It’s been a long time since we last indulged in some nautical thrills and spills with the racing genre, and if Vector Unit’s attempt to revitalise Hydro Thunder proves anything, it’s that the absence of such games has been wholly unwarranted. The term ‘wet and wild’ pretty much covers it, for while there can be little question of the game’s graphical limitations (though it is a great looking download), the promise of fun in a watery world is made all the more tempting due to its release window, making it the perfect candidate to splash down on Xbox Live during the Summer of Arcade season. It may still have its share of problems but anyone seeking to break the annual dearth with an enjoyable racer should look no further, as Hydro Thunder Hurricane is the game for you. Read the full story »

How do you go about reviewing a game that year on year is so incrementally different to its precursor? In fact, approaching Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11 with new eyes is difficult – this is after all a series that strives for familiarity over vast changes to the core game play mechanics. Sticking with the basics first off, PGA Tour 11 alters the key fundamentals in its golfing game play very little, only refining the upgrading rewards, skill advancement and career progression aspects of the game, making sure the latest update is the best yet. Read the full story »

Limbo may be about many things: physics, the loss of innocence, a reinterpretation of recent gaming history in the style of 1920s cinema, but above and beyond all these subjects it is death – and the finality that follows – which casts its ominous shadow across the exploits of this unnamed, silhouetted and enigmatic young boy. Death is the one constant, from the child that chillingly hangs from the branches of an angularly drawn tree to your own repeated demise as you figure out how to progress deeper into the world, and it’s to Playdead’s credit that this mood is maintained from the unforgettable opening through to the heart-stopping conclusion. Read the full story »

Guybrush Threepwood is on a quest to find the fabled treasure of Big Whoop. Content to do things in his own unique way, he’s the kind of guy who would get you fired from your job for the sole purpose of filling the position himself, before grabbing the advance pay and making a break for the next island. Nor is he above a few counts of thievery either. Yet for all his sarcasm, woeful ineptitude and cowardice, the anti-hero of Monkey Island 2 is surprisingly likeable; you might even find yourself rooting for him with no idea as to why. The truth is; you’ll be so eager to solve the latest riddle that it really won’t matter how it’s done, provided that you’re a fan of the genre. Read the full story »

There was a time when rhythm action titles were almost uniformly eccentric/borderline insane – let’s look at the evidence: The genre was first popularised with Parappa the Rappa, which saw a paper thin, rapping dog being taught karate by an onion. Then, we got to assume the role of a guitar playing lamb in UmJammer Lammy, before picking up a Gitaroo in Gitarooman and blasting a Jazz playing Bumblebee called Mojo-Mojo Kingbee out of existence with our musical skills. Even the more serious arcade titles relied on beefy, oversized cabinets, the likes of which gamers could only dream of having in their living rooms… Read the full story »