It's over. It's finished, man. It's done - that's it.

Skyrim and Assassin's Creed are out, and with them arrive the bitterly cold winds of change; we stand on the brink of 2012, a brand new year brimming with adventure and intrigue. And another Call of Duty. With Star Wars: The Old Republic and Rocksmith bringing up the rear and probably being too late to be included in most Game Of The Year lists, you can turn your mind back to a year that saw Libya Liberated, Osama Obama-nated, and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 single-handedly ruin everything I hold dear.

Unless Postal III pulls a stunner (spoiler: it won't), that's pretty much it for 2011, so we're compiling the most notable games you've played over the past twelve months and shamelessly judging them based on our incredibly poor recollections. Portal 2 is the one about the Italian plumber, right? Good.

Note: if you can't tell by now, the following list isn't to be taken very seriously.

Dead Space 2

It was kind of like Dead Space, except...Nope. I've got nothing. Basically, you ran about and shot zombie-alien things and there was a lot of blood. While it's hardly original, Dead Space 2 was actually a resounding success; the dismemberment was a grotesquely gleeful as ever, the characters were believable and well-rounded, and the story had enough hooks and twists to keep you blasting on. It's going to take a lot longer than a year for us to forget that needle-to-eye scene.

Why it might win GOTY:

A more refined, polished Dead Space that still haunts our dreams, the buckets of atmosphere and flashy set-pieces (complete with severed baby faces) make it a heart-stopping thriller.

Why it might not win GOTY:

The multiplayer was a giant alien sack of balls, and it came out in January. January. I'm pretty sure the British Empire was still intact back then.

Dragon Age II

You were called Hawke. Now, call me biased, but that's basically the best name in the world. If I could come up with a fake name, it would be Hawke. Luckily, I don't have to. I'm one of the lucky ones. The chosen ones.

Oh, the game? I don't know. I think it had something about violence in it, I forget...

Why it might win GOTY:

Building on the success of the original, what could possibly go wrong?

Why it might not win GOTY:

Quite a lot. Fans were perturbed, to use on overly fancy word, at the shoddy control system, the confusing story and general lack of ingenuity or originality. Plus, we have Skyrim now. Dragon Age II can only look on in wonder.

Homefront

Ha! Just kidding.

Crysis 2

Probably the most visually impressive game on this list - so long as you've got a high-end PC. As this PC poster boy shifted onto the consoles, many worried the Nanosuit would be dumbed down; and while the set-pieces were epic, the story exciting, and the graphics one-of-a-kind, the series had lost some of its charm; no longer were we allowed to wreak havoc in a sandbox paradise, but instead tied down in a tightly scripted, linear, shoot-em-up.

Why it might win GOTY:

It's got the looks. When you boil it down, Crysis 2 is basically an entire series based upon being pixel-perfect, and as shallow as that is; cor. Look at them explosions!

Why it might not win GOTY:

The stealth mechanics are to fiddly and slippery to be a long-term strategy, and the straight-up-shooting is just a bit bland. Crysis 2 might be a jack of all trades, but a master of none.

Portal 2

It was actually funny. Which surprised me - the original Portal was so fleeting, experimental and unexpected that it took everyone by surprise and was allowed to be itself. But when shoved on a standalone stage and told to perform for ten hours, there was a worry that GLADoS would lose her charm, the mechanics would become stale, and it would all be a little bit disappointing. But with the excellent Merchant at the helm, Portal 2 managed to be legitimately hilarious (with as little nerd-humour as possible) and keep a strong pace. Wait - did someone say pace?

Why it might win GOTY:

Cute, funny and thought-provoking, with a solid co-op mode and tonnes of little secrets. There's not another game as unique as Portal 2 out there.

Why it might not win GOTY:

If you pushed through the campaign in a matter of days, the endless portal-shooting and gel-jumping do start to wear thin. Also, it might not be the best critique of a game, but...it's just not Portal 1, is it?

L.A. Noire

Hang on - did I say there wasn't a unique game like Portal 2 out there? Excuse me - I must have forgotten about the game where you solve crimes around a perfectly-recreated 1940s Los Angeles. And accuse old ladies of being killers. L.A. Noire made up for what it lacked in freedom with a mature, developed plot, involving some superbly crafted characters, rich dialogue, and a whole lot of picking up cigarette packets. And drawing. And racism.

Why it might win GOTY:

It's a Rockstar game.

Why it might not win GOTY:

It's a Rockstar game shrouded in modern-day slavery court-cases. And did Cole Phelps put on a flamethrower at the end of the game? Like, for real?

Infamous 2

While a lot of games on this list are criticised for the fact they lose the charm of their predecessor, Infamous 2 is the exception. It's messy and repetitive and shoddy and slightly creepy (why the hell is this city so quiet?!), but it's such a beautiful game when it all comes together. The progression, the powers, the freedom of movement and the powerful-as-a-lighting-storm ending; it may not be perfect, but it sure as hell tries.

Why it might win GOTY:

It should win just for this scene only. (Big spoiler)

Why it might not win GOTY:

While they're easy to forgive, you can't quite overlook the plethora of AI issues, graphical slip-ups, and repetitive missions forever.

Deus Ex: Human Revolution

I never asked for this.

Forza Motorsport 4

Since Gran Turismo 6 won't come out until we all get hovercars and the game becomes outdated before its even released, Forza Motorsport 4 is left to hold high the torch of virtual racing. And fanboyism. It's beautiful, it's fast, and it's flashy.

Why it might win GOTY:

Enough simulation to be realistic, but enough arcade to be masses of fun.

Why it might not win GOTY:

Racing games never win Game Of The Year. Ever.

Battlefield 3

64 players tearing the French Metro to shreds, bombing it across the crisp blue skies of the Caspian Boarder and commanding tanks in the dusty plains of Iran? Forget the rubbish single-player; Battlefield 3 is all about the multiplayer, and with a slew of grand maps, an endless array of weaponry, and a multiplayer shooter that's NOT Call of Duty, Battlefield 3 has a real shout.

Why it might win GOTY:

It's big, loud and a visual stunner. EA's plugged everything they've got into making this a real winner, and they'll be livid if it doesn't come out on top.

Why it might not win GOTY:

The game is certainly not without its problems, with countless issues abound on forums everywhere. These things mount up, y'know.

Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception

Serious undertones of paedophilia. That's what I remember most about Uncharted 3; you're a ten-year-old orphan getting chased around by an old man with a moustache. I think there was a lot of other stuff about spiders and adventure and treasure, but I basically zoned out after that and expect Chris Hansen to turn up at my doorstep any minute.

Why it might win GOTY:

As someone who thinks Uncharted 2 was massively overrated, Drake's Deception pumped a lot of my faith back into the series - it's got swagger, ambition and oomph. And when you're reduced to using onomatopoeia to describe a video game, you know you've got something special.

Why it might not win GOTY:

While it's the strongest first two-thirds of any Uncharted yet, it pulls its punches at the end - there's no big revelation or seismic shift for the series, but just another 'sunset and banter' fade-out.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3

Why it might win GOTY:

It's a brand new Call of Duty!

Why it might not win GOTY:

It's exactly like Call Of Duty 4. Again.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

I'm not even going to talk about the game here. Instead, I'm going to ask you to look at Dead End Thrills. You'll see why.

Driver: San Francisco

Why it might win GOTY:

Best interracial back-and-forth of 2011.

There you have it folks. We'll know soon enough which of these games will come out on top, in the meantime, troll us below with your picks.

Labels: 2011, Battlefield, Call of Duty, Crysis 2, Dead Space 2, Dragon Age II, Driver, Forza Motorsport 4, Game of the year, Homefront, L.A. Noire, Portal 2, Skyrim, Uncharted 3

As gamers, we love competition, action, and a titanic struggle to the death. What better tussle is there than watching two games go head-to-head in mortal combat? In the tradition of the Mario and Sonic days of yore comes VG Deathmatch, GGTL’s recurring clash of the digital titans.

This week, we’re looking at two titles featuring everyone’s favourite character archetype: the space marine! First introduced in science fiction writer Robert A. Heinlein’s novel Starship Troopers, and popularised in gaming by titles like Doom, StarCraft, and Halo: Combat Evolved, the space marine has been a staple in the modern gaming character pantheon, along with the samurai, zombie, and princess in disguise since the era of the Atari.

In the role of challenger is Crytek’s Crysis 2, featuring open-ended level design, multiple styles of play, and a brand new graphics engine for rendering space marines at their shiniest. Will it be enough to take down the reigning champion of space marine games, Halo: Reach, with its epic storyline, enormous set pieces, and industry-standard design?

1: Main Character

Crysis 2 puts players in the role of Alcatraz, a US Marine dispatched to assist an ailing New York City in the throes of a catastrophic alien virus. Unfortunately, Alcatraz is soon attacked and badly injured, but is saved at the last minute by Prophet, a character from the first Crysis. Prophet bestows his Nanosuit to Alcatraz, giving him solace from his injuries, as well as a multitude of Justice League-esque powers. The setup is compelling, but Alcatraz (aside from having a name reminiscent of an exotic dancer) is one of the most glum-and-blah protagonists I’ve played in a while. Perhaps Crytek was hoping to generate some Gordon Freeman appeal, as Alcatraz goes through the entire game without uttering so much as one syllable. Unlike Freeman, though, Alcatraz spends the entire game taking orders. He has a suit that can kick the crap out of a small country, but he happily takes orders from some geeky pseudo-Otacon for a good chunk of time? I don't buy it.


Halo: Reach casts a similarly silent lead character, but Noble Six is far from a generic “you are the player” cypher. A trained Spartan III, Noble Six stays steadfast and supportive throughout, offering words when necessary, but mostly letting his (or her) actions speak in lieu of them. He's not the diety-esque pillar of strength that was Master Chief, nor the non-entity that The Rookie was in Halo 3: ODST, Noble Six acts as a true team player through the events of Reach; supporting, leading, following, and giving his all for the success of the mission.

Winner: Halo: Reach
The differences are subtle, but Noble Six’s dedication to his team and peerless leadership in the field gives him a decisive edge in this comparison. With few words but strong characterization, Noble Six was a protagonist I grew to appreciate, as I did the entire Noble Team in the game. As for Alcatraz, I was weary of his constant order-taking far before the experience was over. No contest.

2: Setting

Crysis 2 takes place in a bombed-out, post-disaster New York City, and surely The Big Apple has never been as detailed as it was in this game. Sun pours through clouds of dust and thick smoke, ordinary shops and streets are left barely, but hauntingly, recognizable, and buildings eventually collapse and crumble from the turmoil. If only this was the worst that happened. CryEngine 3 lends itself well to the small environmental touches, giving the game a populated, lived-in feel, and much of the area is readily explorable. There are occasional invisible walls, but for the most part, the atmosphere and splendour of the environment make post-virus New York City the most beautiful place you will never, ever want to visit.


Halo: Reach’s titular planet has an excellent variety of game environments, and they’re all gorgeous and interesting. The scale in particular harkens back to the first game players would look at the horizon and watch the Forerunner ring wind up, up, up until it came right back around to the other side. Reach’s settings are painted in broad strokes, and though they look good from afar, they aren’t necessarily the prettiest when seen up close. Still, they are nonetheless effective in establishing a mood and “feel” for each location, which can hardly be a bad thing.

Winner: Crysis 2
Crysis 2’s portrayal of New York gone to crap is, hands-down, one of the prettiest and best-realised game spaces I’ve seen on the Xbox 360. The crumbling buildings, burned-out reminders of lives interrupted, and winning ambient noise-design create an atmosphere that is at times almost overwhelming. There is one early section of the game in particular that leads through an abandoned subway tunnel that particularly stayed with me after playing - I was all but crawling up the walls with fear of what might be down there due to the frightening, memorable aesthetics. Reach doesn’t necessarily drop the ball with its locations, but Crysis 2 is simply that much better.

3: Weapons

Crysis 2 occupies an odd middle ground in weapon design: most of the weaponry seems to have been informed by Modern Warfare 2, despite the overtly sci-fi flavour of its story and setting. Even some of the exotic guns (such as the Mike, a gun that shoots microwaves to cook enemies from the inside out) feel far more like they’re shooting bullets than death rays. Perhaps this is the point, but I firmly believe that there is a middle ground between Ratchet and Clank and SOCOM 4 when it comes to weapon design. Heck, look at the Resistance series! Crysis 2’s guns do have a nice weight to them, though I am saddened by their lack of flair.


Halo: Reach has perhaps the most satisfying arsenal of the entire Halo universe of games. To create such broad weapon diversity, Bungie brought back many of the series’ staple guns (the Assault Rifle, Plasma Pistol, etc.), jetted many that didn’t work (goodbye, Covenant Carbine!), and expanded the roster with a collection of excellent new weapons (the BAR, Needle Rifle, etc.) to complete the set. There are even a few “fixed” weapons, such as the new and now-useful Needler. Each weapon has a different feel and handling technique, giving single and multiplayer matches a nice, healthy dose of variety.

Winner: Halo: Reach
When I first heard about the Mike, I thought this category would be a no-brainer. Now that I know how disappointingly similar it is to regular old real-world guns, I’m falling back on the old favourite: the Magnum from Reach. Restored to its overpowered, sniper pistol glory, the Magnum is perhaps one of the best guns of the modern FPS. Both games have a fun arsenal of weapons to choose from, and both include excellent shotguns. In the end, though, only one can have the Magnum

4: Enemies

Crysis 2 pits players against the Ceph (…alopods. I see what you did there, Crytek), a race of bipedal beings that look like a cross between Michael Bay’s Transformers and that squid-looking robot from the first Matrix movie. The first time they’re introduced, they create a strong impression, resisting bullets and leaping from ledge to ledge all nimbly-bimbly. As the game goes on, though, the Ceph start to wear out their welcome, and become a bit of a nuisance. Even the advanced versions don’t change their tactics too much, only becoming sponges for even more bullets from uncreative guns. The Strider-esque Pings are a cool idea, but even these huge, tripedal walkers come off as more of a nuisance than an intriguing threat.


Halo: Reach features the Covenant in a way that hasn’t been seen in almost ten years: as strange, fearsome beings that will sooner tear you a new one than shout anything in English. I remember coming *this* close to wetting myself in Halo when I heard an unseen, guttural cry and saw myself get torn in half by an unexpected Beam Sword. The different races that make up the Covenant give the enemies some variety, and mandate a changing of tactics in order to avoid being overwhelmed.

Winner: Halo: Reach
Both the Ceph and Covenant play the same basic role in their respective games, but the Covenant contribute too strong a presence to Reach to lose this fight. With the Covenant, I’ve learned to fear the sound of a Hunter’s cannon, rethink approaching a nest of Jackals vs. a group of Elites, and laugh at slaughtering Grunts like it was going out of style. With the Ceph, I merely sigh when I see a Heavy, because I know a long and relatively tedious battle will ensue.

5: The Suit

Crysis 2’s Nanosuit is a veritable Swiss Army knife of applications. It can gain extra armour for more damage, implement a cloak for sneaking, point out different strategic opportunities on the battlefield, and even render a huge, car-crushing kick to inhuman enemies. All of this comes at a price, however, as the suit can only exert so much energy at one time before needing to recharge. It's unfortunately delicate as well, managing only a few hits before announcing the user’s health as “Critical.” Even more problematic, the Sprint function consumes energy that is also used by the Cloak and Armour functions, which created several annoying situations during my playthrough when I was unable to flee from certain death because my Armour unexpectedly failed. Still, the cloaking ability turns Crysis 2 into the stealth game I’ve always wanted, letting players toy with enemies Batman: Arkham Asylum-style.


Halo: Reach’s MJOLNIR Mark V armour is the peak of combat technology in the Halo universe, and Bungie added a few new tricks to it for Reach. Among these are Armour Abilities, app-style add-ons to the MJOLNIR upgrade that add features like springing, hologram projections, and jetpacks. The MJOLNIR also has an onboard shield generator which absorbs a great deal of punishment before failing, and recharges relatively quickly. Armour Abilities can only be implemented one-at-a-time, though, so good luck trying to choose between Armour Lock and Sprint.

Winner: Halo: Reach
While the Nanosuit gains points for its ability to do multiple things at once, the MJOLNIR Mark V gets this round because, frankly, the Nanosuit would get its ass handed to it in a fight between the two.

And the Winner Is…

Halo: Reach
In a fight between two excellent sci-fi shooters, the champion continues to reign supreme over space marines everywhere, netting four rounds to Crysis 2’s one. Crysis 2 put up a solid fight in the Suit and Weapons categories, but couldn’t quite snag the title from Reach, though its impressive scenery and atmosphere were more than enough to win it at least one round. If you haven’t played either of these games, you’re missing out on some quality, open-ended FPS action, and I encourage everyone who is even minimally interested to check out both titles. Happy shooting, and I’ll catch you again next time on vg.deathmatch.

Labels: 2011, Andrew Testerman, Columns, Crysis 2, Halo Reach, vg.deathmatch

If you think of online shooters, the first game to spring to mind is probably any one of the titles spawned from the ridiculously popular Call of Duty series. Like it or not, first-person shooters are all the rage right now, and it seems as though every game, from Medal of Honor to Battlefield: Bad Company 2 is trying to grab a slice of the pie before it's all gobbled up by Activision's behemoth. These games are everywhere, and perhaps soon you'll grow tired of authentic weaponry and urban environments, kill-streaks and XP bonuses, red dot sights and the like.

There was a time when less ultra-realistic FPS games were common, however. Remember Crysis, that stunningly gorgeous shooter from the guys at Crytek? The lush jungles, the sci-fi gadgets, the brutal combat, the special suit manoeuvres and the crazy aliens; remember all that? You probably do, but chances are you probably didn't have a computer that could run Crysis at a framerate above 4fps. In fact, you probably still don't have a computer that could run it at a framerate of more than 4fps.

Luckily for you, however, the sequel is here soon and it's coming to consoles. EA released a multiplayer demo of Crysis 2 last month to give players the chance to sample the latest shooter attempting to steal Call of Duty's crown. Perhaps its unique take on weapons, special suits and game types will tempt you into buying it?

I was certainly excited, and wondered what kind of cool take on the shooter genre this would throw at me. Turns out, after all this build-up, it may as well be Call of Duty with slightly different fonts when an XP indicator pops up.

Don't get me wrong, Crysis 2 plays just fine and if you've played any sort of military-based shooter recently you'll feel right at home. It feels a bit more weighty than something like Call of Duty, striking quite a nice balance between that and something more akin to Killzone. The thing is that it's also the biggest problem I've had with my time with the multiplayer: it just doesn't feel like I'm playing a Crysis game. The maps are small, enclosed urban environments and the weapons are fairly uninspired. The game modes aren't anything that you haven't seen before, and everything from kill-cams to XP bonuses are present and accounted for - it's very much more of the same. You can customise equipment and load-outs too, but you can also do that in every other shooter out there. Even the control scheme is ripped straight from the Black Ops manual and there's just not enough about it to make you say, "hey, this is fun and interesting and new'. It's all just kinda 'meh'.

Like I said, Crysis 2 plays perfectly well, and the nano-suit abilities do provide at least some variety even though they don't seem as impacting or relevant as they did in the original game. The abilities include the likes of invisibility and super speed, but we've seen this done before in the Halo series; whilst these abilities felt fun and fresh in the huge jungle environments of the original game, in Crysis 2 the cramped urban spaces just make it feel like you're playing Modern Warfare with some Halo perks.

The fairly familiar feel behind the game extends to the visuals as well, with fairly plain-looking environments, albeit with very technically proficient textures, animations, effects and the like. Say goodbye to the beautiful sandy beaches and lush jungles of the first game, and say hello to grey rooftops and boring office blocks. As with everything else about the multiplayer though, it just screams Modern Warfare 2 rather than what you may of been hoping from a Crysis sequel.

In fairness, the single-player mode may well be a little more interesting, and from what I've seen of it, it looks like that may well be the case. The multiplayer however just doesn't have enough about it to draw you away from the popular shooters you're already playing. It doesn't help that Crysis isn't a particularly huge franchise, and it almost feels like the developers realised this, and in doing so have sucked all the originality and personality from the game, which will no doubt alienate existing fans.

It's too early to say if the single-player is going to retain the open-endedness and freedom that made the first game so great, but the multiplayer certainly isn't anything to write home about as it stands.

Sure, you could accuse me of double standards after my glowing review of Call of Duty: Black Ops, but that is what Call of Duty is. Millions of you buy that game every year because you love that style of gameplay with all the perks that come with it, and you're always guaranteed a fun campaign and some great co-op to go with the addicting multiplayer. Ask yourself why you might want to check out Crysis 2 and you'll probably end up disappointed when you play the game itself.

If Crysis 2 is to succeed then it needs at least some identity to call its own, and on the evidence of the multiplayer demo it simply does not have that.


Crysis 2 is due for release for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC on 25th March.

Labels: 2011, 360, Crysis, Crysis 2, Crytek, Demo Impressions, Preview, Tom Acres, Xbox 360

When games developers first realised that viral sites do actually work when hyping up a game's release, it was commonplace for them to spring up a few weeks before release, with just enough cheesy acting and in-game glimpses to entice gamers to spend their cash. The same rule still applies now, and the latest developer to prove said point is Crysis developer, Crytek.

The website, found at http://www.crynetsystems.com/, hints to a game which could include alot of fancy technology and some very pretty computer systems. Including a detailed lowdown of what appears to be a character suit (the Nanosuit 2), two videos and various wallpapers, as well as the option to contact the fictional Crynet Systems and a mysterious login area, everything seems to be pointing to a game in which technological advancements and science go hand in hand with warfare.

We'll have to wait and see. And see we shall, when the game is released on PS3, 360 and PC sometime in the future.

Linford

Labels: Crysis 2, Crytek, Linford Butler, News