Issue # 0

FIGHT NIGHT ROUND 4: Review

DISNEY G-FORCE: Review

IL-2 STURMOVIK: BIRDS OF PREY: Review

When EA first brought Fight Night in 2004, it was a promising title but it had lots...

Based on the late family film “G-Force” from Walt Disney Pictures...

One of the best WWII air-combat simulator on the Xbox 360..

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VIDEOGAMING: INDEPENDENT, ENTERTAINING, BRIEF.

FREE Gam es

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2

RS POSTE inside

COPY

I PLAYED NATAL

Microsoft’s latest gizmo tested

WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN

Games Alliance Middle East Show Oct 1-3

ASSASSIN'S CREED II Truth written in blood

Pro Evo 2010

We’ve played it, and this is what we think..

details about The tournAment that will get you this hot

nissan 370z

Š 1C Company. PLAYSTATIONÂŽ3 and Xbox 360 Developed by Gaijin Entertainment. PSP™ (PlayStationÂŽPortable) version developed by SME Dynamic Systems Ltd. DS version developed by DiP Interactive. Published by 505 Games under license by 1C Company. Portions of this software utilize RakNet 3.0 networking software (Š2008 Jenkins Software LLC). RakNet is a trademark of Jenkins Software LLC, All rights reserved. Includes material Š 2003, European 6SDFH ,PDJLQJ *PE+ DOO ULJKWV UHVHUYHG 7KLV SURGXFW LV QRW HQGRUVHG VSRQVRUHG RU DIÂżOLDWHG LQ DQ\ ZD\ WR WKH 8QLWHG 6WDWHV $LU )RUFH WKH 5R\DO $LU )RUFH WKH /XIWZDIIH WKH 5XVVLDQ RU ,WDOLDQ $LU IRUFHV RU DQ\ RI WKH PDQXIDFWXUHUV of the airplanes depicted, including the Boeing Company. Microsoft, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox LIVE, and the Xbox logos are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies. “2â€? , “PLAYSTATIONâ€? and “7™â€? are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Trademarks are property of their respective owners. Nintendo DS is a trademark of Nintendo.

ISSUE Zero - October 2009 Not For Resale

EDITORIAL

LEVEL ONE

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ELCOME to the first issue of GamesCompass, another gaming magazine coming out of the Middle East, namely Dubai, UAE, with the intent of catering for gamers across the region. Life in the Middle East is without doubt in the fast lane, and so the region’s gamers require a different approach and special writing style to cope with the requirements of living and working here.

With long working hours and hectic traffic consuming most of our lives nowadays, it’s a no-brainer that today’s gamers do not have enough time to read long-winded reviews, and would rather have straight-tothe-point videogames coverage; this is what we promise to deliver with GamesCompass magazine.

We consider this issue to be our first foray into the world of videogaming, so keep an eye out for more surprises and eye candy in coming levels. We want you to enjoy this issue, and to send us your feedback to letters@gamescompass.com.

Raouf Shabayak Editor in Chief

PUBLISHED BY Makina Times FZ LLC Registered at DMC PO Box 500717 Dubai, UAE Tel: +971 4 265 7572 Fax: +971 4 265 7573 www.makinatimes.com info@makinatimes.com

EDITORIAL EDITOR in Chief - RAOUF SHABAYEK EMAIL - raouf@gameslatest.com EDITOR - TAIMOOR HAFEEZ EMAIL - taimoor@gameslatest.com

raouf@gameslatest.com ART ART DIRECTOR - SHINERAJ BLANGHAT EMAIL - shine@gameslatest.com

‫املستوى األول‬ ‫ والتي تأتيكم‬،‫ أللعاب الفيديو‬Games Compass ‫أهال بكم في العدد األول من مجلة‬

SUBSCRIPTION Subscribe online to receive free digital copies of Games Compass magazine at: www.gamescompass.com/subscription

‫ والتي تهدف في املقام‬،‫ وحتديدا دبي باإلمارات العربية املتحدة‬،‫انطالقا من الشرق األوسط‬ .‫األول لتلبية رغبات هواة ألعاب الفيديو في منطقة الشرق األوسط‬ ‫ األمر‬،‫ واالنشغال الطويل بالعمل والتجارة‬،‫تتميز منطقتنا حتديدا باإليقاع السريع للحياة‬ ‫ وهذا يتطلب تقدمي املعلومة للقارئ بشكل مختصر‬،‫الذي يجعل الوقت املتوفر للعب قليال‬ ‫ الذي يعمل مبثابة‬،‫ وهذا ما نحاول تقدميه في هذا العدد األول‬،‫وسريع وفيه من الفائدة الكثير‬ ‫ ونحن في اجمللة نتمنى أن نقنعك أن‬،‫املرحلة األولى في لعبة فيديو جديدة تبدأ اللعب بها‬ ،‫تستمر في القراءة حتى نهاية اجمللة‬ letters@gamescompass.com ‫يسعدنا تلقي رسائلكم على عنواننا‬

The publishers regret that they cannot accept liability for errors or ommissions contained in this publication, however caused. This opinions and views contained in this publication are not necessarily those of the publishers. Readers are advised to seek specialist advice before action on information contained within this publication which is provided for general use and may not appropriate for the readers in particular circumstances. The ownership of trademarks is acknowledged. No part of this publication or any part of the contents therefor may be reproduced, stored in a retreival system or transmitted in any form without the permission of the publishers in writing. An exemption is hereby granted for exracts used for the purpose of a fair review.

GAMES COMPASS

CONTENTS News 6

Previews 8

10

ASSASSIN’S CREED II

14

MODERN WARFARE 2

SPLINTER CELL: CONVICTION

16

FORZA MOTORSPORT3

SPLIT/SECOND

Feature

Posters 18

20

SPLINTER CELL: CONVICTION

4

12

October 09

ASSASSIN’S CREED II

21

I PLAYED NATAL

COVER STORY

8

ASSASSIN'S CREED II Truth written in blood…

Where would a sequel go? That was the question posing itself in Ubisoft, which Patrice Desilets, the game’s creative director, had to answer. The verdict was to pick the Italian Renaissance during year 1486

Hands on 22

PES 2010

27

OVERLORD II

Reviews 24

COLIN MCRAE: DIRT2

28

HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE

Hardware 30

32

26

IL-2 STURMOVIK: BIRDS OF PREY

29

FIGHT NIGHT ROUND 4

Final stage 34 2

3

4

5

5

9

2

5 9

7

5

7 1 8 7

MICROSOFT XBOX 360 WIRELESS RACING WHEEL

3

5

2

4

6

3 6

Disney G-FORCE

7

1

5 8

SUDOKU MINI GAME

October 09

5

NEWS

With E3 but a memory, it’s time to look forward to Games 09, which will play host for over 50 titles of eagerly awaited videogames.

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HAT FIRST started as an event meant only for trade members in the Middle East region to get acquainted with the latest happening in the world of videogames, it has now evolved to include more gaming publishers, and to cater for the public as well; the gamers of Arabia. The Games Alliance Middle East Show 2009, or rather Games 09 for short, is set to take place in Dubai Festival City (yes, in Dubai, UAE) starting from Thursday 1st to Saturday 3rd of October 09.

This time around, Games 09 is going to be two times bigger in size, compared to what it was like last year when held in the Grand Hyatt hotel, allowing for more major videogames titles to be on display, for the first time in region, so more gamers can get better handson experience.

GAMES 09 is the only arena in the region that allows gamers the chance to try out new releases before anyone else.

We have compiled below a list of the hottest titles to look for when you make it to the halls of the Games 09 event. See you there!

Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 Star Wars: Clone Wars 2 Guitar Hero 5 Blur Lego Indiana Jones 2 Modern Warfare 2 Dj Hero Band Hero Bakugan Star Craft 2

Split/Second

6

October 09

Tekken 6 Dragonball

Rogue Warrior Brink

Dark Void Lost Planet 2

Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising

FIFA 10 Need For Speed Shift Jack Black’s Brutal Legend The Beatles: Rock Band Left 4 Dead 2

Mini Ninjas Just Cause 2 Kane & Lynch 2

FIFA 10

Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2

Pro Evolution Soccer 2010 Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker

Forza Motorsport 3 Halo 3: ODST Lips: Number 1 Hits

Alpha Protocol Planet 51 Bayonetta

Borderlands Bioshock 2 Mafia Ii Red Dead Redemption

WWE Smack Down 2010 Darksiders

Assassin Creed 2 Splinter Cell Conviction James Cameron’s Avatar R.U.S.E.

Lego Rock Band Lego Harry Potter

‫ ليقدم لكل املهتمني بعالم ألعاب الفيديو‬Games 09 ‫يأتي معرض‬ ‫والكمبيوتر في العالم العربي الفرصة للتمتع بتجربة أشهر ألعاب‬ ‫ وليقدم كذلك األحدث واألجدد في‬،‫الفيديو التي هي على وشك الصدور‬ ،‫ من تطبيقات وكماليات ومنصات وأجهزة‬،‫عالم صناعة ألعاب الفيديو‬ ‫كما ستكون هناك بعض املفاجآت األخرى واألخبار املثيرة التي سيعلن‬ ‫ في‬Games 09 ‫ يقام معرض‬،‫ هذا العام‬.‫عنها ضمن فعاليات املعرض‬ ‫ وملدة‬،‫رحاب مدينة دبي فستيفال سيتي في دبي بدولة اإلمارات العربية‬ ‫ الثالث‬،‫ وحتى السبت‬2009 ‫ انطالقا من اخلميس أول أكتوبر‬،‫ثالثة أيام‬ ‫ نعرض لكم هنا أسماء أشهر األلعاب التي نتوقع‬.2009 ‫من أكتوبر‬ .‫ مع بعض املعلومات اإلضافية عن أهمها‬،‫حضورها في هذا املعرض‬ !‫نراكم هناك‬

When it was released last year, FIFA ‘09 pleased many of its fans, but EA appears to have gone the extra mile to improve things further, in terms of more intelligent AI, full control over movement with the ball, and the ability to fully customise the set pieces. There is also the new Virtual Pro mode, where players can scan their faces into the game and have a virtual representation of themselves playing for the team of their choice.

NEED FOR SPEED SHIFT EA promised to make everything in the new NFS Shift more realistic, with the help of breath-taking graphics, impressive damage effects, better in-game physics and actual real-life track recreations. Now players will be rewarded no matter how they drive – be it calm and using the best line or aggressively road-ragey and intent on taking out everything in your way.

JACK BLACK’S BRUTAL LEGEND You play as Eddie, a passionate lead singer/guitarist who plays in a heavy metal band. Eddie will set out in an action adventure where he will have a close-quarter axe, a guitar and a jeep-like vehicle. The combination of the game’s visuals from hell, fast paced action, Black’s humour, and EA’s promise to iron out all those camera control and repetitiveness issues, should make it a game to look for.

HALO 3: ODST Halo 3: ODST is a new FPS game in the Halo saga that lets people experience events leading up to the epic story told in Halo 3 through the eyes of an ODST (Orbital Drop Shock Trooper), as they search for clues leading to the whereabouts of their scattered squad and the motivations behind the Covenant’s invasion of New Mombasa.

Since the ODST soldier does not possess the famous Master Chief’s advanced armor, reflexes and strength, he is more vulnerable to gunfire and so players must play more cautiously, in a new twist to the established gameplay strategies.

Sony Sony has got the new PS3 Slim, the PSPgo and the PlayStation Network updates to show us in Games 09, yet we hope Sony would share with us some more information about their motion sensing controllers.

October 09

7

PREVIEWS Mastering the assassination arts is a must to survive in the game.

ASSASSIN'S

CREED II Truth written in blood…

T

HE FIRST ASSASSIN’S CREED, an action-adventure videogame, was published and released by Ubisoft on November 2007 for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, followed on April 2008 by the PC version. Its story revolved around the hidden wars between the Assassin Brotherhood and the Knights Templar during year 1191, time of the Third Crusade in the Holy Land. The main character was named Altaïr Ibn La-Ahad, a brutal assassin set to regain his master’s appreciation, yet at the end he discovers the treason of his master and so ends up killing him, while getting hold of an artefact. The game received lots of praise and secured decent scores and awards, but there was some shortcomings that only a sequel can mend.

Where would a sequel go? That was the question posing itself in Ubisoft, which Patrice Desilets, the game’s creative director, had to answer. The verdict was to pick the Italian Renaissance during year 1486 (295 years after the first game), as the developing team saw this stage in history as the most fascinating and enchanting, and they wanted to recreate all those lovely Italian sceneries in the game. Characters based on historical figures will be present in the game including Leonardo da Vinci, Niccolò Machiavelli, Caterina Sforza, and Lorenzo de’ Medici.

Ezio, once a noble, turned assassin with a vengeance.

8

October 09

“Ezio is running not only from the guards, but also from angry fathers whose daughters were seduced and betrayed by Ezio” Players will assume the role of a young Italian noblemanturned-assassin with the name of Ezio Auditore di Firenze.

Ezio’s family was killed, and so he sets out to take revenge.

Ezio is a descendant of Altaïr, the first game’s main playable character. As the whole game is built on vengeance, and to do so, mastering the assassination arts is a must to last in the game.

BAR SET HIGH The game starts in the Italian city of Venice, which is recreated with much style, in a fancy 3D world well designed and laid out, with many architectural details. The streets are alive with crowds dressed in elaborate festive customs, but

Ezio is not bound to walking on the ground, as he can fly, thanks to Davinci’s flying machine invention, which adds another complete dimension to playing the game. Water used to kill Altaïr in the first AC, now it won’t, as Ezio can take a leap of faith into water, go for a dive, and of course use the many boats laying around the water canals of Venice. The graphic’s bar was set high from the start, with fluid animations and impressive visual effects, which helps in getting gamers immersed in the game’s virtual world.

Yet Ezio is not another clone, or a better version of his ancestor Altaïr, as he is also gifted and special, with numerous

PUBLISHER: Ubisoft DEVELOPER: Ubisoft Montreal GENRE: Action Adventure RELEASE DATE: 17th November 09 FORMAT: PC, PS3, X360

technical advances at his disposal, thanks to the great artist and inventor Leonardo da Vinci, who helps Ezio throughout the course of the game. Ezio is running not only from the guards, but also from angry fathers whose daughters were seduced and betrayed

by Ezio, in a sentimental touch reminding us of the fictional Don Juan’s (or rather Don Giovanni) adventures.

As this is the second game, Ubisoft chose to arm Ezio with dual blades in his 2 hands, which then allows him in the game to assassinate two guards in one go, yet Ezio will roam the city with no weapons given to him, instead he must disarm his opponents with

his bare hands, take whatever weapons they may be carrying, and use those confiscated weapons against them, then he can keep or drop them, adding more depth to the game, and makes Ezio a real assassin, not a disgruntled warrior.

The gameplay will also have Ezio doing some missions for friends he shall meet in his quest, those missions – when fulfilled – will only allow him to come closer to those whom he seeks and craves to assassinate.

It was later announced that Assassin’s Creed II will have a multiplayer component, but it may be a downloadable one (DLC), for a price to be announced later.

Ezio can also swim!

COLLECTOR’S EDITION

Ezio is not bound to walking on the ground as he can fly, thanks to Davinci’s flying machine.

Ezio, as an assassin, won’t have many weapons, so he must get those from his slain foes.

Assassin’s Creed 2 will be also available in a collector’s Black limited edition, with black packaging and a unique authentic holographic signature, along with a 64-page finely crafted leather style hardcover Conspiracy book showing concept art and developer interviews. It will also pack the game’s soundtrack CD by composer Jesper Kyd, a Master Assassin Ezio action figure, along with some “behind-the-scene interviews” and 3 “in-game bonus quests”. The expected selling price will hover around £69.99 in the UK (around 115U$). A special “White Edition” is to be released as well for the PlayStation 3 only, which shall include a collectable white Ezio figurine, white packaging and bonus in-game content. If pre-ordered from some specific stores, a free hooded, long sleeve t-shirt will be included as well.

October 09

9

PREVIEWS

MODERN WARFARE

2

The most anticipated game of the year…

T

HIS GAME has fallen victim to its own success, as gamers around the world started to blame it for scaring off many other publishers, who chose to play it safe and delayed release dates of their slated titles, and if that was not enough, gamers have another reason to feel worried about this game: its price tag of $60 (£55), as its publisher; Activision, puts the blame on the stronger Euro and the weaker Dollar. Would it stop there? Guess not, as we suspect other publishers will opt to follow the leader and increase their prices as well!

Coming out exactly two years after its prequel, MW2 is heading its way to becoming the best selling next-gen game when it goes on sale this coming November. Set several years after the conclusion of Call of Duty 4, whereas under the leadership of Vladimir Makarov; the radical Russian Ultranationalist organization, and the former associate of Imran Zakhaev, Makarov has announced Zakhaev’s death as an act of martyrdom to garner support to build a strong power base in Russia under his command. Fearful of his growing influence, the global community established Task Force 141 to counter the threat posed by the rising Ultranationalists.

10 10

October 09

Dynamic AI allows enemies to act in a smart way and more independently.

In the single-player missions, players will assume the role of Sergeant Gary “Roach” Sanderson, a young member of Task Force 141 an elite, multinational commando unit. Sergeant John “Soap” MacTavish from CoD4 returns as well, but only as a nonplayable character, he is now the head of the Task Force unit and Roach’s superior officer. A mysterious third member of the Task Force is Ghost, known for concealing his face with a skull-imprinted balaclava.

For those who played Modern Warfare, before the end of the game, players were commissioned with a thrilling mission on board a passenger plane, a Special Ops mission.

During GamesCom show which was held in Germany last August 09, Activision briefly showed the Co-op gameplay mode, a new collection of

Special Ops missions, with each level playable by two players and lasting for less than 2 minutes on average, playable via split screen or online, with each level having 3 difficulty levels, along with an experience system that we know so little about.

The developers created a new cinematic action experience for the players, pitting them in a variety of missions that are more open and immersing.

Mission design utilizes lots of techniques to motivate players to move forward and to keep them advancing, rather than always relying on the fear of being overrun. An intense moment comes while stalking through a low-visibility blizzard, avoiding enemy patrols and K-9s, or when players attempt to make a non-lethal takedown on an informant, to take him alive. The missions will span

over Russia, a military base in Kazakhstan, a desert area in Afghanistan, and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Infinity Ward announced that they’ve addressed the continuous enemies respawning that plagued different points of MW, by using what they call a “dynamic AI”, which allows enemies to act in a smart way and more independently. Enemies are now designed to actively seek and drive the player forward through a level, and can break away from set behaviours, such as following a designated route in order to attack more quickly. Hence, players should not expect an enemy to show up in the same location every time they play a level, because enemies will –hopefully- not behave the same way twice.

PUBLISHER: Activision DEVELOPER: Infinity Ward GENRE: Shooter RELEASE DATE: 10th November 09 FORMAT: PC, PS3, X360

Players will assume the role of Gary “Roach” Sanderson, of Task Force 141.

Riot shields do a good job in protecting the body, better aim for any part sticking out of the shield.

KILLSTREAKS

The killstreak rewards are the game’s way of rewarding players who rack up a certain number of kills - in a row - before they die in multiplayer mode. In MW, a killstreak of three would get you a recon drone, five will let you request an airstrike, seven will let you call in the helicopter assault gunship.

Now it was announced that Modern Warfare 2 will grant the player the gunner seat inside an AC130 armed with 20mm Gatling guns, 40mm cannons, and a 105mm howitzer, orbiting above the battlefield, when he racks up 11 kills! To counter the beasty AC130, MW2 will throw in some weapons like a shouldermounted surface-to-air missile (i.e. Stinger missile).

HARDENED VS. PRESTIGE

Modern Warfare 2 will be released in three different retail versions: Standard, Hardened, and Prestige. The standard version consists of the game and instructional manual, and will be the only version available for PCs. The Hardened Edition consists of the game and manual, packaged in a steel book case, an art book, and a token to download the original Call of Duty from Xbox Live Arcade or the PlayStation Store. The Prestige Edition contains all of the elements of the Hardened Edition, plus

a fully-functioning night vision goggles branded with the Modern Warfare 2 logo, plus a sculpted head stand modelled after the head of character “Soap” MacTavish. We have our doubts whether this last version would land in the Middle East region, but gamers can only dream!

Finally, Modern Warfare 2 will be released in conjunction with two other Call of Duty games, Modern Warfare: Mobilized for the NDS, and a port of Call of Duty 4 designed for the Wii console. In addition, there will be a comic book series based on one of the game’s characters, entitled Modern Warfare 2: Ghost.

October 09

11 11

PREVIEWS

Convection aims to bring something new and innovative to the franchise.

SPLINTER CELL: CONVICTION

Stealth gameplay, all the way

A

FTER LENGTHY delays, and loads of rumours, the word is finally out, Sam Fisher is emerging from the shadows in his 5th game, on the Xbox 360 and PC lands, as he tries to walk out on Third Echelon, despite the threats he was given. Sarah Fisher, Sam’s daughter, was killed in a drunk driving accident during the events of Splinter Cell: Double Agent, and like any good father, Sam sets out to investigate her death.

Naturally in such a game, Sam soon discovers that Sara’s death was no accident, with leads connecting her murder to Third Echelon, which has become bogged down with corruption and conspiracy.

Sam showing up in places he is least expected.

112 2

October 09

Now Sam is working for himself, free from the constraints of working for

PUBLISHER: Ubisoft DEVELOPER: Ubisoft Montreal GENRE: Action-Adventure RELEASE DATE: Early 2010 FORMAT: X360, PC

WHY XBOX360 BOUND? When asked on the Ubisoft forums website why the game was exclusive for Xbox 360 and PC, the developers replied by saying: “Splinter Cell games are historically linked with Microsoft platforms.

The first Splinter Cell on the original Xbox was one of the first games to fully exploit the console’s technical possibilities.

At that time, Microsoft really believed in the game potential and provided strong support to promote it. So, there is a “link of heart” between the franchise and the platform.

Some games are like this (think of Final Fantasy for instance).

The second reason behind this choice is purely linked to production. As, having a single target platform means that we can optimize the game even further, because we only have one type of - console hardware to support.

Sam is not a nice guy when it comes to interrogations.

the US government, starting from the streets of Malta, following his first lead about Sara’s murder. The game uses an innovative new story telling system, where players can live the story in real time, with objectives, vital points and short movies being projected directly onto surfaces within Sam’s environment; i.e. walls, bridges and mirrors, and on any possible shown object, allowing for more seamless transition between cut-scenes movies and gameplay, even how well Sam is hidden is shown by the level of saturation in the colour scheme, where the more pale the colour scheme is, the more invisible he is.

Sam is back with more vengeance, he is now faster, brutal and darker. Ubisoft has bestowed many new skills on Sam, starting with the Mark and Execute tactic, whereas before entering a room, Sam can look into his little mirror to pick and mark some targets, after that he

kicks the door and bursts into the room, killing his marks in a flash, but the right timing and spot are critically required for such strategy to be rewarding.

Marks have to be earned, by eliminating enemies in hand-to-hand combat, either creeping up and taking them out silently, or tackling them head on. Mark and Execute can be pulled from any where or in

moving to another location to flank or surprise his enemies, by showing up in places he is least expected. Sam also has a plethora of hand to hand combat moves, such as punching, snapping necks, and taking hostages.

Splinter Cell has always been big on hi-tech gizmos and gadgets, but avenging Sam

developing team, the player can go through the whole game without being seen or heard, even without the need to use any firearm, using only stealth through all missions.

Combine all of those new features with crisp, gorgeous graphics, and a thrilling storyline to the end, and you have a definite must-buy during this spring.

“The game uses an innovative new story telling system, where players can live the story in real time, with objectives, vital points and short movies being projected directly onto surfaces within Sam’s environment; i.e. walls, bridges and mirrors”. any situation, which opens the door to endless techniques to achieve objectives.

When spotted by his enemies, Sam can engage, or choose to vanish. The game introduces a white silhouette (ghost), which denotes Sam’s “last known position” feature, or where Sam’s enemies saw him last, allowing Sam to converge,

has gone rogue on his own, and so he has to do with what his hands can lay on, and use consumer grade gear in ways they were not intended to.

To survive, Sam must build an underground network of allies who will help him obtain needed gadgets, and stay one step ahead of his adversaries.

Sam can either engage the enemy, or disappear back into the shadows.

As confirmed by the October 09

13

PREVIEWS

FORZA MOTORSPORT 3 Riding exclusive dreams..

Everyone has a dream car, now drive that dream!

E

VER DREAMT of the chance to experience the thrill of driving the world’s most exotic and exquisite cars? Join the club, but videogames do a lot to help us getting closer to fulfilling that dream, and when we come to know that the Xbox 360 bound Forza Motorsport 3 will include over 400 fully customizable cars from 50 manufacturers and over 100 racing tracks, blazing with breathtaking HD graphics and advanced vehicle performance modelling, then we come to realize that some dreams can be driven as well.

Forza Motorsport series has been around since 2005, and since then it has been renowned for its awesome graphics and physics engines, piling up extra addition with every release. This time around, we have in-car driving view showing the cockpit, one button assisted driving, and for the first time in the series, trucks and SUVs, as well as the ability to paint race cars. Also included will be the ability to create in-game videos and upload them to the Forza Motorsport website. The new single-player season mode will put the player through a completely personalized racing calendar that includes more than 200 different events, the likes of Circuit, Drag, and Timed Events.

14

October 09

Forza 3 promises breathtaking HD graphics and advanced vehicle performance modelling.

LIGHTS, CAMERA, REWIND ACTION Compared to Forza 2, the poly count has been beefed up 10 times, while texture resolution has been increased 4 times, which boils down to making damage signs look better, and allow for longer draw distances.

The physics engine now runs at 360 frames per second, so with every single displayed

Did you know that the word ‘Forza’ means “Force” in Italian language?

Poly count has been beefed up 10 times …

PUBLISHER: Microsoft Game Studios DEVELOPER: Turn 10 GENRE: Racing RELEASE DATE: October 2009 FORMAT: X360

Forza 3 includes old vintage Japanese racers.

… while texture resolution has been increased 4 times.

How would driving fast SUVs feel like?

Unlimited in any way, players can rewind many times until they feel satisfied about their performance, and it also acts also as an optional assists in the game. What’s really important is that now the game runs steadily at over 60 frames per second.

frame, car’s position and inertia would have been computed six times. Those enhancements bring with them the possibility of rolling cars over for the first time in the series, but who likes his car to carry any damages or rolling over, hence came the new rewind feature which allows players to turn back time to fix previous mistakes they’ve made on the track.

UPGRADE TILL YOU DROP The developers loved to describe their work here as pushing the boundaries for the whole industry with all the customizations they have offered in the game, 50% more upgrades than the prequel, and definitely more than any other similar game out there, but most of all, the paint jobs, which added more fame to the game.

A.I. THAT MAKE MISTAKES We thought the whole point of developers going down the Artificial Intelligence road was to prevent computer controlled opponents in the game from making silly mistakes, but in Forza 3, if you press on your opponent

strong enough, you’ll force him to make mistakes just like any other human opponent, depending on the difficulty level you’ve chosen, of course.

OLDIES ARE GOLDIES Paying tribute to old vintage JDM icons, Forza 3 shall include old Japanese racers that represent both the past and future of Japanese motorsport.

From classics such as the Datsun 510 to the first-gen 1994 Mazda Miata roadster, through more modern track beasts like the 641-horsepower, twin-turbo 3.5-liter V8 Nismo R390 and the Acura ARX-02a LMP car.

SUVS? ARE YOU LOST? A game that brags about its roster of exquisite cars, featuring bulky fat SUV vehicles and trucks, what went wrong?

From a physics-programming point of view, the developers wanted to show their simulation for how driving fast SUVs should feel like on the tracks, adding more fun and depth to the whole game.

Finally, we’ve come to know that Forza Motorsport 3 will spread over two DVDs, but can be played completely off the first, whereas the second disc will contain additional cars and tracks.

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PREVIEWS

PUBLISHER: Disney Interactive Studios DEVELOPER: Black Rock Studio GENRE: Racing RELEASE DATE: Early 2010 FORMAT: PS3, X360, PC

Not just for people who enjoy racing, it’s also for people who enjoy blowing things up.

Vying for the lead? Blow up your opponents.

Falling behind? Create a shortcut!

SPLIT

SECOND Made for TV, and destruction

T

HINK OF A RACING GAME where huge explosions fill the air, huge structures plummeting to the ground, giant aeroplanes dive for a crash landing in the opposite direction, and drivers frantically trying to steer around all the falling wreckage, in a city built for destruction, and you have Split/Second, the latest announced racing game from Disney, the once well-known publisher of kids-friendly videogames.

Blending action with racing, the game pits you against a collection of stunt drivers and racers in a reality TV competition, with the ultimate goal of becoming the season champion of the show. In addition to knocking opponents off the track, racers will be able to strategically alter the race’s route by triggering huge explosive events. Strategy and exact timing must be put to good use, with the aim of derailing opponents, who are supposedly members of the cast of this TV show.

Tall buildings that line the racing tracks have been all wired with high explosives, waiting for drivers to detonate them from inside their cars, as they drive along the track, tactically altering the track or

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October 09

Your opponents are supposedly members of a reality TV show.

creating entirely new routes through the debris field. There’s still an element of strategy, as the more the player sets off explosions, the less energy he is left with to use in the race.

The wise driver would learn to detonate specific locations along the race track, only when it’s most to his advantage.

The game shows an action meter behind the player’s car, which increases with drifting, drafting and close misses. The meter is divided into three segments; the first two bars are coloured blue, while the third is red. The blue bars are used to activate the smaller effects (which are reset automatically in the game and can be reused again by racers), while the red bars are used to activate the huge ones, like exploding

bridges or releasing a wall of water into speeding cars.

When an icon flashes above an opponent’s car, the player can then wreck some havoc towards the targeted car.

True to its name, timing is everything in the game, as it takes a split second to make the difference between obliterating the opponent, or yourself! As Mitch Powers, senior global brands manager for Disney Interactive Studios, was quoted: “Split Second is not just for people who enjoy racing games, it’s also for people who enjoy blowing things up. It is a frenetic racing game.” Gamers have to wait patiently though, as Split/ Second isn’t due to come out until early 2010.

October

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October 09

October 09

FEATURE

I PLAYED NATAL

W

HEN WE ARRIVED` in Cologne, we knew that this European Games show will be different, after moving from Leipzig to Cologne. In Leipzig, we used to have a very big show, held in a dead city, unlike Cologne; the big live city ranked as 4th biggest city in Germany, with an amazing transport network and routes, making it very easy to get into the city and easier to roam as well.

We, definitely, did not expect to see one of the major improvements in gaming ever.

Every now and then, there is this new thing that everyone is eager to see and try, we read about it on the internet and in magazines, but we are never sure how it works, or if it was actually going to work. Of those, comes Project Natal.

The first thought that came to my mind was: will this work?

Laying my eyes on it, I was reminded of the first time I saw Sony’s EyeToy and the first time I saw Nintendo’s Wii. At that time, everyone was wondering would this thing work or flop, so when my friends at Microsoft asked me, do you want to try out Project Natal, right away came my answer: Hell yeah.

At noon was my date with Natal, where I had to wait for a while until my time came, inside a closed room, where Kudo Tsunoda, the creative director of Project Natal, explained to us the hardware setup we had in front of us.

We saw a normal LCD screen, a normal Xbox 360 with a dongle coming out, and a very small camera, which is quarter the size of the wide camera we’ve seen during the announcement of Project Natal during E3 in Los Angeles. The camera had two hatches, one for the camera lenses and the other for the infrared sensor.

Kudo started the demonstration by putting on a simple basic game, where big red balls kept coming

his way, and he kicked them away. I was not impressed of course, yet the fact that Kudo was represented on the screen by an avatar, resembling the height and width of Kudo in a perfect way, was more interesting. Next thing Kudo a very tall German guest to play.

The minute he stepped in front of the camera, the avatar changed right away to reflect the new player, in the form of a tall avatar. Funny enough, when my turn came to play, the avatar changed to look like yours truly!

Then, when a women came out to try playing as well, the avatar changed automatically to show a female look, with her long hair as well, which was really amazing.

The aim of the game was to kick the coming balls to break some bricks, quite like the famous retro Breakout videogame. I noticed that when I moved my hand quickly, it was reflected on how fast the ball would fly from the point where it was intercepted and into a direction based on the angle I’ve hit the ball with. It was an overwhelming experience, as I had to move my whole body, hoping for the perfect shot.

The next game to be played was Burnout Paradise, which was a true full-fledged video game that I can use to better test and judge Project Natal while playing it. Master Kudo was the first to try it out of course, to show us how we can play it. There was this line on the ground, where Kudo stood and started moving his two hands to the right and to the left, as if he was controlling a steering wheel, and when he wanted to accelerate, he would

move his foot forward, across that line, and when he wanted to brake, he moved his leg behind that line.

After driving for like 2-3 minutes, where the game looked very responsive, it was yours truly’s turn to take the steering wheel. To my surprise,

that thing worked smoothly, as if I was driving a normal car, Natal actually detected my body movement very accurately, which was amazing!

My chance came to try what I always wanted to; turning the wheel to the far end of one side, and completely pull the hand brakes, and the car handled so well, slipping all over the place, so yes, Project Natal works when it comes to driving cars!

The next thing was some technical backgrounder, explaining how human parts recognition works, where Kudo stood in front of the camera, then a red avatar of his was displayed on the screen, then his colleague stood in front of the camera next to Kudo, and another green avatar was shown on the screen. Then the two fine men started moving together in front of the camera, going close to each other and moving away, and Natal managed to keep track of both men.

FEATURE WRITER:

LYTICAL

Kudo claims that as long as the camera sees a part of the player’s body, Natal can recognize his/her full body, based on the fact that if your leg is in one place, the remaining of your body can’t be very far away! Also, we were shown how avatar recognition works with any amount of light,

as it’s all based on emitting infra red rays and acting according to it. So even if it’s completely dark, one can still play and be recognized. Also Natal works in 3D space, so if two players crossed each other, Natal can still identify who’s who and his whereabouts as well.

The camera proved to be running on a high definition mode, which enables it to identify all parts and movements of the body.

Also, Natal will be backward compatible, meaning it still can work will videogames released before Natal.

After leaving the demonstration room, I kept bragging to everyone I met: I played Natal and it was an amazing experience, and the first question I was always asked was: does it work, and yes, it certainly does! The last question to be asked was when shall we be able to buy it, and the answer was: Not in 2009!

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HANDS ON

PES 2010 Hands On Experience

F

IRSTLY, LET’S SET the record straight, I’ve been a gamer since 1986, which gives me over 23 years of gaming experience, and like many fans in our region, I loved playing soccer games, and I may say I’ve been playing soccer games since the day they made them. Now that I’ve set my credentials, let me also tell you that I’m an avid PES fan. After playing FIFA for around 6-7 years, I moved to Pro Evolution Soccer in 2002, and at that time, it wasn’t a difficult decision to make.

After what happened last year, when FIFA managed to gather more praises than PES, and so writing about those two games is not easy nowadays, as both games are fantastic, and the differences are not easy to spot, as a lot of experience is needed to tell the difference between this and that. With every new PES launched, we used to play it and moan about the shortcomings, until 2-3 weeks after playing it, until we come to digest the new additions, and understand what’s behind the new look.

I’ve been playing a preview copy of PES 2010 for around 10 hours so far, and I have this feeling that many things have changed, like the controlling of the players’ movements, the graphical presentations, and the animations as well. So, let’s start with the new additions to the interface, first thing I

FEATURE WRITER:

LYTICAL

On advanced difficulty levels, it’s very difficult to keep the ball for more than a couple of seconds.

noticed was the absence of the washed out previous graphics, and the menu as well has changed for the first time since around 3-4 years, opting to use circular shapes, among other tiny yet welcomed changes.

First mode I played was the Master League on the easiest level, which is also benefiting from nice additions and changes, starting with the increased visibility of players’ contracts, and the sponsorship contracts for the clubs, so you shall know in advance how much the club is making, with new incentive showing up, like if you win a home match you get more money from the sponsors, and the more matches you win in a streak, the more money the sponsors will give you, and so you have lots of ways to make money. Also the numbers’ representation is now better, and makes more sense. Now there are new ways for scouting players, and for following up on them, as you set a target, and send your

scouts to try and make him sign for you.

I chose to play on the hardest level, and it took me 3 matches until I managed to win a match, then I moved on to try the ‘Become a Legend’ mode, where you take control of a single player through his career, but failed to find major changes compared to last year’s release, which was really good, but we still have time till we read the final release, and I sure hope Konami having something to surprise us in that side. Other modes were there as well, all open for more tweaking.

Coming to graphics, which now looks more polished and smooth on the edges, specially when playing on a

Just answer the below question to win the game.

Secure your copy of PES 2010 videogame on your favorite console.

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Which player is featured on the cover of PES2010?

1. Lionel Messi 2. Diego Maradona 3. David Beckham

Send the right answer with your name, mobile number and preferred console format (PS3, X360, PSP, PS2, NDS) to contest@gamescompass.com

PUBLISHER: Konami DEVELOPER: Konami GENRE: Sports RELEASE DATE: 22nd October 2009 FORMAT: PS3, X360, PC

Gamers will need to practice for some time before they start winning matches.

Graphics looks more polished and smooth on the edges.

42” LCD, over HDMI cable, yet nothing revolutionly. I’d like here to mention what Konami announced about a complete graphical make over slated for the 2011 release of Pro Evo. As for sound effects, again they were the same, nothing major to speak about.

As for the gameplay, which is the main factor by which great titles rise and fall, I’ve played the game on the two extremes: the hardest and the easiest.

On the easy side, opponent players’ movement was really slow, and so scoring a hat trick was a walk in the park. On the other side, even if you were controlling the best soccer player, you couldn’t pass the

ball or out run anyone, but then again, he who asks for it, should get it somehow!

Tactics have greatly improved, becoming easier, where you can rely on your assistant to setup the line-up, based on form or abilities, so if your player was tired from a previous match, the assistant will pick another player who is fit for the position, reminding us of the fact that only the fittest survive in the field. That calls for more strategy when playing the master league, balancing the importance of each match, to give time for players to rest and be ready for the big match. This option takes away the burden

of having to check on the status of every player and act accordingly, which brings the fun to playing the Master League.

Coming back to think of it, in the beginning I was actually struggling with the game, opponents close their defences very well, penetrating their walls seemed impossible, and the pressure they apply on my forward players was extremely high, and it’s very difficult to keep the ball for more than a couple of seconds. How PES 2010 runs its show is through fast passing, for an unrealistic number of times, as you can never watch a match where a team sinking in the league

passes the ball better then the Brazilian team. Maybe I needed to spend more time practising the game, but maybe not!

Overall, the gameplay is solid, yet gamers will need to practice for some time before they start winning matches, a little brush up you may say. The 360 degree movement system definitely needs more time to get the hang of it, but to sum it all up, I believe Konami has done a terrific job, coming back to the ring, with loads of changes and fixes, and for sure you can expect a thorough review after the game is released by end of coming October.

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Colin Steele McRae

REVIEWS

The Scottish rally driver; Colin McRae, was arguably the most spectacular WRC driver in history, driving for Subaru, Ford, Skoda and Citroen. McRae’s Subaru won the World Rally Championship Constructors’ title three times in succession starting in 1995, among other trophies during his career life, yet McRae died in a helicopter accident in September 2007. Codemasters released the first Colin McRae Rally video game back in 1998. Version 2, known as Colin McRae 2.0, was released 2 years later. A third version was released on the PC and Xbox platforms. Versions 04 and 2005 arrived in 2004 on all major platforms. Colin McRae: DiRT was the title for the next instalment of the series, which was launched in 2007.

The PS3 edition was released in the UK on 14 September, the day before McRae’s death!

COLIN MCRAE:

DiRT2

The return of the Off-Road king

I

N KEEPING ALIVE the memory of Collin McRae, the rally legend who consulted on the game’s series for over ten years, Codemasters is bringing back the next chapter in the racing series; DIRT 2, that takes off-road racing games to a new level with new race types, stunning locations and racing environments, a new breed of off-road heroes and super-charged speed demons. DiRT 2 is powered by the latest EGO Engine’s racing game technology, benefiting from tuned-up car-handling physics and new damage engine effects, resulting in some spectacular visual fidelity.

Players will be given the keys to powerful vehicles right from the off.

Water puddles affect cars’ speed and control.

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PUBLISHER: Codemasters FORMAT: X360 RATING: 7+ SCORE:

89% Stock Baja is there as well.

Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X & IX cars are among the list of cars in the game.

The atmosphere and sense of place in DiRT 2 is awesome.

Moving away from its rally roots, DiRT 2 started to concentrate on other racing aspects like extreme sports, adding more fun to the whole genre. Racing Events now include thrilling rally cross in the Rawang Rally Run along treacherous Malaysian rainforest tracks and the Battersea Battle, where night races are staged at the iconic London power station, along with other location like Morocco, L.A., Utah, Baja, Croatia, China and Tokyo’s city centre.

Traditional racing is still there, where you and a co-driver race against the clock to go from one point to the other in the shortest of time. Rally Cross is the game’s version of the ESPN X-Games sports event, but with more racing cars on the track, while Land Rush and Traiblazer can be considered as an open cross country events.

Every race type of those has something different to offer for gamers, with every type playable on three difficulty levels; casual, intermediate and advanced.

In total, there are over 100 racing events for you to beat, with over 50 professional

drivers - the likes of Ken Block, Tanner Foust, Dave Mirra and Travis Pastrana, to pick from.

Balanced between offering the realistic physics and intact driving controls, Dirt 2 shows how cars can be driven in real life, while being fun and entertaining. Every completed race earns the player cash and XP, needed for purchasing extra vehicles and accessories, as well as unlocking more races.

Challenge degree affects the amount of earned cash and XP, as well as the number of ‘flashbacks’ given. Flashbacks give players the chance to rectify any mistakes they have made, using a swift rewind to a point in time, just before when things went bad for you.

Players will be given the keys to powerful vehicles right from the start, with the default car being the Group N Subaru.

DiRT 2 rewards everyone who finishes a race, regardless of his position, with a reward of some kind, which always brings the sense of achievement with every finished race. This is not a quiet game, evident by the in-game music played by 40 Rock bands, aided by the excellent sound effects.

Pre-race preparations are made from the inside of a private

RV trailer, where loads of high quality collection of officially licensed rally cars and off-road vehicles linger. Experimenting with those set ups is easy, thanks to the absence of loading times between restarts, and so the player can fiddle with the many sliders available and give it a try, if it didn’t work out as hoped for, it’s very easy and fast to go back and fiddle with other sliders.

Middle East Rally Champion, the Emirati Mohammed Ben Sulayem, has also been signed on as one of drivers featured in DiRT 2, Ben Sulayem, a 14-time FIA Middle East rally championship winner, will be the first Arab racing celebrity to debut in a racing videogame.

A racing competition on the PS3 console will kick off across the Middle East soon enough to celebrate the launch of the game. The winner will drive off with a brand new Nissan Z sports car, which is also featured in the game.

IN MEMORY OF MCRAE Codemasters is also honouring McRae’s memory, as you progress through the game, you’re working towards qualifying for the Colin McRae Memorial Cup, a rally race that exists only in the game.

RIDE WITH BEN SULAYEM Middle East Rally Champion, the Emirati Mohammed Ben Sulayem, has also been signed on as one of drivers featured in DiRT 2, Ben Sulayem, a 14-time FIA Middle East rally championship winner, will be the first Arab racing celebrity to debut in a racing videogame.

A racing competition on the PS3 console will kick off across the Middle East in September 2009 to celebrate the launch of the game. The winner will drive off with a brand new Nissan 370z sports car, which is also featured in the game.

We loved DiRT 2, and it’s nice to see that Codemasters are driving this series into higher levels of realism and cheer fun.

Worth buying for all racing fans!

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REVIEWS

Landscapes have been recreated using satellite imagery and stunning 3D models.

PUBLISHER: 505 Games FORMAT: X360 RATING: 7+ SCORE:

82%

Over 31 flyable planes await you to lead the Allies to victory.

IL-2 STURMOVIK: BIRDS OF PREY Visually Stunning...

T

HE ILYUSHIN Il-2 Shturmovik was a ground attack aircraft in the Second World War, produced by the Soviet Union in large numbers, making it the most produced military aircraft. The first ‘Il-2 Sturmovik’ game was launched on 2001, and along with its sequels, it has become a prominent WWII air-combat simulator videogame. Birds of Prey boats a roster of 31 flyable Soviet, German, American, British, French and Polish planes, plus another 40 non-flyable ones (available as opponents), to be put to good use over five theatres of war: The Battle of Britain, Stalingrad, Berlin, Sicily and Korsun.

To make it more realistic and true to origin, the developers based the ingame’s backgrounds and landscapes on WWII period photos and footage. The level of detail in every aspect of the environment is simply stunning, looking quite realistic in the numbers of

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buildings and ships, and their 3D modelling. The game shows many 3D objects on the ground, and a very high amount of planes in the sky.

One of scenes in the game was the He-111 formation, where we counted at least 40 planes in the sky, and it becomes a breathtaking moment when you dive with your plane in the thick of it, targeted by several gunners, and trying not to crash in this crowded sky.

The game starts by throwing in some tutorial missions, where players fly the famous and simple to control Spitfire Mk.II, set to arcade difficulty, which is the right choice for those who do not share the flare for simulation games.

After the tutorials comes the first mission; an Air-to-Air intercept mission with the old trusted Spitfire Mk.II, trying to stop Heinkel He-111 bombers incursion, followed by a squadron of Ju-88 Stuka.

The developers went to great lengths to make the gameplay enjoyable and immersing, while keeping the attention to details’ level high enough.

Players can see real time damage to the aircraft, such as holes in the wings and trail lines during dog fights. Crashed planes and bombs will leave their persistent fires that spread on the ground, spawning tall clouds of smoke. It suffices to state that the improvement from the older titles of the series is just stunning.

Yet in order to provide missions with a wide variety of targets, the game had to bend some realistic facts, like the extremely limited ammo supply which the real WWII plane can carry around, by offering unlimited ammo. There’s also a “war emergency power” (WEP) redline option to give your iron bird a temporary speed boost that comes real handy at times. The game also goes

One of the best WWII air-combat simulator on the Xbox 360

easy on players by making landings an option, but still overly easy to achieve, and emergency landing on the fields is also possible, while it stays extremely challenging (those flying birds do not have brakes in their landing gears!).

The game even allows crash landing without lowering the landing gear out, to simulate a true emergency landing.

The most frustrating part in playing WWII air-combat games is the fact that players need to anticipate where their targets might be in the coming second or two (as opposed to where they actually are), but the left trigger engages a special camera view that locks on target, displaying a sign to where the player should aim his guns, which is a nice addition no doubt. We see this game as the best WWII air-combat simulator on the Xbox 360, and not to forget the online multiplayer options and downloadable content, and so any true fan of the genre wouldn’t miss out on this one.

REVIEWS

PUBLISHER: Codemasters FORMAT: X360 RATING: 15+ SCORE:

At certain points you can possess minions and control them directly, allowing access to special areas and places.

Command the little goblin-like minions to do anything, even sacrifice their sorry lives!

Gameplay varies from chasing Elven ships near Everlight to …

80%

… destroying snowmen in Nordburg.

OVERLORD II Good concept. Bad implementation.

H

E HAS RISEN again, a new Overlord set on summoning all the minions, to crush an empire set on destroying everything that has to do with magic.

Forget anything else, what’s really interesting in this game is the little goblin-like minions, whom you can command to do anything, even to gladly sacrifice their pitiful lives, knowing that their lord can resurrect them again and again.

The minions come back in this sequel with more tricks under their sleeves, now they can run ravage and wreck buildings and scenery. They’ve also learned how to operate

weapons and ride wolves and other magical creatures around the landscape and take them into battle, making them a band of faster and fiercer fighters, set out to ravage everything in their path, be it baby seals, elves, or poor villagers. At certain points in the game, the player can possess minions and control them directly, allowing him into special areas and places.

Controls are straight forward, with the left analogue stick dedicated to controlling the Overlord, while the right stick is used to control the camera and manipulate your minions.

The right trigger sends out the minions to freely attack

anything the Overlord is pointing at, which comes handy when you don’t feel like bashing boxes, killing soldiers or tearing down houses. The little demons are also good at picking up treasures and potions and bring them back to their lord, yet they also pick up armours and weapons to increase their abilities (ranged fire attacks, melee...).

Alas, the game’s 3D world design does not tag along with the concept, the mute lord can not fall off cliffs, sometimes invisible barriers stop him from walking, or worse; lock him up in his place till the player figures out a way to get him out of his hidden trap. figuring

out the current required quests is sometimes a hard thing to grasp, and the game forces the player to walk alone for long times till he finds some action to get involved in, not to mention the lengthy animations while moving between the tower’s parts to upgrade your weapons or your minions’.

We can only hope that Codemasters would patch those little problems in a future instalment of the game, giving more attention to the minions which really make this worth our while. Till then, we think this game deserves owning at a reduced price, not before!

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PUBLISHER: EA FORMAT: Xbox 360 RATING: 10+

REVIEWS

SCORE:

66%

Character models enjoy close resemblance to their counterparts in the movie.

Once you step outside Hogwarts, everything looks plain weak.

HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE Of wizards and wands

O

NCE AGAIN, players shall return to the school of Hogwarts, to help young Harry survive a fraught sixth year. Like the 5 previous titles, the dark forces are threatening to bring their wrath upon the innocent, and it’s up to Harry and his league of friends to prevent that from happening. Although that sounds a job of a real hero, but all what Harry the saviour has to do is get into some wizard duels, mix some magical ingredients in Potions class, and lead the Gryffindor Quidditch team to victory.

EA assumed that gamers who play this 5th instalment must have some good backgrounder of Harry’s magical world, and for those who do, exploring the large landscape of the Hogwarts School will be nothing but sheer fun. Others won’t be able to share the same enthusiasm, yet as the game doesn’t force players to follow the storyline, estranged ones can still find something to keep them busy if they get lost (and the chances for that happening are nothing but high, which explains the existence of Neil the friendly

“With every new Harry Potter movie, comes a new videogame, which sticks to the movie, not the book!”

Exploring the large landscape of the Hogwarts School is sheer fun.

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ghost whom you can summon any time, and the “Where is..” menu option).

Mini games shall fill your path to identifying the Half-Blood prince, yet making and mixing potions is an important aspect of gameplay, as the Half-Blood Prince himself is considered a potions expert. Fans of the wizards’ sports; Quidditch, will be disappointed to find out that their favourite sports has not seen major changes, as it’s still down to flying through stars and following the nasty snitch ball. There are crest symbols scattered everywhere for you to pick them up. Minicrests can be also collected by casting a quick spell after spotting an object with a glowing halo around it. A total of 150 crests must be found through the game, 25 of them can come from collecting minicrests.

Duels are the most entertaining activity in the game, with many new offensive and defensive spells, like dodging incoming fire or deflecting spells. Duels can be played against other students from all of the houses, also against Voldemort’s evil minions. In the long run, duels

Duels are the most entertaining activity in the game.

become very easy to play, with all opponents showing what they are going to do before they actually do it. Controls are a bit hard to master, with no control over the camera, and casting certain spells needs a memory of an elephant, or rather a sheet of paper and a pen to write them down.

Graphics quality has two sides, once inside Hogwarts, the detail level of everything is high, but once you step outside Hogwarts, everything looks plain weak.

Character models enjoy close resemblance to their counterparts in the movie, but once they start to talk, the shine comes off as lip-synching is really bad, and hair can pass through collars at times. On the other hand, audio, voice-acting and music have all faired well in the game.

BOTTOM LINE:

Once again we arrive at the same conclusion of another pale sequel, the magical world of Harry Potter deserves to be put to good use, and not to be confined by the storyline of each movie, or in a game that can be concluded in around 10 hours of playing. Still, it is always nice to re-live the movie and wonder around famous parts of Harry’s realm, even if it was short-lived.

REVIEWS

FIGHT NIGHT ROUND 4 Behold the graphics engine

W

HEN EA first brought Fight Night in 2004, it was a promising title but it had lots of issues to sort out, same with Round 2 and 3, which both had few things missing. Now comes Round 4 with insane level of details, fluid animations and the fantastic presentation, thanks to an excellent graphics engine, capable of showing the highest polygons count in the history of the series. This is by far one of the best boxing games you can get in the market at the moment.

The high level of detail and realism makes it a must buy!

A complex physics engine making the game next to real.

for some severe damage. This allows for every boxer to be truly unique in terms of looks and playing techniques.

Button mashing techniques do not apply in this Round.

The game’s control scheme has always been unique, catering for new players to easily master it, and this Round made it an even simpler one. One analogue stick controls your boxer’s movement, the other throws punches, while one shoulder button acts as your lean modifier and the other acts as your block modifier.

Button mashing techniques do not apply in this Round, as it’s only sticks that control the boxers, at least until a downloadable patch or add-on changes that.

Tagging along the graphics engine, comes a complex physics engine making the game next to real, controlling every aspect in the game, from punches’ velocity and direction, to the blows’ deflection angle off faces and hands. Physic affects playing strategies as well, if your boxer is tall with a long reach, you better stay on the outside, keeping your distance while blowing some jabs and straights. But if you picked a short one, you better get closer and start sending some uppercuts and hooks

Boxing was never an easy or pleasant sports, and so on the ring you shall always need to keep moving, keep fighting fatigue, wait for the right moment to utilize an opening in your opponent’s defence that happened after you’ve managed to avoid a haymaker, only to come back with yours.

There are so much moves to be pulled using the sticks, so it pays to have some training or start with some weak opponents first.

Legacy mode, and while those can be so boring and tedious, they allow you to increase the skills of your boxer nevertheless.

The high level of detail and realism in this game makes it a must buy for any boxing fan, so step into the ring and show us what you’ve got!

PUBLISHER: EA FORMAT: PS3 RATING: 15+ SCORE:

The boxers roster has been beefed up with even more famous boxers, but still you can create your own custom fighter and take him through the training rounds (also called mini games) in the Career / October 09

90% 29

PUBLISHER: Disney FORMAT: X360 RATING: 7+

REVIEWS

SCORE:

77%

G-Force is all about well-trained guinea pigs and cockroaches equipped with advanced technology.

G-FORCE Lots of fun for little ones

A

NOTHER GAME based on the late family film “G-Force” from Walt Disney Pictures and Jerry Bruckheimer Films, which tells the story of of funny undercover talking rodents brought in to stop an evil businessman from taking over the world with his robot army of lethal electric appliances. The movie is a comedy adventure about the latest evolution of a covert government program to train animals to work in espionage.

Armed with the latest hightech spy equipment, these highly trained guinea pigs discover that the fate of the world is in their ‘paws’.

Tapped for the G-FORCE are top gun Darwin; the squad leader determined to succeed at all costs, Blaster; an outrageous weapons expert with tons of attitude and a love for all things extreme, Juarez; a sexy martial arts pro, the literal fly-on-the-wall reconnaissance expert; Mooch, and a starnosed mole and Speckles; the computer and information specialist.

The highly skilled rodent agents have been given loads of gears to help them achieve

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Levels do a good job in mixing combat and puzzle solving.

their objectives. Using Thermal Goggles, they can find their way through puzzles and discover supplies, while Jet Packs allow them to fly and reach for higher levels. Those gears can be also upgraded, and new items can be purchased, using the game’s currency; chips, which players can pick up from around the levels.

Players control Darwin, starting out with a basic set of weapons

Mooch the fly can reach places Darwin can’t.

blades, among other things!

Upon entering a new area, the game plays a semi-cutscene showing where the main objectives are, and if that does not help, at any time you can hit Right on the D-Pad to point you to your current objective and to show you how far it’s.

This will make the lives of younger players easier, and will

candy to look for, the level design does not impress much, and the game tends to be repetitive after a while. The developers chose to provide lots of enemies, which can be eliminated easily, to cover for the lack of smart enemies or kick-ass bosses, which makes the re-playing value so low for the game.

Disney hyped the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions of G-Force with stereoscopic 3D through anaglyphic glasses, yet it looked dull and colours were washed away, not what we expected really.

This makes for a suitable game to play with your little kid or brother, else wise we have plenty of games reviews for you coming right up, flip the page.

These highly trained guinea pigs have the fate of the world in their ‘paws’ and gears, but soon he’s able to pile up enough chips and start upgrading his arsenal.

Then comes a fly called Mooch, whom you call anytime by a press of a button. Mooch can go to places Darwin can’t, and with the ability to slow time, Mooch can pass through fans’

keep them on the right track. A levels’ map can be purchased from the first vending machine in each area, along with a map of the silver CDs for weapon or character upgrades.

Unfortunately, the graphics look very basic, with no eye-

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HARDWARE

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And why did Microsoft omit the inclusion of a built-in wireless network adaptor inside the Xbox 360? Guess we’ll never know for sure, but thankfully the problem can be remedied, with this Wireless Networking Adapter coming straight from Microsoft, which allows you to play online games, download Xbox Live Marketplace content (which is gaining momentum at the moment), and stream music and video from your PC, and although its price might not be easy on the pocket, but its benefits are invaluable.

Sliding discreetly behind the Xbox 360, this tiny device blends perfectly into the back of the X360. When looking at the console from the front, only the antenna is visible. It uses one of the USB ports of the Xbox 360, thus eliminating any network or power cable clutter.

Simply plug the little adapter, select your preferred Wi-Fi network, enter logon information, and you can immediately start playing. The adapter supports 802.11a, 802.11b, and 802.11g networks and allows you to use network security features (WPA, WPA-2, and WEP). The Adapter can also be used to connect to other Xbox 360s to utilize system link.

Coming from the same Sidewinder joystick team members, this Microsoft’s steering wheel is a hardcore racer’s dream. Finally arriving in the middle east markets, yet its name is a bit of a misnomer, as this steering wheel is not fully wireless. Yes, it doesn’t plug into the Xbox 360, but the foot pedals require their cables to be plugged into the main unit, and if you want the force feedback experience, another power cable has to be plugged to a wall socket.

After you accept the need-for-wires concept, and assemble everything together and hook it up, you can start enjoying a complete racing experience. The wheel has a sturdy rubberized grip, with a polished steel gray bottom. The firm rubber grip is comfortable in the hands, offering resistant to water so that sweaty hands won’t affect your grip.

The wheel functions with around 240-degree turn radius, suitable enough for a full turn.

The wheel features A, B, X, Y, Start and Back buttons, a Guide button in the center, and a D-pad along a horizontal bar, with F1-style paddles placed behind the wheel, for easy gears shifting or changing camera angles on the fly. The dashboard has a removable gray side panel on the right side, to hide the battery pack.

The wheel has a rumble function that acts with smaller things, like when you bump into something or run into dirt, emulating the offroad feeling, while the main force feedback supports skids and slides, but mainly slamming into other opponents. You’ll enjoying feeling the realistic sensation of resistance when speeding into hard turns, which could have never been generated running on normal batteries, and that’s why the wheel needs AC power to enable force-feedback, and after you try it for yourself, you’ll appreciate such decision from Microsoft.

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Microsoft

Xbox 360 wireless Racing Wheel Price: 399 AED

SAITEK

Cyborg 5.1 Headset Price: 299 AED

Although it was released long back in the international markets, still the Cyborg 5.1 headset provide a practical solution to enjoy 5.1 surround music, without the need for a pack of speakers with cables running here and there. Coming in an impressive small carrying case, the Cyborg comes with three connectors: USB for 5.1 surround sound, and two 3.5-inch analog connectors for plain stereo sound. The Cyborg features an in-line volume and sound controller, coming on the headphone cord, so users can adjust the volume easily, mute their microphone, and switch between stereo and 5.1 audio quickly on the fly.

The large cushioned headset’s cups rest over the user’s ears, which makes them more than comfortable for long gaming sessions. The microphone is detachable, so if the user needs it, he can easily plug it directly into the left earpiece, and if the user was just listening to music, he/ she can easily detach it so it’s not in the way. The Cyborg software installation process is easy and straight forward, yet you can enjoy using the headset without installing any driver. The sound quality is impressive, and the bass is rich and clean, and nothing sounds washed out. You can clearly distinguish between sounds coming from the right, left, center, and behind you.

No flight simulator gaming experience would be complete without a yoke, or rather “airplane steering wheel,” for those who are not aviation fans.

A good controller is always a crucial peripheral for virtual pilots, keen on making their flight-simulator experience so close to flying a real plane. A yoke, like the one shown here; the PZ44, would cost around $150, yet it is considerably one of the most realistic ways to simulate flying most of the general-aviation planes.

The PZ44 comprises of a yoke and a separate throttle quadrant with three levers, both connect together and plug into a single USB port through a long cable. This is enough to enjoy flying a single or twin-engine plane, and if the need arises for controlling a four-engines plane (like a Boeing 747), virtual pilots can always buy an extra Pro Flight Throttle Quadrant to enjoy the complete simulation experience.

Each component of the Pro Flight PZ44 includes a sturdy clamp to attach it to a table or a desk, and not to run short of available USB ports, the PZ44 provides a three-port USB hub. In total, there are 14 button and rocker-switch positions, as well as a view hat and a working LCD clock/chronometer. The three-position switch allows you to assign more functions to each button. One smart feature we liked a lot is that if you pull a throttle lever back past the stop notch, it engages reverse thrust.

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FINAL STAGE

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Your objective is simple: fill this 9Ă—9 grid so that each column, each row, and each of the nine 3Ă—3 blocks contains the digits from 1 to 9 only one time each.

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