World of Gaming

This role-playing game's forgettable story and frustrating combat make it a real disappointment.

Last Rebellion is a role-playing game that relies on a novel combat mechanic to differentiate itself from the crowd. You take control of two separate characters at the same time, attached by one durable soul, and can switch freely between them as you pound your enemies into submission. But while this certainly sounds intriguing, the results are far too predictable. The action does not vary noticeably when switching up your hero, which make this game feel much less inventive than the core concept would have you believe. Furthermore, unfair difficulty spikes erect an all-too-frequent roadblock, and the dry story is little help in pushing you through this adventure. Last Rebellion initially stands out because of its wealth of zombies and crazy soul-sharing protagonists, but the rest of the game is too bland and boring to hold your attention for long.


The game opens in the Kingdom of Lorvin, where someone has upset the delicate balance of life and death by raising the dead and transforming all corpses into zombified monstrosities. You're cast as Nine, a spiky-haired prince joined by Aisha, a priestess capable of sealing the souls of the undead. When a sneaky usurper slaughters the king and flees, both Nine and Aisha embark on a mundane and predictable quest of revenge. The story is vapid but confusing, and the minuscule cast and boring, cliched romantic themes will keep you from getting invested.

The turn-based combat is slow-paced and tedious. Aisha and Nine operate as a duo sharing the same soul, meaning that they share health points and mana but each receives a distinctive turn. Instead of just tossing you against standard monstrous hordes, the game splits each enemy into set body parts. Attacking a single part spends a chain point (CP) and temporarily "stamps" the part for magical attacks; the idea is to stamp as many body parts as you can before casting spells, which target all stamps on the field. "Sealing" is an interesting and unusual mechanic with which you seal a dead monster's soul before it can regenerate, but it's annoying when your seals miss for no discernible reason. For more irksome novelty, body parts implement a strike order system; attacking three parts in the correct order triggers a combo, which increases your damage. Unfortunately, determining the strike order is a slow and arduous process involving some luck, since enemies have anywhere from seven to 10 parts, resulting in an aggravating guessing game that's worsened by your enemies' enormous amounts of health. This means that you frequently run low on CP because you're practically forced to combo--and thus must master each enemy type's strike order--to deal any significant damage. The overall difficulty therefore hinges on your allotted chain points, which is especially irritating because you're initially given so few to work with. The artificial difficulty eventually plummets when you've secured sufficient chain points, making even bosses pushovers, but at this point the game is nearly done.

While some may appreciate the challenge posed by monsters with massive amounts of health, the big numbers mean that it takes a while to wear them down. That's fine on your first attempt, but it's not much fun when you're forced to repeat encounters after failing. This is an all-too-common scenario, because when one of your characters succumbs to a status effect--sleep or confusion, for example--the other one does too. This means that the status effect damages you twice in a single round and can be hard to remedy, which is a bit irritating and about the only time the soul-sharing feature comes into play.


One of the game's most disappointing aspects is that the primitive and outdated combat rarely changes. Aisha and Nine's ability to switch places during combat adds very little tactically, and the focus on CP conservation reduces most of your strategizing to spell-spamming. Enemies do have "weak points" that you can attack for higher damage, but striking the points out of order sends enemies into a deadly rage, so this technique is best avoided until you've mastered the strike order. You develop a few special abilities beyond sealing, one of which grants you the power to summon a goddess; however, she's only good for pointing out the strike order for an enemy's weak points, and you have to fill a lengthy damage bar before you can even summon her. Your party comprises only Nine and Aisha, which is extremely aggravating because you're usually facing multiple foes. The combat also isn't helped by a lack of enemy variety that, while it makes it easier to memorize strike orders, sees you doing battle with palette-swapped monsters reusing the same tactics over and over again.

Exploration is severely limited and occurs in small dungeons. Environments are desolate and composed of very simplistic, movement-based "puzzles" that often require you to go from point A to point Z via warp devices. This makes what little exploration there is neither compelling nor challenging, and the enemies that respawn quickly and routinely hound you while you're traversing a region are mostly just irritating. Areas are so barren that there's not much to do aside from slaughtering zombie ogres and opening treasure chests. There's a complete dearth of side quests, and there are very few characters and objects to interact with. There's also plenty of tedious backtracking, much of which is mandatory.


Aesthetically, the game is plain and outdated, with crude character models and empty environments that appear similar to what you'd expect from a last-generation console game. You won't find much in the way of architecture, with bland cavernous dungeons and the occasionally rudimentary hut sufficing for decor, but at least the spells are eye-catching. Cutscenes are somewhat cheapened by primitive portraits that stand in for character models, but a few of these are vividly painted and appealing. Simplistic sound effects and exaggerated, melodramatic voicing enhance the archaic and banal feel, with unusual sound errors that randomly interrupt the generic battle music.

Last Rebellion isn't just bad, it's also relatively short. The whole experience lasts roughly 15 hours, the first 10 of which are occasionally grueling while the last five feel like padding. Between its rough, unfinished feel and instantly forgettable story, there's little motivation to finish the game let alone replay it, and when the difficulty finally settles down, it drops too much, and the aggravating journey is already approaching its end. Last Rebellion is as hollow and soulless as its barren landscapes and empty gameplay.

Source: Gamespot.com

Fighting undead hordes can be fun in Age of Zombies, but there's not enough content here to keep your interest for long.

Age of Zombies may be adding a time-travel angle to the gaming cliche that the undead are becoming, but don't expect to run into any temporal causality loops or grandfather paradoxes here. This PSP Mini game is simple, more than a little stupid, and a lot of fun. It gives you a good feeling of hectic glee as you single-handedly take on hundreds of zombies across five different time periods. The game takes its Mini status seriously though--there's only about one hour's worth of play here, and with little incentive to go through the game again, Age of Zombies struggles to justify its price tag despite the fact that it's only five bucks.


Your goal in Age of Zombies is exceedingly simple: Shoot everything that moves. The storyline is just as basic--a mad scientist has opened up a time portal and sent zombies into different time periods; thus, it's up to you to stop them. You play the game from an isometric perspective, and the shooting is reminiscent of such classic games as Smash TV. Your character's movement is controlled via the D pad or thumbstick. Firing is handled via the four face buttons, with each button shooting in a specific direction. Pressing the triangle button will always shoot up, for example, while circle, X, and square are right, down, and left, respectively. To shoot diagonally, you'll need to press two buttons--northeast, for example, is performed by pressing triangle and circle. This may sound complicated, but it's actually pretty easy to wrap your head around, and you'll be proficient with the game's controls in no time.

From the first level set in prehistoric times, the game throws vast waves of zombies at you, with dozens onscreen at any one time heading straight at you. Most zombies take only one shot to dispose of, but tougher zombies and bosses cross your path occasionally. You can find several different weapons strewn about the various levels, including shotguns, submachine guns, flamethrowers, and even explosives. Age of Zombies is often quite exciting as you make your way around a level trying to find power-ups while carefully avoiding possible choke points where the zombie horde can overrun you. Being a one-man zombie killing army is good fun, but it isn't particularly challenging because of the fact that there are no harder difficulty levels to choose from and you get unlimited lives. You'll likely blast through the game's five levels in less than an hour, and other than striving to top your own high score in the game's Survival mode, there isn't any incentive to replay the game because it lacks an online leaderboard or any tangible rewards.

Age of Zombies may be brief, but there are laughs to be had here with Barry Steakfries, the game's era-hopping hero who, depending on your maturity level, you'll either find crudely funny or just crude. This bad action-movie pastiche sprouts lines like, "It looks like zombies all up in my s*** restaurant" and "That so badass I think I just crapped my pants," which, coupled with the game's generally offbeat sense of humor, gives Age of Zombies a goofy vibe. The game's art design is equally goofy--the zombies here look cute rather than menacing, lurching at you with oversized heads and exploding with a balloonlike pop every time they're gunned down. Age of Zombies doesn't come close to the level of graphics the PSP can produce, but its cartoonlike visuals are still quite appealing.

Undead blasting doesn't get much simpler than in Age of Zombies, and you're bound to have fun with its comical host of ghouls. The game's lack of selectable difficulties leaves you with little challenge, though, and with only five levels, it's an all too brief experience for its $4.99 (AU$8.45) asking price.

Source: Gamespot.com

We slay bunnies and other foul beasts in From Software's upcoming 3D adventure game.

Some of you may take a quick glance at 3D Dot Game Heroes and have words like "rip-off" or "clone" spring to mind. While the game may remind you of classic action adventure games that may or may not involve a nameless boy armed with a sword and boomerang, 3D Dot Game Heroes is an homage or, as publisher Atlus put it, "a love letter" to the memorable retro games of the past. There's no denying that the gameplay is all too familiar--that everything to the world, music, and story is something that has been done before--but it's never been done quite this way.

3D Dot Game Heroes doesn't take itself seriously. You can tell immediately by the storytelling and the dialogue when you chat with non-player characters that are scattered throughout the world. As the hero that is destined to save the kingdom of Dotnia, you must seek out six sages and their respective orbs to protect the kingdom from evil. The colorful world of Dotnia was in 2D 8-bit, but the king felt that 2D was boring, and it was time to enter a new era--one in 3D. So now, you're exploring a 3D world from an isometric perspective as a pixilated 3D hero.

Your hero can be customized, pixel by pixel. Several templates are available to choose from, but if you want to play as an animated golf ball, you can, or you can play as a tree stump, depending on your preferences. As long as you have the patience and know how to piece the little blocks together into a cohesive shape that resembles something, then you can save the world of Dotnia as Donkey Kong if you like. You'll have to create six templates, one for standing, a couple for the walking or attacking animations, and another that is labeled "hurray," which is essentially your victory pose. Regardless of who or what you decide to play as, there are enough references to other games for you to feel that wave of nostalgia, especially during loading screens, which been have redone for the North America version to include familiar games.

Like certain games of the past, you're directed to one dungeon after the other and must trek across the map to find the entrance. Once inside, you're breaking pots, avoiding traps, and slaying skeletons or scorpions all to find little keys that will ultimately lead you to an even bigger key that will lead you to the final boss, which guards a sage or orb or both. You'll also come across new weapons on your adventures, like a boomerang, and even though we didn't quite finish the third dungeon, it was obvious with all the pillars outside that there will be some sort of chain or whiplike device to help you travel across gaps.

Villages located throughout the world give you an opportunity to rest or purchase items like healing potions, bombs, or additional arrows. Inns are conveniently located near temples so that you can set your revival points. Otherwise, you'll be bumped back to the king's palace, which is smack-dab in the middle of the map. If you die when you're in a dungeon, however, you'll just start again from the entrance and your progress will have been saved. Your health and magic will also be full again.


Cracks that you find in walls or outside should always been blown away by bombs because you'll never know what you might find. Healing pools, free money, and other stuff could be hidden for you to discover. We stumbled across the From cave, where the NPCs inside had some amusing things to say about From Software's previous game, Demon's Souls. Most of the time, NPCs don't offer anything useful in regards to your quest. For example, we interrupted a guy who was urinating by a tree and peed on himself, which was good for a few laughs, so it's worth talking to everyone just to see what they have to say.

3D Dot Game Heroes may not be visually impressive when compared to other fully animated 3D games out there, but it's done well. Water effects and depth of field have also been added to make the pixilated characters pop out. It's fun to listen closely to the melodies and sound effects as well, because you may find some key tunes or noises that will take you back. Look for 3D Dot Game Heroes when it is released exclusively for the PlayStation 3 on May 11.

Source: Gamespot.com

Liberating a country, one headshot at a time. We take a look at City Interactive's upcoming stealthy first person shooter.

Whether sneaking through a crowded village hoping to avoid enemy contact, or seeking a vantage point to line up a shot on a high-value target, a sniper's job is always a difficult one. And while many modern military games give you a taste of what it's like to wield a high-powered rifle as a part-time killer, the upcoming Sniper: Ghost Warrior looks to put you in a ghillie suit and give you a taste of the problems (and power) that come with being a military sniper.


Developed by City Interactive, Sniper will feature 16 missions that will add up to nine to 11 hours of gameplay. Though there are some straight run-and-gun assault missions to be found, most of your time is spent sniping. The game's plot takes place in the fictional South American country of Isla Truena, which has been under dictatorship rule. The US military is sent in to assist the rebels looking to overthrow the dictator, which is where you come in.

During our demo of the game, we watched as a sniper, wading through waist-deep vegetation, lined up a shot on two unsuspecting soldiers who were standing on the far side of a pair of cliffs spanned by a rope bridge. To set up a shot, you press the left trigger (on the Xbox 360 controller), which brings up the scope. The scope HUD has a lot of information--including the obligatory crosshairs, as well as a shifting red dot that is used on the easy difficultly level to show you exactly where your bullet will make impact (taking into consideration factors like wind and the natural arced path of a bullet's flight). At higher difficulty levels, that red dot is not available, and you'll be required to make the adjustments yourself. Another meter in the HUD measures your heartbeat; if your heart rate is normal (around 80 beats per minute), you're considered calm and can easily line up a shot. If you're under pressure and your heart rate is elevated, it will be more difficult to set up shots.

Much of the challenge of successful sniping isn't hitting the target, but rather getting into a suitable position that will allow you the best shot possible (while not getting caught in the process). In game terms, stealth is a big part of Sniper's challenge. Because many of the missions take place in the Amazon jungle, there will often be plenty of thick vegetation to hide in. You'll also have a handy meter at the bottom of the screen that will display how aware enemies are of your presence. If the meter fills up completely, you've been spotted and better look for an escape route. In some missions, you'll also have a spotter who will tell you exactly what you need to do in order to get through a mission. Finally, there's also a minimap that shows nearby enemies and their current state--calm, urgent, or alarmed.

In the sniping missions, you'll have a variety of gear to see you through to the end--most importantly your sniper rifle. You'll start a bolt action rifle but will eventually move on to longer range weapons like the Barrett, a significantly more powerful rifle that brings with its stopping power the added danger of being really, really loud. Enemies will respond to shots fired, after all, making every shot you take that much more important. There will be other accessories on hand in the game, including pistols, throwing knives (which you can pick up again to reuse), and claymore mines which you can use to set traps.

Different missions will have different requirements--some are straight-ahead sniping missions where the goal is to clear a village of enemies or take out a high-ranking officer. In others, you'll need to avoid enemy engagement altogether, and even being spotted by the bad guys will result in a failed objective. Some missions hold your hand more than others--such as those that use a spotter to alert you to nearby enemies--while others put the onus squarely on the player in dealing with all of the obstacles in your way; from planning, execution and, as looks to often be the case, dealing with missions that go haywire.

It's not all slow-paced stealth in Sniper, however; the game will have a number of assault missions to play through. In these missions, you're playing as an Army soldier whose missions are often tied to the sniper ops in the game. One mission we watched featured a full-on assault of a pair of oil rigs and, as you might expect, the action was frenetic and fast-paced, especially when compared to the slow-as-you-go sniper missions. In addition the game will include multiplayer, though details on the different modes haven't been released yet.


Developer City Interactive says Sniper will be "the most realistic sniping experience in a video game ever," which, considering the long and illustrious history of sniping in games, is a heady claim indeed. We'll have to wait until we actually play the game before we can judge that assertion, but we do know that Sniper deserves some credit for putting so much of its attention on this most deadly of professions. The game is currently due for release in spring for the Xbox 360 and PC.

Source: Gamespot.com