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LARA CROFT AND THE GUARDIAN OF LIGHT
SQUARE ENIX (XBOX LIVE, PLAYSTATION NETWORK, PC)
This isn’t your typical Lara Croft game, as the action is seen from bird’s-eye view and you’ve got the help of the Mayan tribesman Totec. Still, despite the drop of “Tomb Raider” from the title, you’ll be exploring underground locales as you pursue the demon Xoxolt so you can retrieve the Mirror of Smoke and restore balance to the world.
Rocks:
Lara’s grappling hook, dual pistols with infinite ammo, and tiny outfit are back, and the new character comes with spears and a shield. The pair can use their weapons to help each other—the grappling hook can attach to Totec for Lara to use as a tightrope; Lara can jump on his spears or shield for extra leverage—and Lara can use Totec to solve puzzles. The co-op mode is drop-in/drop-out with the computer taking over when there isn’t a second player, but when you choose single-player mode, Lara can use Totec’s weapons on her own. Although it’s a downloadable title, the developers claim it offers a decent six to eight hours of gameplay. There’s a proper Tomb Raider in the works.
Flops:
It’s a weak story and there are no gratuitous body shots of Lara. While there’s a good amount of platforming and puzzle-solving, the focus is on scoring lots of points. The puzzles have been simplified significantly, though there are “reward tombs” that offer a slightly greater challenge (and more points).
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DEAD RISING 2
CAPCOM (XBOX 360, PS3, PC)
The idea that humans have survived in zombie-infested Fortune City for five years would be inconceivable in anything but a video-game. Since this is a game, you’re back to smashing in the heads of as many of the undead as you’re willing to get close to. By the way, your char acter’s daughter is infected with the zombie virus and you’ve got 72 hours until something really bad happens. Bummer, dude.
Rocks:
You can play through the entire game solo or in on-line co-op; considering there can be nearly 6,000 zombies on-screen at once (just a few more than the original 800), you’ll be grateful for the help. The wacky costumes you can wear (Elvis, Groucho Marx, and many others) lighten any serious situation. You can build your own weapons out of found materials, and carry six items at once; look for ones that can be used together—such as a baseball bat and a box of nails—to create better tools.
Flops:
The co-op mode is only online.
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KANE & LYNCH 2: DOG DAYS
EIDOS/SQUARE ENIX (XBOX 360, PS3, PC)
The unhinged Kane and Lynch are back, this time in Shanghai after a botched mission.
Rocks:
A gritty visual style reminiscent of Cloverfield and The Blair Witch Project gives the game a cinematic feel. You play as psychopathic schizophrenic Lynch this time, who in the past has killed hostages and other innocent civilians. The multiplayer modes have been expanded and deepened: Fragile Alliance is back, and allows you to steal money with the help of your team, then turn against them and take off with the loot; if you play Undercover Cop mode, you have to stop the other players from escaping, which could be much tougher. Game mechanics have been significantly improved since the original; the most welcome change for us is that the ineffective automatic-cover system has been replaced by the ability to go into cover with the push of a button.
Flops:
As of press time, little has been shown of the single-player campaign, which could mean it sucks and the developers know it.
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EA (XBOX 360, PS3, Wii, PS2, PSP, iPHONE)
When in doubt, simplify. Last year, Madden was packed with new animations, artificial-intelligence improvements, rating overhauls, flashy presentations, and more. Plus, they replaced John Madden as commentator with Tom Hammond and Cris Collinsworth. Fast-forward to this year. Hammond has been replaced with Gus Johnson, and—in a welcome move—game players now have a choice: Cut your playing time in half by deciding on a game plan ahead of time and fussing less with the playbook, or stay deep and decide each play as it comes up. It’s the equivalent of choosing between a quickie and a three-hour sex marathon. Both are satisfying, but in different ways.
No matter which way you choose, pop on your headset to get the coach’s voice in your ear, guiding you through the plays. In terms of game mechanics, the pre-snap choices have been moved from the L1/R1/bumpers on the controller to the D-pad, and there’s no turbo button. There is a new kicking meter and an update to the quarterback-ranking system, and players are less likely to run out-of-bounds. Online, you can play three against three in traditional Madden style or go for the fantasy football–meets–card game Madden Ultimate Team that launched with Madden NFL 10.
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MAFIA II
2K (XBOX 360, PS3, PC)
Eight years ago, Mafia was extremely well-received by critics, but it didn’t sell all that well; if you missed it, you’re not alone. Now, with the help of the original development team, it’s been brought into the next generation. This is the first Mafia themed title we’ve actually looked for ward to in years.
Rocks:
The plot is essentially the same as most other mob games—join a crime family and work your way up through the ranks—but the missions, world, and gameplay feel infinitely more polished. It’s a sandbox-style third-person shooter like Grand Theft Auto that is set in a world known as Empire Bay between 1945 and 1955, and the game stays true to the era; it’s populated with period cars, music, and weapons, such as a Colt 1911 and a pump-action shotgun.
Flops:
This isn’t the only title with an old-school feel coming this fall. L.A. Noire from Rockstar Games is hot on its tail. And while its stylistic atmosphere is what makes Mafia II look good, L.A. Noire looks really good.
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Transformers: War for Cybertron
ACTIVISION
(XBOX 360, PS3, Wii, PC, DS)
Rating: 
This is not a video game of either recent film, which featured the delectable Megan Fox. It’s a prequel to the original animated series, and the game’s storyline ends where the cartoon began. As soon as the first cut screen finishes revealing how Optimus—the Prime came later—met Bumblebee, you’re in control. Without a moment’s hesitation, you’ll be shifting from vehicle to robot and back again, and blowing up enemies with a shit-eating grin on your face.
At heart, this is a hard-core third person shooter like Gears of War, not a Transformers game that happens to be a shooter. That means (a) it’s not lame and (b) using the controller will come naturally if you’ve played other shooters. For each level, you choose one of three Autobots or Decepticons (they all come with a full campaign mode); either the computer or one or two of your buddies in co-op mode play the other two. Each robot is equipped with two special abilities, such as a protective shield or a sonic boom, and can carry two weapons and grenades at a time. In competitive multiplayer mode, you can customize your character by choosing its abilities and weapons, and see how you fare in death matches and other standard multiplayer games.
This will be a whole new blockbuster in the Transformers universe.
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Naughty Bear
505 GAMES (XBOX 360, PS3)
If the videogame industry had a yearbook, this would be named Most Likely to Incite Parents to Protest. You play a bear who murders other bears after he’s not invited to a birthday party. Excessive? Yes. Fun? Definitely.
Rocks:
Killing other giant teddy bears is actually pretty entertaining. You can blow their stuffing out with a gun or use a machete to rip through them. You can even freak them out so much that they commit suicide. But there’s more to it than listening to your inner evil conscience (who happens to be British). You can rack up serious points by destroying objects, then compare your numbers with other players worldwide.
Flops:
Um, you’re killing giant teddy bears. Slaughtering cute woodland creatures is enjoyable for a level, but it’s not going to hold your attention for long.
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Crackdown 2
MICROSOFT (XBOX 360)
Bigger is better when it comes to gaming worlds. Fans of the original Crackdown will notice that while Pacific City hasn’t expanded in square mileage, there’s a lot more ground to cover. In fact, some buildings are more than 3,000 feet tall, making them great jumping-off platforms for you and your wing suit. In terms of plot, the virus that was released in the first game has turned ordinary citizens into crazed “freaks” hungry for brains. As a member of the Agency, it’s up to you to discover how to slow the spread of the virus—despite the hearty efforts to kill you being made by the freaks and a renegade group known as the Cell.
Rocks:
The online competitive play is the sweet spot. Games like rocket tag, in which you’re shooting off rocket-propelled grenades and dodging incoming fire, are awesome. Orb-completists will enjoy collecting the ones scattered throughout this larger world.
Flops:
More zombies? At least they come out only at night. You don’t see vehicles change with upgrades, but they can be used by four players at once.
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The Hunt
XS GAMES (XBOX 360, Wii)
Rating:
When it comes to videogames, we generally prefer shooting bad guys to hunting virtual animals. But maybe we haven’t been playing good hunting games, like this one.
Rocks:
It was pretty cool to nab deer, bear, and rabbits in areas like the Florida Everglades, Alaska, and New Mexico to win trophies in tournaments. You get to race ATVs and skeet shoot in your downtime. The peripheral for the Wii version adds to the “realism.”
Flops:
The graphics need work. And while it’s great that your on-screen avatar gets to use the same kind of tools that real hunters do to, say, mask their scent, you still end up without fresh meat no matter how well you shoot.
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NCAA Football 11
EA (XBOX 360, PS3, PS2)
When it comes to sports titles, developers face a constant challenge to make what is essentially the same game feel new again. Amazingly enough, this year NCAA Football has a lot to offer, besides its new cover boy, quarterback Tim Tebow.
Rocks:
The animation is seamless. The artificial intelligence is more likely to flatten you or see the gap in your line, which—along with some other smaller tweaks—will force you to give up any sloppy habits you’ve been getting away with; having dual stick control and procedural tackling should help. The use of ESPN’s graphics and stellar visuals make the game feel pretty darn realistic.
Flops:
There’s no PSP version, so if you want to play on the go you’ll have to wait for next month’s Madden.
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BLUR
ACTIVISION (XBOX 360, PS3, PC)
Rating:
After years of cranking out brilliantly rendered games for the Project Gotham Racing series, Bizarre Creations is mashing up the world of arcade racing with Mario Kart, giving us this weapons-heavy futuristic racer.
Rocks: You can play on a split screen with up to four buddies, or race against 19 other players in the competitive online world. Using power-ups to boost your chances of winning will take you back to the old days of videogaming, in the best way possible.
Flops: It could prove to be too similar to Full Auto or Midnight Club to generate a following.
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Alpha Protocol
SEGA (XBOX 360, PS3, PC)
Rating:
Michael Thornton is one pissed-off CIA agent. He’s just woken up in a covert facility full of guys who are ready to blow his head off, with no idea who drugged him and brought him there. Before long, the rookie agent is informed that he’s been selected for “agent protocol” status, which allows him to operate unaffiliated with any government as he investigates why a commercial airliner was destroyed by a surface-to-air missile.
In traditional roleplaying-game fashion, you can customize Thornton’s stats as he gains experience, but you can’t do much in the way of outward character customization. Instead, you spend your time developing his personality by choosing how to interact with other characters. Learning how best to treat others in order to get what you want is an integral part of the game, and being professional and/or aggressive doesn’t always work. Of course, intimidating your enemies with the guns you just bought on the black market never hurts.
There’s nothing jaw-droppingly new here, although the mini-puzzles for hacking and breaking locks are fun the first few times. Still, the combination of third-person action, some cool sneaky espionage missions, and a compelling-enough storyline will keep us playing.
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PRINCE OF PERSIA: THE FORGOTTEN SANDS
UBI SOFT (XBOX 360,
PS3, Wii, PC, DS, PSP)
You don’t need to have played the earlier installments in the series to make sense of The Forgotten Sands, but you will get a richer experience if you have. This game fills you in on the seven Persia years between 2004’s The Sands of Time and 2006’s Warrior Within, and will fill in the blanks about why Warrior was so dark by comparison. For Forgotten Sands, you’ve learned how to harness the power of the elements to build ice columns out of water and manipulate your environment, but you’re no longer practically invincible.
Rocks: Battles start out extremely easy, so by the time you’re fighting 50 guys, you’ll welcome the challenge. We were happy to see the return of the game mechanics of The Sands of Time, but this game is built on UBI Soft’s Assassin’s Creed engine.
Flops: We’re not complaining about having earlier questions answered, but has the cel-shaded Prince of Persia from 2008 been completely forgotten?
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UFC UNDISPUTED 2010
THQ (XBOX 360, PS3, PSP)
Inside the octagon, there’s no escaping your opponent’s brutality. All you can do is bring your own to the ring. Here, given that there are faster moves for more than 100 fighters, a much improved ground game, and sways and leans that allow your fighter to avoid deva stating blows, combat will be that much more satisfying.
Rocks: They’ve also added three more fighting styles (karate, sambo, and GrecoRoman wrestling), many more submissions and strikes, and the ability to fight southpaw. The tournament mode challenges your skills arcade-style. You have the ability to build online fighting camps and leagues.
Flops: Not every move you make looks like it connects. What truly sucks is the fact that all the training you do in the game to get your fighters in shape doesn’t carry over to real life.
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LOST PLANET 2
CAPCOM (XBOX 360, PS3, PC)
Rating:
When we left Wayne, he’d just lost his memory (again) after fighting the Akrids, and he was watching Luka melt the snow off the planet so it would be habitable. We pick up with him ten years later, when it’s been discovered that, yes, it’s theoretically possible to live there, but there are new breeds of Akrid that think Wayne and company will make a tasty snack.
Rocks: Your thermal energy, which you need to stay alive, only drains when you use a weapon that needs it to function. You can complete the story alone, online, or in split-screen co-op. You can customize your character to look like Resident Evil’s Albert Wesker or Gears of War’s Marcus Fenix. There are even larger bosses than last time around.
Flops: While we like the episodic structure of the campaign mode, battling other factions while killing off the Akrid feels cliché. It was necessary to make cuts to the Xbox version to fit the content on one disc; all we could confirm is that the Gears of War option won’t be available.
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