Entries Tagged 'Video Games' ↓

I had my first crack at the latest in the Grand Theft Auto range today on the XBOX 360 and the one thing that struck me was the adult nature of the game. We all have a pretty good idea of what to expect from this francise by now, sex, violence and crime but this game takes a step further. Don’t get me wrong, I am not one of these people that believe that violence in games is to blame for the worlds troubles, in fact I thoroughly enjoy violent games and have done since I started gaming. But at one point, after I mowed down a bunch of people sitting on park benches and walking along the street as I tried to escape the police in my stolen car, I did feel a tad uncomfortable. Then when I got out of the car and noticed the blood splattered on my dinted bumper, I felt a bit guilty. It all seemed a bit too realistic. Add to that non-stop references to “titties” and threesomes and you have got a game you certainly wouldn’t want your kids playing.

That being said, it does look like a lot of fun, the city looks fantastic and really seems to be alive. The first car I stole was a pimped out Range Rover (I hope it wasn’t Wayne Rooney’s!) and was great fun to drive. After beating a guy to the ground, stomping on him and then driving over him, I eventually tried to hijack a cop car but got shot from point blank range. Its a great way to take out my Mario Kart Wii frustrations

I got my first taste of Mario Kart for the Wii today. I was never the greatest of Nintendo/Mario fans growing up but I am embracing them with my beloved Wii. I didn’t get a great deal of time with it but enough to test out the Wiimote steering wheel. I wasn’t sure if I’d like having to use gestures to control the steering, mainly as I would have to hold the wheel rather than use the traditional fixed steering wheel. But I have to say it worked perfectly. Really good and accurate steering and it was a lot of fun in two player. I would have to recommend the official “Wii Wheel” over Game’s 3rd party wheel as it has a bit more weight and a button cover over the B button making it easier to access. Other than that though it does look like every other Mario Kart in existence. Let’s hope Nintendo have added a bit more than a snazzy new control mechanism…

As we settle into the high-definition era of console gaming, we can bask in the warn glow of our 40″+  LCD TVs (even warmer glow of plasma TVs) and the crisp 710p/1080i/1080p graphics appearing before our eyes, safe in the knowledge that it just doesn’t get any better. Or does it… Continue reading →

I have to admit I am struggling to fit in some quality game time on my Xbox 360, Wii and PC. Unplayed games are piling up beside my TV and my gamer score is starting to look pretty embarrassing. I have barely started PGR4; Halo 3 is languishing and I’ve still got 100 stars to collect on Super Mario Galaxy. Maybe its time to re-evaluate my priorities…