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Review: Left 4 Dead 2: The Passing DLC (Xbox 360)

Words by

Steven Wright

Posted on April 28, 2010

Review: Left 4 Dead 2: The Passing DLC (Xbox 360)

Valve have the chance to do doing something very unique with this DLC, by bringing together the worlds of Left 4 Dead and its sequel, Left 4 Dead 2. But they had to be careful as these four original characters are cherished by the fans, each having their own personal favourite – mine being Louie. And with the news that only three were coming back, well, let’s just say some of us were nervous.

Crash Course, the DLC for the original, was honestly a little weak, and with that in mind I was a little skeptical about this DLC. Hopefully it would be better and not cheapen my memory of Louie and company. Safe to say it is good, but they have missed some great opportunities with the original characters.

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Review: Final Fantasy XIII (Xbox 360)

Words by

Jennifer Allen

Posted on April 27, 2010

It’s tough to know where to begin with Final Fantasy XIII. I’ve been playing it avidly since the retail release last month and enjoyed the vast majority of my time with it. I’d be a fool to say it’s brilliant though. It’s not. It’s deeply flawed in places. The first few hours of the game are really not indicative of what’s to come and I can’t blame those with busy lives when they complain that it’s too slow and they haven’t got the time to devote to it. To be fair, it’s not that bad. Yes it’s all very linear for the first couple of hours, and all you’ll be doing is mostly running through a tunnel, watching some cut scenes and pressing A every now and then. But think of it as an extended tutorial.

I promise you it does get better. It’s just a shame that it starts out so slowly. I’m a huge RPG fan. I’m used to RPGs taking a while to get going but this does away with any thinly veined attempt at making you think it’s not linear. It is, just accept it and move on. Odds are you’re an RPG fan too. You know this is what happens. Just be patient. Things are confusing at first but it’s worth it in the end. Final Fantasy XIII is a curious juxtaposition you see. On the one hand it’s extremely welcoming to newcomers to the series in terms of its game mechanics, but on the other hand its pacing is incredibly off making it a battle of patience in the first few hours.

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Review: Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse Episode 1: The Penal Zone (PS3)

Words by

Billy Withers

Posted on April 26, 2010

Review: Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse Episode 1: The Penal Zone (PS3)

Along with Johnny Bravo, Ren & Stimpy and Cow & Chicken, Sam & Max has to be included in my list of cartoons that died before their time. The humour was always out there and the animation never really conformed to your more traditional kid’s fare, usually ending up with a load of gags that would have a different meaning to them when looked at through older eyes.

The first Sam & Max game did fairly well for itself and Telltale Games began to build a name in the adventure genre, along with the Wallace and Gromit stuff that have seen decent return on the consoles. This newest case involves the evil General Skunkape trying to search out some specific toys hidden on Earth that have special psychic powers, which can only be utilised by individuals who have this gift. It’s not really a shock to learn that Max, that deranged rabbit with a rather nasty sense of humour, is one of those special people with said ability, but can he save the world by finding these rare items?

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