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Battlefield
Vietnam
Publisher: EA Games
http://www.electronic-arts.com.au/eagames/battlefieldvietnam/
It's
hard to believe that 18 months have passed since the release of
Battlefield 1942. The game that revolutionised an increasingly stagnant
online FPS genre is still played by thousands today.
There
was something about Battlefield 1942's mix of maps, equipment and
weapons that made it an instant hit and heralded the beginning of
an amazing array of mods for the discerning players.
Everything
from WW1 (Battlefield 1918) through to Gulf War 1 (Desert Combat)
has been created on this amazingly versatile game engine.
With
a couple of official expansions to the '42 theme and continuing
success, it was little wonder that EA invested in a complete remake
of the Battlefield series.
Battlefield
Vietnam, as its name suggests, puts players in the jungles of South-East
Asia at a time when Phantoms ruled the skies, Hueys revolutionised
infantry operations and the M16 earned a reputation it has never
been able to shake.
Like
its predecessor, Battlefield Vietnam does not promise to be a historically
accurate Grognard special. Instead, it takes all the elements of
the Vietnam War that have made so many great movies and television
shows and wrapped them together into a complete gaming experience.
Battlefield
Vietnam promises a new experience, but for veterans of the Battlefield
universe there's not much new to speak of.
Sure
the maps are great, the new weapons, vehicles and aircraft make
a change but in reality it is just modernised '42.
One
of the best-marketed features of the game was its "realistic"
new jungle environments.
While
they look great, there is a serious flaw in the programming that
completely negates the cover provided by the native flora.
At
first I thought I was just inept when BTR60s zipping by 800m away
could engage and kill me quite easily while holed up in what I thought
was some very thick scrub.
It
turns out that to save on graphics processor power the game only
draws in foliage in an arc from the player's current position.
Out
to about 50m the foliage is thick and provides great concealment
- beyond that the maps are bare as Bert Newton's head.
This
means anyone engaging a target from a distance using optics can
see soldiers prone on a football paddock - when they move closer
all of a sudden the scrub grows into place.
Battlefield
Vietnam is still a great game despite this serious flaw.
The
city maps are intriguing and the ability to lift spawn points with
helicopters makes for an increased level of strategy in the series.
But like its predecessor, Battlefield Vietnam is essentially a multi-player
experience.
The
single-player game is really just there to learn the maps and figure
out how the hell you fly helicopters with a mouse.
What's new on
Whiplash
Publisher: Eidos
www.whiplashgame.com/
Whiplash
is another of those traditional console games in the same vein as
Crash Bandicoot.
It's
crazy animals causing mayhem as Spanx, an electroshock testing weasel,
and Redmond, a makeup testing rabbit, make a bid for freedom from
an evil genetic testing corporation.
Chained
together, the pair make a comical and slightly annoying duo - great
fun for everyone.
Beyond
Good & Evil
Publisher: Ubisoft
http://beyondgoodevil.com/uk
Beyond Good & Evil is a conspiracy theory turned reality game
that pits a young journalist, Jade, against the government. Armed
only with a camera and a great deal of cunning, Jade must infiltrate
top-secret locations and get the shots that count to expose the
government's greatest secret.
Luckily,
Beyond Good & Evil is set on another planet or Jade's sidekicks,
a fat talking pig and a Buzz Lightyear look-alike, might seem a
little unusual.
XIII
Publisher: Ubisoft
www.xiii-thegame.com/uk
The
game I'm still struggling to complete on XBox has now been released
on PS2 and I'm sure those who embark on the X-Files meets Tom Clancy
storyline on the new console will enjoy it just as much as those
who played it on Microsoft's beast.
XIII
reinvigorated cell-shaded gaming with its comic-book approach and
seriously adult storyline.
XIII
is a first-person shooter like no other. It retains the amazingly
brutal scenes that have become so common but incorporates strong
plot and narrative that will keep gamers in front of the screen
for hours on end.
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