Consolation Prize

Every now and again I get the urge to play a decent old school style shooter that can provide a good gaming fix when you’ve only got limited time to spare. I’d heard that Super Stardust HD on the PS3 was a good classic style shooter and once I’d sorted out my credit card with the PlayStation Network, promptly downloaded it.

The game is very straightforward and at its heart this is similar to the classic Asteroids but with a 21st Century spin to provide fast and frenetic gameplay with the simple aim of destroying anything that moves. The player controls a spacecraft in orbit over a planet using one joystick for movement and the other for directional fire, similar to Robotron or Geometry Wars. However, unlike the aforementioned classics you’re not based on one 2D plane but on the curved plane of the planet you’re orbiting.

Your ship comes armed with three different types of primary weapon, namely the “Rock Crusher”, “Gold Melter” or “Ice Splitter” which are selected via the “L1″ and “R1″ shoulder buttons. Each weapon is not only more suited to certain asteroids and enemies, but slightly different in nature. For example the “Gold Melter”, a beam like burst of fire is more appropriately used against “Gold” asteroids whilst the “Rock Crusher” is best against standard asteroids but provides great fire dispersion.

Although it’s not essential to use the correct weapon type it certainly makes life easier and thus less likely you’ll be swamped with hundreds of asteroid fragments floating around the planet surface and your ship crushed between a rock and the proverbial hard-place.

Certain asteroids contain glowing green cores and when destroyed will leave various power ups to collect such as extra lives, shields or weapon upgrades. Power-ups gradually degrade over time and when left uncollected eventually deteriorate to bonus points.

The game is split into a series of five planets, with each planet separated into five phases culminating with a boss encounter. Each planet gets progressively more difficult and soon the planet atmosphere is swarming with asteroids and enemies to avoid. In the event of an emergency you have a limited number of “bombs” which can be used to clear the immediate area or alternatively a “boost” facility which is unlimited but takes a a few vital seconds to recharge.

The game is gorgeous to behold featuring some great explosions and special effects with some catchy background music tracks which take me back to some of the classic shooters that appeared on the Amiga in the days of yore. Super Stardust HD has all the qualities of a great shooter and at its core is a very playable game that is easy to pick up and play yet hard to master. The game not only provides a great experience but is exceptionally good value at only 4.99 GBP.

If you’re familiar with Hong Kong action movies then you will have more than likely heard the names
John Woo and
Chow Yun Fat. Stranglehold sees the film director Woo bring his style of gun-fu action direction to a video game while the actor, Chow Yun Fat, lends his appearance and vocals to reprise his role as Inspector “Tequila” Yeun of the Hong Kong Police Force for the leading character.

John Woo’s influences are noticeable. From the “stand-off” sequences when you’re surrounded by hostiles, to the animations used in some of the special moves, all have a certain cinematic feel and flare. Although there’s a storyline to the game revolving around the disappearance of a cop and the kidnapping of those close to Tequila, told through some nice cut scenes and flashbacks, the main emphasis is on non-stop unadulterated action and if that’s all you require from a game then Stranglehold delivers.

The story takes you through both varied and interesting locations including a Hong Kong marketplace, a restaurant, and a history museum in Chicago. The environments themselves consist of a vast number of objects that “Tequila” can interact with or are destructible to some degree. Interactive objects are highlighted when close by and a quick squeeze of the “left trigger” will find you sliding down banisters or zip lines, swinging on chandeliers, or even rolling on a food carts whilst taking pot shots at hostiles. As mentioned previously the environments have a large number of destructible objects which can be used to your advantage to dispatch your enemies with style. Speaking of style, the more outrageous a kill the more “style” points are awarded. Simply shooting an enemy rewards you with a couple of points but if you take them out by shooting the explosive canister they’re standing next too while Tequila is sliding down a banister then you’ll be handsomely rewarded. Style points are not just there for bragging purposes they’re also used to help fill your special move gauge and can also be used outside of the game in the “Unlock” shop to purchase a number of extras like multiplayer skins and artwork.

The destructible environments deserve a special mention as they certainly alter how you approach a level and provide an entertaining game mechanic. In most games for example you could quite happily crouch behind a wall to avoid incoming fire but in Stranglehold if you dive for cover behind a structural column, wall, or most other objects you won’t be safe for long as they’re gradually whittled away by incoming fire and may leave you exposed. It does however still provide a brief respite to gather your thoughts and I found the use of cover essential in the latter stages of the game as you are attacked by multiple enemies from all sides with automatic weapons.

There aren’t a huge number of weapon types in the game but the basics are covered well with pistols, shotgun, sub-machine gun, assault rifle, heavy machine gun and a rocket launcher available at some point or other. However Tequila can only carry two weapons at a time and throughout a mission they will be swapped frequently with those from fallen enemies as ammunition is depleted.

There are four special moves known as “Tequila Bombs” that are gradually unlocked as you progress through the game. The first of which is the most basic and just gives you an instant health boost. The remaining moves are more interesting with the “precision aim” enabling you to zoom in on enemies and snipe them, the “barrage” attack giving unlimited ammunition, invulnerability and a higher rate of fire for a short duration whilst the “spin attack” kills all enemies in the immediate vicinity. The barrage attack can be particularly devastating when used in conjunction with a certain weapons like the shotgun, golden pistols or rocket launcher.

One additional gaming element not mentioned so far is “Tequila Time”. This is essentially a slow-mo mode and is activated automatically whenever you’re interacting with an object or diving whilst an enemy is in your sights. The mode can also be activated manually if required and this is an essential feature of the game as it allows you those few additional seconds to line up head shots or target the environment whilst in the thick of the action.

The game offers four difficulty levels with “casual” being the easiest and “hard-boiled” the most difficult. I played through the game on “normal” difficulty and on the whole this provided the right level for me. However, I did feel there were a few difficulty spikes in the latter stages as enemies kept spawning until certain trigger points were reached. The game does suggest an easier difficulty if Tequila dies too many times in a row but I’ve always found that persistence is the best attitude and eventually through trial and error progress will be made.

Graphically the game is no slouch with some great reactive animations from your enemies depending on where they’re shot, well designed environments and decent character models. Chow Yun Fat is easily recognisable as the lead character and John Woo even makes guest appearances in a couple of places. My only reservation with the game engine is the camera, which for me sometimes placed itself in awkward locations and I prefer a manual override when I want to examine the environment rather than having to move the playable character around.

Overall the game was fun to play, if not cerebrally challenging. It does have some flaws but none of them are game-breakers and detract from what on the whole is an enjoyable experience.

Space Giraffe is now available to download from Xbox Live Marketplace costing 400 Microsoft Points. The trial lets you play the first 9 levels out of the 100 that are available in the full retail version.

Space Giraffe is a arcade shooter from the mind of
Jeff Minter, and although stating that it is not “Tempest”, my initial impressions were of just that, albeit with a mind boggling dose of psychedelia thrown into the mix.

On the first go you basically haven’t got a clue as to what is happening in this game, and even upon investigating the tutorials which describe the “powerzone”, “flowers” and the art of “bulling” it still doesn’t make a great deal of sense. I had to play through the tutorial a couple of times and study the “how to play” guide to finally start understanding how it all fits together.

I find it quite difficult to come a decision on Space Giraffe. Part of me finds it an intriguing and challenging game, but the other side of me finds it frustrating when the psychedelia becomes overpowering and you can’t see what’s going on. The game has a very old school design, simple in essence but hard to master with a difficulty that rises quite quickly with only perseverance bringing rewards.

I don’t believe this game is for everyone, but I’m sure it will have its fans that absolutely love it. Try before you buy!

Stranglehold popped onto Xbox Live yesterday. It’s a meaty download at 1.3GB so be prepared for a bit of wait before you can take Inspector Tequila for a stroll.

The game is a third person shooter and has been developed in collaboration with the film director
John Woo of Hong Kong action movie fame. It features
Chow Yun Fat whom is reprising his role as Inspector “Tequila” Yeun from the movie
Hard Boiled. Those that have seen a John Woo film should know what to expect as the game brings on non-stop action with a cinematic flare.

The demo is based in Hong Kong and the story commences via a cut scene showing the abduction of a police officer. After the police department receive a ransom call demanding that they send in a lone policeman to Kowloon Market Inspector Tequila steps forward and volunteers for the mission.

The game makes use of most controls on the Xbox 360 controller with the left joystick used for movement and crouching (when clicked) and the right joystick used for aiming. The right trigger is used to shoot whatever weapon you have while the left is used to interact with objects or to perform dives when used in combination with movement. The left bumper button is used to take cover, for example against walls or columns while the right bumper is used to activate “Tequila Time” which is a slow mo mode that lasts for a limited duration. Special moves entitled “Tequila Bombs” are activated via the d-pad and finally “X” is used to pickup weapons, “A” switch weapons and “B” is used for grenades. Although there are quite a few controls to remember the game does a good job of introducing them to you as you play through the level.

As soon as the demo begins you’re thrust into the action and one of the most impressive things that you immediately notice is the amount of destruction in the game. Most of the objects in the game can be damaged in some form or other and as you take on an ever increasing number of enemies you start looking at the environment for assistance in dispatching your enemies. Any environmental objects that “Tequila” can directly interact with flash as you approach them and objects that can be shot to cause damage noticeably “glint” to draw your attention. The game rewards you for style and the more stylish a kill the more your “Tequila Bomb” gauge is filled. Thus instead of running at opponents head-on you soon find yourself diving over barriers, sliding down banisters and trying to interact with the environment.

There are four “Tequila Bombs” (special moves) accessed via the D-Pad which include a health boost, a precision aim which zooms in on the target and follows the bullet to the point of impact, a barrage attack where you unleash a massive number of bullets, and finally the spin attack which kills every enemy in the vicinity. The game also includes “stand off sequences” at set points. In these slow-mo events the camera changes to an over the shoulder view as “Tequila” is surrounded by a number of enemies and one by one you have to take them out as you dodge left or right to avoid incoming bullets. The last three “Tequila Bombs” and the “Stand-Offs” are very cinematic and enhance the overall “movie like” feel of the game.

No shooter would be complete without a selection of weapons and you start with a pair of pistols but eventually you will come across shotguns and a few hidden weapons like the golden pistols or Uzis.

The demo offers a good amount of gameplay and to start with only two difficulty levels, “Casual” and “Normal” are available. Repeated plays unlock “Hard” and “Hard Boiled” and also the last two “Tequila Bomb” moves (Barrage and Spin Attack). If you want to experience all the demo has to offer then you will most likely play through the level at least three times.

Overall I thought the graphics were great and Chow Yun Fat was easily recognisable as Inspector Tequila. Although the controls are pretty good I did find that “Tequila” has a tendency to slide over objects (which is automatic) far too easily which did annoy me on a number of occasions and an option to have this tied to a button combination may have been preferable.

If you’re a fan of action games and third person shooters, and especially if you like Hong Kong action movies, then I’d recommend you check out this demo. The game is shaping up very nicely and I’m looking forward to it’s release later in the year.