You play as Darius Mason and, after unwittingly unleashing Armageddon upon mars, must then try to stop it.
If you played Red Faction Guerrilla, you may be pleased or angered to find out that the open world has been done away with in favor of a more linear story line. Gone are the missions that pop up all over the map for you to complete (or not) when you felt like it. Players who are new to the franchise will not miss the open world because the story and missions leave little room for improvement.

The camera gets a little closer than the original so the field of view gets a little smaller, but most of the game takes place in tight spaces underground and there are not many of the vistas that veterans are used to. I have to admit, I miss being able to drive a vehicle strapped with explosives into a building then watching the structure crumble as I stroll away. However, there are plenty of booms and bangs in Armageddon to satiate even the most egregious appetite for destruction.

There are plenty of varied and interesting enemies as well as many ways to kill them. You will find large scale battles against relentless creatures are common place. All of the weapons feel good to use, and true to Red Faction style, they are destructive and a blast to use. The hammer, of course is still second to none when you just feel like bashing some heads in. The magnet gun will surly gain a lot of attention as it is the one of the most amazing weapons in any game. It’s similar to the slime tether in Ghost Busters, if you have played that. Basically you shoot two objects and they are drawn into one another with force equal to the distance that they are apart. It is fun to just fire it randomly at things in the environment and watch as chaos takes hold. This is made especially satisfying when you consider that most of the environment is destructible.

Darius wears the legendary Nano Forge on his arm and can use it to destroy baddies and structures in various ways as well as repair anything that has been destroyed. This helps greatly when you need back that cover that you just blew away or when you need a bridge that some ill meaning creature just took out from under you.
A real plus for Red Faction has always been its ability to prevent players from getting themselves stuck or lost. Tapping the select button will grant you a well plotted path to follow to your next destination. I prefer this to the far off way points with no way of knowing how the heck you are supposed to get there.

All of the collectables are similarly well marked making them hard to miss, even if you are trying.

As a sequel, it does what it is supposed to do and gives the graphics a nice upgrade. As a standalone title, it holds up nicely with most of the field and leaves the rest behind.

As you make your way through the tunnels you will come across bits of salvage that you can use for upgrades to your character. The upgrades are costly but they do carry over between the game types and can be quite powerful. The shockwave rocks really rocks my socks off.

The story plays a big part in Armageddon, and is sufficiently science fiction to keep a geek like me interested. Granted, it’s really all about blowing things into tiny pieces but the story adds some nice depth.
I know the veterans out there will be disappointed by some of the changes, but I want to assure them that Armageddon has managed to retain the magic that took most people by surprise. In spite of the changes Armageddon still feels like Red Faction through and through. Sure, you will miss some aspects of Guerrilla but the core is the same. Once you get that hammer in your hand and start messing some fools up, you will feel like you are home again. For newbie’s that means it’s good.

The biggest problem I have with the game is the lack of competitive multiplayer. With all of the cool weapons and abilities, I find myself longing to wreak havoc on some online friends and foes. THQ did add their version of a hoard mode in the form of a mode they call Infestation.

On the surface, infestation is your run of the mill hoard mode but with the added benefit of it being the Red Faction style, bringing in environments that you can destroy or rebuild to your liking, and the variety of enemies from the single player. It can get pretty intense so only the bravest will go it alone. I played on the easiest difficulty and still got my rear end handed to me on the higher levels. On the plus side, two or more players can really do some damage. The fun in this game type is when there are so many sweet explosions and body parts flying around that you can’t tell which way is up. The drawback is that it only serves to deepen the craving for a competitive multiplayer.

The other mode that will take up your time is the Ruin mode, available via a download. This is a mode that is all about destroying things in the best way possible. You can choose from a variety of weapons that go “boom” and play against the clock in challenge mode trying to get a high score or just roam around in free play if you are really in need of a destruction fix. There are different bonuses in challenge mode that all out to get that score up, and a leader board so you can see how much better you are that your friends. Ruin mode can be fun but in the end, the only thing you have is some bragging rights. For some, that may be just fine, but others probably won’t see the need to put a lot of time in it.

Once again, a Red Faction title has dropped right in the middle of a year packed with blockbuster titles and has shaken up my preconceived notions about what was going to be my favorite game. The characters and places are different, but Armageddon manages to do improve upon the core in a way that feels familiar but also new and inviting. Veterans will not be able to deny the heritage and new comers will feel like they belong. On the negative side, there will be those who take issue with the point to point story line and because of the length of the game it can seem a bit repetitive at times. However, as a fan boy who was nervous about the changes, I can honestly say I thought this ended up being a near perfect game. The lack of a competitive multiplayer mode really hurts the game as a whole but the rest of the experience was extremely rewarding.

Visually the game really has no comparison. It looks just as good as franchises for Forza, Need For Speed, Test Drive just to name a few. The car models are detailed and crisp and mimic their real life counterparts in not only visuals, but also in physics and performance. The environments in the game are lavish and detailed with many small nuances like fans running across the track as you are speeding down a portion of a rally run. I never understood why people do that. I think I would definitely want to be in the safest position possible when these guys go barreling by at 100+ mph. The water and weather effects are second to none and you have to experience the game with the in car camera at least once to get a real feel of what this game has to offer when it comes to realism. The only thing I wasn’t real pleased with was the menu navigation in the DiRT Tour game mode and the funky triangles.

The sounds in the game are practically perfect when it comes to car sounds, crowd ambience and your co-driver navigating you through each stage and you can change your co-driver’s voice as well. What was disappointing though was the soundtrack in my opinion. I realize that the rally racing world has a lot of European influence which is evident in the song tracks that have been chosen for the game but I needed some good hard rock that I think would fit the atmosphere just as well. I also didn’t care much for all the extra dialogue during the DiRT Tour mode from your team members. Just give me my navigator and let me hit the track. Keep your comments to yourself because I really don’t need to be told how good I am over and over.   But let’s get into what truly makes DiRT 3 special and that’s the game modes along with the different multiplayer options. The gameplay alone in DiRT is matched by no other offroad racer. The closest think that even would come close would be the old school Rallisport Challenge on the original Xbox. For those that don’t know, DiRT originates from the Colin McRae series that resided in systems for years. After the passing of Colin McRae the franchise took on a new face in Ken Block but it still pays plenty of tribute to the great one of Rally Racing, Colin. Rally racing is known for its petal to the medal mentality and takes you across the world most treacherous terrains and roads. There are a variety of race types and car disciplines at your disposal in DiRT 3 and the introduction of Gymkhana which has taken the rally world by storm.

When it comes to game modes, you’ll have the DiRT Tour, Single Player and Multiplayer options. In the Single Player you’ll mainly be racing Time Trials. Set your best times by racing alone or against a ghost across any track stage you want. This is where I spend a lot of my time when not playing the DiRT Tour but I have to say that I love the online play and that’s where most of my time will be spent once done with the DiRT Tour. I love always trying to better that time by a few seconds and for the most part it’s always possible to do.

The DiRT Tour allows you to play through 4 seasons in various world tours as well as have access to the Compound which is labeled as a driver’s nirvana to sharpen your skills or simply cut loose and have some fun. You’ll also have Gymkhana events as well as the X-Games to compete in. For those that do not know, Gymkhana is the newest racing discipline that consists of trick driving whether its drifting, doing donuts, performing jumps and other various skills. The multiplayer session takes you online against the world in multiple game modes including your standard time trials racing. You can choose to race as ghosts meaning there are no collisions or you can have collisions on which means you can expect plenty of bumping wrecking in those pesky turns. Multiplayer also allows you to race in Split Screen mode as well as System Link. What really cool about the online is that you can not only earn Fans for your online ranking, but you’ll also earn Rep points for your overall single player ranking which unlocks new liveries and what not. For me personally, I love the single player in the game to sit back and relax but the game really shines in multiplayer and you really get to see what kind of skills you really have. It’s a whole new world online when you see the ghosts of other players zooming past you when you think you are doing great. What is really cool about the ghosts are when you are not in danger of collision they will actually appear solid.   The different types of online modes are the typical race disciplines that you’ll find in the single player portion and DiRT Tour modes. Rally, Trailblazer, Rallycross, among others are at your disposal. When joining a ranked room the room will automatically choose the race discipline and car discipline. You’ll have a chance to veto that and majority rules. You can also jump into Free Ride sessions with a party or some friends. Be on the lookout because there are hidden packages to be found and some are not so easy to reach. If you join a pro tour session you’ll race ranked matches, if you decide to start or join a Jam Session then you are in it to have fun. Similar to player matches and you won’t earn Fame or Fans. Both sessions allow for up to 8 players, and you can even take a team of 4 into Ranked matches.

The variety in cars is decent but I do wish there were more. I am sure more will come via DLC along with new tracks and challenges. You’ll have cars from the 60’s all the way to modern day and there are plenty of liveries as well to be unlocked. There are certain level thresholds that you need to attain in order to unlock things and they are visible in your garage or in the car select screen before a race.

The My Dirt item on the navigation menu lets you check out your garage, stats, news and even view DLC available. There is definitely plenty to do in DiRT 3 and if you like the sport of rally, then you’ll love this game with all of its variety. Even if you are a rookie to the series or just aren’t really good at racing games there are plenty of assists you can turn on to help you succeed. Even for the Gymkhana events. Oh one thing I do need to mention is the use of YouTube in the game. What an awesome idea. Now unfortunately you’ll only be able to record 30 second clips and not entire races, but you can pick out the best section and upload the clip to your YouTube account. How cool is that? I do wish they would have included Twitter and Facebook support as well, but I guess you just have to post a link to your YouTube account.   The only real issue I had with the game is that damage seems to have taken a back seat to the sport of rally racing in video games. In the older games you used to have to fix your vehicle after each stage if you wrecked it. But now that is nonexistent. Oh, you’ll take damage and you can even retire from a race with terminal damage, but the new Flashback system really takes damage out of the question because you can now rewind a race and try a section over again that you screwed up. I think the Flashback system is great and all; I am just sorry it seems to really have dampened the damage aspect of rally racing. I guess it’s a catch 22 really. The other problem I had with the game was the navigation system and all the triangle/pyramids. Not sure what the focus is on this shape, but frankly after a while I was sick of looking at triangles.

Overall though, DiRT 3 is the very best rally racing simulation you can find. Nothing can come close to the quality of the gameplay as well as the visuals themselves barring the little triangles. Plenty of game modes and lots of people online will definitely keep you busy for quite some time playing this game. Fans of the DiRT and Grid series should definitely not be surprised at all that DiRT 2 is the cream of the crop but for those that may try the series for the first time you are in for a treat. DiRT 3 is solid in almost every aspect and delivers a pure rally racing experience that casual and hardcore fans can enjoy. The use of YouTube and the online play only elevate the replay value of this game. If you enjoy racing games, then put this one in your library.

But before we get carried away, we also have to mention that L.A. Noire is flawed. Some of its gameplay elements are successful, but others much less so, and it is a game that is destined to infuriate and disappoint almost as frequently as it amazes. For a game that sits at the cutting edge of games design and development, L.A. Noire is not always as sharp as it looks.

There are some preconceptions you might want to rid yourself of before you start. For one, L.A. Noire is not a period take on the open-world crime genre. In fact, it owes more to Fahrenheit/Indigo Prophecy, Heavy Rain, the old-school graphic adventure and the fiction of James Ellroy and Raymond Chandler, not to mention Polanski’s Chinatown, than it does GTA4 and Red Dead Redemption. Sure, you can spend hours driving around a stunning recreation of late-1940s Los Angeles, gazing at the scenery and seeing all the sights. True, there are side-missions, gun battles, car chases and fist-fights to be enjoyed. At heart, however, L.A. Noire is a fairly linear, dialogue-driven adventure game with the focus firmly on investigating crime scenes, discovering clues and interrogating suspects. It’s not anywhere near as action-oriented as some of the hype and marketing had made it seem.

In fact, the meat of the game lies in two basic activities: investigation and interview/interrogation. In the former, you pace around crime scenes and other key locations, searching for key bits of evidence with the aid of simple visual, musical and controller rumble cues. These let you know when you’re on to something, or when you’ve seen everything that needs to be seen. It’s all handled with the maximum of physical interaction and the minimum of distancing interface. Cole moves around in third person, and the view shifts to first-person when you have something to examine. Before your eyes, Cole reaches inside jackets to check the pockets and picks up the forearms of corpses to examine the wrists and hands, and you can use the left analogue stick to twist and turn objects until a rumble and a zoom indicate that there’s something that needs more attention. Forget Phoenix Wright, CSI and the rest; no game has ever modelled the practical business of old-school crime scene investigation as well as this.

With some evidence in hand, you can talk to witnesses, family and friends and suspects, and here is where the game’s major technical advance comes in. As you’ve probably read in the papers or the lifestyle mags, all L.A. Noire’s performances are motion captured using Depth Analysis’s advanced MotionScan process, which captures facial movements from the actors from every angle, and maps it onto a lifelike digital model.

This makes a difference, not just to how the game looks, but to how the game plays. Open up an interview with a question, and the character answers. By reading their expressions and combining your impressions with the clues you’ve gathered and the information gleaned from other witnesses, you can decide whether they’re telling the truth, glossing over the facts or outright lying. You then press the appropriate button to continue questioning in that line. Your interviewee will respond in turn, and at this point you can challenge them with compelling evidence or related facts. To be honest, your success or failure to make the right call won’t always (or even often) result in a cracked or blown case, but the right answers will make the difference between getting the whole story or a partial version of events, and affect how fast you level up and the intuition points you gain.

Let’s be clear: the motion capture works brilliantly. While the body movements (apparently recorded separately) can look stiff, the facial performances are amazing. We’ve not quite exited the uncanny valley, but we’re definitely heading further up the path leading out. It’s also a real thrill when you know you’re on the right track, or when you reach instinctively for the piece of evidence that will nail a lie or break your interviewee’s defences. L.A. Noire goes places with detection and character interaction that even Mass Effect 2 or Heavy Rain haven’t reached.

The problem is that the interrogation system is both weirdly strict and slightly confusing. With three options – Truth, Doubt and Lie – it’s not always apparent when to merely express your concerns or accuse your interviewee of telling fibs. Pick doubt at the wrong time and you’ve lost your man. Pick Lie, and Cole can go crazy, accusing your interviewee of murder and shutting the interview down before you’ve really had a chance to gather facts. On top of this, you have to pin lies with the right piece of evidence, and while you might think that one item casts reasonable doubt on a suspect’s claims, the game might have other ideas. If so, it’s tough. You’ve lost your question. Your scorecard has been marked. For a game that revels in the grey areas and ambiguities of police work, L.A. Noire is incredibly black-and-white about how it scores.

On top of this, there is a sense that for all the open-world nature of the game, it’s actually very linear, and that events will work themselves out almost no matter what you do. Blow your interrogation or don’t move fast enough to apprehend a suspect, and some deus ex machina will still appear to ensure their arrest or sudden end. While Heavy Rain made you feel that your choices transformed the line the story took, in L.A. Noire the path was laid out long ago. For all the free-roaming, there’s not much you can do beyond following the plot from place to place, pausing occasionally to intervene in one of the street crime action sequences that crop up on your radio from time to time.

And while we’re moaning, we ought to mention that the street crimes – and indeed the non-optional action scenes which punctuate your investigations – can feel bolted on, and not always that well executed. After an hour of realistic searching through the grimy underbelly of LA, it’s a bit of a shock to find yourself playing a slightly amateurish, 40s take on Gears of War, with predictable cover shooting and sometimes silly quantities of gangster foes. Chase sequences on the streets and rooftops fare better, thanks to some very simple Assassin’s Creed-style platforming, but it does blow the illusion of the game when the porky businessman you were chatting to minutes earlier suddenly develops the fence-leaping, gutter-climbing skills of a 20-something ninja. Fisticuffs, meanwhile, is mildly diverting, but no more.

Even the car chases are only half-decent, spoilt by dull handling and a general lack of speed, while poor navigation aids and a dubious mini-map make driving around the city a bit of a chore (luckily, you can always ask a partner to do the driving gruntwork for you). Basically, you’ve seen all this stuff done better before, not least in Rockstar’s own GTA4 or Red Dead Redemption. What’s more, it’s guaranteed to frustrate the non-hardcore gamers who might otherwise find L.A. Noire a revelation.

They’ll find it so – and ignore many of these issues – because the overall experience is so compelling. The graphics, helped by sumptuous period detail and a cinephile’s eye for lighting and framing, are consistently dazzling, The soundtrack is hugely atmospheric, packed as it is with jazzy background sounds, authentic Noir incidental music and sweeping themes in the style of Chinatown and LA Confidential. The dialogue is, for the most part, brilliant, with performances from a range of recognisable faces to match. If you’ve watched TV in the last 5 years, then you’ll see faces you’ll know all the time – look, there’s the chubby, mind-reading cop from out of Heroes! We don’t know how much Rockstar spent on this thing, but every last dollar is up there on the screen.

Most of all, it’s a world and a story that you’ll find yourself sucked into, as sure as Cole himself gets trapped in the filth and corruption beneath the money and glamour of LA. At first L.A. Noire can seem slow, with flashbacks and interludes that seem irrelevant to the main story. Give it time, however, and the cases begin to connect, big themes fade in and fade out of the story and the various strands tie in to make an overall sense. This is the stuff of pulp fiction, not literature, but it’s moody, gripping and sometimes quite affecting, just like the movies and the fiction that inspired it. L.A. Noire is also a big game, with a good 20 hours or more of play, and it is rarely boring or predictable. In fact, it’s the kind of game where you’ll find yourself at 2am thinking “maybe, just one more case” because you’ll want to find out what happens next.

In the end, it is the atmosphere and the storytelling, more than the somewhat flawed gameplay, that make L.A. Noire so unmissable. Like Heavy Rain before it, it’s a game that shoots for the moon and falls slightly short, but where the fact that it aims so high and gets so close is amazing in and of itself. Fans of action and free-wheeling, free-roaming adventure need not apply, but this is a gritty, beautifully-realised game of detection, mystery and murder, and a pointer towards where games might one day head as they go more mainstream. Normally we use phrases like “interactive TV” or “interactive cinema” as a negative. With L.A. Noire, it’s the very highest complement.

But no matter what your opinion is, you can’t deny that there is definitely something sublime about the different environments. In the jungle, the swaying branches are gently pushed by the breeze. Later, high up in the mountains, the snowflakes whirl in the wind, contrasting with the suffocating atmosphere of the Underworld. A true achievement visually speaking, no less, all sublimed by the excellent 60 fps animation that will remind you of 2D classics like Prince of Persia, Another World, or of course Flashback.

As you can imagine, if such references come to mind, it is because Outland is above all a platform game and that it follows in their footsteps when it comes to the old school feel of the game. Your skills will clearly be put to the test as timing and precision will be of paramount importance here. But platform games are not the only source of inspiration, far from it. It might sound surprising but the famous Ikaruga, a shoot’em up released on Dreamcast back in 2002, has also left its mark on Outland. Considering that Housemarque also released Super Stardust HD, which also happens to be a shoot’em up, it makes sense. Ikaruga’s gameplay was based on the fact that you could switch between colors to avoid being hit by your enemies’ attacks and take them down. When being shot at with red projectiles, you simply had to switch to red to be safe.

Outland uses the same gimmick, as the hero can use two types of spirits (light and dark) to deal with his enemies and all the traps he encounters. When using the light spirit, you become immune to light spirit shots, but not to enemies themselves, so remember to stay away from them. The same goes with red spirit, obviously. When encountering a light spirit enemy, you must switch to red spirit in order to take him down, or else you won’t be able to do him any harm. The two powers also allow the player to activate certain mechanisms, like moving platforms for instance. You think that switching from one spirit to another between leaps is as easy as on the videos illustrating the article, but believe me, it gets a lot tougher than that very quickly.

Another family tie you can find in Outland is clearly the Metroid series. Indeed, just like in Nintendo’s franchise, the main character gains access to new abilities as he progresses, which allows him to reach new areas, but also to have more ways to defeat his foes. You will first learn how to slide, which can either serve as an attack or as a way to crawl into tiny passageways. Then you will learn some kind of vertical attack that can be used to destroy fragile soils. A beam of light will also be given to you later, among other things. As backtracking is also possible, you may be tempted to come back to former areas where you left some bonuses (health or power upgrades, collectibles such as the marks of the Gods – 42 of them are to be found), just for the fun of it.

Those of you who are old enough to remember Rick Dangerous know how terribly difficult and unforgiving platformers were back in the days. Though challenge does not reach such heights in Outland, it is nonetheless far from being a walk in the park. To overcome the numerous traps that will stand in your way, precision and calm will be required. Even so, there will be times when you will die and retry more than once, making you wish the last checkpoint was closer. Checkpoints are reasonably frequent though, so again, frustration is rarely around the corner when playing Outland.

Quite logically, the most difficult situations will be some of the boss fights, which require good reflexes and a bit of patience not to rush things out. And it is not always an easy thing to do when a giant spider starts firing hundreds of red and blue projectiles at you and you don’t know what to do. Another example is the confrontation against the winged serpent, which starts with a chase sequence in which you are the prey for a few minutes, and continues on his back until you manage to kill it. No checkpoints during these sequences, so failing means you have to start over. Again, just like in the old days. When you have to switch spirits while jumping from one platform to another, avoiding the boss’s attacks in the process and trying to hit him/her when possible, you’re happy to have a few skills on your own. If you do have any that is.

Outland also allows two friends to play the game online, which really is like the icing on a delicious cake. You can of course decide to share the experience of the main story and help each other to complete the game. Moreover, Co-op challenges can be found throughout the different levels and you will obviously need someone in order to complete them. Once discovered, you can even select them when hosting a game instead of having to play the story mode. Co-op challenges are obviously based on cooperation between players and need to be completed in a certain amount of time. An arcade mode is also available but it is merely a race against the clock in sections taken from the story mode. Time related game modes are of course more or less difficult depending on who you choose to play with.

By the way, choosing your partner wisely is more important than it looks. Indeed, contrary to most co-op games where reviving your teammate does not require any kind of sacrifice, Outland forces you to give up one of your health squares (well, actually hearts), provided you have more than one left that is. Team play comes with a price then so the question is, are you the type to share? In arcade mode and in the co-op challenges, playing with an awkward friend will also make you lose some precious time, especially if you’ve left him far behind. All in all, the two player mode is a welcome addition to the single player content as it’s always nice to be able to choose whether you want to play solo or not.

Once again, Xbox Live Arcade and Playstation Network are about to welcome an excellent title that could easily compete with some of the games that are sold at full price in the shops, no less. For only 800 Microsoft points or $9.99, Outland combines enchanting visuals with very polished gameplay. Alone or with a friend, it should take you between 8 to 10 hours of fun to complete the game. If you like a good challenge but hate it when it gets too frustrating, then Outland is definitely for you. Whether you buy it out of nostalgia or for the pleasure of discovering what good old platformers were like, there certainly is a good reason for you to yield to its call. Among all the other games on the market, Outland is really worth its price, and more importantly, it is worth your while. You won’t regret it.

Mortal Kombat is one of those franchises that was legendary on a 2D plane, but struggled when it attempted to make the leap to the 3D realm. While many people did in fact enjoy the 3D Mortal Kombat titles like Deadly Alliance, Deception, and Armageddon, there was always a feeling that it didn’t quite belong in that dimensional view. Unfortunately, Mortal Kombat has thus far only seen one current generation release, and even then, it was a crossover title with DC Universe rather than an actual Mortal Kombat game. It utilized 3D style graphics and gameplay, as the previous generation’s trilogy did to very mixed results.

When Capcom decided to revitalize the Street Fighter franchise less than six months later with Street Fighter IV, it didn’t just show that there was still a market for solid 2D fighting games; it ignited the fighting game revolution. The mechanics Capcom implemented Street Fighter IV and Super Street Fighter IV (e.g. focus attack dash cancels, two ultra combos and EX specials) revealed the flaws and antiquity that existed in Mortal Kombat‘s 3D fighting mechanics, and series creator, Ed Boon decided it was time to do something about it.

For starters, the game looks absolutely gorgeous. Mortal Kombat combines the old-school look fans want with the graphics of the current generation. The animations are very smooth, and everything, from the blood that flows like water to the fracturing skeletal structures of the combatants, just looks really polished. There’s also a lot of action going on in the background, which really makes the environment have that organic feeling. Even as the fights go on, you’ll notice that damage appears in realtime on the fighters, which really gives the visuals a nice touch. It’s actually quite easy to make the claim that Mortal Kombat is one of the best looking fighters I’ve ever seen.

The new fighting system, which designers at the recently founded NetherRealm studio have put into place is incredibly solid and just all-around fun. The characters are fairly balanced and the overall feel of the system is that of a true successor to the Mortal Kombats of old. Mortal Kombat really takes to the new 2D fighting system and implements it as successfully as Street Fighter did back in 2009.

Gameplay in Mortal Kombat is not just about solid fighting mechanics, however. This time around, the gory fighter has a few tricks up its sleeve. In possibly taking a page from its longtime rival franchise,Mortal Kombat has decided to further develop its take on the “Hyper Combo.” Instead of enormously over-the-top combinations that send opponents flying like I saw in Marvel vs. Capcom 3, Mortal Kombatuses a very intuitive meter system that grants different abilities based on the levels you reach. Nearly every action fills up the meter from the punishment you doll out or receive.

The concept is not unlike what I’ve seen in other fighters. When the meter reaches level one, the player can execute “Enhanced Moves,” which are simply more powerful versions of the character’s existing special moves. When the meter reaches level two, the player can execute a powerful Combo Breaker by simply blocking and pressing forward while his or her opponent is executing a combo. Most players will want to wait until they fill the meter to level three, however, as that will enable the player to access to the devastatingly awesome X-Ray attack system. The X-Ray attacks are executed by pulling both triggers while you are in possession of the full meter. The character will then, in turn, unleash a combo that is, quite literally, bone-crushing.

The awesomely powerful X-Ray attacks are always a pleasure to execute. 

Each character possesses a unique X-Ray move, but I kind of wish there was a bit more variety in the way they could happen. It’s also interesting to note that the X-Ray moves have no bearing on the way the receiving character performs for the remainder of the round, let alone the fight. While I didn’t expect the moves to have any effect aside from the devastating damage they do, it’s slightly strange to literally watch someone’s leg or skull get shattered, and then they continue to fight unhindered. I can’t get too mad at the lack of realism, however, as the title I’m discussing here is a game that features robot ninjas ripping the limbs off of 2,000 year old human-dragon hybrids.

While the fighting itself is incredibly entertaining, the tale that Mortal Kombat ultimately tells is one of robust features. In addition to the online fighting and the typical fight ladders that I’ve played through since the series inception, there is literally the potential to get lost for tens of hours in the other modes.

The story mode is where you’ll likely want to start, particularly if you’re a fan of the franchise’s storyline. Story mode takes players on a cinematic journey through the first three Mortal Kombat titles. While players who are less familiar with the overall franchise story arc may find themselves a bit lost at times, the storytelling is the best I’ve ever seen in any fighting game. The story does a good job of not taking itself too seriously, throwing in some incredibly cheesy one-liners from the likes of Johnny Cage, but not to the point that the story becomes a parody of itself.

Make no mistake about it, the story mode is difficult. Those that aren’t the best at fighting games may struggle at certain boss fights even on “beginner” mode, which can prove to be very frustrating. Through trial and error, however, most players will be able to plow their way through the mode as long as they can avoid trashing their controller in frustration. Obviously, the length of story mode will vary based on the skill level of the player and the difficulty level the game is being played on, but players can expect it to last anywhere from 4 to 10 hours, which is remarkable for a fighting game.

Unfortunately, there isn’t much replay value to the story mode as the cinematics don’t change and the outcomes will always remain the same. Luckily for players that aren’t just planning on making this a weekend rental, NetherRealm Studios has decided to include the most feature-rich mode I’ve seen in any fighter ever: the Challenge Tower. The Challenge Tower is a ladder mode that will see players going up against various challenges that range from endurance fights against multiple characters to fights that see both characters without their limbs. Challenges from other modes, such as “Test Your Luck,” “Test Your Might,” “Test Your Strike,” and “Test Your Sight,” make their way into the tower as well. All in all, Mortal Kombat‘s Challenge Tower is an enormous, time-consuming mode that brings diverse challenges and the potential to last from 10 to 15 hours. The only issue I found with this mode is the fact that sometimes the “challenges” end up being little more than veiled tutorials for the various characters you assume control of.

Just like every other recent title in the series, with everything you do throughout Mortal Kombat,  you’ll earn koins that can be spent to unlock items in The Krypt. The Krypt in this game is simply enormous. There are various sections that are navigable and interactive, and progress can be tracked based on completion per section. The items that are unlockable can be a little lackluster at times, but players interested in the background of the game will find many pieces of concept art and behind-the-scenes bonus items to enjoy.

Challenge Tower levels like “Armless Kombat” make for some intriguing moments 

Mortal Kombat is easily one of the most violent, gory and brutal games ever released onto home consoles, but that does not mean the game’s success hinges on that gimmick in any way. Instead,Mortal Kombat takes an incredibly well-constructed fighting system and places it in the middle of the most feature-rich infrastructure  I’ve ever seen in the genre. Mortal Kombat is more than a return to form for the legendary and controversial fighting franchise; it’s the setting of the bar for all other games in the genre.

Almost four years after the mind-bending title took gamers by storm, the much anticipated sequel to Portal arrives with expectations to be blown away to the moon.

Valve Software’s return to Aperture Science Labs is easily the year’s most imaginative and engrossing video game, mixing fantastic storytelling with incredible first-person platforming. For those new to Portal, the story features test subject Chell undergoing a battery of challenges at the Aperture Science Labs conducted by GlaDOS, the artificial intelligence running the facility. Using a gun that creates portals, Chell passes each test by escaping the room.

Portal 2 revisits Chell during her stay at the Aperture Science Extended Relaxation Center. Initially, all seems well until she awakens one day to find the facility in shambles. This is where players meet Wheatley, another A.I. computer aiding Chell’s escape. However, they encounter the resurrected GlaDOS, who captures Chell prepared to run another round of challenges. “You should pace yourself,” GlaDOS says during the early stages of testing. “We’ve got a lot of tests to do.” Players will have plenty of tests to tackle, set inside an Aperture facility that’s fallen apart with GlaDOS gone.

Once again, the storytelling and dialogue are top notch. While Wheatley provides some key comic relief, GlaDOS remains the star of the series. She’s got more personality this time around, and she’s quick to point out Chell’s earlier efforts at killing her. After cleaning up a walkway leading to the next test, GlaDOS quips: “Sorry about the mess. I’ve really let the place go since you killed me. By the way, thanks for that.” There are several great lines from GlaDOS reflecting her disdain for Chell. “This next test involves turrets. You remember them, right? They’re the pale, spherical things that are full of bullets. Oh wait, that’s you in five seconds, “GlaDOS says before one test. “Good luck.” Guiding players along is their trusty portal gun as well as other signature items such as the companion cube, which comes in handy when trying to trigger a door sensor, for example.

There are several new items players will spot during their second tour through Aperture, such as Aerial Faith Plates (floor tiles that spring Chell into the air), Thermal Discouragement Beams (lasers) and Propulsion Gel sending players speeding across an environment. With brand new tricks in Valve’s arsenal, players get a much larger set of challenging, diverse tests and platform puzzles to master in Portal 2. For example, some tests will require players to take Propulsion Gel, speed toward a ramp, spring into the air with Repulsion Gel and create portals to fly to the exit. Also, there may be rooms where players use lasers and a special cube with mirrors to reflect at door sensors or turrets. The tests and other puzzles in Portal 2 are well-crafted and rewarding, particularly as players reach the later half of the game.

There were a couple moments I had to stop the game and really think about how to handle a test or simply gain access to a difficult platform. I loved the sense of gratification following every passed test and obstacle.

After completing the 8-10 hour single-player campaign (depends on how quickly players solve the puzzles), Portal 2 adds a great cooperative mode, featuring Aperture robots Atlas and P-body running through a set of cooperative tests. Each is equipped with a gun that creates two portals, and tests are tailored to cooperating with your partner. Players can work with friends or find a player online. The most interesting part is players don’t need headsets to communicate, thanks to an interface that lets partners point to spots in a room to aid their teammate. Atlas and P-body are adorable characters, high-fiving after finishing tests or playing Rock-Paper-Scissors in between levels.

PlayStation 3 owners benefit the most by getting the added bonus of support from Valve’s online service Steam. PS3 owners can also play with others using PC and Mac versions of the game!

Just like its predecessor, Portal 2 is both charming and challenging. It also does what every sequel should: remind players what made the first game wonderful yet freshen up the experience with new mechanics or features. Portal 2 is easily one of the best games of 2011.