wrong. Could Mirror's Edge live up to it's potential, and become one of the best games of 2008?

In Mirror's Edge you'll assume the role of Faith, a free runner. After your sister is framed for murdering a politician, you'll use your skills to track down and kill the men who were behind it all, while trying to uncover a secret government project. While it's full of betrayal and conspiracy, it's ultimately unsatisfying. The twists are predictable, and the ending is just setting up for another sequel, never mind the fact that it's criminally short by any game's standards.

The key element of Mirror's Edge's gameplay is the platforming, which innovatively takes place in the first person. First person platforming hasn't really been attempted before, so it's all the more impressive that DICE have created a game that flows as smoothly as Mirror's Edge. The excellent control scheme allows you to move through levels with grace and fluidity, and it's an incredibly fun experience. It's has the potential to be incredibly frustrating, as to be expected from a platformer, but for the most part, it's an original, intuitive and smooth experience.

Oh, and don't fall down. That's probably the most important thing.

Mirror's Edge is also playable as a first person shooter. Since the emphasis is on movement, you'll never carry guns around, so you'll have to obtain them from disarming or knocking out opponents, and you'll have to be creative to get past groups of enemies in later levels. The shooting itself is average with larger weapons since they restrict your movement and slow the games pace. But, with smaller weapons, it's excellent, as you're still free to do all the stylish movements and actions that you're used to doing. With the handy bullet time (it's called reflex time, but it's not fooling anyone), this is probably the closest you'll get to being in The Matrix, it's awesome.

Unfortunately, once the initial novelty wears off, Mirror's Edge becomes irritatingly repetitive. Because you'll find the same guns, fight the same enemies and run around very similar, linear environments, Mirror's Edge quickly stops being a new, fresh experience. For something that has tried to capture the essence of parkour - the freedom of movement - to be so linear is a massive disappointment.

Hint: Wanting to use colours other than grey is fine... but replacing it with only one other colour doesn't really work.

There's nothing in the way of multiplayer either, which is a shame, because as you play through the game you'll realise just how excellent it could have been. All the ingredients for an excellent online multiplayer are there - superb player movement, slow-motion, a variety of guns – and it's so disappointing when you start to think just how cool it could have been.

The lack of multiplayer would have been forgiveable if the single player had any length or replay value. The story lasts approximately one hour if you aim for the speed run times (which aren't particularly difficult), and once you're done with them, all you can do is time trials on old levels. It's so underwhelming to have a game receive all this hype, and be beatable in two hours.

Once the story is done, all there is left to do is follow this red thing around the Time Trials. How exciting.

Mirror's Edge bears many similarities to Valve's excellent Portal, sharing both it's good and bad aspects. Both are original and creative, but both are incredibly short. But there's a significant difference between the two: Portal was the third game in the Orange Box, it was sold alongside Half Live 2 and Team Fortress 2, not as a stand alone game, which made the short length forgiveable. As a stand alone game, the flaws in Mirror's Edge can't be glanced over. There just isn't enough to it to justify the short length, or the lack of replay value. Or the price tag.

What Mirror's Edge has is good. The platforming is refined, the shooting is decent, and the graphics and soundtrack are genuinely beautiful at times. But it's all condensed into this neat little one hour package, which cannot justify the cost. It barely justifies the rent.

6/10

You'll probably get the full experience of Mirror's Edge by just playing the demo fifty times. Except that's free.

At least I didn't have to review another sequel - tomdoodle16@live.co.uk

TV Review: Heroes Season 3, Episode 9

The third season of Heroes has been in a downward spiral as of late, thanks to it's irritating inconsistency, poor writing and mind numbing pretentiousness. But, with Heroes there's always the chance that it'll pick itself up again. Hopefully episode nine “It's Coming”(here come the double entendres) would be the beginning of Heroes dragging itself out of mediocrity.

After a few minutes of Mohinder's inane babbling (why isn't he dead yet?) episode nine picks up immediately from where the previous episode left off, with Rafiki decapitated and Hiro being tortured by Arthur Petrelli. But, while Arthur is distracted by a painting of an eclipse, Hiro and Ando make their escape, only to discover that, after having some of his memories removed, Hiro believes he is ten years old. It's hard to say whether this is a bad move or a good one, because while it's incredibly silly, it's simultaneously charming and amusing, and so long as it isn't dragged out, it's still a welcome break from Heroes' drama.

At Pinehearst, Arthur decides to teach Sylar to access his empathy (which he apparently had all along, and isn't just a random plot device, honest), and give him the ability to obtain other powers without his signature zombie-esque brain trick. To do so, Sylar must reconcile with Elle, and after being electrocuted to the point where he is left conveniently topless, he absorbs her powers through empathy (Peter Petrelli style). While the effects in this scene are genuinely impressive, the reconciliation between the characters looks to be leading into yet another romantic sub-plot, and we all know how bad Heroes is at those.

Meanwhile, as Claire and Peter prepare to go on the run, they are tracked down by Knox and Flint. In an attempt to protect Peter, Claire assures him that she has a plan, which turns out to be chatting to Knox and Flint for a while, before jumping out of a window. Good plan, Claire.

Matt and Daphne search for help at the Company, only to find Angela Petrelli, still in her coma. As Matt ventures into her mind in a bit to free her, Daphne alerts Arthur of Matt's intentions, leading to a confrontation in Angela's mind. While the scene is fairly cleverly shot, it's upstaged by the poor romantic dialogue between Matt and Daphne, as the couple openly declare their love. It's predictable, borderline nauseating, and a harsh reminder of just how bad the Heroes writers are when it comes to romance.

While it's an improvement on the previous episodes, it's become apparent Heroes isn't learning from it's mistakes. It's insistence on romantic sub-plots, weak plot devices and slow development (why has the line between heroes and villains only just been drawn?) makes me wonder if the show will ever reach the standards of the first season. There isn't even Dania Ramírez anymore. Boo.

3/5

When did Daphne fall in love with Matt anyway? She thought he was a stalker two days ago.

Is trying to think of synonyms for "inconsistency"- tomdoodle16@live.co.uk

Game Review: Gears of War 2

After the success of the first Gears of War, there were high expectations for Gears of War 2. With new weapons, multiplayer maps, and gametypes, it looked like Gears of War 2 was going to be a little more than the typical sequel.

In Gears of War 2 you'll reprise the role of Marcus Fenix, in the continued struggle against the locust horde. The bulk of the plot is fairly average, and most of it can be summed up with “Isn't everything manly”. But there are some surprisingly potent moments, which are genuinely well done. Seeing these tragic moments in a game such as Gears of War 2, which is full of senseless violence and gore, makes them all the more effective, and you'll find yourself actually sympathising with the characters. It might be a little cliché, but it's genuinely well written and cinematic, and not many games are capable of this.

The campaign's single player, too, is a significant improvement on the first game. While it stays true to the “cover and shoot” gameplay, the variety of environments and scenarios makes it much more enjoyable, and constantly keeps the gameplay fresh. The vehicle sections – which were the weakest part of the original – have been tuned up, and have become some of the strongest, and most enjoyable, parts of the game. The best of these vehicle sections are saved until the ending, giving Gears of War 2 one of the most frantic, destructive and enjoyable climaxes in any game on the 360.

At a glance, Gears of War 2 could be dismissed as a typical sequel. The emphasis was definitely on giving the player more; whether it be more weapons, maps, or shades of grey. But, instead of just being thrown in for effect, everything new in Gears of War 2 adds a lot of depth and variety that the first game didn't really have. It's resulted in a gameplay experience that allows you to approach the game as you see fit, depending on personal preferences or the in-game scenario, as well as constantly keeping the game fresh.

Real men use chainsaws

I didn't have a lot of opportunity to play the online multiplayer, because if you aren't prepared to cobble a team together before going into versus matches, you'll find that you could be waiting around for a while for a game, almost as if the game is punishing you for not having enough friends. Still, at least there's the option to play with AI bots, which more than makes up for this.

The reason I didn't have much chance to try the online aspects of the game is because Gears of War 2's Horde mode seemed to be the most popular choice when it came to the multiplayer. The mode has a distinct arcade-y feel, as you and up to four others battle wave after wave of enemies on your way to victory. As you progress, the enemies become stronger, faster, and more numerous, and while it may sound repetitive, it's also frantic, addictive, and damn good fun. Think “Geometry Wars, but designed by Leatherface”.

You think these guys look tough? Wait for the next wave...

One of the best things about the first Gears of War was the excessive amounts of gore, and that makes a welcome return in this game. For the most part, it remains unchanged. Chainsaws will still slice opponents in half, sniping an enemy will cause his head to pop like a balloon, and if you're hit by an explosive expect to find your head in a drain on one side of the map and your arse in a tree on the other. All this is good, and you can't help but appreciate it, but it feels like some elements of the gore have been toned down a little bit. Bodies no longer explode majestically when you hit them point blank with a shotgun, and you can't mercilessly slice up the corpse of an enemy in a grotesque victory dance, both of which were always hilarious and satisfying in equal measure, and it's a shame that some of the gore has been left out. But, since you can now shove a chainsaw up a Locust's arse, who am I to complain?

Ooh, isn't it gloopy

While most of the game feels well polished, there are a couple of glitches to be found, involving the cover system. Most of the time it'll work fine, but occasionally you'll find yourself not skidding to the cover, instead rolling into it and standing back up again. And while vaulting over cover, you may find that, instead of simply vaulting over, your character will ping several metres into open ground, which is a nightmare if you're under fire. But, fortunately these are the kind of niggling details that can easily be fixed with a patch.

Overall though, Gears of War 2 is a big step up from the first game. Everything that could have been improved in the first game has been. It may seem like a typical sequel, but once you start playing, you'll realise that Gears of War 2 is much more than that.

9/10

I used the word "climax" for a reason. It is just that good.

Instead of using a chainsaw, cowered behind his shield like a girl - tomdoodle16@live.co.uk