Game Review – The Bourne Conspiracy

Publisher – Sierra Entertainment

Platform – Xbox 360

First there were the novels, then there were the movies and now we have the first game based around the character Jason Bourne. Often games based on movies are a half-hearted cash in released to coincide with the movies’ launch. But in this case there is no new Bourne movie and this game is not specifically based on any of three Bourne movies. Rather, it contains elements from them all and also delves into Jason Bourne’s past to fill in some of the blanks in his back-story.

The game is split into various different styles that are particular to the Bourne movies. The periods of relentless frenetic action are captured in missions set against the clock. Accomplishing a task before something happens is typical of the way panic is created in the game player. There are problems with this however because it can be easy to get stuck repeating the same section over and over again. This is frustrating in itself but the load times are peculiarly long and after a while there is a temptation to throw the controller at the television. Also, during these frantic action sequences there are occasional cinematic pauses where a button press, or series of button presses, must be executed. This is a bit of a throw back to the Dragons Lair or Space Ace days and seems a little cheap on a next generation console. Also, the time allowed for these button presses is quite short and it’s annoying having done well in a mission to lose to a button press.

The action is all from a third person perspective similar to Army Of Two or Kane And Lynch. It might have been a good idea to have the frantic sections of the game in first person as a lot of quick turning is needed and the camera work does not move quickly enough sometimes. However, third person is perfect for the sections that represent the more stealth-orientated side of the movies. So much of these sections comprise of gun fights where taking cover behind walls, crates etc. is vital to Bourne’s survival. These are sections where patience is rewarded much like the shootouts in Gears Of War and are probably the most impressive part of The Bourne Conspiracy.

Of course in the movies we often see Bourne effortlessly escaping from dozens of police cars in intense adrenaline fuelled chases. These are also featured in the game and are as exciting as you could hope for. They look the part and are filled with spectacular set pieces. The only problem is that these set pieces are cut scenes triggered yet again by a couple of button presses. In fact this is the main problem with The Bourne Conspiracy, all the best bits are out of the gamers’ control. The best fight animations, the rolls, slides and jumps and the driving stunts are all things you have no control over and while they are spectacular without them the game is fairly standard. The fighting is based around three buttons, one for a light attack, one for a heavy attack and one for a finishing move. There seem to be dozens of moves but they are randomly generated depending on what button is pressed. So there is a lot of button mashing but little thought required. This is definitely not a sophisticated beat ‘em up. Also, the game is far too linear with no possibility of exploration or route variation.

The Bourne Conspiracy is a valiant attempt to immerse the player into Bourne’s world but concentrates far too much on being cinematic. The story is strong and it uses the Unreal 3 engine so it looks well but this could have something grander. As it is, it’s decent entertainment while it lasts but the sequel, if there is one, could be something special.

Game Review - Everybody's Golf 2

Publisher - Sony
Platform - PSP

It all began in 1997 with the below-the-radar release of the original Everybody's Golf on the Playstation. Through word of mouth it slowly became a minor classic among golfers and non-golfers alike. Traditionally Sony has concentrated on more adult orientated games aiming for realism whereas Nintendo has favoured cute, sunny and cheerful. Everybody's Golf was sweet and charming and resolutely not a golf sim - a game that would probably have felt more at home at Nintendo. However what began as a trickle is now a stream as the seventh game in the Sony series (the second on the PSP) is released.

Everybody's Golf has become a gentle and low-key phenomenon over the last 11 years. The first release on the PSP in 2004 was one of the launch titles for the budding handheld and was the launch title I was still playing long after the others had lost their lustre. Its' charming innocence and infectious feel good factor kept you smiling during game play but what kept you coming back for more and more (and more) were the precise and realistic physics.

Everybody's Golf 2 continues in the same vein with that perfect game engine purring away beneath the even more luscious and colourful visuals. What separates this from the other sims around is that there seems to be nothing at all to learn, everything is absolutely instinctive and intuitive. Within minutes of playing your first round you will find yourself changing clubs, adjusting your approach to counteract the wind and applying some backspin to make sure the ball sits nicely on the green. Everything just makes sense and unlike other golf sims the instruction book is practically redundant.

This time around there are more courses, more players and more costumes to unlock. The cartoonish characters are animated as flawlessly as usual and the intelligent camera follows the ball with its usual panache as it arcs across the course. The just-one-more-game feeling is palpable; in fact even writing this review is an annoying interruption in my quest to increase my characters' power and technique! There are so many things to keep you coming back for more, unlocking more courses and more characters to play versus matches against, to try and beat your best drive, longest putt and best score. Even seeing your character's loyalty rating increase each time you choose them is strangely addictive. Landing on concrete paths or railway tracks gives your drive an extra 20 yards and the resulting pleasure in hitting these is probably a little sad for a 32 year old.

All the usual multiplayer modes are there and the minigolf game appears once again. A nine-hole tournament can be completed in about 20 minutes but even if you have only a minute to spare you can play a sneaky hole or two. Suffice to say I was a big fan of the series already and Everybody's Golf 2 has only reinforced my affection further. A cornier man than I would probably say that Everybody's Golf 2 is a hole in one but I will just say that this is good, this is really good.

Game Review - Metal Gear Solid Portable Ops Plus

Publisher - Konami
Platform - PSP

Solid Snake, the central figure in the Metal Gear Solid series has been appearing on our consoles for a decade now. Since 1998 we have seen the series become a benchmark for graphically superior, inventive, stealth based gameplay. This latest addition to the series follows on from last years Metal Gear Solid Portable Ops but to call it a sequel would not be entirely correct. It is more of an expansion or an upgrade with the focus more on online gameplay. It is a similar release to the Substance or Subsistence expansions on the PS2.

Last years original was another fine accomplishment by creator/designer/living legend Hideo Kojima that fleshed out the Solid Snake saga even further. It concentrated on the single player experience and was very well received by the massive Metal Gear fan base. As well as the fully realised single player game there was an excellent multiplayer angle too where you would choose a squad and use them to challenge others online. Unfortunately this latest release removes the single player adventure altogether and replaces it with a new mode called "Infinity Mission". Infinity Mission is merely a succession of randomly chosen maps in which the player must locate an advance point so they can move on to the next. It is squad based so before a mission a squad must be selected and prepared for battle. Then during the mission the player can switch between squad members and also gain new squad members by kidnapping enemy soldiers.

The typical Metal Gear Solid gameplay is intact but without any story to drive it it becomes boring and repetitive almost instantly. If you have played the first game and are expecting another chapter in the story you will be extremely disappointed. If you did not play the first game you will be confused and disappointed. So it's disappointment all round. The menu system is more complicated than it needs to be and even the simplest of actions require many button presses. The look of the game has not changed but as the levels are not part of a developing story they remain very similar to each other and have a basic box-like finish.

The online experience is as enjoyable as it was before with the usual deathmatch and target shooting modes. But all in all this seems to be a cynical cash in on last years Portable Ops. It's a shame to see a series that was once a standard bearer for originality releasing something so bland and hopefully this is not a sign of things to come. I guess we will find out with the next instalment in the series.

In the meantime if you were a fan of last years release there is nothing new here. If you do not own either game then the original Portable Ops is the one to buy and as a result of this new release it will probably be cheaper now too. Maybe some good has come of Portable Ops Plus after all!

....If anyone would like a promo copy of Metal Gear Solid Portable Ops Plus on the PSP drop me an email with your name and address at denehan@gmail.com. First one gets it!....

Game Review – Pro Evolution Soccer 2008

Publisher – Konami.
Platform – PSP.

In its’ many guises over the last fourteen years Pro Evolution Soccer has been the purists’ choice - the most valiant attempt at translating the nuances and subtleties of the beautiful game onto our consoles. Where FIFA and others were more interested in gimmicky effects and high scores PES focused on realism, awareness and intelligence. Goals were scored in other games but were earned in PES. Over the last few years the others have caught up by catching on and mimicking the approach taken by PES. The latest in the PES series suddenly has some work to do to stay ahead of the game.

All the regular features are present and correct. In fact the PSP version is the only version other than the PS2 one that has the World Tour mode. This new mode is actually a welcome addition to the regular cups, training exercises and Master League. It puts you in charge of a club or national team and gives you a task or mission to complete – such as having to win from a goal down or winning by a set number of goals etc. The gameplay is identical to the PS2 version in practically every respect.

The small differences are enforced due to the lack of the two shoulder buttons but this does not take away too much from the experience. Holding down the right shoulder button still makes the player run more quickly but with a double tap the player executes a step-over instead of increasing his pace even further. The one thing that the PS2 can never compete with is of course the portability of the PSP and the idea of playing PES on the plane, train or automobile is delicious! The ability to compete against other human challengers is an option but essentially this is a single player experience.

Unfortunately PES 2008 is not a great step forward from its’ predecessor. In fact it could be argued that it’s actually a backwards step as it seems to have lost a little bit of fluidity and smoothness. Scoring is not as intuitive as it has been in the past and even having taken a first touch and steadying the player his shot is liable to end up in the crowd instead of the net. Unlike the PS2 game this version suffers from slowdown that, while infrequent is disappointing. Overall though, while this PES engine needs to be stripped down and rebuilt it is still about the best fun you can legally have on a bus.

Classic Game – Operation Wolf

Publisher – Taito

Year Of Release – 1987

Twenty summers ago a young boy was queuing at the change booth in the Amusement Arcade in Skerries. He had a £1.00 note that was soon to become ten 10p coins and every one of those coins were going to be deposited into one arcade game. Of course you can guess who the boy was but the game was Operation Wolf.

This arcade game stood out from the others as there was a machine gun attached to the upright cabinet. Not only that, the gun looked real and to this 12 year-old boy it felt how he imagined a real machine gun would feel. It was heavy and every time the trigger was squeezed there was actual recoil. The game itself was a side-scrolling shoot ‘em up that panned across various landscapes over six different levels. The object of the game was to rescue hostages from a concentration camp. It was the digital incarnation of the old shooting gallery games.

I had a Commodore 64 back then and as soon as I heard that Operation Wolf was going to be released for it my pocket money was no longer transformed into 10p coins but was squirreled away until I had enough to buy it. That day seemed to take an age but when it came it was an event. Myself, and some friends piled into my bedroom, put in the tape and waited. And waited. The loading screen appeared and there was silence. More waiting, the joystick in my hand in a death grip, the tension building and then it was time. What separated Operation Wolf from the rest was the fact that it did not have a cartoon feel to it, it was as realistic as the technology of the day allowed. There were no jokes, no tongues in cheeks, saving these hostages was a serious business.

We sat there for hours passing the joystick from one to another as we perished with the phrase, “You have sustained a lethal injury. Sorry, but you are finished here”. You see that was the problem with Operation Wolf, it was too damn hard. We had seen the Communications and Jungle levels but had only heard whispers and rumours of Village, Ammunition Dump, Concentration Camp and Airport levels. But over the following days and weeks we slowly got better. The amount of soldiers, tanks, jeeps, boats and choppers we destroyed got higher with every attempt. The amount of civilians we killed became fewer as time went on and ammunition was not wasted as needlessly. If one of us managed to stumble onto a new level we were all exhilarated and talked about it for the rest of the day.

We had all seen the Rambo Trilogy, Predator, Platoon and Commando and while we played Operation Wolf we were living those films. That summer was the summer of Operation Wolf, the summer where saving hostages was all we thought about. Nowadays, sitting on a juicy mortgage with bills to pay and all the other responsibilities of a grown man I am not too surprised to find myself smiling affectionately as I reminisce about this 20 year-old game.