When it comes to music video games, all you think about is Guitar Hero and Rock Band. Where you listen to your favourite songs and play instruments to the notes on screen. It’s going to get old sooner or later and we’ll need something new. That’s where EA and Double Fine Productions come in to create a new genre for music video games. So, can Brutal Legend make a sell-out performance or will it be a one gig wonder?

Story
The game tells the story of Eddie Riggs, who has gotten the name and reputation as “The World’s Greatest Roadie”, but has been put in the services of “The World’s Worst Heavy Metal Band” Kabbage Boy for awhile now and is sick of them for trying destroy most of the things that he’s made and their music style. During one of there gigs, one band members climbs on top of the set that Eddie has made and falls off. Mr. Riggs catches him but dies when the set crashes down. After a giant monster is awaken from Eddie’s blood and kills the band, it transports him to a universe where demons have enslaved humanity. Eddie comes to learn that the fantasy world was created by a race of ancient Titans who left numerous relics and instructions for the other generations behind for them to use to build upon, but neither humans nor demons could understand their meanings. Eddie, because of his roadie skills, is branded the chosen one to help save the world. During the game, you’ll get a love interest, start a revolution with headbangers and reveal a family secret. When it comes to the comedy, it’s put in greatly with one-liners but not that funny ones. With this and the good dramatic scenes, it’s a good tale about the saviour of metal.


Characters
For a game about heavy metal, it really brought warriors for the act. Putting Jack Black into the role Eddie Riggs was a good move because of the personalities, love of metal and looks. Also signing off the guest list is Motorhead’s lead singer Lemmy Kilmister as The Killmaster, the healer of Eddie’s soldiers. Judas Priest’s lead singer Rob Halford as the human slave driver/glam metal lover General Lionwhyte. Lita Ford as Rima, the queen of an Amazon-like woman warriors group and, I think a legendary performance, Ozzy Osbourne as The Guardian of Metal, who helps Eddie upgrade his equipment. Also in, with some quick cameo appearances are Tim Curry as the main villain Doviculus and Tenacious D’s Kyle Gass as a cannon operator. It’s a good line-up of metal legends to a world dedicated to them. When it came to their characters, some did and some didn’t look like themselves. Even with some confusing names you’ll still have the fun.

Gameplay
The game mixed with Action-adventure and real-time strategy. Set in an area 64 km2. Your tools for destruction include an axe called The Separator, a guitar with magical powers and a hot rod called The Deuce or “The Druid Plow”. When it came to the strategy part of the game, that’s when it went a little downhill. I had no problem with using fans as a source for recruiting soldiers but it was the usage of the commands that was a problem. You get four commands: help, attack, follow and defend. For me, it really difficult to get a group to go attack different base each time. The same goes for multiplayer

Setting
Set in a world dedicated the rock gods; the word “dedication” is a powerful one. Around the land there are many monuments in the shape famous rock and metal album covers. Also mixed in is the environment from a geyser filled desert to an emo styled jungle and lake.

Extras
With a short main story, you’ll finish the game in 7 hours but afterwards, you have a huge amount of side mission, unlockables for new moves and to improve the soundtrack collection and concept art. That’ll give you a couple of extra hours of entertainment.


The Verdict
Story-10
Characters-10
Gameplay-8
Setting-8
Extras-9

Overall-9 out of 10

With a good story, good line-up of cast, many extra

With the Halo series gone into retirement for a while and 21,560,000 copies of the games in total under their belt. Bungie is making us wait for the next instalment to tell us what happened to The Master Chief. Instead, they’re taking us to how it happened with Halo Wars. But will this War have the wrong start.

Story

Halo Wars takes place in the 26th Century. In 2525, humanity was attacked by a collective of alien races known as the Covenant. The Covenant declared humanity an affront to its gods, the Forerunners, and has aggressively waged war against the humans since. The game takes place in the year 2531, roughly 20 years before the events of Halo: Combat Evolve. Halo Wars opens on the human colony world of Harvest, six years after the planet was invaded by the Covenant; United Nations Space Command forces are still engaged in bitter conflict with the Covenant on the ground, and the UNSC ship Spirit of Fire is sent to investigate why the Covenant is still interested in the planet. Wink Wink.

Characters

In the game, you won’t get any of the originals from the other games except for The Prophet Of Regret. You’ll get a couple of new ones like Captain James Cutter, a strong leader who has earned the admiration of his subordinates. Cutter's lack of political ambition has prevented him from climbing the ranks. Serving under Cutter is Sergeant John Forge, a gruff Marine whose devotion to his men has led him to be jailed twice for disobeying orders and disorderly conduct. Joining the Spirit of Fire's military expedition is Professor Ellen Anders, a scientist who is highly interested in ancient Forerunner ruins. The Spirit of Fire is run with help from Serina, a super-intelligent and highly sarcastic artificial intelligence with a dry and sardonic sense of humor; she demonstrates a level of contempt for the humans she assists. Plus, you’d get one of the Original Arbiters and surprise introduction (but to you it’s a return) to The Flood.

Gameplay

Halo Wars is a RTS (Real-Time Strategy), which mostly popular on the PC. You have two bases, one for yourself and one for the enemy. You must build solider barracks, resources, reactor and vehicle buildings

Multiplayer

With Multiplayer, for me, it’s a little poor. All you get is choose a character and build a base and destroy the other base. You don’t that much of a challenge. You’d get so bored; you would have to destroy your own base, just for the thrill of it.

The Good, The Bad And The Ugly

The Good: Loved the Storyline, Cut scenes and The New Characters

The Bad: The Gameplay style, Being online (felt embarrassed actually)

The Ugly: Hated the Graphics. You couldn’t even see them if they had magnifying glass. No attention to the little details

Overall: Halo Wars is only good for telling us a story that happened 20 years ago and giving us some impressive cutscenes in the making. The only bad thing is everything else. Mark 1 nail into Halos coffin. Only buy it if you’re a fan of the series

Rating:6/10

Call of Duty had a huge impact in the last instalment, Call Of Duty 4: Morden Warfare, it scooped up a lot of awards and told us that the series wasn’t all World War 2. But that was then and this is now and we’re going back to the old ways with a new attitude with Call Of Duty: World At War. So, does number 5 make an unlucky number?

Story

The story does bring us back to Europe when the Nazis were in power but we’re also taken to the Pacific Islands. For the missions, it’s The USA vs. The Empire of Japan in the Island and The Soviet Union vs. The Nazis in Eastern Europe. You will be part of the Americans and Russians. You will also be part of some of the biggest battles of regions that you will be in. including the Makin Island raid, the Battle of Stalingrad, the Battle of Peleliu, the Battle of the Seelow Heights, the Battle of Okinawa, and the Battle of Berlin.

Characters

The player assumes the role of Private Miller of the United States Marine Corps' 1st Division and Private Dimitri Petrenko of the Soviet Red Army. Private Miller's campaign starts as he is captured by the Japanese while scouting Makin Island and is rescued by Corporal Roebuck (played by Kiefer Sutherland) and his men from the Marine Raiders squad. Private Petrenko's campaign starts when he is part of the 62nd Army in a water fountain where he pretends to be dead and watches German soldiers execute the rest of his unit in Stalingrad. Along with an injured teammate, Sergeant Reznov (played by Gary Oldman), he seeks revenge on the Germans and the "architect" behind the attack. Three years later, they meet again on the Eastern Front, alongside a third character, Pvt. Chernov (played by Aaron Stanford). For enemies, that’s a different story.

Multiplayer

World At War will give you some of the original stuff from Modern Warfare. Team Death; Capture The Flag, Co-Op, etc. One of the brilliant new content added the multiplayer is Nazi Zombies. Part 1 is called Nacht der Untoten meaning “Night of the Undead”. It takes place on an edited version of the Airfield Map. When you go online, you can get from 2-4 players. Points are rewarded by injuring or killing the zombies or repairing boarded-up windows, which are used to remove blockages such as couches or doors inside the bunker and to gain access to more useful weapons than the starting pistol. Downed players can survive if another player revives them or will respawn at the end of a round.

Part 2, which has been recently released, is called Verrückt meaning “Crazy”. It takes place on an edited version of the Asylum Map. It includes new weapons and power-ups intended to expand the experience. Players start in two rooms separated by a door. There is more of an objective in this map, which is to reach the power room and turn on the power. An addition to the game is the ability to purchase Bouncing Betties for one thousand points. Turning on the power opens the dividing door and allows all of the players to unite. The power also turns on the new perks soda machines. Each of these machines gives the player a certain perk when the player buys a perk soda. The power also allows for new electric fences to be activated at the cost of one thousand points. Zombies are also stronger in this map. Some zombies can now run, reach through boarded up windows, or crawl through them altogether.

The Good, The Bad And The Ugly

The Good: I liked the way it felt. The way the characters strategize. I’m a man who loves blood and gore. Well this brings it with knifes and flamethrowers.

The Bad: Nothing.

The Ugly: If it’s Ugly, then take out your eyeballs

Overall: The last time the series went to WW2 was Number 3 and that was passable, then to the present day with Number 4 and was a mega hit. Now, Call Of Duty: World At War has come to give a history lesson and take us back to see the disaster part of World War 2.

Rating: 10/10