Apache: Air Assault

While it’s more than understandable that some people may harbor massive throbbing power fantasies about piloting airborne, heavily-armored death machines (there’s a dick joke in there somewhere), realistic flight simulators are truly awkward beasts to behold in today’s gaming world. Not many other game genres can deliberately focus on creating the most complex control interface possible or design an obnoxiously overcrowded HUD and still be considered fun. Touted as the “all helicopter combat game you’ve been waiting for,” Gaijin Entertainment’s Apache: Air Assault has just hit retailer shelves. So, how does the flight sim fare?

The first thing we need to touch on is the issue of control. Apache has two different difficulty modes to start: Training and Realistic. Realistic employs all of the subtle nuances that affect an attack helicopter during flight like wind resistance, current speed, position of the aircraft, alignment of the stars, etc. This basically means that your Apache handles like a dead elephant filled with wet cement; however, we can’t really knock the game for this. Flying a whirly bird is supposed to be difficult. What we will knock is the lack of any competent tutorials to help you understand the intricacies of flying an Apache. If you choose to play the game the way it’s meant to be played, get ready to spend some quality time with trial and error because the learning curve is steep and the game does very little to soften that particular blow. On the other hand, you can eschew all of the control issues for a more arcade-y feel with the much more forgiving Training difficulty if you’re a pretty pink fairy princess.
The game basically has no story or characters to speak of. Sure, each mission is prefaced by a giant wall of text that details the who, what, where and why of all the tiny little specs you’re shooting at, but you quantum leap into the roles of a couple different Apache pilot teams (all of whom you never get to actually see) conducting missions around the globe, so the overall narrative of the game is a veritable clusterf**k. The radio chatter is also incredibly sparse throughout missions.  In the end, all you come away with is that there are terrorists, or pirates or pirate-terrorists and it’s your job to KILL THEY DEAD.

About 80% of the mission structure is “fly to this area and kill everything” with the other 20% relying on escort missions and defending ally NPCs that exhibit the self-preservation instincts of mentally challenged termites. Not that any of these objectives are really conveyed well (if at all). In the back of your mind, you know that the tiny little voices on the radio are trying to communicate something important, but you can’t hear any of that over the massive artillery you’re unloading along with the worthless action soundtrack that you’ve heard 20 freaking times because the game only has four freaking songs that all sound like a homogenized mishmash of every Call of Duty and Medal of Honor theme released to date. Completing each mission awards decals, paint jobs and different combat choppers that you can check out in Apache’s Hanger mode. Once you’ve pimped out your favorite helicopter, you can even take still shots and save the pictures if you’re a complete weirdo.
The game also has a local co-op function for the campaign where one player mans the guns and the other pilots the chopper, but this game mode’s design veers more towards destroying friendships than actually being fun. Both players share a single screen, which means that your friend gets to move the aiming reticule around while shouting at you to stop flying like such an asshole. Online multiplayer is a step in the right direction as each player gets his or her own Apache to tackle a set of cooperative missions, but that just means you aren’t going to be the only one nose-diving into a mountainside now.

Graphically, each helicopter shows a fair level of detail and the sprawling vistas can paint a pretty picture… from a distance. Once you look a little closer, the environments are ugly as sin and humans look like they’re made of cardboard. Nothing about this game looks like it belongs on a next-gen system.
It’s hard to recommend this game to anyone but the most hardcore of flight simulator fans. As in, you have to be unreasonably hardcore. As in, you have Apache-themed bedspread and keep a picture of a Boeing AH-64A in your wallet that you stare at longingly throughout the day.

Jordan Baughman, GamesRadar US

Back to the Future: The Game Episode 1

We’ll save you some time and cut to the chase: you will enjoy the first episode of Back to the Future: The Game if the following conditions are true… 1) you’ve seen the first Back to the Future movie, or at least have a general understanding of the basic plot points, and 2) you bear no ill will toward the franchise and are open to the idea of an all-new adventure with Marty and Doc played out in videogame form, and finally, 3) you are willing to forgive the episode for a few stereotypical “adventure-game” moments of confusion and frustration before you hit the final payoff. Developer Telltale’s newest episodic series has the biggest built-in fanbase yet, so we’re pleased to report that it does its source films justice. That said, the game still carries with it the shortcomings of the traditional point-and-click genre, and it’s too soon to say if the series will be able to maintain its momentum across five episodes.



Taking control of the red-vested, guitar-playing hero Marty McFly (voiced by an uncanny Michael J. Fox sound-alike), you’ll travel from the “present” - the 80s, of course - back in time to the 1930s, a time of underground speakeasies and pinstripe suit-wearing gangsters. As we’ve come to expect from Telltale, the script, voice acting and cartoony art style here produce plenty of grins and fit the tone of the films perfectly. With Bob Gale, the screenwriter for all three BttF films at the writing helm, dedicated fans can expect to catch clever nods to the series’ canon throughout the experience. The one and only Christopher Lloyd jumps right back into character as the raspy-voiced Doc Brown, while veteran voice actor James Arnold Taylor (Ratchet from Ratchet & Clank) does a great job portraying Doc from the 30s, a 17-year old, barely pubescent law clerk stuck under his father’s thumb who needs Marty’s help to unearth his secret scientific passions.



The first hour or so of the experience is great at pulling you in: walking around the charmingly-realized 1930s-era Hill Valley gives you the same initial sense of wonder that the films did; unfortunately, however, when the game gives you the most freedom to explore, it also slows the pace of the game significantly. You’re charged with delivering a subpoena to a gangster and getting some alcohol from a speakeasy to fuel young Doc Brown’s invention - these tasks are completed using the type of circuitous logic that adventure games are so often criticized for. You know, the use-the-dog-to-sniff-the-hat-to-uncover-the-key-to-unlock-the-door-to give-you-the-note-to-call-the-dentist-to-create-a-distraction kind of logic puzzle.

As with most of Telltale’s games, a built-in hint system will guide you through each brainteaser, but it’s tough not to get stuck at some point. Luckily, the episode ends with some of the cleverest and (believe it or not) most exhilarating tasks we’ve experienced in a point-and-click game. We won’t spoil them for you here, but the last 30 minutes of the game alone are fun enough to make you (almost) forget about that damn soup kitchen puzzle.



Back to the Future: The Game is at its best when it’s fast-paced and doesn’t bog you down with too many choices to make or inventory items to keep tabs on - the episode ends on a high note because its puzzles generate and maintain a sense of momentum that the middle section lacks. Episode 1 predictably ends on a cliffhanger, and many plot elements are left unresolved. The teaser for Episode 2 seems to suggest we’ll be spending more time in the 1930s before moving to new eras - considering Telltale’s bad habit of recycling locations between episodes, we’re a bit worried about this time period getting stale. Still, if episode 1 is the equivalent of this season’s “pilot,” you can be sure we’re interested to see where Doc and Marty go next.

Joe Newman, GamesRadar US

Best Video Games of 2010

2010 has had its fair share of good games.  But what were the “great” great games of 2010?  What was your favorite?  Here are the top 10 I found from many different articles:

10. Heavy Rain- Quantic Dream breaks plenty of boundaries with this unconventional murder-mystery. Players take on the roles of four characters that are each tied to the origami serial killer. The game play is less action-based and focused more on playing the role of each protagonist and making meaningful split-second decisions. This game is so immersive that it feels wrong not to be in character when behind the controller.

9. Fallout: New Vegas- It seemed hard to top the vision of the U.S. capital nearly melted to ash, but the portrayal of a former hub of American decadence at distance of the zone is in many ways more fascinating in its nuance. The distinct influence of Rome's tragic story of out-of-control power on the game world is well-thought, and appropriate, and the game offers enough freedom that the player can choose to make it either a celebration or a condemnation of all kinds of excess. And as the game starts to draw a story of factions warring for control, the loyalty system in which the player participates provokes lots of thought on the nature of power in a world with laws upended.

8. Starcraft 2- You'd be facile to call StarCraft II ho-hum just because it's a slicker version of StarCraft. Starcraft 2 has a fast-paced multiplayer game play and a single-player story that delivers the borderline sci-fi camp-ness and action that fans expect.  It has better graphics, more units and a more balanced multiplayer. The campaign is also fantastic with great voice acting and stunning cinematics. Even though you can only play as the Terran, by no means are you short-changed. It’s lengthy and well worth playing through before diving into the addictive multiplayer.

7. God of War 3- The pacing is flawless, the puzzles are simple yet effective, and the combat is the finest we’ve ever seen in the God of War series with a few really awesome and actually useful weapons. As we’ve come to expect from a God of War game, the set pieces are unbelievably epic but the final chapter in the series takes the cake. One boss is so big that it’s actually the level itself that you are running on. Now that’s epic!

6. Call of Duty: Black Ops- This game was definitely created for the multiplayer, although the campaign isn’t too bad itself. Treyarch learned from Modern Warfare 2′s mistakes on the multiplayer and listened to fans. Killstreaks are toned down and less overpowering, and abused perks such as One Man Army and Commando are removed entirely, making this the most balanced Call of Duty since Call of Duty 4. They also restructured the unlock system, creating an economy whereby you earn COD points to buy equipment. Best of all, they reintroduced online split-screen! One of my personal favorites with Black Ops is the Zombies.  This was probably my favorite in World at War, and I am glad Treyarch decided to bring it back.

5. Rock Band 3- The most obvious addition to the new Rock Band is the "pro mode" songs and the addition of the keyboard and an actual 6 string guitar. The game is designed to let players transition from mimicry to true performance, they're an interesting and rare example of video games, outside of the serious games sphere, teaching real-world skills.

4. Halo: Reach- Bungie’s last Halo game before they turn the Halo series over to 343 Industries, has some very flexible game play and a multiplayer playlist that will keep you hooked for a long time.  Reach is a prequel to the Halo series and gives a detailed account of what happened on planet Reach before, you know, all hell broke loose. This thing is nonstop action.

3. Super Mario Galaxy 2- It'd be easy to assume Nintendo was just cashing in on the success of the original Super Mario Galaxy with this sequel. But the clever reintroduction of a rideable Yoshi, new suits and items and some of the toughest challenges this side of Super Mario World's Special World, further prove that this title was more than a quick cash-in. Super Mario Galaxy 2 creates an adventure that endlessly amazes even the most jaded gamers. It proves that sometimes, cleverly crafted levels can trump everything else.

2. Mass Effect 2- BioWare makes good on its promise of a sci-fi trilogy that lets players take a hero and carry him or her over a series of games. In the second go-round, the team streamlines a combat system and creates a meaningful adventure for first-timers and old fans alike. Mass Effect 2 interweaves an intricate and compelling story with some of the best action role playing available.

1. Red Dead Redemption- No matter what article I read about the top video games for 2010, Red Dead Redemption could almost always be found.  Nothing else this year combines a sharp-eyed narrative, lively gunplay, memorable characters, spectacular scrub-riddled landscapes, expertly paced challenges, and masterful mini-games. The game does a fantastic job of making the player feel like they're making significant choices, forming relationships (especially with horses), and discovering locations on their own.  No doubt that this game is going to be on almost everyone’s list.

 

By Lauren Townsend