DUNGEON SIEGE 3 (for Xbox 360)
Price: Rs 2,499
Bag It Or Junk It? An entertaining RPG with a few malfunctions
The
Dungeon Siege series has been the inspiration of all role-playing games that have ever been made. The third instalment comes on both the Microsoft and Sony consoles and for the PC. We got the Xbox360 version to review. The game starts off quick and nice. You choice to play from four characters has different outcomes for the game. The results also change with the choices you make during the game.
Dungeon Siege 3 emphasises the story more than the last edition of the game. If you have played the previous version, this may annoy you. Otherwise, you will probably never know the difference. The game is quite easy to adapt to. It uses simple hack-and-saw methods to slay various enemies, including the walking dead, swarms of spiders and more. Along the game, you get various upgrades and points like any other RPG. These help you get enough power to fight tougher bosses up the levels. The bosses can be hard to kill but it is essential you eliminate them if you want quick XP points and forge ahead in the game.
The game can be played with three other players as well, but all of them have to be in view at all time. Else, the ones left behind will only be sent ahead of the one in front. The camera angles can be a little weird on the console platform. Frequently, you will be stuck at a place where you cannot see from where the enemy is coming and may well be killed in the process. Dungeon Siege 3 has good graphical detailing and audio, accompanied by entertaining fights. Now if only those few kinks were ironed out.
ALICE: MADNESS RETURNS (for PS3)
Price: Rs 2,499
Bag It Or Junk It? To the the twisted version of wonderland
Alice In Boringland: Seems like this is the year of sequels. Another one comes in the form
Alice: Madness Returns. Yes,
Alice is back in her twisted version of wonderland which she needs to save to stay sane. This game is similar to the last version, only with better graphics and game physics. However, the game gets monotonous at times. Every level seems to be pushing the same buttons, running the same roads and pulling the same levers.
The saving grace is the fights-and there are many battles that keep you moving ahead from one platform to the other. Alice has a dagger, play horse and a pepper mill that works like a chain gun. The graphics are not high end and the audio sometimes goes for a toss. These put you off at times. Alice is mostly running or jumping from ledge to ledge. She can "multijump" with ease, leaving a trail of flowers and butterflies behind. There are a few puzzles to solve and 2D levels to play, but nothing really engaging.
FEAR 3 (for Xbox 360)
Price: Rs 2,499
Bag It Or Junk It? Don't get this for the horror.
Guns Without Ghosts: Remember the horrific game Fear from a couple of years ago? It left you paranoid and sleepless. It is back in its third instalment but is now more a military shooter than a horror game. Fear 3 picks up from the last part and you play the super soldier point man. You also have to play your brother, Paxton, who you killed in the last episode. The terror element takes a back seat in this iteration and you can sleep in peace after you have played it. The graphical detailing is good and one can see the effort that has gone into making Fear 3 both a visual and aural experience.
There are a guns galore and you can get into super-bots as well to shoot down choppers. The slow-motion shooting in Fear 3 is also a lot of fun. It also contains a couple of multi-player modes that can accommodate up to four players. This game is not as terrifying as the first edition of the game, but is a decent shooter.
SHADOWS OF THE DAMNED (for Xbox 360)
Price: Rs 2,499
Bag It Or Junk It? Welcome to a land of twisted humour.
In Demonic Country: Get ready to step into the darkest corners of hell.
Shadows of the Damned takes you to an unusual hell. This game stars Garcia Hotspur, a Latin demon hunter whose girlfriend has been gobbled up by a demon of the dark. The game is not like the usual third-person shooter and can act up at times. The physics are not perfect but the engaging story keeps you going ahead without sulking about the glitches.
In a ploy to get back his lost love, Garcia heads into hell with his trusted demon torch, which can tranform into various killing objects. This hell has a certain darkness in it. By that we mean when you walk these grounds and you hit a dark patch, your health begins to deplete. The only way to get out of it is to find a goat head which will again light up the area. If some areas do not have a goat head, you need to sprint.
Which Garcia does, like a sprightly lass. Butchering demons is a lot of fun and once you master the art of killing, you can shoot most of them in style. Boss fights are heavy and can be a handful. The game also gives you the chance to upgrade guns and various other attributes, which make you stronger. This game might not be the best looking, but sure is fun to play.
