Ghost Recon: Operation Stabilise
http://www.nodnetwork.com/~aus_viper/
Mod Publisher: Aus Viper
Ghost Recon published by Ubisoft

Aus Viper and his crew embarked on the Op Stabilise mod about 18 months ago after cutting their teeth on some ADF uniform mods for the standard Ghost Recon games. Ghost Recon: Op Stabilise uses maps from the original game and its two official mission packs but blends them into a generic East Timor environment. Ghost Recon: Op Stabilise is essentially a "what-if" mod that recreates the INTERFET operation in an opposed environment.

The mod team has spent a huge amount of time getting things as accurate as possible (within the coding restrictions of the game) and have created new uniforms, weapons, kit and voices for all characters in the game. INTERFET soldiers are armed with their correct weapons and the pro-integration militia roam the maps with a mix of Indonesian and US weaponry.

The team has also created 12 new specialists that are unlocked throughout the game including some of the overseas forces who contributed to INTERFET. In a great show of thanks the mod team has also named all of the game's soldiers after people who helped them out during the mod development. Mine is in there as well - see if you can find it.

Other new additions to the parent game include the use of a mortar and the ability to provide fire support from the door of a Black Hawk ... features that were not part of the original.

All up, Ghost Recon: Op Stabilise is a great example of what a dedicated team can get done. The download is 173MB and the team has released a small patch to fix a couple of errors overlooked when it hit the web. This mod is well worth the download if you want to dust off that copy of Ghost Recon again.

The team hasn't stopped at East Timor either - it recently announced that it has started work on an Op Falconer mod.

Tenchu: Return from Darkness
http://www.xbox.com/en-AU/tenchureturnfromdarkness/default.htm
Publisher: Activision

Tenchu is a franchise that has been around for quite a while and to be honest it's not something I would normally pick up.

After playing it though, I'm glad I made the effort as it is one of the most addictively frustrating (that's a good thing) games I've played in ages.

As its name suggests, Tenchu is a Japanese samurai inspired series that relies on fast swordplay and cool ninja tricks. Return from Darkness is set after the main character, Rikimaru (or his female counterpart Ayame), was supposedly killed in the previous game. If you haven't played the earlier games don't worry, as the story in Return from Darkness is essentially self-contained.

Tenchu's strong storyline and fantastic graphics make the game a joy to play but some may baulk at its high level of violence.

If you couldn't sit through Tom Cruise saving Japan in The Last Samurai there is no way you will be able to stand the variety of ways there are to kill someone with a sword.

Tenchu: Return from Darkness is in many ways a Samurai-themed version of Splinter Cell. Players must use stealth and cunning to strike brutally and melt away. Controlling the character in this fashion is a breeze with intuitive movement and viewing controls and game maps that allow several different approaches to a problem. Players can also join with a mate to complete the mission as a pair in the same fashion as Halo.

While it is not all just about disembowelling foes in single-player, Return from Darkness also offers XBox Live play. With up to 20 different character models to choose from, two players can square off in the ultimate test of ninja success. With both players attempting to out stealth one another it can be a long but amazingly nerve-wracking affair.

Not for the kids, but a great example of an addictive console game.

Competition
We have a copy of Tenchu: Return from Darkness (XBox) up for grabs this edition. Entries should be e-mailed to ADFgamesmen@telstra.com with the name of the game in the subject line. Only one entry per person - subsequent entries will be discarded.
Please include your full name and mailing address in the e-mail or your entry won't be accepted.

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