Two weeks ago D+PAD was invited to spend some time with 8Realms – Jagex Games Studio’s upcoming browser-based strategy game. Focussed on building settlements and attacking your neighbours in an attempted to rule the world, it’s a game treading territory that will be instantly familiar with fans of Civilisation and the like.
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. Read the full story »
The Nintendo 3DS is the perfect platform for games of the puzzle genre. Just a cursory glance at the success of the Professor Layton series will reveal how popular mind-teasers have become; it makes perfect sense too, given the portability of the DS Lite system, which has served to make train journeys more entertaining – and much more challenging – thanks to the bite-sized challenges on offer. Now James Noir’s Hollywood Crimes comes to the DS Lite’s successor in three dimensions, but is this budget title worth investigating or is this one crime that’s best left unsolved? Read the full story »
When it was released in June 2007 on the PSP, Zoë Mode’s Crush was pipped to the post by Super Paper Mario in claiming ownership of a genuine innovation – – namely the mechanic whereby three-dimensional worlds can be flattened two dimensions. Though the developer was likely left gnashing its teeth at this turn of events, some solace could be taken in the knowledge that Crush offered a very different experience from that of Nintendo’s paper-thin plumber. Where Super Paper Mario was a bouncy, carefree romp through Mario lore, Crush served up fiendishly mind-bending puzzles capable of challenging even the highest ranking member of MENSA. Read the full story »
2011 was a stellar year for gaming, with titles such as Crysis 2 and Portal 2 paving the way for some awe inspiring end of year blockbusters – the cinematic Uncharted 3, the sprawling Skyrim and the hard-as-nails Dark Souls to mention a few. Another year passes and the annual question arises; what big names do we have to look forward to? If you’re in need of a friendly reminder, D+Pad has you covered… Read the full story »
First, a history lesson. The original Saints Row felt like a company capitalising on Grand Theft Auto not yet arriving on the next generation consoles. It was the ‘gangsta’ to GTA’s ‘gangster’ and it was difficult to tell if it was supposed to be a parody or if the makers wanted it to be taken seriously. With Saints Row 2, the IP became more distinct, as if a GTA title had transitioned to a parallel life, Sliding Doors-style. While GTA IV was immersive and serious, you almost didn’t want to damage the setting because you were there in amongst the story. In the alternate reality explored by Saint Row 2, the plot was boiled down to the basics – a mission centred around a simple land grab ethic and a fight against cartoony gangsters. It also shamelessly focussed on outlandish acts – smearing shit on buildings to lower their value, running around with a ninja posse, and getting a UFO as day one DLC. It legitimised acts like car surfing and drive-bys and threw a million unlockables at the player, rewarding any and every daft act with…stuff. Oooh…stuff! Read the full story »
