Jagex suggest that the game is best experience by playing a little bit each day, watching your kingdom gradually build. With this in mind D+PAD’s own wannabe dictator – Charles Etheridge-Nunn – spent some time in the world of 8Realms and kept a diary of his adventures. Read on to find out how his endeavours panned out.

THE DOOMTOPOLIS DIARIES
By Charles Etheridge-Nunn

DAY ONE
I am the mighty “Xiahou Chuck” and I shall bring this world to its knees.

My town is a mere burning patch of land, raided by barbarians. My people are weak, but I shall craft them into a mighty weapon. First I put out their fire. I name this land, “Doomtopolis”. There is one minion called “Gary” who points me through every action. He is very needy.

The interactions with this diagonal grid of a village are limited at first, and you need probably 15 minutes to click past Gary’s tutorial. He points out what you should build to get things started. The game opens up from there, giving you a selection of blank ground, trees and hills to develop.

The citizens of Doomtopolis are doing well. I find out that there are types of buildings to make. They make meat, stone and wood. There is metal, which my people do not yet acknowledge. Maybe metal did something to them. Maybe it evokes a primitive fear in them. I mock my little people. I force them to sacrifice their children in my name. I am a benevolent god.

Apparently simply slaughtering my foes is not enough. I must make a city centre and a library. Books are stupid. You cannot easily kill people with a book.
There is a resource called gems. When I am away on important business (watching television) people normally finish their work and sit around listlessly. These gems can make them do things like know what to build next. I should have them beaten.

Gems, by the way, are the way in which 8Realms uses real-life currency; costing approximately 6 pence each and you generally must buy them in large quantities. If you want to instantly finish a building, for example, that’s 65 gems or £3.90 in real money. You start with a small amount and you occasionally get a handful more. You can speed up your builders or buy a new slot for 42p.

DAY TWO
I force my minions to build barracks. I am a mighty warlord and Doomtopolis needs an army. My barracks do nothing alone, I need to build a parade ground.

The world map shows resources available for you to raid. If you need more meat, raid some cows, who may or may not have barbarians on them.

You can upgrade anything in your city, but you need to dedicate research slots first, to allow you to learn how to improve. Much like with the barracks, the parade ground and the library, each need you to research them first.

DAY FOUR
After a day away from my troops, I return to see my tiny minions miss me. They have filled their warehouses. Against my wishes, they need their library to be improved and, as this will make my soldiers better in the long run, I obey.

It takes incrementally longer to upgrade or research things. That’s fine on a working day, or if you only have a few minutes, but any longer and things start to drag.

I make more soldiers. Doomtopolis always needs soldiers. After sending them them out and to defeat my barbarian foes (which takes minutes), I cannot see any more enemies on the on the map. As I have no more foes to to kill, I decide to spend some time working on my internal problems. A warlord should not have to think about quarries.

The big theme of this game is advancement through society. There’s an egg timer in the shape on an “8” at the top of the screen, indicating how far you are in your society. Once it’s full you progress to the next age with new resources and challenges. It’s a nice idea and while it has been used before, this mechanic helps you start off simply and add complexity as it grows.

DAY FIVE
I stand atop my village hall, looking at my crude world map and there is nothing to murder; having reached the pinnacle of my age and I must wait. Eventually the last quarry is upgraded and now a wonder can be built. The ancient Greeks were manly and tough. They knew all about war, so Delphi will help me war all over my enemies.

When your hourglass is full, you have to make a “wonder” to progress to the next age. The settlement still looks like it belongs in the previous age. That’s because you’ll have to start upgrading things from scratch. From a level 3 quarry (ancient) for instance, to a level 1 quarry (classical). The good news is that if you hadn’t levelled your sites the whole way, you can skip all the in-between stages as no one cares about mud huts any more. It’s all about marble.

Jake the minion has returned. Apparently I am an empire, not just a town. I thought I already was. I shall burn his house for this impunity. I get to pick a policy, in this case “control” as it is the most Doomtopian. I name my empire, “The Empire of Screaming”.

Then I make a thousand troops. They shall be my honour guard.

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Saints Row: The Third heads further down this route, building on the craziness of predecessors; lapsing further and further from a crime story and into the realm of madcap, chaotic hijinks. As with the previous games, you’re playing a custom-built crime lord-slash-psychopath. From the get-go its clearer than ever before that something’s not quite right with your character, whose opening act is to plan bank robbery with a gang dressed as your BFF, Johnny Gat, adorned with giant bobblehead masks. We all know this scene from the trailers. The game offers no more advancement on why this was a great plan.

Your arrival in Steelport (the city in which the game is set) is accompanied by an explanation of a plan – told while skydiving, obviously – which goes something like this: “I’m going to drop you, jump through the plane’s cockpit, shoot up the place, drop out of the back and catch you.” It’s ridiculous. But the thing is…when the plan actually comes together…it’s nothing short of spectacular. Shortly after this, you hit up a military base to get weapons. In this setting – and in your character’s head – this makes absolute sense, but he (or she) is a stone cold psycho. And planning is apparently not their strong point.

Saints Row: The Third may offer an impressive range of character customisation, but you are very much locked into one personality. Compared to the conflicted Niko Bellic and Red Dead Redemption’s John Marsden, you are an unrepentant lunatic with high ambition, a love of strippers and a complete disregard for instructions. Where there was often a tension between Rockstar’s Marsden and the Marsden we wanted to be, Saints Row’s protagonist displays all the psychopathy needed to legitimise the disturbing behaviour a player has them go through.

In a world drowning in sandbox games it pays to be stand out, but the streets of Steelport are grey and indistinct. There are some impressive sights – like driving into town to witness the projects Saints-brand adverts lighting up the sides of skyscraper – but not enough. Indoors, things get better, with some great set pieces making for some unique battles, but the set dressing could be nicer throughout.

Fortunately, the people of Steelport really make it shine. Furries wander the streets, fans of the saints bug you for autographs or photos while you’re stabbing a cop in the face. They start getting fighty when you’re trying to steal their motorbike, or chase you down the motorway if you ding their car.

The enemy gangs are also somehow even more colourful and insane than the previous groups. In Saints Row 2 you fought against yellow yakuza, red gangstas and green Jamaicans. In Saints Row 3 there’s still a colour scheme thing going on – with the Deckers who wear neon blue Tron outfits and carry jRPG swords. Morningstar’s main forces are slick gothic types who dress in red, then there are luminous green luchadores (my personal favourite). You heard me, luchadores. As time goes on, while you’re still fighting against these guys, you’re also having to take on “The Man”. The GI Joe-like S.T.A.G. walk around in plastic-looking armour and laser rifles. They fly in sleek toy-like planes and spout out crazed propaganda. It almost becomes Fun versus Anti-Fun, with your gang as cocky, brightly-coloured rebels.

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For our Games of 2011…erm…Awards, the D+PAD team have each picked their two favourite games of the year – the games are listed in no particular order, but all shone in one way or another…and all are worthy of your attention.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (PC, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3)

If one game represented value for money for the single-player this year it was the latest entry in the Elder Scrolls series. Both a sequel and advancement over Oblivion, Skyrim presented gamers with a lush fantasy world filled with danger, intrigue and choice. Perhaps you fulfilled your destiny as the Dragonborn of Legend and defeated the World Eater Alduin, or maybe you rose to power as a remorseless scourge upon the land and took up arms for the Dark Brotherhood. Or maybe you never managed to pull yourself away from the vast selection of side quests afforded by the townsfolk, because as we all know, running errands beats saving the world from a soul-sucking dragon lord any day.

The chatty townsfolk, ferocious enemies, rolling tundra and outstanding soundtrack all came together to create an atmosphere that turned the land of Skyrim into a living world, and that’s before you’ve considered the random threat of dragon attacks. The attention to detail given by Bethesda was nothing short of staggering, with a variety of skills (which level up the more you use them), armour, spells, unique dragon shouts and even a selection of books detailing the history of Tamriel all serving to bolster the experience. This is exactly how first-person adventuring should be done and with the promise of exciting and substantial downloadable content on the horizon it’s likely that we’ll be returning to Skyrim for a good while yet.

Crysis 2 (PC, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3)

As a sequel to the original PC melting behemoth, Crysis 2 delivered on all fronts. Granted, the island paradise filled with Korean soldiers was gone, but Crytek’s crumbling rendition of New York held as much artistry and chaotic atmosphere as any true fan could have wanted. First-person shooters tend to lack stealth sections that are open and fun, but Crysis 2 made the cloaking device central to the game play, providing a satisfying vocal effect to boot. The star of the show was very much the Nanosuit; an all-over covering that would imbue even a broken body with incredible – but not limitless – powers.

Taking too much damage would spell doom for our silent hero, but the suit ensured that he would always have the edge, even when hunted by packs of unrelenting Ceph. Of course, we can’t talk about Crysis without mentioning the sumptuous visuals. Running on the CryEngine 3, the game stood out as one of the best looking titles to grace home consoles, and with the original Crysis recently made available via Xbox Live and the Playstation Network, those who missed out can finally dive in and see where it all began.

- Chris Morell

Dark Souls (Xbox 360, PlayStation 3)

To date, I’ve ploughed about 45 hours into From Software’s Dark Souls; at this point in virtually any other game I would likely be an all conquering, near-indestructible killing machine stalking a world that had long since been conquered. That, however, is not the case here – though my character is infinitely stronger than when he first stepped out of a dank prison-cell at the game’s opening and though my competency as a player has grown, every step forward is still accompanied with a palpable sense of dread and a horrible foreboding that death will come at any second.

It should be painfully frustrating, but instead Dark Souls is exquisitely, sweetly, frighteningly immersive. From Software have crafted a game world that, in my mind, is second to none – it lives in your psyche long after a play session has ended, constantly daring you back, tempting you with dreams of empowerment that it often fulfils only to snatch them briskly away. To play Dark Souls is to have your emotions toyed with, as feelings of fear, victory, awe, desperation, hope and hopelessness ping-pong around your head like some kind of twisted pinball-machine – making for an experience that is nothing short of unforgettable. Choosing my Game of the Year has never been so easy.

Battlefield 3 (Xbox 360, PlayStation 3)

As far as first-person shooter packages go, Battlefield 3 is irresistible, with a solid single player campaign and (more importantly) a scintillating multiplayer experience that I have little doubt I will still be playing this time next year. The series has never looked or sounded better, but Dice haven’t stopped at just giving the series a presentational overhaul – there’s a mode of play for nearly any and every taste, and a staggering number of weapons and other gadgetry to unlock, all of which service the game’s biggest strength: the wonderfully dynamic and immensely tactical single player.

Much has been made of EA’s desire to make Battlefield 3 a true Call of Duty killer, but this really does the game a great disservice; this is the latest instalment of a trailblazing series that has long had a clear sense of its own identity and very unique gameplay. It’s success then should not be measured in how well it’s sales stack up against Activision’s juggernaut, but on the experience it offers – and in this respect Battlefield is a work of astonishingly engaging magnificence.

- Simeon Paskell

Portal 2 (PC, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3)

Released back in April it’s easy to overlook Portal 2 when it comes to making game of the year decisions, but make no mistake Valve’s long-awaited sequel to the 2007 surprise hit is worth a place at the top of every list going in 2011. Expanding the scope of the original, whilst building on the backstory of GLaDoS, Chel and Aperture Science, Portal 2 was incredibly ambitious, which makes its triumph even more impressive. It managed to simultaneously retain the charm and smarts of the first game, but keep the scenarios and puzzles fresh enough for the duration of its much extended campaign.

Portal 2 also managed to maintain the razor sharp writing of the first, the brilliant casting of Stephen Merchant as Wheatley allowing Valve to expand the gentle humour of the first game to a much broader scope without losing any of its edge. What ultimately sets Portal 2 aside though was how effortless it felt, how meticulously created every room was, and how efficient the storytelling was. It remains a prime example of one of the world’s best game developers at the absolute peak of their creative power.

Dead Space 2 (PC, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3)

Visceral games’ follow up to their breakout sci-fi survivor horror title starts with a bang and never looks back. Eschewing some of the initial build up of dread from the first game Dead Space 2 emerges as much more of an action game, a natural progression of the story of Isaac Clarke as he once again battles against the rising necromorph invasions, this time amongst the Sprawl, a vast man-made metropolis located on one of Titan’s moons.

As well as upping the scale and polish of the first game Dead Space 2 is unusual as it goes to great pains to detail the effects that the events of the first game had on its protagonist. Suffering hallucinations and breakdowns the game does a good job of investing your journey with an emotional weight amongst all the death and destruction. The gameplay itself was neatly refined and expanded upon whilst retaining the look and feel that made the first game so successful. With some expertly crafted set-pieces, some genuinely creepy scares and a memorably unique and interesting final boss battle Dead Space 2 stands as a worthy sequel and an intense and exciting gaming experience in its own right.

- Dave Stuart

Super Mario 3D Land (Nintendo 3DS)

Though our typical vision of Super Mario involves him saving princesses, this year he faced his most formidable quest yet – saving the ailing Nintendo 3DS console, after a lacklustre launch left the Japanese giants with their first company loss in 30 years. Yet weeks after the release of Super Mario 3D Land and Mario Kart 7, the glasses-free 3D handheld is finally starting to look like a sales success and it’s all down to that moustachioed plumber.

With clever gameplay decisions that mean that 3D Land plays as a cross between the 2D retro revival of New Super Mario Bros (narrow design, lack of hub worlds) and the critically revered complexity of the Super Mario Galaxy series, here we have the perfect combination of the Super Mario series’ invention and accessibility. As one of the few games that also fully takes advantage of the 3D effect (with certain puzzles involving invisible blocks that can only been spotted alongside their sturdier 3D models), Super Mario 3D Land is my pick for the handheld game of the year and yes, that includes any mobile apps that you could care to mention, Kairosoft be damned.

Pullblox (Nintendo 3DS)

My favourite downloaded game of the year is not available in the App Store, Xbox Live, the Android Market or the PSN. Instead, it can be found alongside overpriced GameBoy games and something called 1950’s Valet Parking. It is Pullblox and it is absolutely majestic.

A block puzzler like none you have ever played before, Intelligent System, the team behind the legendary Advance Wars series, task players with pulling blocks to create the vertical passage of devilishly complex structures. Though games start out pretty easy (or at least for the first 100 puzzles – there are around 250 on offer), the introduction of side pulls and colour co-ordinating pipes can mean that one deceptively simple puzzle could last up to an hour. Thankfully, the game is never unfair in its design so expect plenty of Portal 2-style ‘Eureka’ moments, as long as you haven’t slammed your 3DS against the wall in the minutes previously.

The icing on an extremely tasty downloadable cake (these metaphors can be tricky) is the ability to design your own levels and scan QR codes to download those of others. Already I’ve reached the peaks of Super Mario and Mega Man’s respective heads and despite trawling through forums to add to my scanning collection, I’ve yet to encounter a single blocky digital penis.

That fact alone says all you need to know about the respect Pullblox and demands and ultimately receives.

- Emmet Purcell

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Nintendo Wii)

Made with one eye on legacy, one eye on the future, Skyward Sword was the Zelda game that people had been nervously hoping for ever since words like “reinvention” started to be thrown around, back when the title was first announced. Skyward Sword was one of the year’s most unforgettable games for many reasons. As moving as it was witty, its story weaved together childhood romance and apocalyptic danger, while the environments were a reminder that (with the exception of this year’s Skyrim and Dark Souls) nobody weaves together a game-world as convincingly, as richly, as Zelda’s designers.

Possibly the last major Nintendo-published game for Wii, Skyward Sword was poignantly also the game to finally convince that motion controls could genuinely elevate ‘traditional’ game experiences. 2012 promises to be a fascinating year for Nintendo, the benchmark laid down by Skyward Sword a vertigo-inducing one to aim for.

Child of Eden (Xbox 360, PlayStation 3)

A beguiling mix of on-rails shooter, rhythm-action and music visualisation, Child Of Eden was everything one hoped a current-generation Rez sequel could be. Replacing Rez’s emphasis on hard geometry with lush foliage and various forms of organic life, Child Of Eden was one of the few games in 2011 in which every core design component – the colours, the beats, the subtly intricate shooting mechanism – were working in perfect harmony. It may look, sound and feel astonishing, but as a core videogame it worked beautifully, and this was Tetsuya Mizuguchi’s greatest achievement. With a soundtrack that veered from states of bliss to industrial clatter, a challenging bonus game that channelled Rez even more directly, and a plentiful array of collectables, Child Of Eden also – despite its superficial short game length – showcased a great depth. Sensory disorder has never been so fun.

- Zoheir Beig

Do you agree with our selections? Are any of your favourites missing? Feel free to let us know below.

It’s worth mentioning up-front that if you’re not totally up to speed with the Assassin’s Creed story up until the end of Brotherhood, then the events in Revelations will make very little sense to you. Sure, the same could be said for most sequels existing in any kind of narrative, but Revelations makes no real effort to highlight the significance of its story beats to those who haven’t been already following the journey till this point. The game does offer a fairly brief “previously on…” reminder at the outset, but it’s still not quite enough to properly remind of the crazy impact felt from the series’ last two outings. As it has been for those last two outings, the focus of the story is squared mostly on Ezio Auditore.

This time around, Ezio is in Constantinople (or Istanbul, as you’ll now know it), where he is on the hunt for a vital set of keys to unlock the mysterious library belonging to the original game’s star, Altaïr. (As ever, the Templars on are also on the trail with the same goal in mind.) A smattering of new characters are brought into the fold along the way, but neither they nor the events that surround them prove to be entirely engaging. Revelations finds Ezio on a particular narrow and banal path as a result and provides few moments of genuine surprise or candour in regards to previous twists. Brief segments involving Altaïr are also underwhelming and shallow, offering only small moments of insight into his later years with little impact along the way. Desmond Miles, the series’ every-man host whose genetic memories of ancestors Ezio and Altaïr have been revealed by the Matrix-like Animus machine, is meanwhile left in a catatonic state. Without giving too much away, the representation of Desmond’s currently unalterable state is portrayed in some relatively interesting ways, although none of it comes off as supremely fleshed-out beyond some basic character background.

Gameplay-wise, the majority of Revelations treads familiar ground. The routine practice of free-running and climbing above and below various city structures is still fun and easy to navigate; the combat is still as focused and stylish as it was in Brotherhood, and performing assassinations remains to be a satisfying feat to behold when pulled off effectively. Revelations throws in a few new side distractions into the mix, however, the most notable of which are tower defense-esque Stronghold missions in which you protect your Assassins den from swaths of incoming enemy invaders. Its execution is clunky in spite of its simplicity, although it’s never too difficult either. Bomb crafting is also new, providing the ability assemble and use your own home-made bombs (as crude as they are) to create multiple diversions or distractions, depending on the situation. The best of these bombs is surely the one that splatters lamb’s blood over anyone who hovers by its blast upon impact with the floor—it’s both useful and strangely amusing to let one off when the time is right.

Multiplayer returns from Brotherhood and is far improved. There are new modes, characters, customisable
matches and profile options available to tweak, as well as some general gameplay refinements to keep things nice and balance. For instance, it is now much easier to stun an approaching killer for a handy incapacitation: this feat was much harder in the previous game, as you were only every granted a small window in which to pull off a clever counter manoeuvre. Revelations’ multiplayer is also devoid of any of the crippling connection issues that plagued Brotherhood upon release, which is obviously good news.

Assassin’s Creed: Revelations is a perfectly fine addition to the series, but that can only be said with the acknowledgement that everything at its core is starting to become old-hat. It tells of an unfortunate duality that stops the game from being wholly recommendable to someone who isn’t totally invested in the series’ narrative. But even with that in mind, Revelations doesn’t quite suffice, either. Ultimately, the best piece of advice would be this: if you like the idea of more Assassin’s Creed in its current incarnation, then you’re bound to enjoy Revelations on some level. Anyone else would probably be better off leaving well alone from this stop-gap of a sequel and await the arrival of the next fully-fledged sequel instead.

Dungeon Defender’s ambitions are relatively modest; supporting up to four players (online, offline or a combination of both) who are set loose in compact fantasy arenas and given the simple task of defending mystical ‘Eternia Crystals’ from hordes of goblins, orcs and trolls that spew forth from gateways situated throughout the area. Though a campaign mode is included, it is in a broad levelling-up system and multiplayer in which the game’s real focus lies.

At the outset, players must choose from a selection of four different classes, each with a different set of abilities, strengths and weaknesses. The heavily armed Squire flourishes in hand-to-hand combat while the Apprentice is your typical mage – fairly weak up close, but capable of delivering significant damage with ranged spells. The Monk is the all rounder and, finally, the Huntress specialises in ranged weapons. As well as their more immediate methods of attack, each is also capable of laying ‘towers’ designed to damage or delay the evil hordes spewing from the spawn gates. The Monk, for example, can conjure up ‘auras’ that, amongst other things, slow down foes or zap them with electricity. The Squire on the other hand, can construct barricades and razor-sharp spinning-traps. The use of each requires that you employ different tactics, and – as you are able to switch classes on the fly – you’ll soon find a character to suit your own preferences.

Gameplay is broken down into two distinct phases; firstly, the Build Phase gives you time to set up your defences (the number of which is dictated by the resources available) and to make plans as to where you will focus your efforts to keep the Eternia Crystal safe from harm. Depending on your preference and the degree of challenge you’re looking for, build phases can be time limited or not, with the former making for increasingly frantic episodes in which you and your team trawl the map for resources and items and attempt to set up sufficient defences. Time-free build phases are ideal for players looking to learn the ropes, but can suck much excitement out of the experience.

Once the build phase has come to an end, the gates open and your castle is soon awash with orcs and goblins. Here the game shifts towards a more action oriented experience, very much reminiscent of Titan Studio’s PSN hit, Fat Princess. Charging around the field you play, you engage in ranged and melee combat in a desperate attempt to protect the Eternia Crystals. Although new towers can be laid, a single hit from a foe will disrupt construction, meaning that you need to be damn sure your build phase preparations have been robust. Should you successfully ward off the attack, it’s back to the build phase you go in order to prepare for the next assault.

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There are two things I think I always mention in a Call Of Duty review, which might as well be dispatched now: one, that it’s difficult to see how the next entry in the franchise will be able to usurp this year’s edition without the excitement becoming a victim of diminishing returns, and two, that Call Of Duty needs to innovate to stay relevant. The facts, the hard numbers, suggest that these two ideas are wrong – if anything, it’s likely that any major deviation from this proven template would create more (financial) trouble than it’s worth. Besides, innovation for the sake of innovation (as opposed to a genuine desire for progression), can often be just as bad, and it’s perhaps unrealistic for a franchise as big and ‘dependable’ as Call Of Duty to experiment in any meaningful way. Leave that to, y’know, the little arty games; the ones you tell girls you play to impress them.

Although to the casual observer (casual – there’s a word you don’t hear often with regards to COD) the release of Modern Warfare 3 must feel like a simple formality, its gestation has been anything but. The firing of senior Infinity Ward heads Jason West (former president) and Vince Zampella (co-founder) on a charge of “insubordination” following the stratospheric launch of Modern Warfare 2 compounded the feeling that the game itself was a disappointment, especially when compared to its narrative predecessor, Modern Warfare (still my favourite first-person shooter campaign of this generation). MW2 may have broken all sales records, for a year at least, but something wasn’t right – both in a corporate and creative context – under the surface.

With over forty staff leaving Infinity Ward in the wake of the West and Zampella affair, Activision were forced to hire Sledgehammer Games (formed by the creators of Dead Space) to aid development and ensure MW3 hit its expected early November date. However, if the development process for MW3 was turbulent then it certainly doesn’t show. Modern Warfare 2’s single-player was evidence that the franchise’s trademark of overloaded action sequences counts for little when it comes at the expense of narrative cogency; the sensory bombardment should ideally be anchored by a definition of what role you play in the bigger plot. Story orientation linked with visual disorientation, would be one way to put it. This is a front that Modern Warfare 3 has vastly improved on.

Whereas MW2 was confusing, over-the-top and ultimately unsatisfying, MW3 is clinical, focused and, to my mind, by far the best COD campaign since the first Modern Warfare back in 2007. It has the requisite moments that are technically amazing, where physics, scale and aesthetic combine to fantastic effect (the hijacking of the Russian President’s plane, in which the aircraft splits with you inside, is probably the pick of these), but also many missions that, perhaps mindful of previous excesses, recall the studio’s early World War 2 period. These, especially the later levels such as the German beach landing and a night-time trek through Prague feel like local skirmishes, with the sense of resistance unmoored from a wider geopolitical plot, the rhythm of play and the feel evoking Call Of Duty 2.

Indeed, the whole game runs like a greatest hits of Infinity Ward’s COD with everything from assassination missions to vehicle sections to a bit where you crawl under trucks making an appearance. In this, coupled with numerous narrative threads being tied up, there is the strong suggestion that the Modern Warfare sub-title is being put to bed, a full stop hinting at bolder approaches to come in future games. But we won’t hold our breath. There are also, once again, some striking narrative tricks used throughout, including a memorable spin on the iconic nuclear bomb scene from the original game, and an attempt at undermining player agency which is far more successful than No Russian was back in 2009.

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Based on the front cover alone you would be forgiven for curiously picking Disney Universe up from the store shelf and expecting a budget version of LittleBigPlanet. In reality, everything from the camera and focus on collectible tokens to the simple one-button combat evokes thoughts of the Lego video game franchise. You might be disappointed to learn that you never actually play as your favourite characters at all, but rather only dress up as them. This goes for certain villainous appearances as well, though we won’t spoil it here by dropping names. The reason for this – whether you buy it as a good excuse or not – is that Disney Universe is actually a tourist attraction that has gone the way of Westworld, with the park’s robots turning against its guests. Your job is to free these guests and restore peace to the land of entertainment; everything is as cutesy as expected, bringing a light-hearted and typically ‘Disney’ touch to the proceedings.

While it’s disappointing that no characters are actually featured, Disney Universe makes up for this failing through solid use of its themed worlds. Unfortunately, the Pirates of the Caribbean world – the very first one you’ll play through in the game – is by far the least interesting and fails to engage with a strong first impression. Beyond this, the worlds are made up of three areas, each featuring three stages and a welcome dose of variety; some highlights include a spell through Wonderland and The Lion King’s elephant graveyard. There are graphical touches that make each world unique, though you could never go so far as to call any of this ambitious – the game is artistically sound and bright, vivid colours give life to a world that kids won’t want to ignore. In most cases however, it’s the recognisable backdrops that will please Disney fans the most.

Each stage plays out in a similar yet slightly different manner. One moment you might have to use cannons to blast away at a mermaid to collect tears, and soon you may have to throw water bombs onto seeds to make them grow, allowing access to higher areas. Disney Universe has many of these deviations that afford the game play some variety, and while the creativity in this regard is impressive, levels can still feel like a bit of a slog as you make your way to the exit. The biggest issue comes in the form of the enemies; be it the standard grunt, the common brute or the occasional spawner (which shoots enemies at you), the range of foes just won’t impress in any way. Instead, these encounters irritate and become predictable very quickly, slowing things down just as you’re making solid progress within a stage. Boss fights change between each world and do become quite challenging, though it’s worth mentioning that there is little penalty for death, affecting only your end score and losing you a handful of tokens.

It’s these tokens that make up the crux of the game. With an abundance of collectibles filling each stage (literally in every corner and inside every breakable object) it soon becomes clear that racking up a large amount of these ‘Mickey Mouse ears’ actually takes precedence over reaching the end gate. The developers want you to search out as many of these as possible and try to reward you for doing so, translating as currency to open worlds and unlock new costumes. If concept art is your thing (that typical ‘go-to’ unlockable that no one ever cares about), then each stage plays host to three special items that alter in appearance depending on the level’s theme. Whatever you think of the items you obtain, there’s enough on offer to keep prospective treasure hunters occupied.

Part of the selling point is in the fact that you need not venture alone, with up to four players supported for local play – no online modes have been included. Co-operation is king here, but the game encourages a certain degree of competitive behaviour, as you’re so often reminded during loading screens. The game can easily be completed without the aid of another, but as it’s been designed for multiple people in the room it’s likely that a few chuckles will be earned should other players enter the fray. This is an easy going, inoffensive game so it makes perfect sense that kids would want to experience it with a buddy or two, and this may even go some way to alleviate the repetitive ‘whack whack whack’ nature of the combat.

It can be hard to reach a fair score considering that the game is aimed squarely at a much younger target audience, but there’s no denying that Disney Universe holds its fair share of charm and harmless joys. The music – particularly that of the main menu – is unashamedly funky, as are the remixes of classic Disney tunes, although these can be almost unrecognisable at times. Fans of the Disney films will no doubt be disappointed that you’re suiting up rather than playing as the famous cast members themselves, so you’re advised not to invest too much in the brand name here. This is a simple, welcoming escapade that can (and probably should) be ignored by the vast majority of adult gamers this holiday season. Those with children or younger siblings however, would do rather well by giving this a look.

The main plot of Arkham City isn’t far removed from what we’ve previously seen, with the inmates of the newly relocated asylum once again seizing control. There is a deeper narrative with some surprising twists that help to keep the intrigue flowing; faces from the Batman lore give Bruce Wayne an even more difficult time of things here, though of course priorities shift as the situation progresses. Enemies such as Penguin, Ra’s Al Ghul and others put in major appearances, with a few from the last game keeping out of the spotlight in heavily educed roles. You could criticise the game for trying to cram in too many villains on the go, and while this criticism holds some ground it’s all in the name of snappy pacing, plus the writing brings out enough character that it likely won’t matter.

This is a high-stakes adventure that essentially borrows the best aspects from the comics and animated series. Long-time fans and newcomers will be able to dive right in and have a blast, so if your only experience with the Dark Knight is some basic movie or TV knowledge and a run-through of the first game then you’ll slip right in to Arkham City. This isn’t just a night in the life of the caped crusader, but rather one of his very worst – the story pushes forward and always makes you feel that the quest is of great importance. Ironically, the developers at Rocksteady have mastered the art of distraction via the art of collection and reward, which is something fans will remember the original was renowned for.

It seems utterly ludicrous that Batman would choose to glide around (a mechanic that’s been given extra wings here thanks to the new dive-bomb manoeuvre) in hot pursuit of Riddler trophies when in such a mad dash to save hostages/stop his enemies in their tracks, but that’s the beauty of the formula. You’re under no obligation to perform any heroics unless taking on the main story or the side missions, so expect to run around after those elusive green question marks when you feel like taking a breather. You can expect to unlock a host of extras such as challenge maps that increase replayability and provide instant gratification once the adventure is done.

Regardless of extras, the game is good enough that you’ll want to give it a second play through based on its own merits, particularly after seeing how the tale unfolds. Arkham houses many secrets just begging to be found, but failing that there are always thugs in need of an attitude adjustment via a good boot to the head. Speaking of which, the combat is largely unchanged, only with a few more enemy types thrown in for good measure. Enemies such as those with shields will need a special combo to be taken down, so you’ll want to look for the right opening or risk a smack to the head from a pipe from behind. The single button counter system works just as well as before, so it’s easy to get stuck in from the very first set of trash-talking thugs.

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It’s safe to assume that nobody, after a few hours spent with Ubisoft’s affectionate take on Tintin, will be comparing the experience to, er, rape. Thankfully the game takes greater inspiration from the aforementioned comics and animated serial, as opposed to from Hollywood’s big-budget outing. Lovely touches abound; selecting the next level involves traversing a charming hand-drawn map, while the loading screens see Tintin and Snowy running together in front of a yellow spotlight instantly familiar from the show’s opening titles.

The success of Tintin the videogame is based on a simple design philosophy. Instead of heading down the thorny path towards CG ‘actors’ and 3D special effects, Ubisoft Montpellier (the studio from which this year’s superlative From Dust emerged, as well as playing host to the creative talents of one Michel Ancel) have instead embraced the aesthetic upon which Tintin’s success was first based: two-dimensional panels, crisply drawn, the trace of human involvement intentionally present. The visuals may lack the line-drawn clarity of Herge’s work, but they have a warmth and personality that is also reflected in the boisterous pace of the gameplay.

This is manifested in two central areas: the control over the player’s experience and the mechanics of combat. Of the former Ubisoft have, in the main story mode at least, adopted an unapologetically linear approach. Freedom does come in the shape of regular single-screen location-based puzzles in which the aim is to usually figure out how to clear the screen of enemies, but otherwise Tintin’s single-player adventure is tightly controlled, albeit punctuated by enough witty little ideas to keep the momentum zipping along. One minute you’ll be using a flashlight to illuminate a darkened room, the next you’ll be swinging along the side of a boat; Ubisoft have good form in 2D platform game design, and it’s a knowledge used with great effect here.

A simple control system supports the neat visuals and level design. In general the ‘A’ button is used for most functions, its context-sensitive nature allowing for jumping, rolling and climbing wherever necessary. Combat meanwhile is on a separate button. In general Tintin can take on the bad guys with basic punches, but it’s more fun to make use of various environment-specific attacks. These include banana skins causing enemies to slip straight into a wall, or a well-aimed projectile causing a chandelier to crash onto an unsuspecting group below. Of course, in Tintin nobody tends to actually die, but collapse to the floor in slapstick fashion, stars circling their heads.

Aside from the single-player Tintin also includes one further game mode of note. Co-op is a series of specifically designed platforming sections that take place in the booze-addled nightmares of Captain Haddock. The developers, presumably free from having to reflect the film’s narrative, here embrace surrealism with great effect, and there’s great fun to be had in playing through with a friend. The disappointing aspect to this is that online isn’t supported, as it would be easy to see an online supported co-op mode becoming something of a cultish pursuit.

The Secret Of The Unicorn is an extremely successful tie-in to what is a controversial film. It’s a slight shame that, whether for reasons of budget or resources, it feels a little truncated (the aforementioned lack of online co-op, and the necessarily limited nature of the single-player mode are the two most notable flaws), but then that just brings forth the tantalising image of how good a Tintin game based purely on Herge’s comics, with no filmic tie-in to consider, would be from the design team behind Beyond Good & Evil… Possibly the best family-orientated game of the year and certainly a must for Tintin fans.

Much is made of the importance of originality in game creation, but sometimes this can be a bit of a red-herring; good game design is often as much about deftly combining elements of other titles in such a way that they feel fresh, while at the same time delivering an experience that can stand on its own. This is something that Battle Group does well, taking elements of Missile Command, scrolling shoot ‘em ups and tower defence and repurposing them for the modern touchscreen experience.

Though the concepts on show are extremely easy to pick up, the game does an admirable job of easing you into the action. At the outset, you command a single warship which automatically travels through the level leaving you to tap around the screen to launch salvos of missiles to take down encroaching missiles and fighter-planes. In true Missile Command-style, your ordnance will reach the point that you targeted and trigger an area-affecting explosion that damages anything in its radius. Multiple missile can be launched at a time, with an ammunition gauge indicating how many shots you have left; grind this down to zero and you’re left vulnerable to attack and have to wait for the bars to fill before you can recommence firing. This mechanic forces you to constantly balance the needs to launch enough missiles – with enough accuracy – to get the job done while avoiding running out of ammunition. Thankfully, ammo stocks are quite generous, allowing the game to capitalise on the frantic destruction that lies at its heart.

As you progress, new flagships and additional support craft with different abilities can be unlocked, with the latter bolstering the size of your fleet and the potency of your firepower at the cost of giving you more to defend. This also introduces a further tactical element to the game as you have to choose the support craft that you feel will best suit the level ahead.

In terms of presentation, Battle Group can be best described as ‘old school’ with a clean and unfussy visual style harking back to classic scrolling shoot ‘em ups such as Capcom’s 1942. Sonically, its ear-drum perforating barrage of explosions, muffled screams of crashing jet-pilots and thump of cannons is immersive and does much to compliment the manic nature of the gameplay. Also of note are the intermissions between each level, in which lead character – Commander Kelly – is given his mission only to then utterly fail to disguise his gleeful appetite for destruction; while this might be at odds with the standard naval etiquette, it makes for a light-hearted tone that is entirely fitting for the game as a whole.

Best played in short bursts, Battle Group is a fine example of how to make a game designed to slot into short lulls during your day, with each level supplying a snappy and quickly finished slice of naval carnage. While those hoping for a more tactical naval warfare experience may come away slightly shell-shocked by the unrelenting explosions, those hankering for a cleanly presented touch-screen blaster with brains will find much to enjoy.

Codemasters were always the obvious choice to inherit the Formula 1 videogaming license, their track record in the racing genre, in terms of the breadth and consistency of their work unsurpassed in the last decade. What they did with last year’s Playstation 3/Xbox 360 debut F1 2010 was bring their strengths to a world in which the emphasis on racing models and minute details (two of Codemasters’ key strengths) is second to none. In this context F1 2010 was a great, albeit somewhat unsurprisingly great, debut HD excursion into the field. As well as being rather good it also sold extremely well, proving the appetite for F1 amongst gamers, and paving the way for this year’s entry.

It’s again unsurprising to report that little has drastically changed with F1 2011. The overall framework of the game remains pleasingly intact, with the customisable career mode once again the central focus. Your route to stardom begins in one of the lower-ranked teams, and it’s through grinding out results and slowly feeling your way into the car, much as you would in real life, that you eventually start being courted by the big names. More than many other racing games, F1 2011’s career mode rewards a large investment of time. This is best demonstrated by playing career races using the settings for a full race weekend, with practice and qualifying sessions; by the time you’re on the grid for the actual race not only do you have a better understanding of the track, but there’s also a palpable tension in the awareness that all your preparation comes down to these next 50-odd laps. After all that hard work how frustrating must it be for a crash on the first lap to send you straight back to the paddock? Well, F1 2011 does an extremely effective job of answering this question. The actual between-race exposition isn’t as successful however, with odd-looking character models and limited interview segments undermining the on-track atmosphere.

The handling model is geared towards simulation, as any discerning F1 fan would have hoped, and depends a lot on the type of tyre used (there’s a very good reason the tyre choice has its own central menu option). It takes some getting used to, and feels slightly more refined than in last year’s outing, especially when combined with the realistically dynamic weather system. Again, like the example of the involving career mode earlier, the strengths that mark out F1 2011 as different from the rest of the racing pack are as a result of the format of the sport itself. It’s to the credit of Codemasters that they’ve harnessed these and made an excellent videogame out of the ingredients.

Elsewhere there’s an online mode that allows for full races, albeit with eight of the 24 cars computer-controlled, and a new Time Attack mode that is a substantial diversion from the main single-player. A few faults do hold back F1 2011, such as with the approach to your between race career progression and visuals that are a little muted, but if Codemasters are intending to establish the franchise annually then we’re confident that the series can only get even better. For now though this is the definitive Forumla 1 videogame, and pretty damn essential for fans of the sport.

All this, in a roundabout way, brings us to Deus Ex: Human Revolution, a sequel in more than just name to Ion Storm’s 2001 hit Deus Ex, whose mix of shooter and RPG elements is still revered by many as one of the most important (and best) PC games of recent times. Deus Ex was revolutionary at the time (and sadly remains so) in its ability to offer the player real choice, and a distinct lack of direction. How you went about your objectives was up to you, even deciding which objectives you completed and how you completed them, making each play through memorable and different. Human Revolution is obviously heavily influenced by this template and somewhat surprisingly manages to effectively combine many of the elements that made Deus Ex matter in the first place with more modern gaming conventions to create a more streamlined experience that still feels like a real, genuine Deus Ex game. And that is something that feels mighty good to write after all these years.

Set in the year 2027, Human Revolution centres around Adam Jenson, a former SWAT officer who has taken up a security position at a biotech company, Sarif Industries. On the eve of the company’s big unveiling of its latest augmentation technology its headquarters are attacked with key scientists being killed and Jenson left for dead. He is re-built with a host of new augmentations and sets out on a mission to find out who perpetrated the attack and why. It is a neat and engaging setup and one that is effectively told through a prologue sequence. In fact the storytelling throughout Human Revolution is strong, creating memorable characters and a complex but largely grounded plot.

After whisking you away for your first mission you are left with the first of the game’s central hub-like areas to explore in downtown Detroit. Just this simple act of controlled freedom is something of a revelation; it is clearly a cleverly designed self-contained area but with enough variety of locations and hidden side missions, tasks and secrets to mostly disguise that fact. It is here, when the game pauses and lets you loose, that the atmosphere and feel of the game world comes into its own. Whilst Human Revolution may not technically be the best looking game around (character models aren’t the strongest and the frame rate can stutter) it more than makes up for it with its fantastic art design and attention to detail. The obvious influences can be pegged (Blade Runner) but Human Revolution, with its heavy use of Teal and yellow as key colour indicators, manages to distinguish itself from the pack and its dystopian future is removed enough from typical sci-fi to feel fresh and exciting. It is a shame though that the bustling signs of life, so evident on the streets, are not replicated in any of the games residential locations which are too sterile and impersonal.

Thankfully the NPCs that inhabit the world are, on the whole, interesting and well crafted with struggles that are relatable. In fact one of the biggest surprises I had with the game was the infrequent conversations that you get to participate in with key characters in the game where, by paying attention to character types and through careful use of the correct phrasing, you can influence outcomes in a way that feels very natural and emergent. It is a shame then that occasionally the game is let down by some poor voice acting and stilted delivery. I got used to Jenson’s gruff intonation early on, but Pritchard (who fills the somewhat clichéd role of techie with a chip on his shoulder) has a real habit of grating throughout. Thankfully many of the main story characters do not suffer in this regard and the writing is strong enough throughout to navigate these performance road bumps.

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If previous Driver games have striven for a movie-flavoured sense of realism, Driver: San Francisco marks the point that Ubisoft Reflections removes these shackles, grinds them into a fine dust, snorts them up their collective nostrils and sets Tanner off on a flight of fantasy that is unheard of within the genre. The game’s opening also belies the game that follows; there are the usual chases, some nicely rendered cutscenes and enjoyable buddy-cop banter between Tanner and partner Tobias Jones all accompanied by much revving of engines. In short, it feels like Driver, albeit set in the blazing sunshine of a cleanly rendered San Francisco teeming with vehicles and pedestrians. It’s not before long that John Tanner’s world comes crashing down around him after a close encounter with a truck; an event that, rather than bringing his life as a wheel man to a premature end actually gives him – and the series – a new lease of life and sense of freedom.

Central to this new freedom is Tanner’s new found ability to ‘Shift’ or, to be more explicit, to leave his body, hover above the streets of San Francisco and leap behind the driving wheel of any and every car he can see. Initially, he can only float through the streets at roof-top level, but as the game progresses can fly higher and higher until he’s looking down from seemingly thousands of feet up, at which point skyscrapers become dinky match-boxes and cars too tiny to see. This extreme height is perfect for speedily nipping between missions and also proves vital in successfully completing many of the challenges in which you partake.

Shifting presents a dizzying amount of possibilities, putting as it does the entire city of San Francisco and all its vehicles in the palm of Tanner’s hand. With this, however, comes a nagging doubt that Ubisoft Reflections might have bitten off more than it can chew; that it might have traded in Driver’s original vision for a headline-grabbing but ultimately gimmicky new direction. Thankfully, it transpires that this is far from the case, with shifting merely being a single facet of Driver: San Francisco’s multi-pronged attack on the driving genre and fan expectations.

The game is broken down into a number of elements, with a core narrative holding it all together. Scattered throughout the city of San Francisco are multiple challenges that can be attempted in any order, with more missions being unlocked as you progress. The variety of missions on show is genuinely impressive – one minute you’re hopping into the seat of an enthusiastic (and slightly mis-guided) street racer the next you’re attempting to smash down bill-boards to scupper the party-spoiling plans of a rival rap-star. The full breadth of the shift power is also explored, such as missions that play out almost like a tower defence game, with Tanner nipping around the city to take down approaching henchmen intent on raiding – or destroying – armoured trucks and the like.

Underlying all of the missions is an impressive list of influences encompassing both games and movies. In terms of gameplay, everything from Burnout, Need For Speed, Midtown Madness, Crazy Taxi, Grand Theft Auto, OutRun, Chase HQ, Smuggler’s Run and many more spring to mind when hurtling around the streets of San Francisco. That – in nearly every case – Ubisoft Reflections managed to produce homages that more than competently ape the success of these influences is a testament to the care and attention that has been taken in producing the game.

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Chief of Marketing and Sales Officer at Ubisoft, Geoffroy Sardin had this to say on the title:

“The Driver franchise has always been defined by the excitement of high speed chases and the freedom to drive anywhere in huge cities. Playing Driver San Francisco is the best way to reveal this unique Driver feeling and we are thrilled gamers will be able to get a taste of why we are so excited about Driver San Francisco’s release in September.”

The single-player demo will feature 3 exhilarating missions in the iconic city of San Francisco:

· Team Colours – Shift between your cars to finish 1st & 2nd in a race
· Escapist – Escape the police with your VIP passenger
· Prove It – Execute stunts and tricks and a cop chase

To give you a flavor of what’s in store, here’s the latest trailer:

The Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 demo of Driver San Francisco will appear on Xbox LIVE® and PlayStation® Network for download beginning on August 10th, 2011.

Driver San Francisco will ship in the UK on September 2nd, 2011 for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Wii™. For more information go to http://www.driver-game.com.

In Call of Juarez: The Cartel, you play as one of three members of a special task force, one of which is Ben McCall, a descendant of the McCall brothers from Bound in Blood. Fans of the original game may find themselves baffled as to why he looks more like Ray than he does Thomas, but we’re nit-picking here. The name and familial resemblance is about as far the game goes to connect the dots to the rest of the series, making it feel less like a related sequel and more an irrelevant B-movie featuring a laughable script punctuated by even more ridiculous delivery. It rarely becomes so bad that it could be seen as good, though you may find yourself chuckling as Ben argues with his team in every cutscene. His compatriots, DEA Agent Eddie Guerra and FBI Agent Kimberley Evans come across as racial stereotypes, but given that you’ll mostly be shooting hooded thugs rather than cowboys this time around, these two forgettable characters are the least of the game’s issues.

The Wild West is gone, replaced by stock buildings and dreary warehouses that seem to go on for far too long. The game just isn’t paced well and you’ll be hard-pressed to find anything that pleases the eye given the pixelated and hazy graphics – we’re pretty sure Bound in Blood looked considerably better than this. There are a few nice vistas on occasion, but make no mistake, The Cartel is not eye pleasing or even well presented, looking like something which could have been released in mid-2006 and still not impressed in any way. The audio too is inexplicably troublesome, with the voice work made even more awkward by the stiff animations and resonating sound booth in which it was recorded. If you don’t care for swearing in your games (and let’s be honest, a few well-placed F-bombs never hurt anyone) then you might well reach for the mute button here, with the cast bombarding you at every given opportunity. Fighting a drugs war turns you into a raging potty mouth, apparently.

After landing enough kills, a concentration mode becomes accessible, allowing for some slow-motion kills to be landed. It’s useful in a pinch, but you’ll have had enough of the cheesy one-liners before too long. You gain access to a variety of weapons, such as rifles, submachine guns and pistols which can be duel-wielded. Many of these are unlocked throughout the single-player campaign, though some can only be accessed via the simple levelling system; as one of three dirty cops, you’ll be tasked with retrieving secret items without being discovered by a member of your team. It isn’t always easy, especially as they have an irritating habit of running in and staring at you just as you’re about to make your move. The game is better for this addition, making for a mild distraction from the mindless running and gunning.

One distraction that makes itself apparent very early in the game – and in pretty much every stage thereafter – is the driving. It isn’t terrible by any means, but it can feel sluggish and on very rare occasions, disorienting. It’s just as well that waypoints are presented, as the game has a habit of rewarding you with the red screen of failure should you have the audacity to travel off the beaten path. You’ll also be getting shot at, a lot. If anything, the driving sections are overused to the point of tedium, though one highway shootout does stand out as a high point thanks to an abundance of explosions.

The game is at its best when it’s evoking the Old West or destroying the scenery in one of the few set-piece moments. There is the odd shake-up to the formula, such as having you traipse through a strip club looking for – you guessed it – a stripper (and a rather cut and paste one at that) or presenting you with a packed nightclub dance floor and rooftop party, but again, it all seems out of place for the series and fails to save the game given its quality as a whole. Juarez does feature online co-op as well as a basic versus offering, neither of which are likely to hold your attention for long. The game just isn’t that good and can’t be expected to succeed in any real capacity over the coming months. If anything, this title should be rented (at a push) only if you have a strange fondness for bad movies and want to see for yourself just how wrong things have gone for the series.

Call of Juarez is a completely missed opportunity. Rather than capitalizing on the quality of its forebears and building it into a successful franchise, The Cartel takes everything back ten steps, planting its feet firmly into the muddy doldrums of mediocrity. It’s not horrendous in that it may at least serve as a distractionover a particularly uneventful weekend, but it can’t come recommended either, having omitted any sense of charm or atmosphere for what it believes to be ‘hip’ and modern. Bound in Blood’s questionable stand-offs may be gone, but so too has everything that made it worth playing, in which case The Cartel not only fails to reboot the Western genre, butalso fails to live up to expectations in every regard. It may be time to close the saloon doors for good on this one – we’ve just witnessed the fall of Juarez.