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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Announced some time ago, the headset has only just been released in the UK and has received very little in terms of promotion. With an RRP of £89.99, it is a premium priced gaming accessory, but is nevertheless on the more affordable end of the surround-sound headphone market, with a comparable set from Turtle Beach coming in at some way over the £100 mark. For the asking price you get the headphones themselves and a small USB dongle that plugs into the PS3 and provides the wireless signal.

Setting the headphones up is incredibly simple – you plug the dongle in, turn the headphones on and…that’s it; you’re good to go. As with the official PlayStation bluetooth mic, a press of button on the headset brings status info up on screen – detailing such things as battery level and whether or not the mic is on. Though a small feature, in practice it’s very useful.

The headphones themselves are sturdily built with a design that is curiously reminiscent of the PlayStation 2 and although quite smart, their aesthetics are unlikely to appeal to anyone with a taste for high-fashion head-sets such as the popular Beats headphones from Dr Dre.

What they lack in beauty they make up for in functionality. As already mentioned, setting them up is easy, and set on the head-band are a series of easily accessible controls – a volume slider, a mic-volume slider and finally power and surround-sound buttons. They’re also extremely comfortable to wear, with the wide head-band being nicely padded with cans that fit snugly over your ears and that do a great job of blocking out external noise. I’ve used the headset for extended gaming sessions and at no point have found them to be uncomfortable or distracting. So, in terms of ergonomics, they get a big thumbs-up.

Now on to the most important bit: the sound. Before picking them up, I owned a pair of standard Sony Wireless headphones, so have a pretty good benchmark with which to compare this PS3-branded headset. While I was more than happy with my previous headphones, the PS3 Wireless Stereo Headset’s 7.1 surround-support was, for me, the main attraction.

Whether using them with the 7.1 or stereo settings, the sound produced is extremely crisp, with well balanced levels of bass and treble. I have to admit however that I was initially slightly underwhelmed by the 7.1 effect. Popping them on, I was expecting an experience of near cinema-standard where, in reality, the effect is far more subtle. The biggest difference between the 7.1 here and that of a full, amp based surround-sound set-up is that the positional effect isn’t quite as pronounced; you do get an idea of where sounds are coming from but do not expect your head to be snapping around to identify sounds coming from directly behind you.

The real magic of the headset is in how the sound envelopes you; with the surround sound switched on, you get excellent sense of being in the middle of a game soundscape, rather than simply having a stereo soundtrack being piped from left and right. The difference is hugely noticeable when switching between 7.1 and stereo, and I can honestly say that I have no intention of ever going back to the latter.

The built in mic works exactly as you would expect, offering easily accessible voice communication and crystal clear feedback from your team mates and foes. The separate volume slider is also very useful, allowing you to turn off voice-comms entirely or bring them to the fore. There is a downside, however, that comes in the form of the actual construction of the mic – it feels incredibly flimsy. Thankfully it can be slid-back into the headband and does not have to be fully extended to be used, but you can’t help but find yourself handling it with kid gloves. It also features a blue light (that can also be used to discern how much charge you have left) – when fully extended, this light can be a little distracting, but as the mic works perfectly well half-extended, this isn’t too much of an issue.

Alongside the wobbly mic, the other cloud hanging over the PS3 Wireless Stereo Headset is that it can currently only be used with the PS3 or PC – so if you’re looking for an all encompassing set of headphones to cover all your gaming needs, then you’d probably be better off looking else where. There may well be a work around for this, but at present I’ve been unable to find one.

Overall, the PlayStation 3 Wireless Stereo can be thoroughly recommended. They’re reasonably priced, nicely built and come with a well implemented and intelligently engineered set of features. The 7-hour battery lifespan also offers plenty of gaming time (charging takes 3 hours). Most importantly, the sound quality they provide is excellent and the surround-sound really helps bring game worlds to life – so much so, in fact, that I’ve found myself opting to use the headphones over my 5.1 home cinema system – and I guess you can’t get a much better praise than that.

This review originally appeared on www.gametaroo.com

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.

The first part of Hybrid is Tekken: Blood Vengeance, a full length Blu-Ray feature film that focuses on high school student, Ling Xiaoyu as she unravels the mystery surrounding a student hiding a dark secret. The film opens with a bang and the final battle does impress if you’re into over the top fighting antics, but you may be surprised by the lack of action in the middle act. The film spins a tale of friendship and loyalty, but also tries to hit gamers with the typical ‘fighting is pointless’ lesson, which coming from Tekken film doesn’t exactly ring true. The dubbing is laughable in a kung-fu movie kind of way, and while the CGI is effective – and at times beautiful – you probably shouldn’t go in expecting Tekken’s answer to Final Fantasy’s Advent Children. There’s an emphasis on the budding friendship between Ling and Alisa, and this plotline provides all the Japanese silliness that Blood Vengeance can handle without becoming utterly laughable.

Tekken Tag Tournament HD will likely be the meat of the package for avid fans out there, though we remain unconvinced that it’s an HD port that most would have asked for. Tag is an older title that hasn’t aged too well in the presentation department, but if you’re a fan harbouring fond memories and can’t wait to dive back into the fight then you won’t have much reason to complain here. The game (which has been ported over from the improved Playstation 2 version) allows you to play as the usual host of characters and centres on two-on-two battles. Unlike in the tag mode for Dead or Alive however, the round ends when a single opponent is knocked out, making strategy as much a part of the fighting process as learning the combos and special techniques.

Things still handle exactly as before, meaning that while the thoroughly outdated graphics may be an issue, the gameplay itself is strong enough to satisfy the aforementioned diehard fans. Everyone else can expect to find themselves perplexed as to the reason behind the port, other than to boost Hybrid’s content and promote the sequel. After all, there are better Tekken titles out there. Online support isn’t provided, so you’ll need to call a friend over for some much needed trash-talk and cheeky taunting; this remains the best way to enjoy a fighting game anyway, so we don’t expect this to be a major issue, especially as online modes weren’t provided with the original release all those years ago.

The third and final part of Hybrid is Tekken Tag Tournament 2 Prologue, with the ‘Prologue’ name serving as a generous cover for what is a very basic demo. Four characters are available (unsurprisingly the ones most heavily featured in Blood Vengeance) and offer a small taste of what promises to be a popular fighter in the coming year. The graphics aren’t quite the leap that you might have hoped for, sporting a somewhat grainy and blurry look that will be eclipsed should the final build fail to improve. You will get to sample a number of locations and learn to become proficient with the characters available, but the sheer level of limitation here will no doubt frustrate and disappoint. Trophy support does not make up for this, either.

Those who absolutely must have a slice of Tekken action this year will no doubt find something to enjoy in Tekken Hybrid. The game is a rather thin package that won’t appeal to anyone unaccustomed to the series, and indeed, this would be a terrible place for them to start. What we have is fan service at a knockdown price, thus making for a solid distraction before the real title hits store shelves. Tekken Hybrid at once attempts to tantalise with the promise of the new while providing a port from the days of yesteryear, throwing in a CG movie to bolster the deal. Your level of enjoyment will therefore depend entirely on your familiarity with the franchise… making it a solid choice for fans, but an obvious one to avoid for everyone else. That said, at least you’ll get to see a panda jet-boosting across a lake.

Set on a magical flying island, housing an old abandoned Carnival, the game charges you (as one of a pair of kids who happen across the island one day) with restoring each of the Carnival’s games and zones to its former glory. The slender story is nonetheless fairly well told through silent, Studio Ghibli-esque, cutscenes, making bold use of colourful and crisp animation. Once you reach the Carnival itself you play your way through seven stalls (technically eight, but one is merely a photo-booth style app for the Playstation eye) each comprising a number of related mini-games. Immediately it should become clear that there isn’t actually much to this package. Whilst each of the seven mini-games has several variants, they aren’t, on the whole, different enough to make up for a distinct lack of variety within each stall.

The core concepts for each of the stalls is based around a traditional Carnival game, however even within these little is done to invest these games with much creativity or invention. The ring-toss game is just that, a chance to throw virtual hoops over virtual prizes and pegs. By the time you reach your fifth variant on this style of game you’ll likely be somewhat tired of it. Similarly the coin toss has you flicking a coin onto a series of platform to score points, a basic premise that never alters throughout the six variants of this game that are available. Games like these are so slender as to be barely there and it seems unlikely after playing through all the games on offer that there will be many you feel the need to revisit.

It is a real shame that the strong visual look and nature of the story couldn’t have lead to more involving and interesting gameplay opportunities. A magical flying Carnival has already been established in the narrative, but it goes no further than window dressing and has no impact on the games themselves which seems like a wasted opportunity. By the time you have worked your way round to the last of the booths there are only a few mini-games that stand out, despite there being incentives to go back and complete challenges (some of which are fiendishly hard and require a commitment to each stall that few will be prepared to give). As you play you accumulate tickets, which in turn allow you to purchase balloons and items from nearby vendors, but neither really impacts the gameplay at all. Exploring each area is incredibly restrictive as well; with only the Move controller you are essentially clicking on areas of a map to move between stalls and there is no independent exploration available.

Despite their lack of creativity the one area that does impress in the game is the Move controls themselves. They feel responsive and accurate, with the shooting gallery games standing out and I Move’s accuracy and fidelity being impressive throughout. Similarly the games that involve throwing objects (which turns out to be most of them) respond well to the smallest changes in your action and the physics and behaviour of the objects in the world give you a very tangible and rewarding feeling. Unfortunately these feelings quickly fade as the novelty of each stall wears off and it’s even hard to picture kids getting too excited about the games included here. They all feel too dry and can be tricky at times as well, with the instructions on occasion being unclear as to what exactly you are trying to accomplish. As you play you do unlock companion characters who then inhabit the Carnival and cheer you on in games, but they are purely more window dressing in a game that desperately needs more content. The game is also beset by some annoying loading screens every time you need to move to a different area, or have to back out to access a new game; it’s a minor issue but one that stops the flow of the game too often.

The game supports multiplayer both through multiple Move controllers or allowing you to take turns. Helpfully the multiplayer mode is separate from the single player and has all the mini-games already unlocked from the start which is a nice touch. Otherwise the games remain the same as in the Story mode and the inclusion of playing with others isn’t really enough to make up for the fundamental problems with the mini-games as they are.

Overall Carnival Island is something of a disappointment. Its position as a budget game does go some way to excusing the rather thin content within, but its biggest problem is that the content that it does have just isn’t very compelling or interesting. The mini-games themselves are well put together, and the Move implementation is great, but they ultimately just aren’t that fun to play, alone or together. It’s a shame too as the game has a bright and attractive visual style and a number of things that set it above the usual kids fare, sadly the actual gameplay isn’t amongst them.

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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The irritating friends that we’ve all become so accustomed to take a welcome back seat this time, having been sucked into various time zones courtesy of an inter-dimensional beast known as the Time Eater. It’s up to Sonic to navigate remixes of zones throughout his history in order to rescue them each individually, though he (technically) won’t be doing it alone, thanks to the aid of his earlier self. The story doesn’t necessarily make much sense, but that’s not what this game is about – this is clearly meant as a celebration of what the hedgehog has meant to gamers throughout the years, having been timed to coincide with his twentieth anniversary. Classic Sonic is surprisingly mute, leaving his modern self and both renditions of Tails to carry the dialogue, though cutscenes are thankfully brief and serve only to bookend the sections with minor exposition.

Each zone is made up of two acts; one featuring the side scrolling thrills of Classic Sonic and the other providing the faster antics of Modern Sonic. You’ll likely have your favourite stages as well as a preferred style of play, but if you ever found something to love in the Sonic franchise then it’s more likely than ever that Sega has you covered here. Sonic Generations really does bring back the best aspects of the character and trim off the fat that weighed down past iterations. Classic Sonic favours a more methodical approach, with all the hopping and bouncing complete with Mega Drive/Genesis sound effects. Modern Sonic acts see the hero rail-grinding and boosting with a clear emphasis on high speed, though the pure rush of adrenaline might not quite be up to par with the day levels from Sonic Unleashed, particularly later on as the game alters the pace in its endeavour to ramp up the difficulty with some wicked enemy placements.

Such things do tend to be synonymous with the Sonic name of course, with a certain amount of trial and error to be expected as you attempt to memorise the course and learn from each mistake. The variety of stages is solid, ranging from a recreation of the very first Green Hill right through to a stage from Sonic Colours (though the latter does become bogged down with the overuse of wisp powers). Despite this, there have been a few disappointing omissions and you might find yourself questioning some of the stage choices, even though a couple are sure to send your fanboy senses aflutter with the remixed tunes. You’re awarded a score at the end of each run and given points to spend on customising the hedgehog’s skill set; replay value via grading may be nothing new, but you’ll still want to shoot for that coveted ‘S’ rank, while the skills available in the shop are a nice touch that can offer an edge such as an increase in speed or boost gauge.

Where replayability is concerned, Generations isn’t particularly strong as the main story can be completed in just a few days of casual gaming. If you’re after a title that will last you for months then you’re definitely in the wrong place – this is a popcorn game meant to give you a fantastic thrill ride with a healthy dose of nostalgia to boot. What should extend the play time is the large number of mini-missions placed above each world; there are special types for both modern and classic iterations and these do a solid (if sometimes frustrating) job of keeping you on your toes given their diverse criteria. Some will have Sonic tearing through a stage against a ghostly version of himself in a nail-biting race to the finish, whilst others will see him teaming up with a fellow cast member, completing an act with only a single ring or taking on smashing enemies who can fire at double speed.

It’s unfortunate that the bosses aren’t especially strong, despite being recreations of those seen in previous instalments. One later boss in particular goes on for far longer than necessary, though the final battle isn’t nearly as painful as the travesty found in Sonic Unleashed. Combat has never been a strong point for the series, which has always been about zooming around at truly breakneck speeds, in which case we doubt anyone will be surprised at how forgettable these confrontations really are. To retrieve all the chaos emeralds you’ll have to take part in a few rival fights too, and these do serve as decent (if rather brief) distractions.

Even with a few truly awful missteps, Sonic has been reclaiming his glory one ring at a time and he’s taken yet one more red-booted step in the right direction with Generations. Camera issues and the trial-and-error nature of the gameplay won’t appeal to everyone, plus the release price doesn’t quite fit with the length of the game, but fans will be more than pleased with what’s been accomplished here as it’s almost entirely for the good of the franchise. Sega is celebrating Sonic the Hedgehog’s twentieth birthday and have produced a fitting experience that everyone can be proud of… yet given such stiff competition this holiday season, it may well be worth holding out for that inevitable price reduction.

If this sudden shift in direction surprises you, then…well…it should, as the above is an outright lie. Start the Party: Save the World is, you see, actually exactly what you would expect – a collection of 20 party-focussed mini-games. There’s lots of bashing, shooting, grabbing, waving and prodding…but very little in the way of socio-economic critique which in fairness, is probably for the best.

Just as with the first game, Save the World serves up a selection of Move motion-controller/augmented reality based party challenges that can be played in a number of different modes. The biggest change this time around is that, rather than merely being a collection tied together by the vaguest of contextual threads, the game introduces an action-movie theme. The heinous Dr Terrible is on the rampage, and it is down to you, your Move controller and PlayStation Eye to bring him to book.

As with the last game, Save the World places you in the action – a direct video feed of the player appears in the game, and through the magic of augmented reality all manner or virtual devices are placed in the palm of your hand. Goals are incredibly simple and generally entirely singular in their design – rescue the diver, protect an ambulance patient, hit the robotic bears with a flippin’ great mallet…. you get the idea.

Key to the game is the implementation of the Move the controller and once again the technology holds up remarkably well, making for an experience that’s eminently approachable for all gamers, young or old. Calibrating the Move controller is easy, and the illusion that you have a virtual gadget (be it a mallet, laser pistol or fishing rod) in your hand remains rock solid throughout. As a demonstration of the tech, the game is perfectly serviceable.

Sadly, ‘serviceable’ is a word that can be attached to Start the Party: Save the Wold as a whole. While the simple mini-games are enjoyable enough (and can actually border on riotous…for a while at least), there is simply not enough structure around them to make the game anything other than a minor distraction. Multiplayer – which should clearly be a strong point – feels incredibly limited in only supporting one Move motion controller and with every game mode requiring you to take turns, rather than compete directly. Developer Supermassive Games do attempt to open things up by allowing a second player to partake in the onscreen action with a DualShock 3, but the impact of this feels disappointingly slight. There is also extreme brevity in the number of multiplayer modes, with the most significant change you can make being on the length of each play session.

As a budget-price sequel to a party-themed launch title, it comes as little surprise that Start the Party: Save the World takes very few risks; what is surprising is how it does little to rectify the issues that hampered the first instalment. Lacking in depth, breadth and content it fails to establish itself as a regular addition to your party-game collection, coming across as an introduction to a bigger idea, rather than a fully formed package able to stand on its own. The budget price and young target audience could be used as a justification for this, but with the wonderfully entertaining and similarly budget Medieval Moves sharing the same shelf-space, this argument really doesn’t wash. With a single player of little merit you are left with a selection of glossily presented yet only mildly-distracting mini-games that all too quickly lose their novelty. In fairness, there is some fun to be had here, and Supermassive Games do show a degree of competency in utilizing the PlayStation Move, but sadly competency really isn’t enough to get a party jumping.

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.

In all honesty, Medieval Moves doesn’t get off to the most auspicious of starts. Firstly, there’s that title; if it was Sony’s intention to make it sound like yet another mini-game collection, then they’ve succeeded admirably. Then there’s the fact that despite the relatively high Expo-profile that the game and tech demo on which it is based were given, the finished product is foregoing a full-price RRP and launching as a budget title.

To make matters worse (and as if to reinforce suspicions that the game is an afterthought cobbled together from left over bits of code), it features one of the most underwhelming opening sections we’ve experienced for some time; you are unceremoniously dumped in the boots of a skeletal hero and encouraged to mindlessly flail your Move-arm around to destroy hordes of equally-skeletal foes. It’s almost as if Zindagi has purposely distilled everything that’s bad about motion controls – a.k.a. WAGGLE! – into a brief and uninspiring intro as a means of showing you how bad they can be. It’s a huge misstep, and one that will likely validate the criticisms spewed forth by joypad-clutching naysayers – “Motion controls are a gimmick” they will say. Sadly, this opening seems to prove them right.

Fortunately, in order to be able to define something as being a ‘misstep’, you also need to have at least a few confident strides on either side, and we’re happy to report that Medieval Moves ultimately reveals itself to be an assured and technologically confident title with a clear grasp of how to use motion controls in a video game. This shouldn’t be too much of a surprise as, despite being a little uncharismatic, Sports Champions made convincing use of motion controls and Medieval Moves builds upon this while also adding a little charisma into the mix.

In Medieval Moves, you assume the role of Prince Edmund and it’s not long before his world and his body are torn apart around him. Shortly after an attack by the evil, skeletal Morgrimm, Edmund awakes to find that the magical Gatestone has been stolen and, even worse, that his body has been stripped of all its flesh. Thus, the skeletal Deadmund is born and what follows is a text-book example of The Hero’s Journey. The plot is told mainly through storyboard-esque cutscenes that initially come across as a little amateurish, but that by the game’s conclusion manage to win you over with their energetic and slightly naive charm. The cutscenes and overall aesthetics also fit the younger target audience at whom the game is unquestionably pitched.

Once the first slice of exposition is out the way, you’re finally unleashed on the game world…and we use the term ‘unleashed’ lightly, as Medieval Moves is almost entirely on rails. Whether played with one or two PlayStation Move Motion Controllers, Deadmund trots through the game world along predefined pathways leaving you to manage combat duties. While this is an obvious concession borne out of a lack of an analogue stick, it does allow Zindagi to push the motion controls to the fore without having to bother the player with camera orientation or character movement. The game actually shares much in common with on-rails shooters such as Sin & Punishment, Star Fox and any classic arcade light-gun shooter you can think of; the difference here is that rather than be limited to just pointing and shooting, you are supplied with a whole host of motion control-based skills.

Thankfully, the motion controls that are so central to the whole experience work beautifully. To really get the most out of the game you need two motion controllers (using one can’t help but feel like a further concession!); your left hand controls your shield while your right is clasped around a virtual sword. This will be instantly familiar to anyone who’s played on the gladiator section of Sport Champions, as will uncanny accuracy with which you movements are replicated on screen. Swinging your sword and blocking blows with your shield before unleashing a flurry of attacks is giddily enjoyable, with skeletal foes exploding into a cloud of stars in a manner that only adds to the light-hearted feel of the game as a whole.

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When reviewing a collection such as this, there are three main elements to consider – of foremost importance is whether or not the games are any good. Then, there is the cost factor – does the package make sound financial sense, or is it attempting to hawk a collection of cheap downloadable titles at a premium price? Thirdly, how well put together is the whole thing? Has the publisher taken the time to present the games in a way that shows them at their best, or are the games buried underneath a maze of poorly designed menus? We’re pleased to report that Move Mind Benders does pretty well in all these areas.

The three games included in the package are echochrome ii, Lemmings and Tumble, all of which are thematically linked by a penchant for gentle, PS Move-based puzzling. In terms of cost, the package’s RRP of £17.99 is sound, if unexciting – by our reckoning, to buy all three from the PlayStation store would come to £21.97; saving you £3.98.

But what of the games themselves? First up is Lemmings in which your job is save as many of the green-haired, blue-jumper wearing critters as you can from their own suicidal tendencies. Lemmings is something of a classic, and while the PS3 version lacks the dinky charm of the original while also rounding off some of its darker edges (gone is the mass suicide button…), the core game mechanics are intact. Using your Move controller as a mouse-pointer works well, and is certainly preferable to manipulating the curser with an analogue stick. Despite its classic heritage, it is likely the weaker game in the collection but still has much to recommend it – especially if you’ve never spent some time with the Lemmings before.

Tumble – which was something of a PS Move poster-boy when the device launched – is a motion-controller based take on block puzzling. Part Jenga, part Tetris, part Boom Blox, you must pick up blocks, manipulate them with your the Move controller and meet pre-defined objectives such as building a tower of a certain height, fitting a set number of blocks onto a platform etc. The illusion that you are actually holding the blocks is extremely convincing, and while there are some occasional calibration issues, there’s plenty here to keep you playing.

The real star of the show is echochrome ii, which saw Japan Studio follow up the perspective-puzzling of the original with a shadow/light mechanic that made great use of the PS Move. Using the motion-controller to manipulate a light source and cast shadows, your task is to guide a shadowy mannequin to an exit. From this simple premise, Studio Japan wring out an impressive variety of puzzles, and with three difference modes of play, level creation and online galleries, there’s plenty here to sink your teeth into.

All three games are included in their entirety and there are no additions or bonuses features exclusive to this collection. While this isn’t particularly disappointing, the three games could have been integrated a little more slickly; though this is a splash-menu upon starting the package, to switch games once you’ve started playing you have to quit and reload. This is hardly a deal breaker, but is an issue that Sony would do well to address in any future compilations of this kind.

So there you have it – Move Mind Benders; three games, one disk and a small financial saving. The justification for the creation of the Move Mind Benders package may be a little flimsy- and it might not be the most exciting compilation of all time – but all three games included have plenty to offer and are all good reasons to dust off your Move motion controllers if you’ve not used them for a while.

With its focus on character and narrative unwavering, Naughty Dog made it look relatively simple when following up the boys-own adventure stylings of Uncharted with a sequel that was bigger, bolder and more emotional on almost every level. But what about Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception? Sure, the first two games arguably did big-budget spectacle better than anyone else, but can this trick work for a third time? The studio’s response to this question is twofold: firstly (and somewhat unsurprisingly) it has grabbed the action dial and once again cranked it up a few more notches. Secondly, it has identified new horizons by simply asking, ‘Where hasn’t Nathan Drake been before?’ The resulting adventure delves deeper than ever into Drake’s character and pushes him to even more unexpected and farther flung corners of the earth.

Playing Uncharted 3, one can’t help but wonder if slapping the moniker of ‘Uncharted’ on the adventures of Nathan Drake is, on some levels, slightly ironic. While this quick-witted adventurer is focused on entering and exploring the unknown, the underlying mechanics are anything but ‘uncharted’; Drake’s path – from his first steps in the original Uncharted through to this latest instalment – is one that has been meticulously crafted and directed, with Naughty Dog striving for a magnificently honed but nonetheless linear experience that has a flagrant disregard for such catchwords as ‘emergent’ and ‘open world’. Though such control-freak production values could be seen as a point of contention, to criticise Uncharted for being too linear is as relevant as criticising something like Grand Theft Auto for not being linear enough; to play Uncharted 3 is to wittingly place yourself in the clutches of Naughty Dog’s vision. The studio is ultimately a storyteller with the gamer’s role being to inhabit that of Nathan Drake and usher him along a pre-determined path, and so it is with this third instalment.

In the wrong hands, such hand holding could be disastrous, but Naughty Dog’s technical ability, imagination and unfaltering conviction in its creation make it easy to give in and let them take you on a journey. Just as with its predecessors, Uncharted 3 also has an uncanny knack of hiding the strings that pull Drake through the game and that allow stunning set-pieces to play out with unrivalled fluidity; though many of the events are pre-determined in nature, the illusion that it is you that is directing the action rarely slips.

The gameplay ingredients that make up Uncharted 3 are the same as those that accounted for the successes of the previous games – a heady mixture of platforming, puzzling, gun-play and semi-interactive set-pieces combine to create a whole that is rarely less than gripping, even when there is an air of predictability about much of the adventure. So, every fingertip ledge grab and every leap into the unknown brings with it the same duality of emotion showcased by the best action movies – deep down you know that Drake will make that jump, but the game still manages to consistently put you into a state of sweetly dramatic uncertainty.

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The fundamental difference is hinted at in the games title, in that it has been primarily designed as a co-operative game for up to 4 players. So whilst it still contains a lengthy single player campaign, it is supposedly designed in such a way to be best enjoyed with friends, either online or locally on the sofa. Playing solo you are accompanied by an A.I controlled Clank, who is capable enough but also prone to throwing himself off of the scenery or getting muddled on some of the puzzles. Get some friends together and the fundamental experience doesn’t really change, there are no hidden areas or levels that require a certain number of players (like in LittleBigPlanet) and the enemies don’t seem to scale dependent on how many people are firing at them. Even the different playable characters available are all essentially the same, aside from each having a unique weapon, so there is no traction gained from character specific abilities. It’s as if in still requiring the game to work as a successful single player experience the team was unable to fully commit to the co-op idea, hamstringing the ways in which multiple characters could have been used to change up the existing gameplay mechanics. It also means that if you are playing by yourself or with another it can get a bit tricky in places, especially later on, largely due to the limited ammo in some of the (better) weapons and a lack of health (which doesn’t increase for the whole game, but provided one player is still alive you are able to be revived) meaning that many encounters where the game simply throws wave after wave of enemy at you is reduced to a rather tedious affair, as many enemies can take a surprising amount of punishment before they go down.

This has been an issue with Ratchet and Clank games in the past and with the bosses in particular, and it isn’t an area that has really been addressed. The variety of enemies is as impressive and creative as ever, but the method for dispatching them never changes. There are no special tactics for specific enemies, no combinations of weapons that are any more effective in any given situation, and as such it quickly devolves into you blasting away with the most effective weapons regardless of the situation. The fact that the game has dropped the previous entrants ‘upgrade as you use’ system for the weapons (upgrades are now bought at the shop) means that there is often little incentive to experiment, and as such the most ineffectual weapons are largely ignored. Whilst many of the standard weapons return (hooray for Mr Zurkon!) there isn’t much sign of the series now signature inventiveness, with only the Critter Strike (which turns your enemies into pigs given enough of a blast) really standing out. For a new Ratchet and Clank game, this is a real disappointment.

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