Review: Need For Speed: The Run – A Hollywood Racer Stumbling Over Hurdles

Need For Speed: The Run opens, paradoxically, inside a closing car crusher. Within the next five minutes wheelman hero Jack has escaped from the squashy clutches of metallic cube death, stolen an Audi from his Mafioso captors and, after being followed by them at harrowingly close range and pelleted with gunfire, edges the closest of encounters with a high-speed freight train. It’s a scenario seldom seen in the franchise, and the story it lends itself to aims to create a constant sense of danger, tension and spectacle. However, weighty car handling and the occasional presentational bullseye can’t save the game from its paper-thin story and obsessive desire to adhere to the script.

Review: Medieval Moves – Mediocre Job, Jeremy!

Ever ready to please the droves of dead-eyed parents pushed for time and ideas this Holiday season, Medieval Moves (subtitled Deadmund’s Quest in the States) is a new PlayStation Move title from San Diego Studio and Zindagi Games, they of Sports Champions fame. Priced affordably and adorned with kid-friendly smiley skeletons and comedy giant swords, Medieval Moves sets itself up promisingly but ultimately turns into a mediocre slog designed to keep the younger ones busy on Christmas morning.

A 7.5 For Zelda? It’s Still A Great Score, And We’re Too Nice

7.5; seven and a half out of ten; seventy five percent. In the United Kingdom, it equates to achieving an A grade in any standardised school test, which would suggest that the work was made up of content that was at least three quarters excellence. Which seems pretty fair. With that in mind, why is the internet up in arms over a review of The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword by GameSpot, which has awarded the game an overall score of, you guessed it, 7.5?

The answer lies in our general attitude to review scores and our expectations of what constitutes a “good” rating – and how we’ve been spoiled on 10/10s.

GaBoom Swap Diary: A Viable Alternative To Trading In? – Part Three

This third and final part of my GaBoom Swap Diary would have been up earlier but for one thing: the postal system. However, now that I’ve got a package in my hands (steady on) I can disclose if the community are as trustworthy as they might seem – the promise of a game in good condition with no proof of said condition can be a big one to fulfil.

Has GaBoom, and my postman, delivered? Find out in part three of my GaBoom Swap Diary!

GaBoom Swap Diary: A Viable Alternative To Trading In? – Part Two

A trade! We have a trade! Yesterday’s GaBoom Swap Diary covered adding some games to the newly relaunched UK game swapping website and waiting for some recommendations to pop up. I’ve received word back from one user that he’s happy to take an old copy of Buzz! off my hands in exchange for The Saboteur, a game I thought I had played but had, in fact, completely forgotten about. At least I’ll get the chance now.

Finalising a trade is easy-peasy through GaBoom, and as it turns out it’s cheap as chips too. Read on for Part Two of my GaBoom Swap Diary.

Modern Warfare 3 Parting Gamers Like The Red Sea

The first reviews are coming in for Modern Warfare 3 from both critics and ordinary gamers alike, and there’s a huge contrast between the two. The game, which launched less than 24 hours ago (depending on your time zone, we suppose), is expected to smash all expectations and is the most pre-ordered game ever for UK stores like Game, as well as Amazon.co.uk (Eurogamer).

What do you think though? Read on for some highlights of the reviews we’ve seen, and leave some thoughts of your own.

Indie Stores: Why Do Some Of Them Break Street Dates?

It’s Modern Warfare Eve, and all over the world gamers are idly sitting, waiting for the latest installment in the Call of Duty franchise to touch down in their consoles and for the media blitz to begin all over again. Except, a few folk have been lucky enough to land a copy through some unscrupulous independent retailers who just don’t give a foque about the official release date of a game. Why do some stores endeavour to ignore their legally binding distribution deals, putting the ones that care to follow the rules in a tricky situation?

I journeyed into Glasgow today to find out for myself, and found myself hounded out of one store quicker than you can say bacon.