Fri, 12 Mar, 10
Author:
Marius Goubert

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Dead Space £5.60 @ Amazon [PC Games]

Dead Space £5.60 @ Amazon [PC Games]

Although Dead Space 2 might be looming on the horizon (well, maybe not quite, as at the moment we’re looking at a release date sometime between January and March 2011) the original edition has just fallen to £5.60 on the PC, unfortunately The Hut, whilst cheaper, is currently out of stock. So if you’re on the look out for a decent survival horror, Dead Space is certainly worth consideration, now over 15% cheaper than the nearest competitor (ShopTo – £6.74). The game is atmospheric, hilariously gory, and provides you with plenty of manic-mutants to brutally dismember.

Set several centuries in the future, the story behind Dead Space focuses on the character of Isaac. Part of a team of deep space engineers sent to ‘crack’ planets and export their natural resources back to Earth, Isaac is sent to investigate a break in communication with a ship called the USG Ishimura. Of course, once onboard the seemingly abandoned and derelict vessel, he and his crew find themselves under attack from a horde of psychopathic-mutants. Separated from his crew mates, Isaac then has to try and restart the ship, save anyone left alive, and of course kill anything that gets in his way.

When it comes to armaments, Dead Space does things slightly differently however. As an engineer, Isaac is only armed with tools which he can adapt into various weapons, and which include things like nail guns, flame throwers and pulse weapons. These can all be employed to shoot, burn or tear limbs off any baddies. And visually the game is superb, with the player being treated to plenty of great looking gore. The atmospherics are also well done; especially as you uncover the remnants of the Ishimura’s crew, and signs alluding to their last stand against the Necromorph.

The only drawbacks involve the game’s annoying camera, which can sometimes obscure the action at critical moments. Dead Space also features a lot of back tracking which, although justifiable, can get quite repetitious. However it’s still a highly entertaining and enjoyable title, and certainly a bargain for just under a fiver.

Thanks to Scowie from Hotukdeals.

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Thu, 11 Mar, 10
Author:
Marius Goubert

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Games deals

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Battleforge £3.99 @ HMV (PC Games)

Battleforge £3.99 @ HMV (PC Games)Merging real time strategy gameplay with a collectable card game might sound overambitious, but it’s a combination which has been brilliant executed by the developers of Battleforge. The game is currently going for just £3.99 on HMV which is a great deal considering the next best price comes in at £9.99 from Coolshop.

The gameplay of Battleforge sees the player battling it out against their opponent RTS style with a variety of fantasy creatures. However instead of recruiting units from a barracks or base, the player uses an interactive card deck to summon units directly onto the battlefield. This is done using points acquired from captured power wells which essentially function as the game’s resource. You can also acquire orbs from various structures scattered across the environment which enable you to upgrade and gain access to more powerful cards. And although the system might sound complex, it’s brilliantly designed, and the sheer level of depth on offer means you can devout many happy hours tweaking your various decks outside battles.

Although the gameplay seamlessly integrates RTS with a collectable card game however, the story can be quite frustrating to follow. Essentially, Battleforge casts the player as a skylord who is rewarded by the gods for giving aid in a war against giants…or something along those lines. But if you’re really interesting in pursing the accompanying narrative, it isn’t easy, as the story is related in the form of an on-screen book which, unfortunately, you can’t book mark, which means you have to spend a great deal of time sifting through virtual pages to read new sections. The campaign is also annoyingly short, but that said, Battleforge does get things spot on when it comes to online multiplayer. So if you’re an RTS fan, Battleforge is definitely worth a look – even if you hate collectable card games.

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Thu, 11 Mar, 10
Author:
Marius Goubert

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Games deals

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TOM CLANCY’S ENDWAR £5.85 @ Shopto [PS3 Games]

TOM CLANCYS ENDWAR £5.85 @ Shopto [PS3 Games]Traditionally, real time strategy games don’t work particularly well on consoles. They can leave you battling to navigate the map, struggling to drag boxes in order to group units, and issuing basic commands can turn into a long drawn-out affair. However Tom Clancy’s EndWar is an RTS built for consoles, and one which uses a voice recognition system to make things a bit more manageable and alleviate the cumbersome feel you get with most other RTS titles. You can currently pick up a copy on the PS3 for £5.85 from Shopto which is a great deal considering the next best comes in at £8.99.

You can’t help but notice a few parallels regarding the Endwar’s storyline – which basically involves a large scale conflict over dwindling oil reserves. But unlike some of the more convoluted Tom Clancy plot lines, thankfully Endwar doesn’t bombard you with loads of politics and keeps things nice and brief. As already mentioned, the game uses a voice recognition system which allows you to issue commands. And although EW can be played with just a controller if you choose – and are self-conscious about housemates/girlfriends/family hearing you shouting orders for hours on end – you’ll be missing out on one of the game’s best features.

Unlike when you ring Virgin Media, the voice recognition in Endwar actually works very well – especially on the PS3. Lots of background noise can be a problem, but on the whole, it’s a system that’s been surprisingly well implemented.  You don’t have to have the entire command list memorized, as the order options appear in the top corner of the screen and can be cycled through until you find the one you need. Unfortunately however, despite the fact it manages to bypass the control problem, End War isn’t exactly awe-inspiring when it comes to visuals. Path finding could be also better, and overall, there are a few minor issues which mean that while the game is good, it can’t quite be described as great.

Thanks to Ipswich772 from Hotukdeals.

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Wed, 10 Mar, 10
Author:
Marius Goubert

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Games deals

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F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin £8.85 @ ShopTo [PS3 Games]

F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin £8.85 @ ShopTo [PS3 Games]If you enjoyed the bullet-time massacres of the original Fear, you might be pleased to know that the sequel, Fear 2: Project Origin, has fallen to just £8.85 from Shopto. This is a great deal considering the next best price comes in at £11.89 from DVD.CO.UK.

If, like me, you couldn’t help feeling that the original Fear game could have done with a bit more diversity – as despite how much fun the combat seemed initially, it did grow rather repetitious – thankfully the sequel does attempt to be slightly more dynamic. No longer are you just confined to fighting things out on foot, as Fear 2 allows you to wreck havoc upon your opponents by entering mechanical suits bristling with machine guns and rockets.

The levels are also a bit more varied and no longer restricted to those corridor and offices interiors which predominantly made up the setting for the first game. You’ll find yourself diverted into streets, and at one point into a school, and clearly the developers are trying to rectify many of the problems which plagued the original.

But with all this emphasis on spicing up the gameplay, the story does suffer.  Fear 2 fails to be anywhere near as atmospheric as its predecessor which, on occasion, could be brilliantly disturbing. Instead, the sequel tries to spook you out with jumpy moments which are quite predictable, and as a horror title, I personally found Fear 2 a bit of a let down. However as a first person shooter the game does deliver, and if that’s what really matters to you, Fear 2 won’t disappoint.

Thanks to QenTox from Hotukdeals.

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Tue, 9 Mar, 10
Author:
Marius Goubert

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Games deals

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Guitar Hero: On Tour (with Guitar Grip) £6.99 (or £5.99 with Signup voucher) @ Play.com [DS Games]

Guitar Hero: On Tour (with Guitar Grip) £6.99 (or £5.99 with Signup voucher) @ Play.com [DS Games]The DS version of Guitar Hero with its guitar grip might not let you indulge your Rock God fantasies in the same way as its console counterpart, but it’s still a neat little package. And for just £6.99 on Play.com you can now get hold of Guitar Hero: On Tour complete with the guitar grip – although, should you sign to the PESFan website and use the voucher code, you can get an extra £1 off which brings the price down to £5.99. This is not a bad deal considering the next best price comes in at £7.93 from The Hut.

The reviews for Vicarious Visions’ attempt to adapt the Guitar Hero franchise onto the DS have been mixed. IGN for example gave the system a glowing review (9.0), and praised VV for not just cashing in on the Guitar Hero brand, and for actually producing a credible addition to the series. They described the DS Guitar grip as a great peripheral which ‘enhances the experience’. Gamespot on the other hand seemed to loath the entire system, and described the grip as cumbersome and uncomfortable, and felt the tracks lacked fidelity, and were too few in number.

It’s true that the Guitar Grip does take a bit of getting used, but even so, pulling off tricky combos is still satisfying even in the absence of a plastic guitar. No doubt some will find the whole experience flawed, but essentially, all the Guitar Hero franchise really offers you is a bit of fun interaction while you listen to the tunes you love. And in this sense, Guitar Hero: On Tour certainly succeeds, and so long as you like track list, you’ll undoubtedly enjoy the gameplay.

 Thanks to Leeds_United_afs and Lucerysmum from Hotukdeals.

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Tue, 9 Mar, 10
Author:
Marius Goubert

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Games deals

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Borderlands £14.99 @ Play.com [Xbox 360/PS3 Games]

Borderlands £14.99 @ Play.com [Xbox 360/PS3 Games]Borderlands was certainly one of the most unique games of 2009. It was a title which blended elements of an RPG – like upgradable stats, levels and skills – with the format of a first person shooter, to create what Gearbox have dubbed a ‘role-play-shooter’. And you can currently pick up a copy for just £14.99 on the 360 (expired) and PS3 , in a deal which undercuts the next best price on both formats by nearly £3.

Gearbox’s vision of a post-apocalyptic, degenerate society, which has evolved from the remnants of a failed colonial expedition to the planet Pandora is brilliantly realised in Borderlands. The setting consists of a kind of Mad-Max-2 style culture in which bandits and scavengers war over the planet’s dwindling resources and inhabit a decaying society full of exotic sci-fi technology.

The player assumes the role of one of four characters whose various skills can be upgraded by allocating points to a skill tree which effectively increases the damage you dish out, the damage you can take, or the power of your primary action. Some reviewers do complain that Borderlands‘ character ability archetypes felt a bit too limited however, but that said there is certainly no limitation when it comes to creating and upgrading weapons. The game uses a so called Procedural Content Creation System which allows for somewhere in the region of 17 million weapon variations to be generated. Much of the gameplay consists therefore of tweaking weapons, or else plundering the world for different items and components.

Unlike Fallout 3, Borderlands does not have a set of choices and consequences which affect the storyline, and despite such a great setting, some argue that the narrative could have done with a bit more depth. Despite this however, the game deserves credit for its unique and original style, and the way it immerses players in a dynamic open-world where it’s a hell of a lot of fun to go adventuring.

Thanks to Niminator from Hotukdeals.

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Tue, 9 Mar, 10
Author:
Marius Goubert

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Games deals

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Bionic Commando £4.50 @ Tesco Ent [Xbox 360/ PS3 Games]

Bionic Commando £4.50 @ Tesco Ent [Xbox 360/ PS3 Games] Tesco Entertainment were flogging copies of Bionic Commando for a very reasonable £7 around the middle of February, but now they’ve slashed the price down to just £4.50. This is a great deal according to price comparison as the next best price comes in at £8.71 from ASDA.

Anyone able to remember the lassoing days of Nathan Spencer from way back in the eighties will know that the original Bionic Commando was one of most infuriatingly difficult platform games ever. Many a controller was thrown, bitten, smashed, or stomped on as players succumbed to bouts of extreme game rage rarely seen nowadays – although the modern version of Bionic Commando does have its moments.

Propelling Spencer through the ruins of Ascension City – which, in terms of visuals is not badly done at all – can be a tricky business as you try to master this swing mechanics. Accuracy is paramount, and all it takes is one slight slip up to send you hurtling ingloriously down the side of a skyscraper to your death. So, still retaining the character of the 80s original, Bionic Commando is quite tough to get the hang of – at least initially. But if you have the resolve to master those swing mechanics, the gameplay does provide some satisfying and entertaining moments.

Not least the fact that Spencer’s super arm can hurl massive pieces of debris at enemies. You do have the opportunity to pick up guns, but as the man says in Enter the Dragon ‘any bloody fool can pull a trigger’, and what’s much more satisfying is swing down Spiderman style and drop kick a few unsuspecting enemy heads. On the down side the game is quite linear, the story is cheesy and ludicrous – but then again what do expect? BC is from the eighties…

Thanks to Amibees from Hokukdeals.

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Mon, 8 Mar, 10
Author:
Marius Goubert

Category:
Games deals

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Resident Evil 5: Gold Edition (Pre-Order) £23.99 @ thegamecollection [Xbox 360/PS3 Games]

Resident Evil 5: Gold Edition (Pre Order) £23.99 @ thegamecollection [Xbox 360/PS3 Games]Although slightly annoying if you already own a standard copy, Resident Evil 5 Gold Edition is due to be released on Friday 12th March, and features two new additional episodes titled ‘Lost in Nightmares’ and ‘Desperate Escape’. So if you don’t yet own a copy of Resident Evil 5 (even if you do, you can always buy the additional features as DLC) you can pre-order the Gold Edition for £23.99 from TheGameCollection which is the cheapest deal currently going.

For those who’ve still not played Resident Evil 5, it’s a sequel which provides a real departure from the slow-paced, menacing, and atmospheric tone of prior editions. No longer do you find yourself wandering deserted corridors with nothing to intrude on your isolation expect some mortally wounded survivor, the odd teammate, and lots of bumbling zombies, as Resident Evil 5 thrusts you into the heart of Black-Hawk-Down-style warzone.

Zombies no longer limp towards at the speed of a paralytic old man but swarm and sprint like something out of 28 Days Later. Bullets are no longer like gold dust, in fact – with sniper rifles, grenades, incendiary bombs, and sub machine guns hanging from you like Christmas tree decorations – you need never fear the dead man’s click mid fire fight.

 It’s an enjoyable, intense, fast-paced third person shooter, but one which, to be honest, feels slightly shallow compared to the likes of Resident Evil and Resident Evil 2. It lacks the same degree of tactical depth, and to compensate you for everything missing from the traditional format, Capcom seem only able to provide loads and loads more guns (although, on second thought, maybe that’s not such a bad thing after all?).

Thanks to Alena from Hotukdeals.

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Mon, 8 Mar, 10
Author:
Marius Goubert

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Games deals

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The Godfather 2 £10.85 @ SHOPTO.NET [Xbox 360/ PS3 Games]

The Godfather 2 £10.85 @ SHOPTO.NET [Xbox 360/ PS3 Games]Godfather 2 is probably one of greatest sequels of all time – but what a shame the same can’t be said for the game. However it’s a title which does provide you with a bit of mindless and gratuitous fun, and one which has just enough going for it to be mildly entertaining. So for just £10.85 this is certainly not a bad deal, especially since the next best offer comes in at £12.99.

For me, the frustrating thing about Godfather 2 was its poor execution. The game did have real potential – especially with the introduction of features such as the don’s view and the fact you can recruit your own crew – but everything got undermined by the sheer number of bugs and the shockingly bad AI. One top of this, the game just mystified me in the sense that, rather than building upon the perks of the original, Godfather 2 seemed to actually invent new problems.

For example, weapons really felt like they packed a punch in the original, but in GF 2, the fire fights fail to be anywhere near as satisfying. The original game also didn’t do too bad a job of portraying the Godfather characters with an ounce of credibility during cut scenes, but here they are so atrocious it makes you feel like burning the Godfather logo off your game box.

Of course, given that the sequel actually invents problems which weren’t present in the original, don’t expect it to address some the more fundamental issues which plagued its predecessor. Taking over businesses is still monotonous as ever, and many missions are still picked up from random strangers in the street. Overall, Godfather 2 is a missed opportunity, but that said, for just over £10, you could certainly do a lot worse.  

 Thanks to Taswir1 from Hokukdeals.


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Fri, 5 Mar, 10
Author:
Marius Goubert

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Games deals

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Battlefield: Bad Company 2 £34.85 @ Shopto [Xbox 360 Games]

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 £34.85 @ Shopto [Xbox 360 Games]If you’ve been wavering over whether or not to pick yourself up a copy of DICE’s Battlefield Bad Company 2, or hold out until the game falls to £20, I sympathise with your dilemma. However if you’re close to justifying a £30+ game purchase because you know how special this particular title is shaping up to be, the best price currently going comes in at £34.85 from Shopto. Actually, to be honest, the best price comes in at £34.49 from Coolshop, but their stock is long gone, and after the Shopto price, the next best deal which is currently in stock comes in at £36.99 from Amazon, so that’s not a bad saving.

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 has to be the most anticipated first person shooter since Modern Warfare 2. Indeed, with its tuned up Frostbite Engine, BC2 could well be on course to utterly demolish the reputation of its arch rival and reduce Modern Warfare 2 to a pile of smouldering rubble. This time round, Bad Company features what the developers have dubbed ‘Destriction 2.0’, which basically means that the game encompasses a ‘full spectrum of destruction’. Not only can you chip away at walls and covers with machine gun fire, but take down entire buildings completely. This will certainly be a welcome addition for fans of the original Bad Company, who will of course have noticed that the environments were never fully destructible.

Like the original, BC2 still focuses on Preston and his squad of misfits. However, DICE have toned down all that witty banter, and made things a bit more serious – and of course, as this is Battlefield, you know most of the emphasis is on the multiplayer side of things. As a result, DICE have introduced various perk systems, and attempted to provide players with an unprecedented array of customization options. They’ve also done a look of tweaking with things like vehicle handling, introduced new toys to like the Blackhawk helicopter complete with side-door-mini-guns, and overall, tried to ensure players have as much fun as possible blowing each other to hell.

P.S. Read our review here.

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Fri, 5 Mar, 10
Author:
Marius Goubert

Category:
Games deals

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Steam Weekend Deal: Operation Flashpoint Dragon Rising @ £5.49 [PC Games]

Steam Weekend Deal: Operation Flashpoint Dragon Rising @ £5.49 [PC Games]It was one of, if not the best strategy-first-person-shooter on the PC, but unfortunately, Operation Flashpoint’s transition onto the consoles has been rather painful. That said it’s certainly worth a go for just £5.49, especially since it’s a relatively new game and the next best deal will set you back £9.93 on Amazon.

There certainly were problems regarding the complexity of the original Flashpoint format – which has been passed on to the Armed Assault series relatively unchanged. However, through trying to innovate, Operation Flashpoint 2 totally loses the plot.

Its attempt to streamline the orders system by combining elements of Ghost Recon and Brothers in Arms only succeeds in creating a system which is even more confusing and unwieldy than its PC predecessor. For some reason you can no longer customize your weapons or those of your squad. You no longer have the freedom to enter any vehicle you come across. The missions are unimaginative, there’s barely any storyline, and essentially the designers seem to have cut out everything good about the original.

Graphically the game is good, and there is some fun to be had during fire fights and when calling in airstrikes. The setting – which is apparently modelled on a real island – is depressingly brown and mundane however, and these Sakhalin islands must have some of the most depressing landscapes on Earth. Indeed if there’s one thing we know from games like Crysis, Far Cry and even Armed Assault, it’s that first person shooters are so much better when, between massacres, you can pause to admire the view. Paying RRP and you’d certainly feel disappointed, but for just over £5, Flashpoint 2 is a good deal, although before committing yourself, it might be worth checking out Armed Assault 2.

Thanks to Cuddy from Hotukdeals.

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Thu, 4 Mar, 10
Author:
Marius Goubert

Category:
Games deals

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Fallout 3 GOTY Edition £20.00 @ Asda [Xbox 360/PS3 Games]

Fallout 3 GOTY Edition £20.00 @ Asda [Xbox 360/PS3 Games]Having been hooked on PC FPS titles like Operation Flashpoint and Hidden and Dangerous for years, I never thought I’d go back to crappy consoles shooters. They all seemed so much more linear and less dynamic in comparison. And then I discovered Fallout 3. A game which, hands-down has to be one of the greatest, most life consuming titles I’ve ever experienced, and one which – even after completing – I still return to frequently to trade some bottle caps and fire teddy bears at radioactive scorpions. And if you haven’t yet got had the pleasure, buy Fallout 3, immediately.

The Game of the Year addition is currently going for just £20 from Asda, and provides you with not just the standalone game but all of the expansions. This is a truly superb deal, especially for the 360, where a brand new copy will set you back more than £27. It’s also not bad for a PS3 version however – which unfortunately does have slightly inferior graphics – as after ASDA you’re looking at around £1.70 more. To buy online from ASDA however, follow the link below and type ‘Fallout 3’ into the search box.

It’s certainly difficult to try and sum exactly what makes Fallout 3 so truly special (in 150 words anyway). But for me one of the game’s greatest accomplishments was The Capital Wasteland: a giant swath of post-apocalyptic North America encompassing deserts infested with radioactive monsters, ruined urban centres teeming with mutants, and isolated communities dotted around the landscape like islands. The whole setting is just an explorer’s dream come true. Alongside following the main thread of the narrative – which sees the player searching for their father (voiced by Liam Neeson) – you are free to travel the landscape.

You can instigate conversations with wanderers and residents, aid communities in crisis, accept side quests, and influence your fate through decisions and actions. You can rob, steal and murder if you choose, but this will attract hit men, and have people refusing to admit you into their shops or houses. If you choose to help those in need by giving water to peasants, protecting the vulnerable, placating or killing the bad guys, you may find yourself being hailed the saviour of the wastelands.

Like most players, you’ll probably find yourself choosing one path, and then, as soon as you complete the game, restarting and doing things differently. Overall Fallout 3 is an absolute must own, and if you don’t buy a copy now, do it as soon as you can.

Thanks to jingernuts from Hotukdeals.

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Thu, 4 Mar, 10
Author:
Marius Goubert

Category:
Games deals

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Trauma Centre: New Blood £6.99 @ GAME [Wii Games]

Trauma Centre: New Blood £6.99 @ GAME [Wii Games]The Trauma Centre series has always been a real winner on the Wii, and a franchise which managed to capture all the shaky-hand-pressure and the intense atmosphere of the operating room without subjecting you to any of the gore. It’s the way you like to imagine surgery: clean, precise, and sanitary, with minimal blood and guts. So if you’re squeamish rest assured, Trauma Centre: New Blood has so little blood it could have just as easily been called Trauma Centre: No Blood. And is about as likely to make you feel faint as an episode of Hollyoaks (except for when Jake Dean makes an appearance).

So if you’ve found yourself neglecting the Wii and are starting to fell a bit guilty about it, Trauma Centre: New Blood is a good game to get some extra mileage out of your abandoned console. You can currently pick up a copy for just £6.99 from Game which is a great deal according to price comparison as the next cheapest copy comes in at £14.87.

As you’d imagine the story behind Trauma Centre: New Blood is so awful it’s brilliant. You assume the role of one of two doctors attempting to treat the outbreak of a mysterious disease called Stigma, and unlike previous editions to the franchise, you’re now able to tackle missions in co-op mode. This is especially good because now you have someone to blame when things go wrong, and if there is one thing about New Blood, that’s that things frequently go wrong.

In fact, this probably one of the game’s biggest drawbacks. You often find yourself thrown into an operation without the faintest idea what to do, and it can sometimes take as many as half a dozen attempts before you finally pull it off. It’s an entertaining, enjoyable, yet maddening frustrating experience. So if you’re playing with a friend or partner, just don’t let it make a casualty out of your relationship.

 Thanks to Rhys135 from Hotukdeals.

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Tue, 2 Mar, 10
Author:
Marius Goubert

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Games deals

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Ghostbusters £9.95 @ Zavvi [PC Games]

Ghostbusters £9.95 @ Zavvi [PC Games] It’s a title that attracted a fair degree of pre-release hype and then just seemed to plummet as soon as it hit the shelves last year. However Ghostbusters the game does manage to provide all the charm of the classic 80’s movies along with a surprising amount of comedy value despite some frustrating in game mechanics. So if you’re a big Ghostbusters fan or someone who enjoys a fun, tongue-in-cheek-style adventure game, you can now get hold of a PC copy for just £9.95 from Zavvi. Even though a digital download will set you back just a tiny bit more – coming in at 49p more from Game – traditionalists will be pleased to know that after Zavvi, they’ll be looking at £13.40 for a hard copy of the game.

With authentic voiceovers from many of the original cast – including Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis, and Ernie Hudson -  and with a script penned by the original Ghost Busters writers, you know that in terms of story, the game adaptation is going to be worthy of its epic source material. It sees the player assuming the role of a rookie who’s just been recruited into the Ghostbusters squad, and soon finds themselves battling a horde of baddies (many of them Ghostbusters classics like the Stay Puft Marshmellow man) and travelling round some diverse locations in and around NewYork City.

The gameplay is enjoyable. Using the classic proton pack – which has four different modes – you have to grapple with a range of different ghostly apparitions and try and force them into one of your ghost traps – something which many reviewers compare to wrestling some giant bass on a fishing game. Along with rounding up the ghouls, the game provides some satisfying puzzle challenges which help keep you going between ghost fights which, unfortunately, can get slightly repetitive. However, despite the drawbacks, and some clear signs of console porting, the PC version is well worth £9.95, and an adaptation which is definitely worthy of the Ghostbusters license.

Thanks to GoonerTillidie from Hotukdeals.

3 Comments

Sun, 28 Feb, 10
Author:
Marius Goubert

Category:
Games deals

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Red Faction Guerilla £10.47 @ Tesco [Xbox 360 Games]

Red Faction Guerilla £10.47 @ Tesco [Xbox 360 Games]As Emma pointed out on her HUKD post, deals for Red Faction: Guerrilla on the Xbox 360 have been quite sparse compared to those for the PS3. So if you’ve been keeping an ear to the ground for a decent price for the 360 version, you might be interested to know that it’s now going for £10.47 from Tesco Entertainment. Even though the next best price comes in at a little more on Shopto at £11.97, they are currently out of stock, and after that you’re looking at £12.99 for a brand new copy.

But despite how much fun it is to play, Red Faction: Guerrilla is a game with a few big flaws. The open-world environments feel hollow, lack dynamism, and are just light years away from the kind of bustling metropolises you get in games like Assassins Creed and GTA IV. The story is, well, tacky and the voice acting hilariously dire. The buildings and architecture are also pretty poor (apparently after incorporating a realistic destruction engine, the developers found their buildings collapsing under the weight of real world physics). But that said, the game does compensate you with some thoroughly entertaining gameplay moments which won’t fail to strike a chord with everyone’s inner yearning to ‘blow sh** up’.

Anyone who remembers the old Red Faction from way back in 2001 will already know that this is a game all about destruction. Set on a Total Recall-style – futuristic – Mars, the player takes control of Alec Mason, a normal guy just looking to make a living, who suddenly finds himself embroiled in a major uprising. Tired of being oppressed by the EDF (Earth Defence Force), the Martian citizenry have united into a rebel force called Red Faction and are attempting to wrestle back control of the planet’s six sectors.

As I said before, the story is not exactly what you would call moving, and it’s unlikely you’re going to be investing much emotional energy in the plight of Mars’ oppressed population. RFG’s unique selling point is simply the fact you can blow everything to hell – and a lot of reviewers do say that although great at first, the novelty soon wears off. However RFG is still very impressive in terms of content. There are loads of weapons and vehicles and some big environments to explore. It’s not what you’d call a critically acclaimed masterpiece, but who cares when it’s still a lot of fun.

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