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So, Boxing Day is upon us. Did you get what you really
wanted? Well, I’m
sure any videogames you may have gotten are already/soon-to-be
completed, and you’re hungry for more. With the January Sales right
around the corner, it’s time to take a look at some more of 2008’s
greatest achievers; disc-based retail releases from February.
Traditionally, February is when most games which miss
their Christmas release date get shuffled too – with the exclusion
of those that then miss it again, of course – and 2008 was no
exception. Devil May Cry 4, Frontlines: Fuel of War
and No More Heroes all finally arrived in Europe in February
2008, along with big names such as FIFA Street 3, NFL Tour
and Star Trek: Conquest.
Honourable Mention:
Dynasty Warriors 6
FIFA Street 3
Patapon
Runners-Up:
Kingdom Under Fire: Circle of Doom (Xbox360)
Many unfavourable reviews have tarnished public opinion of
BlueSide’s Xbox360 Hack-N’-Slash, but viewing the title with
realistic eyes allows a much more persuasive argument. Fitting
snugly alongside genre stable-mate Too Human, Kingdom
Under Fire: Circle of Doom featured a much greater wealth of
character customisation, randomly generated arenas, a more
favourable difficulty curve and a four-player Co-Operative Mode
which somehow managed to escape Silicon Knight’s budget-hungry beast
entirely. The title is simply more playable than any of the
competition currently available on Current-Generation systems, and
while it may not feature the pizzazz of modern Scrolling
Beat-‘Em-Ups such as Devil May Cry 4 or Ninja Gaiden II,
it’s certainly a more social breed.
Frontlines: Fuel of War (Xbox360, PC)
Frontlines: Fuel of War is a game that was perhaps always
destined to be in second place. Developed by Kaos Studios – the
amateur
team turned-pro overnight thanks to a hugely popular Battlefield
1942 Mod – the game is based on the tug-of-war style of
First-Person Shooter gameplay made famous by Swedish development
studio DICE ’s aforementioned series. A fairly short but very sweet
Single-Player Campaign not only established the player’s tactical
options and objectives, but provided enough variety in it’s
scenarios for players to devise their own tactical set-ups for each
weapon and strategic position.
The online play was of course the big attraction, and was nearly
flawless. The initial thirty-two player matches reportedly upped to
fifty in time for launch (though it must be said, no members of the
Electronic Theatre team have ever managed to experience such
a population) and the ability to easily tweak the finest details of
match set-ups allow players to be inventive. Online games
are stable and relatively trouble-free, and finding players of equal
skill level is a breeze. Frontlines: Fuel of War may
come in second place to the series that inspired it in most gamers’
hearts, but it’s a game that’s hard to deny a second look.
Devil May Cry 4 (PLAYSTATION3, Xbox360)
Just managing to keep the PlayStation Portable’s fantastic
Patapon out of the race, Capcom’s highly-anticipated Devil
May Cry 4 finally arrived on European shores in February 2008,
simultaneously on Xbox360 and PLAYSTATION3. Continuing the
fabulously stylish traditions of the series, the game introduces
Nero, Dante’s younger sibling. With Nero also
being a son of Sparda, he has the benefit of being hard-as-nails,
and brings with him a new feature that affects gameplay greatly; his
Devil Bringer arm. The first half of the game sees the player
becoming accustomed to the new boy, before giving way to our
favourite white haired demon-slayer protagonist, Dante.
The combat is as frenetic as can be when
the action heats-up, but there’s still room for the odd moment of
mental taxation to provide respite from the clanging of
metal-on-metal. Devil May Cry 4 may have a lot of competition
on the Current-Generation, but it’s certainly a series that’s back
on top form.
Best of February 2008:
No More Heroes (Wii)
Having already played a part in Electronic Theatre’s
Unsung Heroes feature series, you’d be forgiven for
predicting No More Heroes entrance into The Twelve
Games of Christmas. The truth of the matter is, at present at
least, there are few third-party
 releases
that have managed to create such a welcoming “traditional” videogame
successfully utilising Wii’s unique hardware capabilities. The
adult-orientated flavouring offers another niche not commonly
catered for on Wii, and the Twin Peaks inspired wit will
confound as many as it breaks into tears of laughter.
No More Heroes offers yet another surreal world from the mind
of Suda51, and along with Killer7 and Flower, Sun & Rain,
it may not be to everyone’s tastes. But for the Wii owning Hardcore
Gamers, there are few better alternatives. |
