Ghostbusters: The Video Game for Xbox 360
Who you gonna call? Ghostbusters!!! After 25 years, a video game has been released to celebrate the anniversary of one of the most popular films in history, retailing at £39.99.
It’s a measure of how good the film was that the game seems as fresh and funny as ever. Featuring the voices and likenesses of most of the original cast members; Harold Ramis, Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray and Ernie Hudson, the new script was penned by the writers of the first screenplay, Dan Akroyd and Harold Ramis and with the same laconic humour, the banter between cast members will have you smiling … nay … guffawing, even as you reach for your proton pack.
Set two years after Ghostbusters ll, the storyline is original yet manages to replicate most of the iconic scenes from the movie including the New York library and players journey through cemeteries, museums and otherworldly dimensions re-encountering some of the film’s famous ghouls like Slimer, the terror dogs, Vigo and everyone’s favourite – the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man. We’re also introduced to some pretty creepy new apparitions and phantoms and the game features great music, impressive sound effects and responsive control.
The aim is to save New York from being overrun by supernatural forces (again) and the player joins the Ghostbusters themselves as the rookie member of the team. Using the same gadgets from the movies, including proton packs, particle throwers, ghost locating PKE meter and that accessory no-one should be without - the Ecto-goggles - you can also chase down the ghosts in the Ecto-1 vehicle or weaken and trap them with your proton pack via four different modes . Weapons are upgradeable and the highly detailed environments are destructible so wreak as much carnage as you like but be aware that the cost of the damage is counted in dollars.
SpongeBob SquarePants: Truth or Square
Hold on to your squarepants for the ultimate in game from SpongeBob and his friend. OK, so, it’s meant to be for kids but adults love it as well. SpongeBob SquarePants: Truth or Square is in celebration of the tenth anniversary of SpongeBob SquarePants and offers fans a chance to relive some of the best moments from SpongeBob’s life.
When Mr Krabs and his friends plan to celebrate the eleventy seventh anniversary of the Krusty Krab, Mr Krab asks SpongeBob to guard the top-secret recipe for the Krabby Patty but… surprise, surprise… SpongeBob loses it. He enlists the help of Plankton to find it whose ulterior motive is to keep the formula for himself. The only way SpongeBob can find the recipe in time for the anniversary party is by using Plankton’s memory machine for him and players to relive the ten happiest and hilarious moments of his life.
Kids (or you) can play as SpongeBob on their own or with a friend playing as Plankton as they run, jump or spin through twelve exciting levels. Each one takes players back in time to one of SpongeBob’s memorable moments from the show i.e. when he became a fry cook or met Sandy for the first time. There may be a bit of strenuous battling involved in order to fell some of the supersized opponents which include legions of Plankton’s robots, but with SpongeBob’s amazing new morphing abilities including the Sledgehammer Smash, Spatula Slam, Waterbob Sponge or Explosive Cannon, he’ll be able to whack, hose, stun or blast ‘em out of the way. Visiting some of SpongeBob Squarepants favourite locations from Jellyfish Fields to Rock Bottom and downtown Bikini Bottom, there are plenty of stimulating puzzle challenges to play on the way. For ages of three and over SpongeBob SquarePants: Truth or Square retails at £29.99.
Grand Theft Auto: Episodes from Liberty City
With very adult content, the brand new Grand Theft Auto has two games in one box – The Ballad of Gay Tony and The Lost and the Damned, neither of which requires the original Grand Theft Auto to play.
Set in the depraved Liberty City, a world of money, beautiful women, luxury cars, bikes and boats, the Ballad of Gay Tony features the story of the assistant to the nightclub owner Tony Prince, who becomes involved in an orgy of guns, violence and crime as he struggles to ascertain who he can trust in a fake world. With a good story line and voice acting and new activities such as Drug Wars, Club Management, Dancing and Drinking Games, the action is even more fast-paced than before with the chance to pilot military helicopters, parachute onto skyscrapers and moving trucks and take part in realistic fight scenes.
The Lost and the Damned takes a new angle on the storyline begun in GTA lV and players will recognise some characters and events. Johnny, a former member of the notorious biker gang, The Lost, has built bridges and organised truces with other local gangs. When his brother, Billy, the out-of-control president, returns from rehab in a violent mood, Johnny attempts to create order out of chaos. Players won’t be disappointed by the action, power graphics, lighting, new vehicles and arsenal of heavy weaponry. The game can be played as a single player with the addition of new activities like Gang Wars and Bike Races or as a multiplayer.
DiRT-2 plus DLC is on the shelves now
Codemaster’s exciting new driving game is the ultimate off-road racing with superb handling, exceptional visual and audio detail, exciting new locations and driving situations that can be played with multiple players or solo.
DiRT2 follows on from Colin McRae: Dirt and is the first video game in the McRae series since the Scottish rally driver’s untimely death in a helicopter accident in 2007. This time the game offers more in the way of graphics with details like water splashing on to the windscreen, slick vehicle handling and realistic crash sequences as with the screech of twisted metal, handbrake turns and roaring engines, you’re thrown from one event to another. One minute you may be in a rally cross event, the next you may be racing monster trucks or negotiating a point-to-point rally with a co-driver.
Taking place in real-world environments of Asia, Europe, Africa and North America, DiRT2 includes five different events: rally, rally cross, trailblazer, land rush and raid requiring mastery of different driving styles with canyon racing, jungle trails and city-stadium based events. Players can test their skills against the likes of Ken Block or Travis Pastrana – all the other drivers on the track respond to your driving method – ie if you play dirty and drive them off the course, they’re liable to hold that against you and give you a rough ride in future events. A flashback feature allows you to return to the scene of a crash up to three times so you can rectify your driving mistakes and difficulty levels can be altered before every event.
Codemasters have also released multiple downloadable content packs for DiRT 2 which can be used by players to customise and add features to the boxed game; the Access All Areas Pack for £3.19 which gives VIP entry to 100 events set on 41 tracks with access to X-Games events and their courses and The Trust Fund Pack at £3.19 means you can download and experience 35 killer rides and upgrade liveries.
With positive reviews from major gaming companies, DiRT2 is a white knuckle ride and a genuine test of your driving skills and you can buy it now.
The official box-art for BioShock 2 isn't yet available, here's a mock-up the fans came up with!
The original BioShock was one of the huge surprises of 2007, and finally, it’s time for the long-awaited sequel, BioShock 2.
Bioshock 2 promises to continue the deeply disturbing game-play from the original BioShock. This time around, you switch sides. Instead of re-visiting the role of Jack, you control a rogue Big Daddy. If you haven’t played the first game, this all sounds a little bit dodgy, but trust us, if the original BioShock - which turned the classical First Person Shooter (FPS) genre inside-out - is anything to go by, its sequel will be something quite special indeed.
This time around, the game doesn’t end once you’ve played through single player mode: Multiplayer in BioShock 2 will provide “a rich prequel experience that expands the origins of the BioShock fiction.”, according to Take 2 Interactive, who produce the game.
The game will be available on Xbox 360, Playstation 3 and for Windows from the 9th of February 2010.
Where to get it >>