Nathan Blades looks at the polarising RPG for PS3 & 360.
Jason Rose brings us a buyers' guide to smartphones available this Christmas.
Nathan Blades covers some console and industry-defining titles for the Sony PlayStation
Nathan Blades burns rubber in Mario kart 7.
Genre: Minigame Compilation No one has ever considered Shakespeare in Love for a game and that's a shame. With a bit of extra work, the main game could be a dazzling experience. Racing on punts to save your love from the villainous moustache-twirling Christopher Marlowe. Throwing items at actors to make them go on stage. A play minigame where you have to hit the correct buttons (much like Guitar Hero) to make them say their lines properly. Too many fluffed lines and you're off. Not to mention sifting Shakespeare's lines through a Duke Nukem filter: anyone up for the bard saying 'To be or not to be, motherfucker' as he guns down the plebs?
Genre: God of War, but better There have never been games of Homer's two epics (the execrable Warriors: Legends of Troy) doesn't count. And though fighting Penelope's suitors when Odysseus has returned home might undermine the nostalgia and melancholy tone somewhat, the big duels of The Iliad and the monsters, such as the Cyclops Polyphemus in The Odyssey could lead to some epic boss fights. I'd play it.
Genre: Adventure/Shooter An adventure game, whereby You (Elizabeth Bennet) must select the appropriate witty retort to avoid disaster (marrying Wickham/ Bingley running off with Lydia/ Jane getting married to Mr Collins). Solve puzzles to find out what Darcy is really thinking (a really high scores allows you to slap Lady Catherine de Bourgh in the face) but then ignore what you find out anyway. Alternatively make it a first-person shooter based on Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.
Genre: Western RPG OK, let’s just go the whole hog. The greatest tragedy ever written: Shakespeare’s Hamlet. The greatest RPG ever conceived? Why not? Play as the Prince of Denmark as you strive to tackle corruption and conspiracy in your court in the wake of the murder of your father. Take on your uncle Claudius (voiced by Derek Jacobi, who else?) and maybe you can change the course of literary history by foiling his plot and living to rule your own kingdom? Also, get your priorities straight and start looking after your sister properly, she’s not well!
Genre: Co-Op Strategy An Inception game was rumoured last year, but no details were given. As I see it, a team of players act as a group of Dream Extractors, finding well-hidden and and unmentionable secrets in the minds of contracted targets. Some players can get to their goal on charisma alone, others go in all guns blazing. The console release is coupled with Facebook and iOS games so you can play Inception even when you're not playing Inception. Trippy.
Genre: Beat 'Em Up/Action Adventure Not just one, but TWO games in one, you get her prologue, where you can strike a blow for women's rights and swear vociferously while fighting with Alisoun's fifth husband. In the tale itself, it could be more of a fantasy affair, questing to find out what women truly want, culminating in a difficult choice at the end! Rated 18 for language.
Genre: Obvious What starts out as a simple fighting game in the vein of Street Fighter IV or Tekken quickly becomes more complex as it is coupled with action sequences where you destroy corporate America. The first and second rules of the eponymous club, however, may make reviews rather difficult. Not to mention the irony of paying £50 for a shiny piece of plastic.
Genre: Hack-and-Slash Sucker Punch was a terrible film. It abandoned all ideas of sensible plot or meaningful characters in favour of slow-motion cinematography and busty women killing robots. And doesn't that just scream "blockbuster video game"? Turning the gun-totting and clockwork German slaying into a 3rd Person brawler is easy enough, but you'd need to get the right developers behind it. Platinum Games - the guys behind Bayonetta - would do it perfectly.
Genre: Rhythm/Survival Horror Enter a world in which all balanced views of the world are ejected swiftly out the window in favour of attaining that perfect en pointe. Yes, you too can take on the role of the White and Black Swans as Natalie Portman’s Nina. Fight off the advances of your perverted French choreographer while trying to suck up to him just enough to get the star treatment, decide whether you harbour a jealous hatred of your attractive young understudy or just want to sleep with her, and struggle to control your frequent transmutations into an all-too-literal member of the Mighty Ducks, all while trying to maintain the grueling regimen of a Principal in a prestigious New York ballet company. Also, do the sensible thing and move out from your mother’s apartment; she’s almost as crazy as you are!
Genre: Mystery/Hack-and-Slash 1692. Salem, Massachusetts. The air is thick with hysteria as accusations of witchcraft fly left, right and centre. Take on the role of Thomas Danforth, judge turned witch-hunter, in his quest to restore order to the town and rid the world of evil. If that doesn’t float your boat, become John Proctor, an honourable family man haunted by his past transgressions, and more specifically his fellow transgressor, chief accuser and professional liar 17-year-old Abigail Williams. Or if you feel like destroying one of the great stage works entirely, you can turn the game into a fully-fledged witch-hunting hack and slash by playing as the bonus character: Hugh Jackman’s Van Helsing.
Fight Club was made into a game in 2004, and it was terrible.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fight_Club_%28video_game%29
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