Brain Hood

Recently, on my homeward bound Tube commute, I let out a spontaneous cry of triumph which caused all the other passengers in the carriage to stare at me disconcertingly. I grinned at them sheepishly and did my best to turn invisible for the remainder of the journey. Inwardly, I gave myself a massive high-five. Finally, after about two weeks of toiling away, I would now be able to start reading books again on my daily trip into work. The reason for this is that I’d completed the final gaming achievement from the new list which was loaded onto my Plants Vs Zombies iPhone app in the last update. The game would now have to relax its Rasputin-like grip on me – at least, until the next achievement update arrives (if, indeed, there is one on the way).

Such is the genius of PopCap’s game that the Seattle-based developer could probably ensure its longevity simply by releasing ten or so new achievements every other month. Easily one of the most addictive and delightful games in PopCap’s canon, PVZ has seduced gamers the world over. Originally released for the PC last year, PVZ has jumped onto both the iPhone to the iPad, smashing sales records along the way. The game has been an unqualified success so far, and spurred on by this, PopCap recently announced plans for a port for the Nintendo DS for next year. In the meantime, PVZ has landed on the Xbox Live Arcade, boasting extra content to entice PVZ veterans and newcomers alike to part with their points.

For those who have never heard of it, PVZ is a tower defence game in which players use an assortment of zany foliage to ward off an undead horde lurching across their lawn. They start off planting Sunflowers, which generate sunbeams – the currency of the game – they can then spend on more plants which fire projectiles at the zombies, blow them up, squash them or in some instances, eat them whole. As the game progresses, different types of zombies start emerging – some wearing protective gear, others armed with items which help them vault over your defences – and at the end of each level, the player is awarded with a new plant to add to their leafy arsenal. The game offers a 50-level adventure mode which offers a couple of new environments and battle conditions to mix things up a little, as well as a collection of mini-games. On top of that there’s a list of achievements to complete, an almanac containing a description of every plant and zombie in the game and a store in which players can buy attacking flora and other items. Like both the PC and Apple ports, the XBLA download boasts adorable graphics, a charming soundtrack and the best end credits song since Portal.

Newcomers shouldn’t hesitate to snap up a copy; if this is your first exposure to PVZ then you’re in for a treat. Unlike many other strategy games, PVZ doesn’t suffer too badly from the introduction of a control pad interface, even though it isn’t as intuitive as a mouse and keyboard, and it’s nowhere near as good as a touch-screen. Players select plants using the left and right bumpers, pick a section to plant them on with the right stick and use the face buttons to both plant them and dig them up. The controls require a little finesse – lazily weaving around map can lead to planting your deadly foliage in the wrong place – but mapping the Dig function to the b-button is a stroke of genius (anyone who’s ever accidentally dug up the wrong plant on the PC or Apple device versions will rejoice).

Beyond Puzzle, Zen Garden and Survival mode which make a return from the PC version, the XBLA download comes packaged with some fun new content. The game’s Leader Boards are a nice little addition; all the player’s achievements are visually represented by a house with a series of trophies around it, and they can check the progress of their friends by scrolling through their friend-list. There are also a ton of mini-games which can be unlocked including Beghouled (a PVZ version of PopCap’s biggest selling game, Bejeweled) and Heavy Weapon (a cross between Space Invaders and PVZ)

The biggest reason for veterans to buy the game is that it comes armed with a brand new multiplayer mode. Both the main adventure and the mini-games can be played in co-op, and since two players are involved in the action, there’s the option to toggle the difficulty for this mode, making it significantly higher than that for solo play. There’s no jump-in/jump-out option offered, and no online co-op. But it’s a lot of fun (aside from the odd argument about the use of sunbeam resources) and in bowling mini-game on offer, it adds to the enjoyment. For Vs mode, one player controls the plants while the other controls the zombies. The latter’s objective is to shuffle through their opponent’s defences, enter the house and eat their brains while the former has to take out three targets on the undead’s side of the garden. Both players have access to all the plants and zombies that have been unlocked in the Adventure mode, as well as a couple of new ones – such as the Trashcan zombie, a slower, tougher version of the Screen-door zombie. The mode offers a new way to play PVZ which feels both fresh and inventive. The only downside to the Vs mode is that it requires at least one player to finish the Adventure mode an unlock all of the plants first, otherwise the zombie side can feel slightly overpowered.

It’s a little annoying that, at least for Vs mode, the plants aren’t all unlocked to begin with. Another aspect which may irk fans is that the Michael Jackson-inspired dancing zombie is a thing of the past; it has been replaced here with the Disco Zombie. The only thing lacking from the whole package is a lengthy list of achievements; players only have a paltry 12 to shoot for, so one can’t help but feel a little underwhelmed. It also doesn’t help that some of the new achievements are also laughably easy.

Aside from this minor quibble, the only conceivable aspect standing in the way PVZ selling well on XBLA is its hefty price tag. The game certainly offers a lot of content for the 1200 MS points players have to shell out for it, but anyone who owns the game on PC or iPhone will have already played through most of it. PC Veterans in particular may find paying £10 for a co-op mode (and little besides) a little steep for their liking. However, if you’ve never played PVZ before on any platform, then purchasing it is a no-brainer because it’s hands down one of the best video games ever made for any platform

SEATTLE — 2K Games and developer Gearbox made a surprise reveal at the PAX PRIME 2010 in Seattle when they showed the game for the first time. PAX Prime 2010, also known as the Penny Arcade Expo, is an annual public show centered around video games. Many of the top video game companies are on hand to show off their latest products, some for the first time like Duke Nukem Forever. Duke Nukem Forever’s reveal quickly became the biggest story at PAX because of its long history of false starts and its surprise appearance and announcement at PAX that caught even the game media by surprise.

The game has had a “coming soon” status almost forever as delays and developer problems have plagued the project since the sequel was first announced in 1997 as a follow on to the wildly successful Duke Nukem 3D game. The original studio, 3D Realms, went bankrupt in 2009 and at PAX, it was revealed that Borderlands’ developer Gearbox had been brought in to resurrect the project and deliver the game that the public got to finally try out at PAX.

Duke Nukem’s previous false starts had been a running joke in the games industry and its appearance at PAX was a complete surprise, so much so that most attendees thought it was a joke. The line at the 2K Games and Gearbox booth went around the booth and them some as show goers waited more than an hour to check out the much anticipated game. Behind closed doors, guarded by multiple security guards, Randy Pitchford, President of Gearbox Software, gave an enthusiastic introduction of the game and showed off the new trailer for the game. Gamers were then let into a room where they could try out Duke Nukem Forever hands on for the first time.

“It’s been a long time coming but it’s finally here. We’re showing it. We’re making it playable,” said Brian Martel, EVP and Chief Creative Officer of Gearbox Software.”We just surprised everybody because whenever you mention Duke Nukem, it’s been a long storied history. We didn’t want it to be a joke.”

Duke Nukem is known for its over the top lead character and hero, a misogynistic, man’s man who throws off one liners as he kills his enemies.  With lots of nudity, swearing and comic banter, the first game became a fan favorite with a massive cult following in the 1990s. Almost a decade and a half later, its successor is finally almost here. Duke Nukem Forever is slated to ship sometime in 2011 for the Xbox 360, PS3 Playstation and Windows PCs.

Check out our exclusive interview with Gearbox Chief Creative Officer Brain Martel below as he talks candidly about Duke Nukem Forever at PAX PRIME 2010:

Game companies have been trying to make a good retro gangster game for consoles for quite some time.
The idea makes sense. Gangster movies have been popular since nearly the beginning of film, and the lifestyle has been romanticized.
The “Grand Theft Auto” series shows that solid gangster games are possible.
But when the game is set in the first half of the 20th century, the games just aren’t very memorable.
2K Games has now taken another crack at the genre with the release of “Mafia II,” a sequel to the 2002 PC game that was later ported to the Xbox and PlayStation 2. The PC version of the game was very good, delivering an epic mobster game with depth. The console versions of the game were terrible. Perhaps it was asking too much to port the computer version to those two systems, which were limited by technology at the time.
However, technology no longer limits developers in this current console era. We’ve seen that with “Grand Theft Auto IV” and “Red Dead Redemption.”
Despite fewer technological restrictions this time around, “Mafia II” still falls short of the promise exhibited by its PC predecessor.
“Mafia II” is the story of Vito Scaletta, who emigrated from Sicily with his family as a child, and his life in the crime world of the fictional Empire Bay.
“Mafia II” is clearly influenced by mobster movies, but that isn’t a bad thing. There are some pretty darn good gangster flicks out there. Scaletta joins the army as an escape from a crime a la Michael Corleone in “The Godfather.”
The cut scenes and cinematics are the highlight of the game, although they do fall into the cliché mob movie category. If you’ve seen it in a gangster flick, then it probably has found its way into this game.
But while the cut scenes are well done, the rest of the game falls short.
Gameplay is a mess. The game relies on a cover system for battles, but that cover doesn’t always provide protection. and the controls aren’t the easiest to use.
The worst part of the game, however, are its limitations. Don’t buy this game if you’re expecting an open-world game. You can travel throughout Empire Bay, and you can visit various businesses to shop for clothes and weapons. But there are no side missions. There is only one mission at a time, and it works to advance the story.
The developers should have decided to make a sandbox game or not, rather than going halfway. You can’t offer some elements of a sandbox game and then restrict the options heavily.
It makes for an uneven game, and “Mafia II” is certainly uneven.

Unless there’s some chronal chicanery involved, we’re never going to see more BACK TO THE FUTURE movies. But that doesn’t mean we’ve seen the last of Doc Brown and Marty McFly.

Telltale Games is bringing the beloved characters and their decade-jumping exploits to your local console, and USA Today premiered some artwork showing how the game’s exaggerated versions of Doc and Marty might look.

The games will unfold in five “episodes”, and the original trilogy’s screenwriter Bob Gale is working on the story with the game developers. Steven Spielberg is among the producers, and Christopher Lloyd is back to provide Doc’s voice as only he (well, and Dan Castellaneta) can.

The episodes will feature the familiar DeLorean, Hill Valley circa 1985, and additional characters from the movie series. Versions of the games are expected on all major game platforms.

CHICAGO – It is not uncommon for major awards season contenders in the world of film to come off more like very expensive paintings with all the right visual flourishes and technical elements but lacking the soul or the heart to make them truly effective. It happens every year. 2K Games’ “Mafia II” is the equivalent in the world of gaming. The developers have created a truly stunning experience in terms of graphics that nonetheless feels hollow where it counts.

“Mafia II” looks like a sandbox game, but it’s not really. Sure, there’s a gorgeously-rendered city clearly inspired by the world of “Grand Theft Auto” but it is a much more linear title than you might first believe. The game is divided into just over a dozen chapters and while most of them include at least one variation on driving from one part of town to another and you do have the freedom to visit body shops, weapons stores, and more, there are no side missions and very little freedom within he story structure. “Mafia II” is essentially a straightforward third-person shooter with some of the more annoying elements of the sandbox world grafted on top of it.

Despite disappointment at the lack of control over almost any element of the story (other than what you’re driving and wearing), the plot of “Mafia II” is actually pretty entertaining (and enhanced by excellent voice work, screenwriting, and sound design). The player takes on the role of Vito, who we meet in World War II, fighting for the Americans but in his home country of Italy. After the War, Vito returns to Empire City, one of the most remarkably-conceived gaming worlds in the history of the modern console. With elaborate architecture and an incredible amount of space, Empire City is a game designer’s dream come true — a fake urban landscape that often feels strikingly real. The most impressive accomplishment is in the depth of field. When you’re standing on a rooftop (or a window-washer platform as you must do in one chapter), don’t forget to merely look around at the skyline. The effect is breathtaking.

The game primarily takes place in two time periods, the one right after the war in which Vito gets drawn into petty tasks for the mob and then in the ’50s after your guy has done some time in jail and is now rising up the ranks. The first half features some mind-numbing missions like selling ration stamps to gas stations or loading crates on to a truck. It’s not hard to see players getting incredibly frustrated at the lack of action in the first two hours of “Mafia II.” Who knew life in the mob could be so dull?

After Vito earns his stripes, the action of “Mafia II” gets a bit more intense with some notable shoot-outs, but it’s here where the game falls a bit too deeply into cliche. And the title never loses its sense that unnecessary action was added to give the impression of user control when there’s really none there. For example, you can turn on the faucet in your bathroom. Why? Why not? You will walk up and down the stairs to Joe’s apartment so many un-entertaining times that you’ll have counted them by game’s end.

And it’s not just the small things but the big ones as well. Empire City is beautiful, but you can’t access 90% of its buildings and the few you can are merely repetitive, mission-based, or designed for customization. Body shops allow for car repair or customization. Weapons and clothing stores are pretty straightforward. There are people everywhere but you can’t talk to any of them or even start a random fire fight. The most interaction you have with Empire City is when you drive too fast during one of your “point A to point B” missions and the laughable EC police force chases you for about 2.5 seconds before giving up.

But what about the actual missions? Way too many of them are made up primarily of cut-scenes or drive-and-talk scenes in which it feels more like you’re watching the inevitable then helping craft a story. The incredible look of the game and variety of environments from snow-covered streets to prison laundry rooms to skyscrapers to a slaughterhouse help the title from getting too stale. “Mafia II” is too good-looking to ever be an extremely-frustrating experience, merely a regularly disappointing one. I loved looking at the game, but very rarely loved playing it. And the complete lack of multiplayer combined with the very direct-and-unchanging storyline makes for a title with very little replay value.

In an attempt to combat that last problem, the PS3 version of “Mafia II” includes an arcade-esque experience called “The Betrayal of Jimmy.” It takes place in the same world as Empire City and features the same controls and weapons, but it’s based around missions in which the player racks up points to compare against others on a leaderboard. For example, the first mission involves shooting up a couple of shops in Chinatown and getting back before your enemies or the cops kill you. Why not just add these as side missions in the real game? Why make them a separate experience that Xbox players can’t even access? The DLC is entertaining and helps with replay value (and makes the Sony version the obvious choice if you’re trying to decide between the two) but it reminds one of the variety that’s missing from the actual story.