Wipeout HD - PS3

While desperately clearing my PlayStation 3's hard drive to make space for yet another download, I flicked through all the screenshots from the past few years and came across a bunch from various titles. However, it was the pictures I took of Wipeout HD which caught my eye. I'm actually not a huge fan of the series, but the picture editor included with the game really grabbed me and I spent more time messing around with it than actually playing the game. So, here are a few of my favourites.

 

 

 

 

 

Dragon's Dogma - Wolves hunt in packs!

I love Dragon's Dogma. Actually, scratch that. I ADORE Dragon's Dogma. Yes, the game which many thought would simply be yet another generic high fantasy adventure - including me - actually turned out to be a magnificent achievement by the team at Capcom.

I've just hit the 50 hour mark and for me, it stands head and shoulders above everything else I've played all year.

It's given me some of the most wonderful experiences over these last 50 hours and watching my small ragtag band of surprisingly dextrous travellers attacking monstrous beasts has given me a huge amount of pleasure.

Highlights include a gargantuan battle at dusk against a chimera, where lightning bolts, thick black tornadoes and jets of fire turned the tide in my favour; a night time battle against two hulking trolls at their makeshift camp; and an epic and nerve-shredding assault on a fort which gave the spectacle of Helm's Deep a run for its money.

Holding it all together are the wonderful visuals. There's a solidity to the world of Gransys which even the sprawling might of Skyrim fails to match and a sense of setting out on an epic adventure which so few games have managed to portray effectively.

The lighting effects are at times subtle but immensely effective - from the first grey light of day splitting the horizon, to the late afternoon sun sending golden shafts of light filtering through the trees in the heart of a deep forest. It's mesmerizing and these shifts in colour and hue help give Dragon's Dogma a spellbinding atmosphere - as does the eclectic soundtrack which ranges from rousing orchestral passages and haunting string arrangements to full-blown cock rock nonsense.

And unlike some other games where a day/night cycle simply means a change to the colour scheme, Dragon's Dogma makes tramping around at night a truly terrifying experience, sending the wary scurrying for the nearest campfire and nervously huddling together until dawn.

It's a remarkable game. It's as if director Hideaki Itsuno and producer Hiroyuki Kobayashi set out to make a western-style RPG and instead stumbled across something even better. It's like a perfect fusion of Skyrim, Monster Hunter and Dark Souls and it's magnificent.

All this and I forgot to mention the forgery shop, the barbers, the cross dressing, the creepy court jester, the seemingly endless supply of quests and the fact your trusty sidekick plays a role in other people's games online and returns home to tell you all about what they discovered - usually with a couple of mouldy apples in his pockets for his troubles. Amazing.

Here's to the next 50 hours.

More Skyrim shots - PC

I've spend the last few days falling back in love with Skyrim, thanks to a bunch of fresh mods. I have more than 70 running now and I'm incredibly impressed with the results. I've only done two of the main quests and I'm spending most of my time exploring and going about things at my own pace.

I've downloaded a camping mod which lets you set up a bedroll and tent anywhere in Skyrim and since I've banned myself from using fast travel, it's a godsend. I've also installed a Zelda music mod which replaces the soundtrack with a variety of classic Zelda themes, along with sound effects which are used in menus and when you level up. It gives the whole game a lighter feel, although when exploring dungeons, the music swiftly changes to Zelda's dungeon themes. You might even spot a Zelda reference in one of the screens below.

I have a bunch of graphic and texture mods installed, too, which not only add detail to the countryside, but also dramatically improve the main cities and towns. I've added some new armour and weapon mods, which makes crafting much more fun. I even have a Monster Hunter weapon pack installed and my character is sporting a huge two-handed Rathalos Great Sword.

Click on the images for the full size versions.

Fishing Resort - Wii

While Japan and the US have been enjoying Fishing Resort/Family Fishing on Wii since last year, there is still no sign of a European release on the horizon. It's a real shame, as Yuji Naka's open-world take on fishing looks rather good.

Not only can you walk, cycle and sail through the game's appealing environments trying your hand at fishing for 200 species in a variety of locations, you can also take on quests, stroll through your own aquarium, modify your character, buy new equipment, explore the resort at your leisure and take on 20 additional mini-games.

With the Wii region locked and data loaders now redundant due to Nintendo's firmware updates, it looks as if this is one catch which will unfortunately slip through the fingers of European gamers.

There's no mention of Fishing Resort on Namco Bandai's release schedule for the remained of this year, while it was XSEED Games who released the game in the US.

What a shame.

Back in the air with FSX

Despite the fact I've just dropped 1200 Microsoft Points on the Alaskan Wilderness expansion pack for Microsoft Flight, it's their previous entry in the series which continues to give me much more pleasure.

Because of the closed nature of MS Flight - Microsoft charge for additional content via in-game purchases - the modding community has been bypassed entirely. A shame, as various teams and individuals continue to produce eye-popping add-ons for Microsoft's previous games in the series.

I've always enjoyed adding new texture meshes to the Flight Sim series but my creaking old computer never really did them justice. So to celebrate the arrival of my new PC, I decided to treat it to some new software for FSX.

The first item on the shopping list was to choose something from Orbx - a company who produce some remarkable scenery and texture meshes to enhance FSX. They have six packs on offer - Australia, Pacific Northwest, Pacific Fjords, Northern Rockies, Central Rockies and South Island: New Zealand.

I plumped for Pacific Northwest, which covers 156,000 square miles of western North America, comprising of large parts of Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia.

Next, I bought Rex HD - a complete weather, environment and flight planning add-on. With this programme, you can choose from a huge range of weather and lighting effects and, used in conjunction with Orbx products, ramp up FSX's enjoyability ten-fold.

I've been taking a lot of pictures as I fly around the Pacific Northwest - currently I'm exploring the areas around Victoria - which I've included here. I've also been using the iPad's map feature to plan routes and identify mountains, lakes and other points of interest.

So although Microsoft Flight might be the new kid in town, it pales in comparison with what can currently be achieved with FSX.

Skyrim: The Journey Continues

Despite ploughing around 50 hours into Skyrim on 360 in the weeks after launch, its bugs and graphical glitches began to frustrate. So I put it aside over the festive period and promptly forgot about it - largely due to games such as Binary Domain, Asura's Wrath, Final Fantasy XIII-2 and Mass Effect 3 taking up large chunks of my gaming time.

However, with the arrival of a new PC came the chance to experience Skyrim in more detail - along with a wealth of wonderful mods to enhance the experience and - more importantly - the chance to take screen grabs of the stunning scenery.

The appeal of The Elder Scrolls games for me has always been the freedom to explore, discover new things and "live" in the world - largely outside of the main quest line. My PC Skyrim experience so far has seen me complete one minor side quest, while the rest of the time has been spent between Riverwood and Whiterun, hunting game, exploring and taking in the sights.

I've installed a wide range of mods but I am still experimenting with a few and discovering new add-ons every day. So I've decided to post a few of my screenshots of the first few hours of my adventure. Click on them to see them in all their glory.

Expect a raft of pictures finding their way on here in the weeks and months to come.

Yakuza 4 - Tourist snaps

Back in March I blogged about the joys of wandering around Yakuza 4's Kamurocho, taking in the sights and sounds of this fictional Tokyo district. Sadly, a peaceful stroll is something I can only dream about, with the game's roguish cast of characters constantly assaulted by gangs of knuckle dragging goons in puffer jackets.

But when I'm not smashing bikes over heads or battering thugs with huge ice cream cones, I've been taking snaps of the wonderful environment Sega have created on my iPhone. Take the time to look around Kamurocho and you'll be constantly surprised at what's on show. Here are a few of my favourites taken from my most recent late night adventure:

Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit - Pictures from Seacrest County

Criterion's Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit was one of my favourite games of 2010. Its blend of high-octane thrills, tight handling and excellent community features made it stand out from the crowd. It even managed to trump the company's Burnout Paradise for sheer fun.

The game also features an excellent photo suite and there's nothing I love more than taking snaps of games in action. So here are a few of my favourite screenshots that I've taken on my travels through Seacrest County.