Super Mario 3D World - Wii U

When Mario made an enthusiastic leap into the third dimension in his Nintendo 64 debut, few could have predicted what an influence the game would have as the years rolled by. The plumber's magical journey spawned plenty of hopefuls vying for his coveted cloth cap, yet not one of them could touch the mustachioed plumber.

Since that memorable 1996 adventure, Mario has appeared in several wonderful platform capers, including the superb Mario Galaxy games on Wii, but it's taken until now for him to make his glorious big screen return to 3D in Super Mario 3D World.

The game moves away from the fabled Mushroom Kingdom and the expanses of starlit space and instead takes place in the Sprixie Kingdom - a place where Bowser has kidnapped the realm's fairies and plonked them in bottles to indulge his evil whims - something Link has been doing for years without anyone batting an eyelid. It's all utter nonsense, of course, and just a loose framework to hang the game's spectacular action on. And spectacular it certainly is, with the game boasting amazing level design, sublime visuals and yet another glorious soundtrack. In fact, the game has more fun crammed into its first hour than most games with a 12-hour campaign can boast.

The game sets out its stall before the player dives into the action, with the ever-changing title screen showing Mario, Luigi, Peach and Toad gleefully scampering around, showing the player all the moves that can be pulled off in the game. It's a glorious opening and one which serves to whet the player's appetite for the action to come.

Once the player takes the plunge into the game proper, a world of wonder opens up, with Nintendo's latest brimming with fresh and playful ideas. Chief among these is the ability for the main character to slip into a cat-like onesie, complete with impossibly cute ears and tail. This snug-fitting new suit is a wonderful addition and not just a visual gimmick. It enables Mario to scuttle up vertical surfaces for a limited time, where coin stashes and emerald stars are squirreled away in the magnificent environments. It's also utterly adorable and it's impossible not to smile as Mario gambols along with cat-like agility, swiping and leaping at enemies with gusto.

Of course, it's not just Mario that is open to the player. Toad, Peach and Luigi can also be selected and each has their own particular trait which serves to help the player navigate their way through the brilliantly thought-out levels.

The new twists and turns don't end there either, as Nintendo have decided to get fruity with the arrival of the double cherry. Chomp down one of these, and a clone of Mario appears and it's possible to have multiple characters rampaging around the screen at any one time - all controlled simultaneously. Some levels have been crafted with this transmogrification at their very core, allowing the player to spread themselves out and activate switches which opens up even more hideaways.

Nintendo have clearly worked long into the night not only devising Super Mario 3D World's delicious levels, but in the look of the game. This is Mario's first perspective shifting romp on Wii U and the detail is stunning. Bloom is used liberally throughout, giving the game a wonderfully soft feel, while the patterns and textures used are glorious. Giant springy gelatinous orange blocks that wobble to life when Mario leaps on them are a personal favourite.

As Mario opens up new locations a few other surprises lie in store. Self-contained mini levels where the player controls Toad are a highlight, with the player tilting and rotating the cube-like settings in an effort to snaffle all the precariously placed stars before the time runs out. Because of the bite-sized nature of these stages, this would make an excellent standalone game on 3DS and the possibility of dozens more portable levels is certainly something I would like to see.

Control - as you would expect - is impeccable, with Mario and chums responding smoothly to button prompts and stick movements. It's also possible to play with all the Nintendo controllers since the launch of the Wii, and you are going to need them all if you want to take part in the game's riotous multiplayer mayhem. It's a madcap dash to the finish line and with up to three others and on a crowded sofa, Super Mario 3D World shines. That said, the single player mode is where the majority of players will find themselves and rest assured - played solo, this is still a wonderful experience.

Super Mario 3D World might not innovate as much as the splendid Mario Galaxy games, but it's still light years ahead of the competition and showcases Nintendo at its playful best. Utterly glorious, packed with an abundance of sparkling content and an absolute joy to play, Super Mario 3D World was the best game I played throughout 2013. A rare and precious treat.

 

The Wonderful 101 - Wii U

It's safe to say that the lure of Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate and The Wonderful 101 were enough to twist my arm and persuade me to buy a Wii U. Monster Hunter was - as expected - incredible and still remains
in my top games of the year, so could The Wonderful 101 possibly live up to my lofty expectations, too? The answer is mixed and while the game is truly wonderful (sorry, I couldn't resist) in places, some niggles with the game's controls sour the experience slightly, but more of that later.
    The story follows the Wonderful 100 - you are the 101st member - a gallant band of masked superheroes who are in the midst of a titanic struggle against the alien GEATHJERK army - a mob who are intent on destroying the world. It's all a bit cliched, but as a framework to hang the blistering action on, it works perfectly and there's a huge dollop of humour thrown in to keep the story light-hearted and fresh.
    The twist with The Wonderful 101 is that you don't control a single member of this mighty force - you actually control all of them simultaneously. You also have the ability to fuse your heroes together to create mighty weapons of mass destruction, including a brilliant blue sword, a giant gun and an apartment-sized fist, with which to smash the robotic extraterrestrial menace.
    Platinum Games were widely applauded for the implementation of deep and satisfying combat systems in games such as Bayonetta and Vanquish and that rich tradition continues here. However, you will need to spend a bit of time experimenting here to get under the game's skin and draw the most from the experience.

    The action is relentless - rarely does the game pause for breath - with the player buffeted between one eye-popping boss battle to the next even bigger showdown. Learning which formations to unleash on these daunting foes is half the battle and finding their weak point and exploiting it with style and panache is a great feeling. Mind bending combinations can be pulled off and the game allows players to mix and match multiple fighting styles simultaneously to cause complete carnage. These commands are issued either with the Wii U's right stick or by drawing a variety of shapes on the touch pad. It takes a while to get used to this, but perseverance pays off, even if the command input sometimes doesn't quite register properly in the heat
of battle.
    Other issues arise when the action switches from the TV to the pad's screen when your bustling mob are indoors. Everything gets far too cramped and controlling the camera can be more difficult than it really needs to be. That said, it's an ambitious project and one that at least attempts to use the Wii U's gamepad for something other than an extra inventory screen.
    To reward experimentation and effectiveness while battering the alien forces into submission, medals as dished out on the completion of levels, giving the game plenty of replayability for those who simply need to Hoover up all those shiny platinum medals. Collecting achievements in the shape of bottle caps also gives the player plenty to think about while saving the planet.
    Visually, The Wonderful 101 is an absolute triumph, with its magical isometric vantage point giving a fresh perspective on the action, while the stunning tilt-shift effect, bright colours and clean lines simply add to the game's splendid visual appeal. The characters, too, are a delight, with the bunch beautifully detailed and bursting with charm and character. They gleefully slap down GEATHJERK forces with aplomb and enthusiastically scamper across the screen with vim and vigour, accompanied at all times by a stirring soundtrack.
    So while The Wonderful 101 occasionally misses a beat, it's a unique and refreshing all-action experience which rewards the player handsomely. There's really nothing quite like it on the market and is yet another corker of a game on Nintendo's home console.

The Last of Us - PS3

Since the PlayStation 3 launched in 2007, Naughty Dog's games have peppered the console's lifespan,
etching out memorable marks throughout the course of the last six years. But as the console prepares to hand over the reins to the PlayStation 4, Naughty Dog has given the console one final hurrah in the shape of The Last of Us.
    While their Uncharted series was centered around suave and assured all-action hero Nathan Drake and his penchant for rooting out ancient treasure in far flung corners of the globe, The Last of Us treads a very different path.
    Twenty years after a fungal plague has turned the majority of the population of America into feral,
zombie-like mutants, grizzled protagonist Joel is forced to take a journey across America with 14-year-old Ellie, who has a secret that must be protected at all costs. What follows over the next 15 or so hours is an emotional, bleak and at times uplifting story, which is expertly delivered thanks to Naughty Dog's technical expertise, a cast of magnificent voice actors and a script which frequently tugs at the heart strings.
    But while the post-apocalyptic backdrop and zombie masses are certainly nothing new in video games, Naughty Dog has decided not to go into this game with all guns blazing. Success in The Last of Us is down to what you have to hand rather than how many guns you can cram into your backpack, and Joel and Ellie's survival is more likely to be down to a sturdy length of pipe rather than an assault rifle.
    Crafting items is a key part of the game and while The Last of Us is a linear adventure, it often pays to scamper off the beaten track to scavenge for materials to cobble together crude bombs, knives and medi packs - all of which are essential if you hope to safely traverse the ravaged landscape.
    Stealth is actively encouraged, not only because ammo is scarce, but because gunfire draws enemies to your position. The infected mutants who shamble menacingly around react to the slightest sound, while aggressive human survivors sweep locations in packs and react with alarming accuracy, diving for cover should the fireworks start.

    But what really make The Last of Us such a memorable experience is its astonishing atmosphere, spine-tingling narrative, eye-popping visuals and excellent sound work. Claustrophobic and decaying interiors packed full of danger and toxic spores give way to outdoor marvels such as beautiful sunsets, lush vegetation, verdant forests and eye-popping cityscapes, while the dusty, haunting score pins everything together beautifully.
    The Last of Us does so much right, than when it does put a foot wrong, the results are jarring. QTE button stabs have been a staple of Naughty Dog's games this generation and unfortunately they make a return here.
Lifting gates requires constant - and completely unnecessary - button presses, while the game also likes to reuse the same tired solutions to environmental puzzles.
    Finding pristine ladders among the chaos and rubble to give the pair access to hard to reach ledges
is a trick used far too often, as is using floating wooden pallets to ferry Ellie across stretches of water. Even Ellie is exasperated by this mind-numbing repetition, voicing her displeasure at one point at
having to once again be transported across choppy water.
    But these niggles aside, you have to take your hat off to Naughty Dog for getting back on track after the disappointing Uncharted 3 and delivering a sobering tale of love, loss and hope which will live long in the memory.

Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky - DS

I love mystery dungeon games, with Shiren the Wanderer being a particular favourite. However, this latest addition to the Pokemon series doesn't come close and is remarkably similar to last year's Explorers of Time/Darkness. 

Taking control of a Pokemon of your choice, the player wades into a series of randomly generated dungeons, seeking out special objects and defeating evil pocket monsters. It's presented well, but aside from a couple of new features, Explorers of Sky is virtually identical to the last two DS games.

A real shame and a wasted opportunity to broaden this type of game's appeal. If you are interested in mystery dungeon titles, track down a copy of Shiren - it's a far more rewarding game, packs a challenge and has a huge amount of replayability. Alternatively, pick up a copy of Chocobo's Dungeon on Wii. Both these games leave Explorers of Sky in their dust. One for Pokemon diehards only - and it might just be heavy going for them, too.

Endless Ocean 2 - Wii

The sequel to one of the Wii’s hidden gems has arrived - and it’s a breath of fresh air on a system which is depressingly becoming full of average software. 
Endless Ocean fleshed out ideas from PS1 cult classic Aquanaut’s Holiday, giving the player a whole ocean to explore at their leisure. The mixture of laid back gameplay, soothing sounds and lovely visuals wasn’t for everyone. However those who dived in were well rewarded with some breathtaking sights, making it the perfect game to kick back and chill out with.

That was two years ago, and I’m delighted to say the sequel improves on the original in almost every area. The first game's open-ended structure didn’t click with many gamers, so developer Arika have given the sequel a bit of direction this time around.

Starting out as a fledgling diver for a small scuba diving company in the Southern Pacific, the tale begins innocently enough, with what amounts to an enjoyable tutorial splashing about in a bright coral reef. Soon, however, you’ll be exploring deep caverns, murky rivers and chilly Arctic basins as you and your small team travel the globe trying to unravel the mysteries of the fabled Song of the Dragons.

The yarn is typical fare for the most part, but it does give the game a sense of purpose. It also draws the player gently along, dishing out new rewards such as a camera and underwater pen as the story progresses. It’s still possible to dive and explore at your leisure between the main plot points, and it’s here where you’ll spend much of your time. Treasures lie scattered about the ocean floor and as each item, fish and mammal is catalogued when discovered, it becomes something of an obsession scouring every nook and cranny.

The control system is identical to the original’s with just the Wiimote needed to play. It’s a comfortable set up and one most people will find easy to get to grips with. The biggest difference here is the area of exploration. The original game limited the player to a small circumference around their boat, with tedious trips back aboard required to move to a new area. Not so with the sequel.

The player is free to explore the oceans, although more care is needed when it comes to you oxygen supply. Another new introduction is a danger meter. The first game carried no hazards, but Endless Ocean 2 arms the player a Pulsar Gun which is used to repel dangerous creatures such as sharks. Strangely, it also doubles as a healing kit to nurse sick fish back to health. It’s one of the game’s weak points, as most players will simply want to explore without the threat of danger hanging over their heads.

It’s also possible to visit islands and secret coves, where land-based animals and birds reside. These excursions offer a nice change of pace and it’s always exciting discovering a new location. You have a base of operations, too, where you can keep track of your progress, get items evaluated, change diving gear, alter the time of day, read up on all the aquatic life you’ve discovered and develop any photographs you’ve taken. All pictures can be saved on to an SD card and uploaded on your PC.

Endless Ocean 2 also features some of the most impressive graphics yet seen on the Wii. While character animation above the water remains laughably wooden, the underwater sights are truly breathtaking. It’s gorgeous, packed with detail and some of the locations you visit are simply jaw-dropping. Coral reefs, shipwrecks, sunken palaces and crumbling ruins are just some of the sights that await.

Endless Ocean 2 is not a short game either. There’s dozens of hours of gameplay packed on to the disc, while online co-op returns to add a splash of longevity.

Those looking for relentless, all-action entertainment should seek their thrills elsewhere, but for gamers looking for something a bit different, Endless Ocean 2 is an underwater paradise.

Dark Void - 360/PS3

Nolan North is no stranger to voicing high profile video game characters. He's best know for wise-cracking, smooth-talking, all-action hero Nathan Drake in the Uncharted series. Once again his vocals have been called upon, as he pops up in Dark Void to lend his voice to protagonist Will.

The similarities to Uncharted don't stop at Mr North's vocal talents, as the opening hour or so of Capcom's first big game of the year bears an uncanny resemblance to the PS3 title. Trudging through a jungle location and diving for cover behind ruined walls, it's hard not to think of Uncharted.

Fortunately, the game transforms into an altogether different beast - but it takes a while to get there.

The story focuses on Will, a pilot whose plane crashes in the Bermuda Triangle. He soon finds himself in The Void, a world between worlds, where an evil alien race are based. Here, they shape-shift, secretly entering our world and worming their way into the hearts of governments across the globe. It's a ramshackle collection of incomprehensible nonsense, which involves alien robots, slick-skinned evil masters and dimensional portals.

Even Nikola Tesla makes an appearance, sharing his wisdom with Will in the shape of an unstable jetpack. Fortunately, the core gameplay holds up for the six short hours it takes to complete Dark Void. While the conventional cover system is ripped straight from other games, the vertical shooting action gives the game some originality.

Will nimbly leaps from one platform to the next, scaling huge structures, picking of sharp-shooting robots as he climbs higher and higher. It's great fun and leads to some genuinely vertigo-inducing moments. The jetpack is the main focus of the game, though, and Will can hover above his prey or fly like Superman depending on the situation.

It's a shame, then, that the first of three episodes fail to draw the player into the experience. It's not until Will actually enters The Void that the game starts to pick up. Swarmed by Boba Fett impersonators, he takes to the skies to do battle, but if truth be told, picking off these high flying enemies is easier if Will's feet are firmly kept on the ground.

Dark Void also offers large chunks of air-to-air combat. Will can either take part in these mid-air skirmishes with the aid of his jetpack, or commandeer other craft such as enemy flying saucers. These sections are entertaining the first couple of times, but in an effort to pad out what is still an incredibly short game, these high flying escapades are repeated throughout.

Along with Uncharted's influence, the game shamelessly rips elements from a bunch of other titles including Mass Effect, Prey and Dead Space. Ancient quicktime events also rear their head, usually when taking on a boss or smacking an alien in the face at 20,000 ft, so expect lots of frantic button mashing and furious stick waggling.

Dark Void provides a handful of enjoyable moments, but really there's not much here. It's certainly not better than the titles it's influenced by - perhaps the sequel will improve the formula.

Army of Two: The 40th Day - 360/PS3

Hard-nosed, back-slapping buddies Rios and Salem are back, in a game which although improving on its predecessor, still comes up well short of the mark.

Dropped in the middle of Shanghai just as terrorists attack the city, the duo battle their way through crumbling buildings, Buddhist temples and the local zoo to get to the bottom of a terrible atrocity. Really, it's just an excuse for the two US mercenaries to compete in trying to rack up the biggest body count.

In blockbuster style, every building the pair come close to blows up in spectacular style, while identical enemies attempt to gun the dynamic duo down at every opportunity. While the visuals are fine, the game suffers due to repetition. It's just one killing arena after another, with only the sporadic introduction of hulking armour-clad brutes mixing up the standard pop-and-stop gameplay.

The single player campaign can be polished off in around seven hours, but two player co-op proves to be a longer-lasting experience. Teamwork leads to daring escapades as you and a friend tactically find the best way to take down enemy soldiers.

Army of Two: The 40th Day is an improvement over the original, but ultimately repetition lets the game down. Good, but not great.

Darksiders - 360/PS3

The new year kicks off with Darksiders - a solid hack and slash adventure that isn't afraid to wear its influences on its sleeve. 

Elements from God Of War, Devil May Cry, Prince of Persia and Panzer Dragoon are immediately apparent, while the game also doffs its cap to Nintendo's Zelda series. A strange and varied mix, then, but while this smorgasbord of ideas and influences could easy fall apart, the team at Vigil Games have fused them together to create a cohesive and enjoyable action adventure.

The player stomps around in the iron-clad boots of War - one of the four horsemen - who has been blamed for the premature start of the apocalypse. It's a stitch up, of course, and War sets out to clear his name and bring to justice those responsible for the fall of mankind.

The game is primarily a hack and slasher although a heavy dose of puzzling solving and item collecting has been thrown in for good measure. The combat system is robust with quick jabs of the attack button unleashing a flurry of satisfying combos. However, experimenting with secondary weapons and transforming into War's fiery Chaos Form unveils a surprisingly deep and fluid fighting mechanic. The excellent lock on feature helps enormously and gives a cinematic view of the battles, making camera issues during large scale skirmishes largely redundant.

New weapons and special moves can also be purchased, adding to the horseman's already impressive arsenal, while War's existing items can be levelled up through use.

Following Zelda's template for rewarding the player with new items and weapons is a stroke of genius as the player is constantly spurred on to discover what new trinket lies at the end of a particular dungeon. The puzzle solving aspect of Darksiders also owes a great deal to the Nintendo favourite, with the Crossblade bearing an uncanny resemblance to Link's famous boomerang.

It's easy to be unimpressed with the game's visuals during the first hour or so, with the player free to roam about a drab, uninspired cityscape. However, give it a few hours and you'll encounter stunning gothic temples, water-filled valleys and light dappled forests.

With his steely glare and chunky armour, War, too, looks the part - appearing like a beefed-up World of Warcraft Blood Elf with a bad attitude.

Darksiders is let down by a couple of niggles, though. The gladiatorial tutorials peppered throughout are awkwardly placed, stopping the flow of an otherwise well-paced game, while some of the boss battles are an over elaborate slog.

However, as a package, Darksiders is a towering success. It might be completely unoriginal, but Vigil Games have delivered a highly polished and visceral experience. A great start to 2010.

Pixeljunk Shooter - PS3

The fourth game in the excellent PixelJunk series is not only an elegant and engaging shooter, it's one of the best games to appear on the PS3's online store.

Armed with a gun, missiles and a grapple shot, the player whizzes through a series of subterranean caverns, rescuing trapped scientists and prising gems from rock faces. It's beautifully simple, but the genius of Shooter's level design becomes apparent after delving down through several layers.

Environmental hazards hinder your progress, blocking your path to the human survivors and your means of escape. Fortunately, impassable magma flows can be cooled by unleashing torrents of water, while chunks of ice can be melted by guiding magma on to slippery surfaces.

Carefully blasting chunks from rock faces allows the player to instantly change the cavern's layout and access new areas, but those with an itchy trigger finger should be warned that firing without thinking can spell disaster for the trapped scientists.

As progress is made, levels become fraught with hidden dangers and new hazards to overcome. Every new cavern is packed with wonderful ideas, keeping the game from ever becoming stale, while finding secret caves, hidden gems and locating special survivors adds to the overall package.

The wonderful electronic soundtrack fuses perfectly with Shooter's bold slabs of colour to create a delicious and strangely laid back experience.

Avatar: 360, PS3

Hot on the heels of James Cameron's visually spectacular film comes the inevitable videogame tie-in and while it's better than the majority of movie-based games, it still falls well short of the mark.

The game doesn't follow the film's script, opting instead to flesh out the background story to the big-screen blockbuster. While the visuals hold up well, the repetitive missions, linear structure and loose combat mechanics suck most of the life out what could have been a great game.

There's an interesting twist when the player has to choose between fighting for the human-based RDA or side with the indigenous Na'vi tribe, but the game never rises above mediocrity. It's average at best and only die hard fans of the film will glean any enjoyment from Avatar's shallow gameplay.

Jambo! Safari - Wii

I have long waited for a home console version of this Sega arcade classic - as I have very fond memories of stuffing handfuls of cash into the coin-op a few years ago.

However, don't be fooled. While this Wii version contains the arcade cabinet's core gameplay - based around rounding up wild animals from the safety of a jeep - it's changed from a tense bumpy ride across African plains into a long-winded, mission-based experience.

Elements from Crazy Taxi and Sega Bass Fishing are present, but the game is let down in a number of areas. Sega have aimed straight at a younger age group, padding the game to appeal to kids with an abundance of side shows to detract from the main gam. That's fine for newcomers, but it's sad Sega saw fit to add extra layers where they're not needed.

The Wii controls are well used, with the player forced to swing the Wiimote and flick it as they let the lasso fly. Straining to capture the captured beast is a test of wits, as a careful eye must be kept on line-tension in case the animal manages to break free - hello, Sega Bass Fishing! It's during these moments when fond memories of the arcade original are most keenly felt.

Graphics are unfortunately nothing special, with a poor draw distance causing objects such as trees and rocks to pop into view at the last moment. However, it's still a pleasure taking the jeep for a spin across the sizeable levels, while African beats drum away in the background.

Jambo! Safari is still enjoyable, but the needless side missions detract from the simple beauty of the arcade game. Kids will get a kick out of caring for sickly zebras, but coin-op fans should approach with caution.

Agatha Christie’s The ABC Murders - DS

Taking elements from the Professor Layton and Phoenix Wright series, this murder mystery unfortunately fails to come close to either.

Playing the part of Captain Hastings, Hercule Poirot’s right-hand man, the player attempts to unravel the mystery behind several grizzly murders through riddles and investigations.

Multiple choice questions let you attempt as many of the answers as you'd like, so sifting through these is a piece of cake and lacks any decent challenge.

The tougher head-scratchers require the player to input the answer using the touchscreen, but with no hint system available these puzzles often lead to frustrating dead ends.

Visuals are unspectacular, failing to match the appeal of Phoenix Wright’s cartoon look, while spoken dialogue is few and far between. Ultimately, the lack of hint system and obtuse puzzles are the game’s downfall. With Layton and Wright still sitting on shop shelves, there really is little reason to pick up this below average murder mystery.

Jak and Daxter: The Lost Frontier - PSP

Eight years after their debut outing on PlayStation 2, Jak and Daxter are back for another round of platform shennanigans.

Sharing many similarities with the Ratchet & Clank series, the dynamic duo’s latest outing on PSP is unfortunately spoiled by weak camera controls and sloppy shooting mechanics. While there are plenty of enemies to take down and a plethora of platforms to negotiate, flimsy controls spoil most of the fun.

This leads to frustrating moments and as the game lacks a lock-on feature, fighting straightforward enemies can be more trouble than it should be. The Warhawk-inspired flying sections fare better, with the tight air-to-air combat much more enjoyable than the on the ground action.

With plenty of sidequests, game altering unlockables, weapon upgrades and some snazzy graphics, Jak and Daxter’s latest adventure does plenty of things right. But it falls on its face when it comes to the cumbersome controls - something which plagued Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters on PSP.

Perhaps Sony's hand-held console isn’t the best platform to show off this type of action adventure, where a snappy camera and tight controls would make all the difference.

Empire: Total War - PC

The latest entry to the hugely successful Total War series takes us back to the age of gunpowder, revolution, exploration and high sea scullduggery
    Set in the 18th century, Creative Assembly's take on the era is arguably the best in the series.
It's a hulking colossus of a game, full of impressive battles, complex scenarios, historical set pieces and absorbing gameplay.
    There's a lot to take in, and many will initially be put off by the game's incredible depth and seemingly endless options. However don't despair, because Empire: Total War eases the player in via the Road To Independence campaign. This acts as a tutorial of sorts and introduces the player to the mechanics of the game at a well-paced clip.
    While this mode is enjoyable, the Grand Campaign is where Empire: Total War properly starts. Taking place across Europe, Africa, the Middle East, the Caribbean and North and South America, the campaign is epic in scale and structure.
    The game plays out alternating between two modes. The first has you positioning armies, engaging in diplomatic matters and creating the building blocks of your empire. The second involves massive land and sea battles, where nations vie for ultimate supremacy.
    The much touted naval battles are a joy to behold as your valiant fleet engage the enemy across swirling seas. However, it's not all smooth sailing. With so much going on, things can get chaotic, and it's easy to lose track of everything that's happening. Ships can also unintentionally go astray, but hopefully a patch at a later date will sort out this gameplay niggle.
    The game is all about tactics and tinkering with strategies and plans is completely engrossing. You will lose hours as you play out scenarios, attempting to crush anyone foolish enough to stand in your way.
    With so much going on, it's imperative the interface is up to the job. Thankfully, Creative Assembly have stripped this back from previous versions, making economic development and decision making much easier to handle than before.
    As you might expect, to get the most out of Empire: Total War you are going to need a high-end rig. Playing on anything less would be doing the game a great injustice. It's a graphical tour de force and one of the most visually impressive games I've seen running on a PC. The game is crammed with glorious details and once you command your first naval battle, I guarantee your jaw will hit the floor.
    It is impossible to mention everything this incredibly robust game has to offer, and trying to tell you would spoil half the fun anyway. It's a landmark title and, despite Street Fighter IV's best efforts, Empire: Total War is the best game I've played this year.

Resident Evil 5 - 360/PS3

HOW much enjoyment you glean from Resident Evil 5 depends entirely on how you feel about the titles that have gone before. Those who love the panic-inducing moments, when, down to your last bullet you are confronted by a horde of salivating zombies, will revel in Capcom's latest survival horror. However, those who have found the series' archaic control set-up and clunky interface a pain, will be turned off immediately.
    Rather than moving the series forward, Capcom have instead decided to play it safe and have given fans essentially the same game they've been playing for years, albeit now in shiny high definition.
    The story this time starts in the fictional shanty town of Kijuju in Africa, where a biological outbreak has turned the residents into tongue-lolling zombies. Series fans will be giddy with excitement to discover the central character is Chris Redfield, the square-jawed protagonist from the series' 1996 debut. Joining him on the journey to get to the bottom of the terror sweeping the streets of the African town is Sheva Alomar. And while she can be something of a hindrance while playing the game solo, everything works a little better when two players join forces - either in local co-op, or online co-op.
    In single player, she often stands doing nothing while you are overwhelmed by the red-eyed undead. However, when a second player is introduced to the action, strategies materialise and the reassurance of a helping hand make the experience much less frustrating.
    I've already mentioned the archaic control system and it really does detract from the game. The main problem is you can't move while aiming your weapon. This leads to all sorts of problems when you're faced with a mass of festering flesh running towards you. You simply have to stand your ground and try your best.
    I understand this lack of movement adds to the feeling of panic, but EA's Dead Space lets you move when aiming while still managing to keep its panic-inducing gameplay intact.
    On the plus side, the pacing throughout the cinematic adventure is top notch, and Capcom have maintained their usual high production values. From the well animated characters and the cracking cut scenes, to the lighting effects and variety of locales, Resident Evil 5 is a visual treat.
    Ultimately, it's Resident Evil 5's co-op mode which saves it from becoming just another run of the mill survival shooter, but it's hard not to shake the feeling that Capcom could have done so much more with this latest entry in the popular series.