Reviews by karl399

SuperCar Challenge (PS3) review

As a simulation this is spot-on. There is plenty of variation within the driving aids and the difficulty level to cater for any player. The differences between each type of car have also been well simulated. Unfortunately the way the game has been structured is not so good. Although you get 16 cars on track, they are always identical to the one you are using. There isn't much variation in the career mode either, particularly compared to something like Gran Turismo or Forza. Overall, it's worth renting for a week or so, but there's not enough to sustain interest beyond that.

Dementium: The Ward (DS) review

This game shows the importance of a good plot in survival horror games. Things start off well with you dropped straight into the action, but without a developing story you are left exploring similar looking corridors and meeting the same 3 or 4 monsters again and again. This is a shame because the controls are well thought out, and the sound is good too, but without a good story to hook you in, there's little incentive to continue playing.

Blacksite: Area 51 (PS3) review

The above average story was all that convinced me to play this until the end. Apart from the final section the graphics are poor, but the most disappointing aspect was how many bugs and crashes the game contained. The squad based gameplay was nothing more than a gimmick, the most common use requiring you to trivially command a member of your squad to open every door that you have to use. There are definitely far more competent 1st person shooter efforts available.

OutRun 2006 Coast 2 Coast (PSP) review

Below average arcade racer, tries to copy much from Ridge Racer. While the car handling can be occasionally interesting, the standard race format is dull due to unimaginative tracks and lack of competition from AI cars. There are more interesting race formats such as slipstreaming battles and elimination races, but they aren't frequent enough. The Heart Attack mode should be much more entertaining, but trying to unlock everything becomes a task that's more complicated than entertaining. Overall, definitely look elsewhere for arcade racing on the PSP, look in the direction of Ridge Racer if you haven't tried that already.

Lost (PS3) review

Presentation captures the feel of the TV series perfectly, along with excellent graphics and music, this makes the game feel like an interactive mini-series of Lost. It is a straight-forward game, but fans of the show will enjoy the trip around Lost's little universe.

God of War: Chains of Olympus (PSP) review

Excellent adaptation of the series for the PSP. Controls aren't limited in any way, and the graphics are definitely amongst the best to be found on the system. Probably not as complex as God of War 2, although the new extra weapons and magic abilities are interesting. Only downside is the short length of the game, around 8-10hrs, definitely worth renting though.

Everybody's Tennis (PS2) review

An excellent tennis sim hides behind the cartoony graphics. The physics are great, with good timing and tactics being important when selecting shots. The first few computer opponents will be very easy for most, but the difficulty curve is well judged, so that by the end of the game the computer will be giving you a good match. The multiplayer mode is also excellent. Well worth a look for anyone who likes tennis, probably best to rent though, since the single player mode was finished in about two weeks.

Cricket 07 (PS2) review

Definitely the best game of cricket on the PS2. Good learning curve means that although you'll soon work out strategies against certain bowlers, different conditions and field settings will make you think again. Graphics are good and the analogue stick controls for batting feels more natural than the old approach of different buttons for different strokes. It's also worth mentioning that bowling can also be entertaining for short sections as you can work out a series of deliveries to trap the batsman into getting out. All in all, worth renting, and due to the extensive season mode I ended up buying the game.

Scurge: Hive (DS) review

First of all it's worth getting the fact that this is just a GBA port out the way. It means the touch screen is only used to display a (useful) map, but it's actually good to see a game on the DS that doesn't include touch-screen elements just for the sake of it. This is a really good adventure game that feels like an isometric version of the old Metroid games. There are varied weapons, upgrades and enemies that keep the game entertaining all the way through. Graphics are basic, but excellent gameplay more than makes up for that. Well worth a look.

God of War (PS2) review

Excellent game, varied battles keep you on your toes and make sure that it stays interesting all the way to the end. I don't normally play this type of game, but it had me hooked right from the start. Definitely one to rent though, it's a pretty short game.