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Author: Michael Johnson

Shadows of the Damned – The Verdict

Shadows of the Damned – The Verdict

Shadows of the Damned is a strange, strange game. For example, you’ll soon grow accustomed to gates with the heads of crying babies on them, opened only by eyeballs, brains and strawberries; even more bizarrely though, other gates forgo screeching infants for the luminous purple pubic hair of demons. Indeed, by the time the end credits roll, you’ll have witnessed all manner of weird goings-on: you’ll have tittered each time you pass by a checkpoint and a small flying demon…

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LA Noire headed for PC

LA Noire headed for PC

Rockstar have announced that LA Noire will be making the leap to PC, with their Leeds studio heading up development on the title. Rockstar are promising improved fidelity and graphical improvements as well 3D integration and support for mouse and keyboard. You can read Ben’s verdict on the Xbox 360 version of the title over here. This is good news for PC gamers who may have feared that Rockstar had abandoned the PC as a platform, here’s to hoping they…

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The latest trailer for Mass Effect 3 goes live action

The latest trailer for Mass Effect 3 goes live action

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wMu1WRgYB7U&version=3&hl=en_GB] E3 kick-started Bioware’s Mass Effect 3 marketing campaign, with a trailer that met with mixed responses. From “really? a turret sequence??!”, to “I want this game now!!!11”. But if you thought that was a slightly odd trailer to start out with, wait until you see this. Fake newsreels, terrible sneering English scientists and not overly convincing CGI overlays are all featured. Although there was one shot that made me think of Battlestar Galactica, I had to quickly banish…

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The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings – The Verdict

The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings – The Verdict

The Witcher 2 sees us returning to the world of Geralt of Rivia, an amnesiac albino monster hunter, who seems to have a habit of getting caught up in world-shaping events he wishes he could avoid. One of the key strengths of the first Witcher game was how it handled important choices, with consequences often coming back to haunt you, hours after you made the initial decision. It was almost unique in an RPG (or any game for that matter)…

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Modern Warfare 3 – courting controversy

Modern Warfare 3 – courting controversy

This opinion piece isn’t exactly revelatory, or particularly original, but the subject is something that manages to annoy me and normally I’m as cool as a frozen cucumber when it comes to gaming stories, I generally pride myself on having a relatively developed sense of perspective.

Darkspore (PC) – The Verdict

Darkspore (PC) – The Verdict

Spore was a weird game. I use the term ‘game’ loosely. Spore gave players the chance to create and tailor unique creatures using a powerful yet pleasingly simple editing suite. It allowed us to create vehicles and spacecraft and then share our creatures with other players, our content streaming seamlessly into their world, interacting with their own horrific creations. It also allowed us to draw giant penises and make them walk.

Pilotwings Resort (Nintendo 3DS) – The Verdict

Pilotwings Resort (Nintendo 3DS) – The Verdict

When the launch games for the Nintendo 3DS were officially announced, I personally found it odd that Nintendo chose Pilotwings, of all things, to headline the software line-up. After all, it’s a franchise that’s more than a little obscure and one that has gathered a small yet loyal following rather than the behemoth fanbases that properties such as Super Mario, The Legend of Zelda or Pokémon have amassed over the years. Furthermore, I’ll confess that I never played Pilotwings on…

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Frozen Synapse gets single-player campaign

Frozen Synapse gets single-player campaign

Oxford based indie developers Mode 7 have announced via amusing press release that Frozen Synapse is now entering the final stages of beta testing. They’ve also announced a single-player campaign which is available to those of you who  pre-ordered to play right now.