Dungeons and Dragons: Fourth Edition Review

The Fourth Edition of Dungeons and Dragons has sparked a form of controversy among fans of the RPG. Many believe that the system is far too simple and dilutes the game for new-comers. An almost equal amount of player say that the system is more enjoyable to play because it doesn't take too long to set-up a game, these people are new to the game.

Let me explain: Dungeons and Dragons is meant to be complicated, as one of the RPG's that truly defined the way table-top games are played, and possibly the only RPG that anyone not applying to the culture's way of life has heard of, this game is meant to set the benchmark for the next generation of table-top games. By dumbing down this RPG Wizard's have made one of the stupidest mistakes in the history of the company, in dumbing down a Dungeons and Dragons game they have effectively dumbed down every western table-top RPG for the next 5 or so years. However, we aren't here to talk about that, we're here to talk about Fourth Edition as a stand-alone product and as a stand-alone product Fourth Edition is... alright.

The game utilises a D20 system similar to that of previous Dungeons and Dragons games although to say that it's anywhere near as polished as it's predecessors would be a lie. The focus this time around has been put entirely on combat (proof of this can be found in the fact that every character in the game can now use a healing surge in order to keep fighting) and as a consequence of this everything else has suffered.

RPing (role-playing to the less informed among you) may as well no longer exist as each character created tends to end up with exactly the same set of statistics as every other character in the party it has become difficult for players to craft interesting or quirky personas for their characters. The creation of scenarios for player’s to approach has been diluted and turned into a more “place x amount of creatures at point y” type of creation. And when it comes down to it, the system is sub-standard, repetitive and ultimately pointless.

In conclusion, Fourth Edition would be fine, if it wasn't DnD as it stands this is by far the series' most pathetic offering to date and any-one wanting to play a real RPG would be far better off getting 3.5.

4/10

Fallout 3 Review

Fallout 3 is Bethseda's (the creators behind Oblivion and the rest of The Elder Scrolls series) attempt to revive the cult classic Fallout series. In Fallout 1 and 2 we as gamers were given a turn-based RPG based in a post-apocalyptic wasteland. I loved the original games' setting and atmosphere, although the gameplay never struck a chord with the trigger-happy child within me. Fallout 3 fixes this.

I'm going to say this at the beginning of the review, simply to get it out of the way: Fallout 3 is a masterpiece. Every single thing that Bethseda have attempt is polished to perfection, bar nothing.

However, with that said, fans of Fallout and Fallout 2 will hate this game. Where the first two games used an intricate turn-based style of combat, Fallout 3 uses a more hands on approach, with the option to use the VATs system for automated targeting. This method of combat works exceptionally well and will draw many new fans to the series; however the price for this is large. Old fans will feel alienated by this combat system.

The plot of Fallout unfolds in a fairly straight-forward easy to manage way, provides some interesting character development and wraps itself up with a slightly disappointing plot hole but that's not the point. Fallout is, and always has been, a comedy. Whilst extremely bleak in nature Fallout 3 is the funniest game to come out since the original games. Yes, that does include Portal.

Sound and visuals are, as per usual for a Bethseda project, suitably epic, harrowing or hilarious and voice acting has progressed from the scarily similar voicing of every character in Oblivion. So all in all, Fallout 3 is a masterpiece and whilst it my not hold the same allure to fans of the series as the first two games do, it is by far the best game to have come out of 2008.

9/10

Ice Age 2 Review

Many a Sunday passes completely uneventfully for me. I'm not religious so I don't have to worship an abstract concept in a cold, dank building, I have no real “job” and my sixth-form, like most sixth-forms, is closed on Sundays and for some reason my friend's always seem to be trapped in horrid “family time” situations on Sundays. In fact most Sundays I simply end up lying on the couch flicking through all the crap available to me.

This Sunday I stumbled across Ice Age 2 whilst channel hopping. I contemplated my unrequited love for the first film, childish and lovable in it's nature, thoroughly enjoyable in it's intricacies. I pondered the need, or reasoning behind a sequel. I pressed the “OK” button. I'm an idiot.

Ice Age 2's plot returns to our heroes from the first film, Manny the mammoth, Sid the sloth, Diego the smilodon and the weird little squirrel thing, and introduces some new characters, Ellie the mammoth, and the opossums, Crash and Eddie. Whilst the older characters do retain some of the depth of characterisation created in the first film, the new additions to the cast of Ice Age are uninteresting and unfunny caricatures of every animated character seen in the last ten years. In an attempt to make these characters seem appealing to children, the writers have only succeeded in creating almost terrifyingly unrealistic personifications of “hip” or “cool” attitudes and destroyed the reason all animated movies exist in the first place, the ability to charm. To put it in simpler terms, it's like when Michael Jackson became white, without the child molestation.

Anyway, to return to the plot, it centres around the end of the Ice Age and Manny's romance with Ellie, whilst providing the ever-present “squirrel wants nut” gag which made the first film so quickly recognisable. Unfortunately this plot never flourishes into anything special, meaningful or touching like the first film did and ultimately fails to provide the numerous jokes that made Ice Age.

Animation and voice acting is superb throughout the film, with each cast member giving their utmost to bring the animation to life and each animator giving their utmost to bring the acting to life. The result is a pleasing mixture of sound and visual which almost makes up for the flaws in the script. Almost.

Overall, Ice Age 2 is an enjoyable film which, whilst failing to capitalise upon the originals sense of fun and meaning, provides enjoyment for all the family throughout it's running time.

7/10

Mirror's Edge Review

I was looking forward to Mirror's Edge. I was looking forward to Mirror's Edge more than anything else released in the piss poor year of gaming known as 2008. I was looking forward to Mirror's Edge so much that the cosmos reached out and made it suck. We were promised an admittedly short, but utterly action packed innovative blast of a game which would question our very perception of movement. Shame they forgot to make it fun.

By now you can probably tell that I'm not too fond of Mirror's Edge, well there's one very simple reason for this: Mirror's Edge is NOT a video game! It may look like one, but it isn't. Mirror's Edge is a glorified tech demo.

Everything that was promised, bar the “game” bit, is delivered upon. It's exceptionally interesting to move around as Faith and experiment with different ways of viewing the city, of course it would probably be more interesting if it wasn't obvious that there is a pre-set path through each level with only slight variations upon the route being even vaguely plausible. Also, note my use of the word interesting because that's all this tech demo is. It sure as hell isn't fun. (Note the use of the phrase “tech demo” as a replacement for “game”.) You'd be forgiven for thinking that the city in which Faith resides had been built for free-runners. Nothing within it seems to be built in any logical way. Name one city which has ever had spring boards on the roof of skyscrapers. Apart from New York during the wall street crash.

Story-wise Mirror's Edge follows Faith as she tries desperately to prove her sisters innocence to the government who most probably set her up (if you don't see the immediate and MASSIVE plot hole then you need to leave. Now). The plot is told through the use of appalling animation, doesn't really progress beyond the inevitable ad quite frankly hasn't even been thought about by the game's writer. He probably thought the rest of the team were playing an elaborate practical joke and getting him to write dialogue for a tech demo.

So overall Mirror's Edge pisses me off. It's a tech demo and it could have been so much more, don't buy it, don't even rent it. In fact if you really must play this then you should just play the demo over and over again until you look like a hardened World of Warcraft player, a twat as they're more commonly referred to as.

4/10