The games that we play (Part 3)
Looking
to enjoy the finest console games? Here are our top recommendations for
Microsoft Xbox 360, Nintendo Wil and Sony PlayStation 3.
Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood
Price:
$22.72
Brotherhood is the third game in the Creed series and chronicles the
ongoing war between the Ternplars and the Assassins. Succeeding in this
movie-like title requires almost as much creativity as it does action- gaming
skills. In its innovative online modes, each player has a different opponent as
a target, making every match a blend of action and strategy.
Battlefield: Bad Company 2
Price:
$10.56
Bad Company 2 has a lot more than the average military
first-person shooter, with multiplayer maps that simulate war scenarios in
areas such as the Panama Canal and the Alaskan Rockies. The single-player story
tells of an alternative present-day plot in which Russia invades its neighbours
- a wild take on modern war that only Battlefield can do.
BioShock 2
Available
for: PS3, Xbox 360
Price:
$19.99
Melding sizzling visuals with an amazing story, BioShock 2 is a
first-person shooter set in a bio-punk alternative universe. The time: 1968.
The place: Rapture, an aquatic city ravaged by a second US Civil War. As a ‘Big
Daddy’, a creature whose organs have been grafted on to an atmospheric diving
suit, the player has to figure out what to do.
Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3
$39.99
With
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, Activision manages the tricky feat of offering
– more of the same for the die-hard fans of this ultra-successful first-person
shooter franchise, and some shiny new features ‘1 for newcomers. It has L - a
silly and confusing single player campaign, but the barrier to / 7 entry for
the satisfying multiplayer mode has been lifted smartly. The launch of MW3 made
it the hottest product on the planet, and if you give it a try you will see
why.
Dance Central
Price $31.56
Dance Central uses Microsoft’s Kinect motion sensor to track your
every move, from side shuffles to pop-and-locks. You can match and master 600
dance moves. Dance Central is very good fun. It shows you how to boogie, and
can even help you stay fit.
Dead Space 2
Price:
$25.25
Blending terror with intense first-person shooting, Dead Space 2
features accidental survivalist Isaac Clarke, who finds himself amidst
Necromorphs - nasty aliens that you really don’t want to be stuck on a starship
with. Luckily, he has access to alien-busting tools and an upgraded mining
suit. Even so, the odds are seriously stacked against him.
Gears of War 2
Price:
$23.12
In Gears of War 2, one of the best third- person shooters money
can buy, the player shoots, punches, stomps, claws and tears through the Earth
itself in a bitter fight against the Locust Horde infesting the planet’s core.
This marathon of gore, blood and explosions is relentless but fun, and includes
some surprisingly strong characters.
God of War III
Price:
$25.60
In this phenomenal fighting/exploration game, super-being Kratos
is on his final quest for revenge against the denizens of Mount Olympus.
Featuring fantastic graphics and epic battles, God of War Ill is amazing.
Plenty of series trademarks include gory finishing moves and detailed
environments.
Halo: Reach
Price:
$26.70
Consider Halo: Reach a bookend to the sci-fi Halo saga, but an
epic game nonetheless. The game introduces some elements unique to the
Spartans, such as armour abilities and equipment power-ups. And a highly
refined multiplayer system adds new modes.
Heavy Rain
Price: $28.99
Offering compelling characters, intelligent dialogue and events
that require you to make critical decisions, Heavy Rain is one of the closest
experiences to an interactive movie we’ve seen. Whether you’re running from an
assailant or trying to question someone, the story is constantly branching.
LA Noire
Price: $14.99
LA Noire puts you in the shoes of Cole Phelps, a war hero who
joins the police department at a time when crime and corruption in the city are
at their peak. Characters’ facial expressions render in extraordinary detail,
which plays a key role in the game: when you’re interviewing suspects and
witnesses, you have to figure out who’s tying based on their reactions.
The Legend of
Zelda: Twilight Princess
Price: $45.96
Twilight Princess lives up to the high bar set by previous Zelda
titles. It’s absolutely stunning, with clever level designs and a great dose of
action; on top of that, it opens up a new chapter and widens the series’
potential. It’s a particularly fun game to share with the kids.
LittleBigPlanet
2
$32.32
Co-operative platform action and photo- realistic environments
that seem to be constructed from fabric and paper are the tip of the iceberg.
Beneath LittleBigPlanet is a canvas for aspiring games designers. The game has
thousands of user-created levels to download, and some are out of this world.
Mario Kart Wii
Price $46.99
There’s something for every Nintendo fan in Mario Kart Wii, the
craziest and most fun multiplayer racing-combat game around. It features a
who’s-who of the biggest names in Nintendo gaming from the past three decades,
and offers competitive racing that’ll have you yelling at other players in
frustration and delight.
Mass Effect 2
Price: $19.20
Impeccable storytelling ties together the impressive graphics,
action-oriented gameplay and diverse mission structure of Mass Effect 2. You
take the role of Commander Shepard, who is on a mission to destroy the
Collectors, an alien group that’s eliminating human colonies. Even the smallest
decisions can come back to haunt you.
FIFA 12
Price: $59.95
Fifa 12 is a masterclass in how to make a brilliant sports game.
As well as offering realistic graphics and freeplay, the latest version adds an
Impact Engine that gives players’ collisions ragdoll realism, while the
enjoyment of the beautiful game is enhanced by being able to engage in tactical
defending and precision dribbling. How you play affects teamplay - as you
become more experienced and in tune with your team-mates, so the flow between
you improves. Clever stuff.
Portal 2
Price: $20.65
In the mind-boggling first-person Portal 2, you navigate a
dilapidated research centre by using a portal gun to open and close apertures
and move from room to room. Escaping requires creative thinking, but the
solutions are always slap-your-head obvious once you figure them out.
Rewarding, fun and maddeningly addictive, Portal 2 is a must-have game.
Rock Band 3
Price: $26.00
Want to sing, drum, play guitar or bass, or even tickle the
ivories? Rock Band 3 has a role for you. It offers a fantastic selection with
which to play along. There’s a catalogue of thousands of downloadable songs,
plus a ‘Pro Mode’ in-game tutoring system made to work with a Mustang Pro
Guitar controller that feels just like the real thing.
Super Smash Bros
Brawl
Price: $44.99
One of the best showcases of the Wii’s competitive-gaming prowess
is Super Smash Bros Brawl, a high-energy multiplayer fighting game. The kids
will probably beat the living daylights out of you at first. It’s so much fun,
however, you’ll probably want to sneak in a few goes in the evening.
Uncharted 2:
Among Thieves
Price: $19.95
When you call a title the game equivalent of Raiders of the Lost
Ark, you know that the action has to be over-the-top, the characters must have
unmistakable charm, and the experience needs to rival everything else in the
genre. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves does exactly that, bringing back flawed hero
Nathan Drake in an adventure bigger than even he can handle. The game presents
a variety of challenges, from shooting to exploring to fighting.
