This week Matt Cuttle reviews:
In the competition this week we are giving away 5 copies of Juiced 2 for the Xbox 360, so download this episode , check out the question then head over to the Gamesweasel web site for the full details of how to enter. Great to get those email addresses again, our email address is gamesweasel@btpodshow.com
This week Matt Cuttle reviews:
In the competition this week we are giving away 5 copies of Juiced 2 for the Xbox 360, so download this episode , check out the question then head over to the Gamesweasel web site for the full details of how to enter. Great to get those email addresses again, our email address is gamesweasel@btpodshow.com
This week Matt Cuttle reviews:
In the competition this week we are giving away 5 copies of Juiced 2 for the Xbox 360, so download this episode , check out the question then head over to the Gamesweasel web site for the full details of how to enter. Great to get those email addresses again, our email address is gamesweasel@btpodshow.com
So another year comes along and Electronic Arts release another version of their long-running football game with next year’s 08 stamped on the front. This being the first proper game for the next-gen consoles, it should be better, but is it? Well I’m about to tell you.
To be honest, the main game feels very similar to Fifa 2007 in the way it plays. The menus are almost identical, the nice touch at the start screen where you get to have a bit of a kick about with Ronaldinho’s still there, and picking up and playing the actual game proper feels very similar. There are new ways to control the ball using the left trigger and right analogues stick but during the heat of a game, you rarely have time to think to use them and if you do, pull them off correctly.
What you’re paying for with this version is of course the updated official teams and their transfers, some smarter AI, new interactive and custom leagues, the management mode and of course the new ‘Be a Pro’ mode.
One thing that’s worth mentioning straight away is that this new AI has made the game MUCH tougher. If tried playing as Liverpool on Pro mode and got a very realistic result based on the way the team are actually playing at the moment – I couldn’t get in the box let alone actually score a goal. Dropping the difficulty to semi-pro however resulted in a more fun game where my through balls actually got to my strikers without being intercepted. There are loads of leagues, cups and competitions to play through so there’s bound to be something for any footy fan.
The “Be a Pro” mode is a very interesting feature that’s certainly worth a try. You play as a single player on the pitch and move into space, pass, defend and call for the ball as a lone player. I chose to play as Steven Gerrard and really enjoyed working hard for the team, at one point I even ran up the wing to cross the ball for Torres to get on the end of and score. Very satisfying indeed.
When it comes to the graphics, the likenesses of the players seem to have got worse. The game’s a much tighter affair which is great news, some of the players look similar but some are way off with the wrong hair colour or, it seems, very bad plastic surgery. They all look a bit like waxworks. Audio’s spot on though, the commentary makes it feel like you’re watching a game on Sky Sports and it’s slick as ever.
Of course, playing other people is where this game really shines. It’s great fun beating a friend or a stranger online and always has you wanting one more go.
When all’s said and done, I think Pro Evolution Soccer will once again take the football game crown but this game is definitely worth a look if you’re a FIFA fan or if you’re interested in trying Be A Pro mode, it goes some way to EA’s vision of having every player on live playing a real team member.
7 out of 10.
Here is a review of a game which intrigued me last month when I saw a poster for it when I was absolutely drenched standing in a field in Stafford for the V Festival. It’s Kane & Lynch Dead Men. The poster shows a guy that looks like he’d kill you if you bumped into him in the street with a plaster over his nose and an older chap with a balding mullet and a shotgun.
It reminded me of a Tarantino film so I thought I’d check it out a bit more for you guys and report back.
Developed by IO Interactive, the same people who made the Hitman games, you take on the roles of both characters as you first break out of prison then go on a trail of murder and revenge.
One’s a psychopath constantly on medication, the other’s a flawed mercenary, both with brutal attitudes about what’s right and wrong.
This game looks amazing. You see the action from a 3rd-person view similar to Hitman and there are plenty of guns to choose from and lots and lots of bloody bodies. It’s even a cool touch that the scenery breaks around you as bullets fly, even pillars crumble like in the lobby scene of the Matrix. Although Keano Reeves isn’t there looking like a bit of a twat indoors in a black mack and sunglasses.
Also interesting is the addition of squad-based combat similar to Ghost Recon and the ability to play the game as both characters in co-op mode online, although in single player you only play as Kane.
If it wasn’t for the cool characterisation and cinematography of this game, this would probably just be another standard shooter, but something tells me this one’s more than the sum of its parts. I’ll give you guys a full review in the next couple of months if Eidos will be kind enough to send me a copy. And for the 360 please, I like getting those achievement points.
Just when we all thought people had stopped making street racing games, Juiced games have just decided to release Juiced 2 Hot Import Nights onto the next-gen consoles so we can all mod our cars within an inch of their lives and drift them around slippery streets at night looking cool and shouting things like ‘Yo Dude, Innit’ out of the window.
The end result of this one is an improved game over the first one with some added game features and ideas. It’s far from perfect though and I’ll explain why.
First of all, they’ve removed the calendar racing system and you now get to compete on circuits against a number of drivers, having to do tasks to move onto the next tier of races. These can be anything from getting 6 seconds of air or drifting to get a number of points. The good news is you can do more then one of these in a race and race less to move up the ladder faster.
They’ve also introduced the idea of driver DNA, recording traits such as calmness, aggressions and the like. This is supposed to reflect a driver’s behaviour but doesn’t influence a race as much as it should which is a shame.
When wanging your car round the corners you can also spook other drivers by driving up their rear end and making them sweat. This can make them spin out and is a nice touch.
Unfortunately, the driving and drifting sections give a totally different feel and it’s like driving in two completely different games. Cars can be quite skittish when you turn left or right, often resulting in driving into a wall and drifting feels like you’re on ice. You get the hang of it eventually but it doesn’t feel like you’re as in control as in games such as, say, Burnout.
When modding your car there are plenty of options to improve handling and you can just pimp up your ride with decals, neons and spoilers. These don’t effect your car but if you’re into the modding scene you’ll have lots of fun here.
To be honest it’s not my scene and as a racing game there are better ones out there but if you still feel the need to mod and race, this one’s for you. Check out episode 18 of the podcast where you can hear my interview with the game’s cover girl Ursula Mayes.
Juiced 2 just about squeezes a 6 out of 10.
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