Blacksite: Area 51 Review

It feels, sometimes, that the criticism end of the industry can be a little unforgiving. Titles that don’t stand up to the might of the GTAs, Halos and Marios of the gaming sphere are sometimes unfairly penalized for not achieving the high standards of concept, design and gameplay. It’s undue denigration. If a title doesn’t accomplish similar levels of unique and careful sophistication there’s no reason to dismiss it. The game in question should be deemed of its worth on its individual merits. So with that in mind, does Blacksite: Area 51 stand up on its own?

Mirror’s Edge

Putting the ‘person back into ‘first-person’

It was a year ago when Rebellion attempted to apply the concept of free running to a third-person template in the average PS2 title Free Running, a game that stumbled in its attempts to translate the dexterity of the sport into an engaging and fluid experience. What’s exciting about DICE’s Mirror’s Edge is that may just get it right. While its parkour-based gameplay is focused less on the aestheticism of free running and more on the quick, efficient movement from point A to point B, the power of the PS3 is just what’s needed to turn the gymnastic activity into an adrenaline-fuelled game. And guess what. It’s all seen from the first-person.

Condemned 2: Bloodshot Review

Condemned 2 is grim. Very grim. Imagine the murder scene from Irreversible terribly twisted together with the end of Carrie, and throw in a pinch of The Devil’s Rejects for good measure. You’re about half-way there. Indeed, Condemned 2’s entire raison de’être appears nothing more than to ruthlessly brutalise your enemies through a variety of violent methods. It’s the kind of brutality that lingers in the hands, and something for which Condemned makes no apologies. Fallen-from-grace ex-detective Ethan Thomas – now suffering alcohol addiction, jaundiced eyes and all – pops skulls in metal presses, smashes heads through glass and pummels innocent drunks to within an inch of their lives. You’d think the ESRB would have a field day with it, but no. Condemned 2 is on shelves, uncensored and in all its bloody glory.