Also Out This Week... (27/03) Review

The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena

Teaming up with Atari, Starbreeze Studios brings Riddick back to the consoles with 2004's critically acclaimed Assault on Butcher Bay bundled together with an all-new expansion and multiplayer content.

Despite being over five years old, the original Escape From Butcher Bay still manages to provide an engrossing take on the fps, it's appeal stemming from a solid stealth mechanic and brutal melee combat system.  Its visual qualities may have diminished somewhat, but the fact that it was a stupendous looking title on the original Xbox ensures that it's a passable title in the visual stakes on 360 and PS3.

It's hard to label Assault on Dark Athena as a sequel, more like an expanded version of the original, which was a little undersized in the first place.  Drones play a significant role in the new chapter, with Riddick able to haul fallen Drones and use their weapons or take direct control later in the game.  Failing to capture the claustrophobia of the original, Dark Athena nevertheless still manages to offer a satisfying extra few hours.

Verdict: The Chronicles of Riddick is still an excellent shooter, made even better by the extra content.

Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 Ultimate Edition

Still one of the best RTS experiences on consoles, the control interface for EA's Command & Conquer series has now evolved to the point that you can live with it, a bit like a housemate who may be lazy and surly but still does the washing up.

Red Alert 3 utilises the same radial interface that was introduced with the Kane's Wrath expansion for C&C3, albeit with a couple of tweaks here and there from EALA in the interim.

Unlike the main C&C series, Red Alert 3 continues down the storyline of alternate realities and time machine invoked paradoxes that give the series its flavour, this time introducing a Japanese Empire of the Rising Sun faction with bizarre units (another hallmark of the series) that take inspired influence from Mech anime and manga.

The PS3 "Ultimate Edition", however, is a bit misleading to say the least.  Apart from some multiplayer maps and a few 'Making of' style documentaries, there's very little that's new here from the Xbox 360 and PC versions that were released last year.

Verdict: This "Ultimate Edition" release is no doubt a relief to PS3 fans, but owners of multiple systems should opt for a reduced price copy on Xbox 360 or PC.

Buzz! Brain of the UK

If you want exactly the same game as last year's Buzz! Quiz TV, only with a blurred image of Westminster in the menu screen, Buzz wearing a Great Britain themed suit, some British flags in the quiz studio, three new characters to play as, and some British themed questions, then this is the game for you.

If, on the other hand, you're not a complete fool and you can see the value of paying considerably less for a discount copy of Quiz TV, then you should avoid Brain of the UK at all costs.

Easily the laziest game we've seen so far this year, right down to the fact that our review code had a broken voice-over of the eponymous host Buzz (he sounded like a dying robot), Buzz! Brain of the UK is a rip-off of monumental proportions.

Verdict: Avoid at all costs, unless it's being handed out for free.

Rhapsody: A Musical Adventure

The acclaimed Japanese publisher Nippon-Ichi Software updates an eleven-year old PSone JRPG for the DS.  It's a fairly unique take on a conventional JRPG, the principle difference being that bursts of theatrical song replace the need for plot-driving CG sequences.

The DS remake switches the isometric strategy battles of the original to a more traditional turn-based approach; personally, we found the switch compliments the quick and easy nature of the game.

Beyond this it's a pretty conventional 'lite' JPRG with plenty of dungeons to crawl, random battles to fight, and characters to customise your party.  It's certainly not without its share of quirkiness and charm.

Verdict: A bright-and-breezy JRPG, which never made it over to Europe in the first place.

Drakensang

Based on the popular German tabletop RPG The Dark Eye (we haven't heard of it either), Drakensang offers a comprehensive yet largely routine single-player RPG experience.

While the story and assortment of clichéd fantasy characters is hard to warm to, Drakensang does at least provide a game world that feels sufficiently rich and deep enough to explore and immerse yourself within.

There's faults.  The attribute system in particular could do with some streamlining, and we feel the party system is hampered by some frustrating control issues when trying to assume manual control over each character.

Verdict: A hardcore German RPG experience; certainly not for everybody, but if you're tired of MMO's there's a considerable number of hours to enjoy.