Month in Review: November 2010

There's a foot of snow outside my door and temperatures are lingering at about minus stupid. November's acquisitions have, naturally, taken a bit of a downturn compared with recent months. My bank balance thanks me.

New Acquisitions

Retro Game Challenge! I first heard about this one sometime last year but I was determined to wait for an EU release. I hate importing games as the majority of sellers whack on ridiculous shipping costs that outweigh any monetary benefit of ordering from overseas. Alas, a local copy was not forthcoming so when I finally got around to buying Retro Game Challenge I had to bite the bullet and get a new copy off eBay. Blood Bowl was from Play.com and is another game I'm looking forward to. I don't usually go for sports games, but I don't think Blood Bowl counts. I grew up with the board game so it's more of a nostalgia trip for me.

Probably my best deal of recent months. Shadow of the Colossus cost me a fiver in a charity shop, would you believe, though that's still not as awesome a find as Ico for a £1 (courtesy of last year's carboot hunt). Considering Colossus usually goes for around £30 I shan't complain. It's in near mint condition too, including the art cards. Loom is disc and sleeve only from eBay, but since it's one of the few LucasArts adventures that hasn't seen a rerelease over the years I'll take what I'm offered.

Would you believe my experiences with the Tom Clancy license extend no further than a passing acquaintance with the Jack Ryan films? Considering I'm such a fan of action games it's near unforgivable than I haven't ever played a game with the man's name on it. I decided to atone for this transgression by picking up these five PC games at CeX, priced between 10p and £2 each. Maybe I'll have a marathon one day soon.

That's it for the physical acquisitions this month, though Steam did me proud this month by offering up several choice morsels, including Mount & Blade, Mount & Blade: Warband, Aliens vs. Predator, Metro 2033 and the Indie Story Pack - comprising And Yet It Moves, Gish, Jolly Rover, Recettear and Puzzle Agent. I also picked up the complete Age of Empires III (game and expansions) for a whopping 10MSP from the Games For Windows store. Yes, ten whole Microsoft Points.

Games Played

Alan Wake (X360)

I decided to spend some time wrapping up some of the DLC I've accumulated over the past few months, starting with the second Alan Wake special episode: The Writer. It's no secret that I love Alan Wake for its haunting atmosphere, fantastical theme and general strangeness, welcoming it with open arms as a return to 'proper' horror in video games. This DLC is more of the same great stuff, if anything even weirder than what has come before and I thoroughly recommend it to anyone who liked the main game. I finished the episode in about two hours, netting six achievements for 155 points.

Fallout: New Vegas (PC)

Ah, the pit into which most of my free time has been sucked this month. Now that I've poured about sixty hours into the game and completed at least one variation on the main storyline I feel qualified to offer judgement. New Vegas is a great game, though not perfect by any means. I didn't really want to throw out endless comparisons to Fallout 3, but there's little else I can do when offered something that is so obviously trying to replicate both the scale and intensity of that earlier success. While retaining the same Mad Max Meets Fifties Vision Of The Future feel, New Vegas does seem a little smaller in scope than Fallout 3. The environment, while huge and sprawling, isn't as massive or as diverse as the rugged wilderness and ruined cityscapes of the last game. The endless radscorpions, low-level raiders and squabbling human factions that have replaced the monstrous super mutants and power-suited Enclave baddies don't do much to elicit awe either. But on the other hand, there are plenty of things New Vegas does better. The whole faction idea, for starters. While playing Fallout 3, your choices never really seemed to matter as the game progressed: here, there are many groups and individuals who may benefit or suffer as a result of even a small decision. Choosing a side in the battle for the Mojave isn't as simple as it seems; sticking to a true path, playing sides against each other, going your own way - all equally valid and a perfect invitation for experimentation and of course, offering massive replay value to an already large and open-ended game. In the end, I really enjoyed my time with New Vegas and spend many hours doing exactly what I did with Fallout 3 - exploring, seeking out side-quests, unearthing cool new items and blasting baddies, often at the expense of the main storyline. 25 new Steam achievements popped up during my explorations and I can safely say I will return to the Mojave Wasteland one day soon. Oh, regarding the 'bug issue': I had zero problems running the game on my PC, encountered no bugs worth mentioning and quite frankly I don't know what all the fuss is about.

Mass Effect 2 (X360)

More DLC to wrap up, this time the Lair of the Shadow Broker pack for Mass Effect 2. This DLC brings back one of my favourite characters from the first Mass Effect and fills me with hope that Liara will be back for good and kicking biotic ass in Mass Effect 3. As for the content itself, the DLC is a great, action-packed couple of hours featuring some of the most intense battles and story scenes of the series including a great little hovercar section straight out of The Fifth Element. It also nicely progresses Shepard's relationship with Liara whether you romanced her or not - though I did made sure I Captain Kirked her again, for research purposes of course! I dinged four more achievements here, for 150 points.

Red Dead Redemption (X360)

I've mentioned Red Dead Redemption a few times in these blogs, so it's safe to assume you know my opinions by now. I really like the game even though I rarely go for westerns and I didn't really like Rockstar's previous Grand Theft Auto successes. Red Dead Redemption is infintely more impressive and interesting than those games. The set pieces are spectacular and the missions varied and challenging. If I ever got tired of the relentless action of the main storyline, then there were always plenty of exploration opportunities and ambient challenges to keep me occupied. I finished the main story (alright, the last act felt a bit lame and tacked-on) after about 28 hours play, but I'm still only sitting at 82.7% completion which just goes to show, there's a lot more game there for me to find! Eleven more achievements fell before me during November, for an additional 370 points.

Sherlock Holmes vs. Jack the Ripper (X360)

Point and click adventures are a particular favourite of mine and while I generally go for the more humourous outings (say, the Lucasarts or Sierra cIassics), I can't resist a good mystery. Maybe it's in my blood, because there's none more English than Sherlock Holmes. There's also none more villainous than the infamous Jack the Ripper, which makes him perfect bad guy material for this sort of game. This one feels odd on the 360; its origins as a slow, paced, mouse-driven PC game are obvious, but at least it makes a refreshing change from frantic action. The plot can be generic, but the puzzles are often deviously clever and the murder-scene examinations and reconstructions are a nice touch. Old Jack's only put two tarts in a box so far, so I've still got a way to go for the full Mr. Kipling. 21 achievements down, for 520 points.

In Conclusion...

Looking back, I'm surprised how much gaming I've done this month, especially since I seem to have next to no free time at the moment! Of course, some things have fallen by the wayside during this busy time of year (I work retail, say no more) including my time here and on other internet forums. I will however take the time to mention an awesome new union that's started up here: The Philosophical Gamer's Union, founded by 6h05tly and others. A place for the intelligent gamer to kick back, relax and debate all aspects of gaming till the sun comes up in a fanboy-free environment. Take a look, join up, just don't get arsey...

Month in Review: October 2010

Another great month for acquisitions and playing. Enjoy!

New Acquisitions

I've been falling pretty far behind with the Call of Duty series, having not bought the last three installments. Part of that is due to my not caring one iota about the multi-player side of things, which is pretty much all that's left now. The other reason is the price: due to their incessant popularity these games have never seen a price cut, and used copies are useless thanks to overly harsh DRM. Shopto saw sense recently though, and I grabbed them all brand new in one of their crazy sales.

Charity shops finds from the posh side of town. £1.99 each and although Rocket Knight Adventures and Zombies are missing their manuals, it's not a bad little find. Zombies is actually Zombies Ate My Neighbours, by the way, yet another example of 90's censorship gone nuts.

More charity shop purchases. I rarely see Atari games in the wild, and never in a charity shop, so this was quite an exciting find. Atari games just aren't that common over here, outside of eBay anyway. They were £2.49 each, but in extremely good condition so I reckon I got a good deal.

Soulblade was from the same place as the Atari games above, but the rest were from Cash Generator and cost 99p each. All the discs and manuals/inserts are in really good condition, but the cases are pretty manky. Cracked, dirty and covered in stickers. I've cleaned them up the best I can, but I'm in the market for replacement PAL PS1 cases as there's some decent games here that deserve to look their best, especially those horror games in the middle.

A couple of cheap eBay finds. I've been after Al Qadim for ages; the early 90s produced some of my favourite D&D games and this is one I've wanted to play for a long time. Death Knights of Krynn is the original Gold Box release - complete with 5.25" floppies, retro fans - and despite some fading to the box, is in very good condition for its age.

More PC games from eBay. These three were all from the same seller and cost about £10 total. All boxed and complete in near mint condition. I love old school adventures but somehow until now Tex Murphy has slipped under my radar. I aim to rectify this as soon as possible by tracking down the rest of the series and having a Tex marathon! Freddy Pharkas is cIassic Sierra adventuring at it's best.

Indy and MDK2 were decent charity shop finds: MDK2 was sealed and only cost a £1, which equals bargain! The other two games were courtesy of eBay. Star Wars Monopoly is pretty geeky. The box contains a couple of metal coin thingies and a little Anakin figurine. I used to love this game though, so I had to reaquire it.

Here we go, the big purchase of the month. I don't usually go for Collector's Editions - most of the time I see little in them that is worth the money. I also don't like the increasing number of CEs that are exclusive to Game. Game are always overpriced for new releases and by making CEs exclusive it takes away any chance of fair competition between retailers and any hope of a bargain for the buyer. However, two years back I splashed out for the CE of Fallout 3, and decided to do the same for New Vegas. This time around it cost me a hefty £50! Thanks Game. It is rather nice though. I only wish there was an artbook involved.

I love Famicom stuff and this little lot from eBay only fuelled the fire. The top two are crappy pirates that I have no interest in, but the rest is the real deal, all boxed and complete except for Dragon Unit which is cart only. They are all in very nice condition too. £16 for the lot. I might have to invest in a real Famicom one day. I have a cartridge adaptor to play the carts on my NES... but it's not the same.

Some cheap CeX purchases, all in very good condition and complete except for Red Dead Revolver which is missing the manual. I'm actually pretty psyched for Red Dead Revolver, it will be interesting to see how it compares to Redemption.

Finally, a lone purchase from my new favourite shop, The Entertainment Trader. I discovered this place while taking a shortcut down a backstreet in town. Holy Moly this place rocks. It has thousands of DVDs and games for sale (as well as musical instruments, electrical equipment and mountain bikes) but most importantly, it has a stacked retro section. I didn't have the time to go through everything as I was in a bit of a hurry, but I noticed all sorts of things from Game & Watch games to a £100 Panzer Dragoon Saga to complete consoles. Plenty of cheaper stuff too, but not enough time! In the end I just grabbed a nice, cheap, near mint SNES game, had a brief chat with the proprieter and moved on. I shall return at the next available opportunity though... maybe make a day of it!

I also picked up the first two Red Faction games in the Steam sale. Total cost: £2.48. I used to own disc versions of both but I couldn't get them to work any more so I gave them to a friend who could enjoy them on his (vastly) inferior PC! Thankfully the Steam versions run like a dream, so I'll have to give them another whirl soon.

Games Played

Broken Sword: The Sleeping Dragon (PC)

I finished the third Broken Sword game this month and thoroughly enjoyed it. Technologically, it's leaps and bounds ahead of the first two games and luckily doesn't skimp too much on the story either. Mysterious organisations, murder and intrigue, fantasical occurances, witty character moments and lovingly scripted scenes, all present and correct. I stand by my earlier statements that the third-person control scheme and lack of mouse support hurt the game: after all, adventures of this nature are supposed to be pointed at and clicked upon, not steered like a tank. I soon got used to the system though and all in all, Broken Sword III is a worthy addition to an excellent series.

Castle of Illusion (MD)

I've made a little promise to myself to work on my retro backlog so for the past few Sundays I've been focusing on some of the more vintage titles in my collection. First up is the Mega Drive and a game from a time when Disney licenses were good. Castle of Illusion (featuring Mickey Mouse) is an enjoyable platform adventure that kept me occupied for a rainy afternoon.

Fallout: New Vegas (PC)

I've only just started playing New Vegas as I was determined to finish Far Cy 2 before getting sucked into something as huge as a new Fallout game. I'm about five hours in so far and from what I've seen it's a great follow on to Fallout 3. The basics are the same, but there's a fair amount of good new additions to the game mechanics: followers, faction reputations, gambling, new weapons and ammo, to name a few. The game world is great too; I was afraid it was just going to be indistinguishable from Fallout 3's Capital Wasteland but the subtle differences in the environment coupled with the iconic imagery of Vegas ensures that New Vegas has its own flavour while still retaining the atmosphere and desolate loneliness of the last game. A word on bugs too: I've heard some horror stories (like I do every time Obsidian release a game) but so far I haven't encountered any problems aside from some minor performance issues. Maybe the PC version is more stable than the console releases, or maybe I'm just lucky. I've also unlocked 2 Steam achievements so far.

Far Cry 2 (PC)

The first Far Cy - terrible, tacked-on final act aside - was one of my favourite shooters of the past decade. A lot of that was due to the environment. A huge, sun-drenched tropical island with clear blue skies, cerulean waters, palm trees and bleached white sand was such a refreshing change from the typical corridor crawls of its shooter peers. Far Cry 2 mixes up the game mechanics by introducing a more free-form styIe of play and an almost completely open world, and then also transposes the setting from tropical luxury to war-torn savannah. Despite the changes, gameplay remains solid, if not as interesting as the first Far Cry. Visceral combat, great visuals and a stunning setting kept me coming back, despite a few issues. Respawning enemies rapidly become annoying, the story isn't great and the open world idea is limited by the rather short list of things one can actually do in that environment... but it's still a refreshing change from corridor crawls! I finished the story and a large portion of the available side-missions in about 25 hours. Not a bad chunk of game.

Professor Layton and the Curious Village (DS)

I've not had a huge amount of time to play DS games this month: work has been so hectic I can't remember the last leisurely lunch break I took! Anyway, I'm on Chapter 5 at the moment with about 5 hours of gameplay and I am still enjoying myself. I'll have to set aside a little bit more time for this one, I think, especially since I've asked for the latest Professor Layton game for Christmas.

Red Dead Redemption (X360)

Another game which I've not spent enough time with this month. I have squeezed some decent gaming sessions in between all the X Factor/Strictly Come Dancing which takes over the big TV this time of year... but I think I'm going to have to be more forceful from now on! Anyway, I'm still playing through the storyline in a rather casual manner, taking plenty of time for random exploration, stranger quests and ambient challenges. I've just finished up in Mexico (more or less) and I'm sitting at around 55% completion. I really love this game; every time I think a mission couldn't get more fun or a set piece couldn't get more spectacular the next mission rolls around and proves me wrong. For me, RDR is doing right everything that the last few GTA games did wrong and while it's not my game of the year, it's a pretty close second. This month in RDR I've gained an additional six achievements for 165 points.

Strider (MD)

Another retro game to cross off my backlog and what a challenge it was! While I'm not the most gifted at old-school action/platformers I do enjoy them greatly and can usually muddle through on normal. Not so with Strider! Not only did I have to knock the difficulty down to easy, it took me about three weekends to complete the game. I probably would have given up long before that if it wasn't such fun making the attempt. Fast-paced, fun and exciting, Strider is a great gem of the 90s with some awesome levels and great bosses. My PAL copy suffers from some bad flicker and crippling slow-down in places though, which detracts from the experience somewhat. Not sure if the Genesis version suffers the same.

In Conclusion...

50-something days till Christmas. Yikes. I guess I'll have to watch the pennies for a while... Christmas shopping looms. Just spent £150 on two Bon Jovi tickets too. Scandalous. Should be a damn good show though, as always.

It's taken a little while to finalise this thing, but I can now present part two of my horror-themed blog for October. These sixteen games are mostly taken from the last decade of gaming, which just goes to show how popular horror games remain. Guess we just love to be scared. Read on, if you dare...

System Shock 2 (PC) (1999)

Space horror is one of my favourite subgenres of science fiction, however like many cyberpunk stories, the threat in System Shock 2 comes not from vicious aliens, but from our own technology. The idea of a computer going rogue, a malevolent AI twisted by its own intelligence into massacring its creators, is actually one of the more terrifying concepts in predictive science fiction. System Shock 2 leaves the player stranded in one of the most atmospheric environments ever conceived in a game. Alone, trapped on a damaged spacecraft with nothing but a few ghosts that don't know they're dead and twisted mutants begging you to kill them even as they try to rip your head off. The disembodied voices of the crew communicate from beyond the grave via audio logs and here and there are last-gasp messages scrawled in blood. Finally, main villain SHODAN plays her part masterfully with cold, logical perfection.

Martian Gothic: Unification (PlayStation) (2001)

Another science fiction adventure, this time set on the original source of interplanetary evil: Mars. Like Doom and others, Martian Gothic revolves around an archaeological excavation on the Red Planet, a discovery that has somehow resulted in the entire research team suffering an untimely demise. Sent to the Mars base to figure it all out, it's up to your three-man team to solve the mystery before you get eaten by the reanimated corpses of the base personnel. Even in space, there are zombies. Martian Gothic is an overlooked gem of the genre, with a great setting, tense atmosphere and a lingering sense of wrongness and dread from the very start as the (slightly mad) base computer predicts that although three have entered the base, only two will leave alive.

Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem (Gamecube) (2002)

A great horror adventure whichever way you look at it, the spookiest part of Eternal Darkness is actually a relatively minor gameplay feature: the sanity meter present throughout the game. Affected by your actions in the game, if your character's sanity drops low enough the game will respond by utilising some of the creepiest visual and audio effects ever used to convey fear in a game. Camera angles become skewed and you are subjected to various auditory hallucinations: whispers, screams, chains rattling, blades being sharpened. Walls bleed and grotesque visions appear. At times, you'll even question your real-life sanity as the game simulates errors with your TV or console; certainly breaking the fourth wall... but then the best interactive storytelling often does.

The Thing (PlayStation 2) (2002)

With its stunning, gore-drenched practical effects and claustrophobic terror, The Thing is one of the greatest horror films ever made. Unusually for a movie license, it makes a pretty good horror game too. It's a sequel to the film, but the story alone isn't what makes The Thing so great. The game uses a fantastic trust-based squad system – your teammates can be infected and it's up to you to kill them off before it's too late. Get it right and your squad is safe, get it wrong and your squad will lose trust in you and might even try to kill you off. It's a nice nod to the paranoia of the original film as you can never be too sure who you can trust, with surprise attacks possible from within as well as outside the group. Your squad will also react to the environment – walking into a blood-stained area will likely cause your team to panic, flee or even kill themselves out of despair!

Project Zero II: Crimson Butterfly (PlayStation 2) (2003)

The Project Zero games definitely feature one of the more unique gameplay aspects I've come across. Destroying malicious ghosts by taking their picture: you can't deny that's a great idea. Intriguing features aside, Project Zero II is a great little ghost story that appealed to me from the first time I loaded the game. With suitable J-horror flair for dramatic 'creep-out' moments, the game alternates between big shocks and more intense, slow-burning frights and seems to delight in making you jump straight out of your seat or cower in the corner as appropriate. Play this one with the lights on. In case you were wondering, some of you might know this game better as Fatal Frame 2 (the North American title).

Silent Hill 3 (PlayStation 2) (2003)

Silent Hill has always been one of the best survival horror series out there, with its twisted and terrifying otherworld. An alternate realm emphasising the darkest aspects of our world, a freakish parallel universe underlying our own, comprising the same familiar outlines but shaded in the most fantastical and perverted colours imaginable. It's looking into a mirror which shows nothing but blood, death and misery. For me Silent Hill 3 is the strangest and scariest of the bunch thanks to its outstanding design work, grotesque monsters and excellent plot... but I heartily recommend the whole series.

Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines (PC) (2004)

White Wolf's World of Darkness role-playing setting did urban fantasy and modern vampire culture to perfection, years before Twilight and its ilk diluted the genre into parody. An RPG shoe-horned into the body of an third-person actioner, Bloodlines is a flawed game that no amount of fan-patching can completely fix, but the picture it paints is spot-on. It is simply overflowing with character; set in a world that is dark, violent, bloody and with nary a sparkle in sight. Bloodlines is the only game to do this sort of setting right, and while the majority of the game isn't really scary, it does feature one of the best single horror-themed levels I've ever played: a haunted hotel done to a turn, Shining styIe.

The Suffering (PlayStation 2) (2004)

The Suffering doesn't get mentioned much in lists like this, which is a shame. The game is set in a prison overrun by Stan Winston's monster menagerie of creepy, twisted creatures, clever personifications of different methods of execution. Visions plague the protagonist throughout, while the seductive voices of demons attempt to coerce the player to the dark side. Which brings me neatly to the scariest part of The Suffering: morality and the in-game choices it provides. How quickly we can forget about being the good guy. When faced with a choice how often will we – removed from the game world as we are – perform evil actions for kicks or out of sheer curiosity? It's not real, but the darkness and desire is there regardless.

Doom 3 (PC) (2004)

The original Doom kicked first-person combat into the mainstream with all the subtlety of a neon freight train on its way to mardi gras, but ten years of gaming evolution separate Doom 3 from its forebears. That's ten years of graphics card upgrades, physics-based game engines and artificial intelligence routines. The invention of realistic environmental lighting in a game engine, to set a scene through delicately textured shadow, enables Doom 3 to turn a fragfest into a frightfest. You know it's coming, yet you can't help but jump a foot into the air when a demon leaps from the inky blackness to claw your face off.

Condemned (Xbox 360) (2005)

Condemned is a game that is – to begin with – grounded more in reality than many of the supernatural or science fiction-based games on this list. We've seen the premise before: framed for murder, you must work your way through a hostile and uncooperative city, investigating crime scenes and fighting off attackers in order to uncover the real killers. Trouble is, a mysterious phenomenon has resulted in insanity spreading like a plague. Violent psychotics attack without mercy, and these are no deliberate undead or predictable monsters. These foes are smart, and tackling one or more in melee combat requires concentration as they attack and feint, flee and hide to the point where you are often left looking about wildly, pulse pounding as you try to anticipate the next attack. Brutal stuff.

Dead Rising (Xbox 360) (2006)

Dead Rising is a game tailor made for fans of George A. Romero's seminal zombie-flick, Dawn of the Dead, so much so that a lawsuit was even pushed under Capcom's door. Like the film, the game is set in a shopping mall during a zombie apocalypse, with endless swarms of the walking dead doing their best to eat your brains. Both movie and game feature traditional undead horror tempered with humour, however Dead Rising does away with the black satire and social commentary of the film, instead injecting into its core a crazy whack-a-zombie sense of fun that rewards inventiveness with your kills.

Penumbra: Black Plague (PC) (2008 )

The second Penumbra game is a rarity in that it features almost no combat whatsoever. Don't take this to mean there aren't any enemies though, as the foes in Black Plague are plentiful and vicious. It's just that you cannot acquire any real weapons to defeat them. The emphasis here is strongly on stealth: avoiding your enemies and, if necessary, running away. Nothing is scarier in real life than being helpless, and the same holds true in video games. Not being able to pull a trigger or wave a knife around is startling, to say the least. Careful exploration, creeping down corridors and peeking round corners interspaced with panicky encounters will dominate your time with Black Plague. I haven't completed this one yet... I'm a little worried I might have a heart attack first.

Cryostasis (PC) (2008 )

An ice-locked Russian ship, frozen and deserted for twenty years: a perfect environment for a horror game. The tight, enclosed confines of the ship create a claustrophobic environment in which to stage a weird mystery, posing lots of questions and providing few answers. There's a pinch of the supernatural about the game; the protagonist's ability to enter the minds of long-dead crewmen and change the past adds a fantastical touch, while strangely altered crewmen do their damnedest to rip your heart out. Slow movement and inefficient weapons might be sources of frustration in other games, but here they help to enhance the mood and heighten tension to a fever pitch. Everything about Cryostasis just a little different to nearly every other video game I've played and it works very well as an interesting horror adventure.

Dead Space (Xbox 360) (2008 )

The scariest game this generation? Possibly. Dead Space takes influence from earlier outings within the space horror genre: isolation on a derelict spaceship, one survivor caught in the midst of scientific experimentation gone awry, jumping at shadows and all manner of deadly creatures. Intense feelings of isolation and dread permeate play, greatly helped by the immersive, HUD-less interface and creepy atmosphere. From the beginning your weapons – often engineering tools volunteered for decapitation detail – are not terribly effective, and many of the games foes can only be put down for good via some precision cutting. Strategic dismemberment is the order of the day and it's a nice touch, adding a strategic element and a kind of panicky perfection to combat. There's plenty of gore to go around as well.

Left 4 Dead 2 (PC) (2009)

I don't know about you, but if the zombie apocalypse actually occurred I'd want to be with a couple of my buddies. The Left 4 Dead games are built with co-op in mind, which actually takes some of the scare-factor away: you're often far too busy trying to out-do your friends than to really grasp the horror of the situation. But the game has a trick to sober you instantly: upon hearing that small refrain that signals the incoming hordes, it's not often that despair doesn't set in. Endless swarms of infected threaten you at every turn – not the slow, shambling zombies of Romero's legacy, but brutally effective creatures more reminiscent of 28 Days Later. Left 4 Dead 2 improves on the first game with more intense, frantic situations and even more overwhelming odds. Just don't run out of bullets.

Alan Wake (Xbox 360) (2010)

Released a mere five months ago, Alan Wake is the most recent release on this list and as such, perhaps its full impact has not yet been realised. Alan Wake is a slow-burning horror game with few spectacular set-pieces to gape at, instead placing you into one long drawn-out nightmare. Terror and dread are the very nature of the game. What is darkness? A mere absence of light, or something much more sinister? In Alan Wake you are assaulted by darkness itself, forming enemies made of nothingness and environments so sinister you'll end up jumping at every flicker of movement. This is what a modern horror game should be.

So there you have it. When I started this blog, I thought it would be difficult to unearth thirty-one distinct or unique horror video games without resorting to listing either multiple franchise iterations or sub-par games. As it turns out, after going through my games lists and casting my mind back over all games I've played over the years I ended up with too many frightfully good horror games! In the end I had to make some difficult cuts and try to create a list of high-quality games that was as varied as possible. Those that sadly didn't make the list include Project Firestart, Alien 3, Clock Tower, The Dark Eye, Blood, House of the Dead III, Forbidden Siren, F.E.A.R. and erm, I MAED A GAM3 W1TH Z0MBIES 1N IT!!!1

From watching Alien at eight years old (without my parent's knowledge, of course) to my teen slasher phase and discovering J-horror in the early noughties, I've always been a fan of horror on screen. Naturally that translates over into video games, especially in recent years where games are becoming ever closer to interactive movies. It's a bit of a cliché to create a Halloween or horror-themed blog in October, but I had fun with this and hopefully it will still be a good read for some of you.

The games I've chosen for this blog are not necessarily the scariest games I've ever played, but they are the ones I feel best do the horror genre justice. I've tried to create a list that is as varied as possible, covering all eras of video gaming and featuring games that are still fun to play today... and still capable of striking fear into the heart of a gamer.

Thirty-one days has October, so thirty-one horror games I shall present. So we can see the progression of the genre I've listed the games in order of release date, rather than ranking them according to personal preference. So, from the early days of video gaming to the latest releases, lock your windows and read on...

Haunted House (2600) (1981)

The first game on my list was released way back in 1981, practically the dawn of time as far as video games are concerned. Set in a haunted mansion, the player must explore while avoiding monsters including ghosts and vampire bats, your passage illuminated only by a tiny match flare. Simplistic out of technological necessity, Haunted House plays to our basest fears: being lost in the dark, surrounded by monsters with little means of defence. Sound familiar? Video game historians have pointed to this as the genesis of the survival horror genre, and they're right. All the basics are here, and despite the crude implementation, it's scary as hell.

Ant Attack (ZX Spectrum) (1983)

Myrmecophobia, or the fear of ants. A silly thing to be afraid of: those tiny little scurrying things that get everywhere but are generally harmless. Except when they are huge, honkin' mutant space ants like those found in Ant Attack. In this early isometric game you are your loved one's last hope as you attempt to rescue him or her from swarms of giant ants. The game is mostly a straightforward action game as you lob grenades to explode your foes into mush... but just wait until you are corned by a whole bunch of the six-legged blighters and you're fresh out of fire crackers. You might pick up a whole new phobia.

The Lurking Horror (PC) (1987)

A text adventure from the eighties might seem like a strange choice for top notch horror. But, like any good work of fiction, what you experience in a text adventure is limited only by your imagination – and the human imagination is capable of some truly terrifying feats. The Lurking Horror takes cues from Lovecraft's Cthulhu mythos and successfully recalls the master of horror's best work while spinning a tale of an ancient evil beneath a modern-day university.

Castlevania II: Simon's Quest (NES) (1987)

No list of horror games would be complete without a Castlevania title, and I've decided to present this early offering in the series. Any of the cIassic Castlevania titles would do but this one is special to me in no small part thanks to its eerie tone, having made a major impression on myself as a youngster. The gloomy woods, labyrinthine castles and terrified towns set the scene perfectly, with the relentless monsters, inevitable day-night cycle, stirring music and the original genre bad guy – Dracula himself – all combining to create the perfect gothic atmosphere.

Sweet Home (Famicom) (1989)

A game that some of you might be unfamiliar with, based on the film of the same name and unfortunately released only in Japan. Sweet Home is a proto-survival horror game, incorporating adventure and RPG elements to create a complex and satisfying whole. What makes Sweet Home interesting is the severe consequences of failure. During the game you control five characters, all of whom have a particular skill necessary to complete the game – but if a character dies, they are dead for good with no hope of revival. It's this certain finality that injects each random encounter with a frantic and terrifying desperation.

Alone in the Dark (PC) (1992)

Ignore the increasingly tepid sequels and the insipid movie, the original Alone in the Dark is a truly remarkable horror game. Even the title evokes one of our most primitive fears: being truly alone in a dark and frightening environment would give the staunchest person a little shiver. The game takes its inspiration from Lovecraft's horror writings and throws other genre trademarks into the fray – the haunted mansion, the living dead, possession, dark rituals. Although featuring surprisingly little combat, Alone in the Dark is a heart-pounding, tension-ridden ride that begins with a vicious assault mere seconds after you take control of the protagonist and doesn't let up until the credits roll.

Dark Seed (PC) (1992)

I initially wanted to put one of the early Alien games on this list, but in the end I chose another of Giger's inspirations. Dark Seed features outstanding graphical designs from the Swiss surrealist, featuring his trademark horrific biomechanical mash-ups. Dark Seed is a point-and-click adventure set between two worlds: the normal world we inhabit and a strange, terrifying parallel universe ruled by evil entities who delight in implanting alien embryos in people's heads while they sleep.

Splatterhouse 3 (Mega Drive) (1993)

The Splatterhouse games aren't really scary, but I felt I had to include one here for two reasons. One, the series features so many nods and tips of the hat to mainstream horror franchises that to ignore it would be a crime and two, the level of 16-bit gore on display might cause your granny to pass out. Splatterhouse 3 is the strongest of the series, featuring non-linear exploration, great graphics and some seriously messy setpieces. Watching your girlfriend being devoured from the inside by a boreworm is a once in a lifetime experience.

Zombies Ate My Neighbours (Mega Drive) (1993)

Continuing the 'humorous homages to the horror genre' theme, we have this top-down action-fest from Lucasarts, which to me is the Left 4 Dead of its day. Tasked with saving civilians from a zombie invasion, your mission is thwarted by all manner of undead beasties, maze-like environments and people who seemingly don't want to be saved. Zombies Ate My Neighbours is a cIassic good vs. mindless evil set-up, wearing its B-movie influence proudly. Bizarrely, the game was censored in Europe where the chainsaw-wielding enemies were replaced by rabid lumberjacks, resulting in a game no less violent and depraved as the uncensored version. Some things just can't be tamed.

Phantasmagoria (PC) (1995)

Although a bit of a relic from the early days of CD-ROM technology, when full-motion video was seen as the future of video games and gamers were subjugated to endless streams of sub-par 'interactive movies', Phantasmagoria at least has one memorable feature over its forgettable peers. It's probably still one of the most shocking and extreme games out there. The story is typical horror hokum; possessed madmen and evil demons, murder and mystery... but the cutscenes used to progress the story range from the subliminally creepy to the downright grotesque – including some rather inventive murder scenes. It's no worse than you'd see in any gory horror flick, but it's rare that video games take graphic (if mostly non-interactive) violence to this level.

Resident Evil (PS1) (1996)

First in what is arguably the most popular and enduring horror video game series ever, we have a lot to thank Resident Evil for. While it didn't invent the survival horror video game, it was one of the first to take the genre into the mainstream. Sure, the graphics are dated now, the control system sucks and the voice acting is cruddy, but for slow-burn suspense interspaced with moments of sheer pant-wetting terror, you can't go wrong with Resident Evil. That bit where the corpse on the floor slowly turns to face you? That bit where the zombie dogs burst through the window? Set-piece horror at its finest.

Realms of the Haunting (PC) (1997)

Realms of the Haunting was one of my first computer games, and it took me a good five or six years to even reach the finale. That's partly due to the high difficulty, but partly because it disturbed me so much. In the beginning, you are simply exploring some strange occult goings-on in a quaint English country mansion, but it isn't long before you are drawn into a lengthy and complex adventure, terrifying encounters at every turn as you struggle to prevent the final, cataclysmic battle between good and evil. Realms of the Haunting is one of those games that can really pull you in, intriguing you with mystery while choking you with fear.

Sanitarium (PC) (1998 )

An odd game through and through, Sanitarium is one of the most unique games I've ever played. The game takes place in the real world, but your experience is so twisted by the delusions, nightmares and flashbacks of the protagonist that the real world has little meaning. Suffering from amnesia, the main character is set to wander through a frightfully twisted medieval-styIe asylum to discover the truth of his situation. Sanitarium is a game that plays on our fear of the unknown – or rather, our fear of not knowing – and dares you to cast aside reality and enter the nightmarish world of dreams.

Thief: The Dark Project (PC) (1998 )

Looking Glass delivered a wonderfully unique game with this, their first stealth-em-up. Not a horror game, you say? Two words: zombie catacombs. Too many games feature walking dead that are pathetic pushovers, a mere inconvenience to be slashed, beaten or shot into submission. But the zombies in Thief are truly relentless. Cut them down and they rise again, quickly – and they will pursue you indefinitely. Only arrows dipped in holy water can put them down for good, and sources of holy water are not only few and far between, but this 'power-up' only lasts for a short time before your arrowheads revert to regular iron. Thief was one of the first games to instil a true feeling of dread in me. I still hear the undead moaning every time I play a game with a cave level.

Aliens versus Predator (PC) (1999)

The Alien and Predator movie franchises feature two of the most terrifyingly alien species ever put to film, so it's only right that a video game based on those two creatures should be scary as hell. Each of the three campaigns has its own fair share of shocks and surprises. But the Marine campaign is the only one to provide constant, invasive fear; cowering in a dark corridor as you are stalked by enemies that are infinitely faster and stronger than you, jumping at the scurrying sounds of facehuggers, watching that ominous blip on your motion sensor relentlessly moving towards your position as you realise you are down to your last few bullets.

So that's part one of my horror-themed blog. Part two will follow in the coming weeks and shall contain sixteen more terrifying excursions into video game madness.

Way back in April, I posted a blog detailing just a couple of my long-term goals for my video game collection. Setting collecting goals for myself was not something I was used to doing, but a friend convinced me to think up a few targets to shape my future collecting. Some were easily achieveable, some not so much.

I can't say the project actually focussed my game purchases on to those few specific targets to the exclusion of all others (and nor should it!), but I did make an extra effort to track down some of the things I really wanted. Other goals were achieved almost by chance, and some goals were left almost unattended.

I think it's best if I run through the goals I set myself six months ago and note the progress I've made in each area.

First off, I wanted to collect the entire set of NES Classics for the Game Boy Advance. At the time of writing my last update, I still needed three of the twelve games in the series: Super Mario Bros., Ice Climber and Dr. Mario. Thankfully none of them were too hard to track down or too expensive to add to my collection and this goal was swiftly accomplished.

Progress towards goal: Completed; 12 out of 12 (+3) (100%)

Secondly, as a huge fan of the series I decided it would be awesome to have a complete PAL Resident Evil collection. I specified multi-platform releases in my wish-list, but not different versions of the same game (such as Limited or Standard editions, Platinum releases or different language versions). I also ignored Resident Evil 5, which stands for now. Back in April there were still 18 invididual games I needed to get. Now that number is much smaller thanks to some lucky finds in the wild and a few eBay auctions that swung my way. There's still a fair few remaining though, with priority targets including the remaining Gamecube and Wii re-releases and the big-box PC release of Resident Evil 2.

Still to get:

Original Resident Evil (Saturn)
Resident Evil (Wii)
Resident Evil 2 (GameCube, Dreamcast, PC big box)
Resident Evil 3 (GameCube, Dreamcast)
Resident Evil 4 (PC)
Resident Evil Zero (Wii)
Resident Evil Code Veronica (Dreamcast)
Resident Evil Code Veronica X (Gamecube)

Secondary goal: Box and manual for Resident Evil Gaiden (currently have cart only).

Progress towards goal: 24 out of 35 (+7) (68.6%)

My third goal was my long-term plan for my NES collection, namely to acquire a complete UK NES collection. My NES games have long been the pride and joy of my retro game collection, but it is becoming increasingly difficult to track down reasonably priced (and preferably complete) copies of games that I don't already own. However, by keeping a beady eye out for bargains, however, I've managed to creep slightly closer to my goal and even managed to pass the half-way mark!

Progress towards goal: 127 out of 239 (+16) (53.1%)

In my last update, I also set out a couple of hardware-related goals, namely a couple of consoles that I deemed worthy additions to my collection. The first was a Mega Drive, and not only did I acquire my very own Mark I console shortly after, I also recently augmented it with a Model I Mega CD! I've also picked up plenty of games to go with my first Sega console. Incidently, since getting the Mega Drive I also picked up two more Sega consoles - a Master System II and a Dreamcast!

I also mentioned the MSX computer. I love retro computers and I'm a huge fan of machines like the ZX Spectrum and Commodore line. The MSX is a little different though, being Japanese in origin and featuring plenty of great software that never saw release on other platforms. Sadly, I haven't been able to add an MSX to my collection. I've trawled eBay and MSX hardware appears often enough, but many of the machines that catch my eye are way out of my price range. Although I still like the look of the cheaper Toshiba and Philips models that are out there, I don't really want to settle for a model that is too basic - I'm still dreaming of an MSX2 with disk drive if possible!

So, that's it for my first six-month update on my collecting goals. Like the original post, this is mainly just for myself - a way to keep a record of my long-term targets and maybe shape the future of my collection a little. Comment away if you'd like, though :)

Month in Review: September 2010

I'm currently suffering from the mother of all colds, so the following may or may not make any sense whatsoever.

New Acquisitions

These are my charity shop finds from the month of September. I still can't get over actually finding Monster Rancher in the wild, let alone paying a mere 99p for it. Minty fresh too. The other PS1 games range from awesome (Street Fighter EX 2 Plus) to meh (Dragon Ball Ultimate 22). The PC game is the X-Wing collection. I'm not entirely sure why I bought it, since I already have both X-Wing and TIE Fighter. I don't have X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter in my collection, but the version included in this compilation isn't even the full game. Damn. Oh well. The earlier games have updated graphics here, anyway, which is nice.

This month I decided to plug a few gaps in my PC collection, starting with Bioshock 2. I loved the first one, so I don't know why I waited so long to get the sequel. Anyway, I finally picked up a brand new copy for £7.95 from Zavvi. It's the exclusive Rapture Edition which comes with a nice hardcover artbook, so that's a bonus.

Some more PC games, released over the past couple of years but up till now glaring omissions in my collection. I put off buying Far Cry 2 because of the crappy DRM it had on release, thankfully that's been mostly done away with and besides, I really wanted to play the damn thing. I got the Fortune Edition because it was cheaper than the regular version. Wolfenstein I got for the cheese factor. The Penumbra collection is an interesting one, prompted by my recent play-through of Cryostasis and my desire for more horror-based games, and it looks fantastic and scary as hell. All of these were under a tenner, brand new from Zavvi and Game online.

My brother came to visit last week and as usual, he came bearing gifts. No plushies this time, just a brand-new freebie copy of the Starcraft II Collector's Edition. It's not something I would have bought myself, having been way out of the RTS loop for a while now, but it actually looks pretty good. The Collector's Edition is stunning too, with a great art book and the other usual niceties plus a dog tag-themed USB stick that not only lights up and looks cool but contains the first Starcraft game pre-loaded. Nice stuff.

Red Dead Redemption and Guitar Hero: Van Halen were extremely belated birthday gifts from my brother, both brand new copies. I've wanted RDR since release, but I was waiting for a price drop that never came. How can a game that has been out for five months still cost £40+ when every other game from that time is lingering around the £20 mark? Anyway, it's a moot question now since I am now enjoying my own copy and I won't ask what my brother paid for it. I got the Sherlock Holmes game from Play.com for about £8 - should be a decent enough distraction for an adventure fan like me.

I only went to one carboot this month; the season is pretty much over aside from a few indoor or hardstanding events. This one was at a local school and I managed to pick up a stack of DVDS and these games. Everything here was £1 each, except for Mafia which was £1.50. The Mega Drive games are both missing their manuals, but everything else is perfect.

Games Played

Bioshock 2 (PC)

Bioshock 2 throws you back into the underwater city of Rapture, glorious and decrepit, a lunatic utopia. This time around you are placed in the lead-weighted boots of a Big Daddy - an interesting premise for fans of the first game's trademark enemy. Of course, you're not a bad guy, just misunderstood... the game certainly tries to delve deeper into the story behind the Big Daddy/Little Sister double-act so central to the setting. I won't spoil it for you, but the story elements are mostly successful. Bioshock 2 is a much shorter, more tightly wound game than its predecessor. Everything feels slightly more hectic and that's no bad thing. I had a real blast playing through this game. If there's one thing I'd like to pull the developers of Bioshock 2 on, it's that this doesn't really feel like a true sequel or even a game released in 2010. Rather, it feels like the same game I loved back in 2007. Almost everything about the game is indistinguishable from the first Bioshock – same setting with mostly the same enemies, weapons and plasmids? I really would have liked some real evolution between the original and a sequel three years on. Difficult, I know, in such a particular universe where so much is dependent on a carefully constructed in-game mythos, but they could have mixed things up a little bit more than they did. Anyway, I completed the game on normal, netting me 33 achievements for 700 points.

Broken Sword: The Sleeping Dragon (PC)

I've played about three hours of this game so far; after much head-scratching and hair-pulling I finally got the damn thing to work on my PC. I'm going to reserve my final judgement on this one until I've at least played the whole thing through. It seems only fair for a game which tries so hard to do so much - to be both cutting-edge (well, for 2003, anyway) and provide adequate respect for fans of its traditional point-and-click forebears. The lack of mouse control does hurt the game as far as I'm concerned; when combined with the static-camera 3D graphics I constantly have to shake myself out of a Tomb Raider mindset and remind myself I'm playing a slow-burn adventure, not a pulse-pounding action game. Regardless, despite an inappropriate direct control system, Broken Sword 3 seems to be a worthy follow up to the earlier games in terms of story, puzzles and that oh-so subtle humour. Do you have a posse? ;)

Cryostasis (PC)

Now that I've finished Cryostasis I'll just strongly re-iterate what I said about the game in my last blog. A breath of frigid fresh air blasting across an abused gaming platform, Cryostasis is probably one of the most interesting PC games to come out in a long, long time. Not perfect - far from it - but interesting. A first-person survival horror adventure with a fantastical touch, slightly weird (especially that ending) and a sense that everything is a little... off... to our polished modern gamer sensibilities, anyway. Cryostasis is flawed. A beautiful but frightfully unoptimised graphics engine. Clunky combat. Claustrophic environments that, while breathtakingly atmospheric, are just too samey to forgive. But surrounding it all, such flashes of utter brilliance that I found it all too easy to forget these apparent flaws. Cryostasis makes me certain that the most interesting PC games in the future will be coming out of that melting pot of Eastern Bloc talent. S.T.A.L.K.E.R. was the first to pique my interest, and while that game wasn't my cup of tea it did, along with Cryostasis and even Metro 2033, feature ideas, mechanics and atmospheres that were such a refreshing antidote to the insufferable blandness that permeates too many western PC games these days. With a little more practice and polish this is where my future interests could lie.

F.E.A.R. (PC)

Maybe I'm just desensitised, but I don't find F.E.A.R. as scary as I used to. The horror-flavoured action game has been done over and over in the five years since F.E.A.R. first hit the scene and frankly, it's been done better. The 'creepy little girl' horror stylings, taking obvious cues from Japanese and Korean cinema, is fine for short, sharp shocks and brief moments of pant-wetting terror... but the game's now dated visuals and seen-it-all-before storyline do little to maintain a constant state of atmospheric fear. As gamers, we've outgrown the Doom 3 school of jumping at shadows and sadly, F.E.A.R. is a casualty of a generation growing up. Having said that, don't presume that I dislike F.E.A.R. On the contrary: I still love the old gal and rank it as one of my favourite shooters, it's still an incredible action game with fast, frantic (and gory) gun battles and some great set pieces. It just hasn't aged as well as I'd hoped. I ran through the campaign in about eight hours, about right for a fourth or fifth replay (I've lost count)!

F.E.A.R. Extraction Point (PC)

It's rare I'll choose an expansion over an original game, but Extraction Point is a perfect example of an add-on done right. It corrects certain flaws in the original F.E.A.R. (namely, those rather samey environments) while retaining the high-octane slow-mo action that made that game so successful. It follows a strong story that continues directly from the events in F.E.A.R. - expanding upon those events, providing some resolution while throwing even more unanswered questions at the player. Finally, the horror aspect is more effectively realised throughout the expansion. Whereas F.E.A.R. relied on single moments of weirdness to create heart-stopping terror, Extraction Point is more successful at creating a lingering sense of fear and unease throughout. Again, this was a replay for me.

F.E.A.R. Perseus Mandate (PC)

Rolling out the dated F.E.A.R. wagon again for expansion number two, you have to wonder why anybody bothered. Perseus Mandate suffers from what I like to call 'Blue Shift syndrome' - a runty second expansion to a stunning original game and sterling first expansion, released solely to capitalise on a successful franchise and to satiate fans frothing at the bit for a true sequel. Perseus Mandate is not only wholly unnecessary, it feels dull and lifeless throughout, despite featuring some of the biggest battles and jumpiest horror moments of the series. While I'll freely admit that Perseus Mandate featured the best single shock of my F.E.A.R. experience, that single moment, that fraction of a second, is the only memorable thing about the whole damn thing. Technically good, but uninspired by-the-numbers gameplay drags Perseus Mandate down into strictly average territory.

Marvel Ultimate Alliance (X360)

I played quite a bit of this at the start of the month, moving into Act II where I'm currently working my way through Mephisto's Realm. While I'm still enjoying the game, it has been temporarily put aside while I play Red Dead Redemption. I've added 5 more achievements to my count, for an additional 60 points.

Professor Layton and the Curious Village (DS)

Once again, Professor Layton has become my lunchtime unwinding game. Since I've already completed the sequel, I'd like to play through this one in time for the third game. Curious Village is not altogether as enjoyable as Pandora's Box - the story (for what it's worth) hasn't quite got the edge and the puzzles seem to bear little relation to the environment. Whereas in the sequel, each puzzle was at least based on what was happening in the game world, here they just seem a bit more random. No matter, it's still decent enough.

Red Dead Redemption (X360)

Ijust had to give this a try as soon as I recieved it as a gift. So far I'm really enjoying myself, riding around New Austin righting wrongs and generally being one of the good guys. I had visions of being a total bad-ass... but being good is actually more fun in this game. Combat is well done and satisfying (shooting people in the head or hand is fun, and shooting hats off never gets old) and the variety of story missions is good so far. Some of the characters I've encountered in this wild west are... well... real characters! Strong, witty dialogue really helps me get into the spirit of things. The random events side of things is getting a little samey already though, which is a shame. At the moment I've just started doing Irish's missions and my stats screen tells me I've cleared 24.6% of the game. I've only unlocked 5 achievements so far, for 45 points.

In Conclusion...

So yeah, I've had some good gaming this month. I've cut back on the acquisitions, mainly by avoiding the lure of eBay, but I've still got some decent stuff. Playing, rather than collecting, has been the focus of September.

Retro Revival: Road Rash '95

First Released: 1994

Original System(s): Panasonic 3D0

Publisher: Electronic Arts

Developer: Electronic Arts

First Impressions

The first time I played a Road Rash game was on New Year's Day in about '93 or '94. I was over at my cousins house for the annual family get-together featuring hungover adults and hyperactive kids, and my older cousin and I ended up playing Mega Drive. Road Rash instantly gripped me for several reasons: one, I loved motorbikes and two, the idea of hitting people about the head with a looped chain seemed somehow appealing to my warped six-year old mind (and they say violence in video games is damaging? I turned out just fine). Anyway, I had great fun for an evening and promptly forgot about the whole thing.

Fast forward a couple of years and I'm out shopping with the folks. At this moment in history the only video game console I had is a creaky old NES, but I was heavily into PC gaming. As I was looking through the games at Woolies (ahh... nostalgia), one box caught my eye: Road Rash for Windows! The box featured a huge picture of two brightly coloured superbikes, with the trailing rider getting ready to paste the leader with a photoshopped-in chain. It looked awesome, the bargain-bin price was right, and after counting out my pocket money I walked away with my new favourite game. It was the only thing I played for months.

Essentially the same as the Mega Drive game I'd had so much fun with years before, this new enhanced version souped up the graphics, speeded up the gameplay and added in some great, cheeky cutscenes before and after races. Sadly, I no longer own this game. Years passed, operating systems changed and a once-beloved game found itself relegated to the 'Windows XP hates me' pile. Eventually, Road Rash for Windows paid the ultimate sacrifice in the great PC game cull of the early 2000s. Thankfully, I picked up a PS1 copy about a year back and have been rediscovering a true gem.

Why Is It Great?

I've always had a soft spot for the more action-oriented racing games. The more arcade-y and the less realistic, the better for me. At first glance, Road Rash seems to be a simple arcade motorcycle racer in the styIe of Hang On or Super Cycle, letting the player roar across miles of open country tracks and inner-city streets in a simple sprint for the finish. But wait! There's more. Road Rash takes that premise and mixes in a mean streak a mile wide. Giving the player the ability to inflict violence on your fellow racers is an act of gaming genius.

All Road Rash games are fundamentally very similar. Starting the game as a rookie racer on a clapped-out old ride, your only goal is to win races by any means necessary in order to improve your standing amongst the biker elite. During the course of a race you can gain weapons – including baseball bats, chains or just your own fists – and use them to your strategic advantage in order to win the race. Depleting an opponent's health via beating on them, or simply using your bike to run them off the road or into the path of an oncoming juggernaut, will result in your opponent wiping out and will naturally aid your progression up the field. You also have to content with some very determined traffic cops during the course of each race. Winning a race results in prize money, better bikes and worldwide fame... wiping out, getting arrested or losing a race results in public degradation and humiliation.

Road Rash '95 was released just a short time after the third Mega Drive iteration of Road Rash hit the shelves. It is essentially an updated remake of the original Mega Drive game; in fact, the game is actually called simply Road Rash (but that would get confusing, so I'll continue to make the distinction). Notable enhancements include the addition of FMV cutscenes to advance the game between races, obviously improved graphics and a decent licensed soundtrack from A&M Records featuring artists such as Therapy?, Monster Magnet and Soundgarden.

This iteration of the game represented a real leap forward in terms of the series technical aspects. 3D for the first time, fast and frantic, the game takes advantage of the extra processing power of a new generation of games consoles. Likewise, the full motion cutscenes and CD-quality audio make full use of the extra space afforded by the optical disc media.

It never goes too far, though. In a sea of overly ambitious early CD-based gaming 'experiences', Road Rash '95 used the new technology just enough to enhance an already great series and is all the better for it while retaining the smooth controls, fun courses and wicked sense of the humour of its forbears. Road Rash '95 is the perfect introduction to the series for the uninitiated.

Best Moment

I'd like to say that smacking your opponent in the face and watching them wobble and topple off their bike just in time for you to zoom across the finish line is the most fulfilling moment of the game (it has its moments, for sure). However, I'm going to have to say that my own personal favourite moment would be forcing an opponent into the path of an oncoming truck and taking them out, Burnout-styIe What I wouldn't give for slo-mo replays at a time like that!

Best Version

Road Rash '95 was initially released for the ill-fated Panasonic 3D0 console in late 1994 and was quickly ported to other, more successful formats, namely Mega CD, PlayStation, Saturn and PC.

Barring some minor graphical, audio and control differences, the 3D0, Saturn and PlayStation releases of the game are near enough identical. They all feature the same 3D courses, level progression, opponents, weapons, bikes and soundtrack. They all have full motion video during cutscenes and the licensed A&M soundtrack. The PlayStation and Saturn versions have a slightly lower resolution during gameplay (both versions had a native output of just 240p, compared to the 3D0's 480i).

The Windows version of Road Rash '95 features much higher resolution graphics (up to 800x600), improved audio quality and multiplayer support for up to eight players over a local area network or 56k modem.

Finally, a version was released for Mega CD (in the US only) which featured vastly inferior graphics but retained the CD-quality audio and stellar gameplay of its 32-bit siblings. Interestingly, the Mega CD version is the only one to feature the licensed songs during the actual races (the other games featured the tracks only during the menus and inter-race stuff, resorting to generic Road Rash muzak while riding).

I've never played the 3D0 version of the game. I don't own the console and have no plans to acquire one at this time, so I can't really comment on that version. Ditto on the Saturn version. I wouldn't mind grabbing a Mega CD copy at some point, but for now my opinion rests with the PlayStation and Windows releases of the game – almost identical in execution, but I'm going to go for the PC release for the better graphics and increased multiplayer capabilities, perfect for wreaking havoc over a LAN. Plus, if you plug in a gamepad it's just like playing on a console!

Further Play

There have been a total of seven distinct entries in the Road Rash series over the years. The first Road Rash was released for Mega Drive in 1991 and has since appeared on a multitude of platforms. 1992 saw ports to home computers, including the Amiga and Atari ST, and a belated Master System port was released in 1994. Road Rash appeared on a couple of handhelds too; it was released for the Game Gear in 1994, Game Boy in 1996 and again for the Game Boy Color in 2000.

After the first Road Rash game came a sequel, Road Rash II, also for the Mega Drive. Unlike the first game, this was not ported to any other formats. Basic gameplay remains unchanged from the first Road Rash, but it does feature many advances and improvements over the original Road Rash as well as new courses, characters and rides. Road Rash 3: Tour de Force followed in 1995 and was also a Mega Drive exclusive. Road Rash 1, 2 and 3 were later released on the 2007 PSP collection, EA Replay.

After the release of Road Rash '95, the PlayStation quickly become the format of choice for the developers of Road Rash and the next entry in the series, Road Rash 3D, was released on the console in 1998. It was a PS1 exclusive and featured fully 3D graphics for the first time.

Next up, Road Rash: Jailbreak was released for the PlayStation in 1999, featuring gameplay similar to Road Rash 3D, albeit with a more advanced, connecting road system. It was later ported to the Game Boy Advance in 2003.

Road Rash 64 was released for the Nintendo 64 in 1999. Unlike all other Road Rash games, this title was not designed or published by Electronic Arts, and while it was originally intended to be a port of Road Rash 3D, it ended up being a unique production. The designers forwent graphical splendour for increased speed and performance and as a result, Road Rash 64 is one of the fastest, most frenetic entries in the series.

Of all these, I have played perhaps half. The original Road Rash was, of course, my introduction to the series and one I am determined to reacquire. Road Rash II is a recent addition to my collection but I have played for a considerable length of time already – and I can safely say it improves greatly on the original game. I also own and have played Road Rash: Jailbreak for PlayStation. Just like Road Rash '95 before it, Jailbreak takes the great gameplay of the Mega Drive games and applies the formula successfully to a more advanced technology.

CIassic Game? You Must Be Joking!

I haven't done a Retro Revival blog in a while, but this has been a subject sitting in the back of my mind for a while now. Road Rash is one of my favourite series ever, and one that deserves another instalment some day (shall we start a petition?). Road Rash '95 is my personal pick from the franchise, but I know that many people prefer the earlier Mega Drive releases... and I know of at least one person who wouldn't touch a Road Rash game if their life depended on it! Blasphemer! Anyway, I'd like to hear your opinions on the game so please, comment away.

Month in Review: August 2010 Continued

Part two of August's monthly blog. Here you'll find all the game playing updates I have to offer.

Games Played

Alan Wake (X360)

I finished this game at the start of August, and all I can do is reinforce the strong positive statements I made about the game in my last blog. Alan Wake is an excellent, atmospheric horror action-adventure with a good story, interesting mechanics and a great, spooky feeling that permeates the entire game. The ending is a bit... weird... but the story builds towards that ending in a well-structured manner so that weird never becomes confusing. I also downloaded and played the first DLC pack (The Signal), which was free! Free is always good. The Signal is a little more fantastical than the main game, as the entire episode is set in a dream-like reality where environments can change with little warning and you can never be too sure as to what horror you'll shine your light on to next. Great stuff, easily a contender for Game of the Year in my books. I also managed to find all the collectables by replaying a few sections, so all together I added another 12 achievements and 330 points to my gamerscore.

Alpha Protocol (X360)

Where to start with Alpha Protocol? This was a highly anticipated title for me all the way through development and the mediocre reviews it garnered upon released crushed a lot of my hopes. A modern-day action-RPG, splicing Bond, Bourne and Bauer into an international terrorist plot layered with government conspiracy and shady corporate dealings, it should have been great. It's not great, but it's still rather good and I liked it. I like it a lot. It could have used a little spit and polish, for sure, but it's not the bugged, broken mess people have made it out to be. I counted three instances during my playthrough that could count as glitches: two freezes (one on the title screen, one mid-game) and I did get stuck in the scenary once. Annoying, but hardly game-breaking and it didn't really detract from my enjoyment of the game. I liked the modern setting, the rogue agent stuff, the political wrangling and the threat of Cold War. Jason Bourne stars in his very own Tom Clancy novel. I liked the integration of RPG stats into an action game, understanding that my character's abilities are equally important as my own in scoring headshots. Collecting and utilising information about people and organisations was fun. Sneaking about and planting gadgets was fun. Doing the dirty with four out of the game's five female characters was fun. Dislikes? Yes, there were some. The dialogue system was a good idea, but the premise was implemented better in Mass Effect. I liked the timed aspect of the conversations, however the choices were just too vague to have any real idea of what Thorton was going to say when the time was up (Dossier! Honeypot! Trousers!). Not that it matters much; main dude Michael Thorton is a tool whichever way you colour him and his friends and enemies are often little more than cardboard cutouts. So the characters could have used some work. More customisation options would have been nice too, maybe a chance to play as a woman or the ability to fine tune your perks a bit more. Apart from that, I'd say Alpha Protocol is a good effort overall and definately underrated. I beat the game with one ending out of many (replayability is high, for sure) and netted 25 achievements for 685 points.

Broken Sword II: The Smoking Mirror (PC)

I'm still on an adventure binge and the Broken Sword series is one that should not be overlooked by anyone wanting a great old-school adventure. I actually prefer Broken Sword II over the first game, I found the plot a little quicker-paced, the humour more pervasive and the puzzles less frustratingly obtuse (for the most part). I also liked being able to control both George and Nico as they seperately try to solve the mystery - the focus flits between them more and more in the later stages of the game, building tension in cIassic film styIe. I've finished the game now, hopefully I'll be able to get Broken Sword III working on my 64-bit OS soon.

Cryostasis (PC)

Just when I think true PC gaming has died a sad, lonely death, something like Cryostasis comes along to prove me wrong. Incorrectly touted as a horror-themed first-person shooter along the lines of F.E.A.R, Cryostasis is actually a rather slower-paced affair. I'd say it was a first-person adventure, not a shooter. Although there is shooting involved, combat is far too clunky to fit in with the twitch-shooting crowd. Cryostasis is set on an ice-locked Russian ship in the North Pole. Something horrific has happened on board... and, well, that's about all the information you get to start with. With little exposition and few answers, the game is not afraid to keep you guessing. The less you know, the scarier situations become. And Cryostasis has no shortage of pant-wetting situations, let me tell you. It's also gorgeous. The claustrophobic environments of the ship can be rather samey, but the physics and water effects on show are like something out of a tech demo - not surprising since that's how the game began life. Of course, you'll need a beefy rig to show Cryostasis at it's best. Mine just about does medium settings smoothly with PhysX enabled - any higher and the whole thing turns into a stop-motion puppet show. At the moment I'm on Chapter 12 and thanks to some fantastic storytelling via the game's nifty Mental Echo system (the ability to take control of a dead person's memories and change their fate) I'm slightly closer to discovering the real truth about what happened on this ship of horrors.

The Dig (PC)

I have to laugh every time I see this game's pitiful review score on this very site. 4.5 because it's not funny enough? Pffft. The Dig is one of the best adventures Lucasarts have ever done. So what if it takes itself seriously? The Dig leans more towards epic space adventure than the fantastical comedy wranglings of most other SCUMM games, and it's not a bad thing. The story, music and grandiose scale bring to mind all the best space operas in film and fiction, from 2001: A Space Odyssey to Burrough's John Carter of Mars. Producer Steven Spielberg might have had something to do with the high production values and filmic quality. In any case, I love The Dig and you should too.

Marvel Ultimate Alliance (X360)

I've never been a comic fan per se, but I have always had a big soft spot for the animated and film adaptations of superhero comics. As a kid, Saturday mornings always involved a hefty dose of X-Men. There have been precious few video game comic adaptations that have piqued my interest, but Marvel Ultimate Alliance is one of them. I did put off buying it for a good few years, but now I'm glad I am able to play it. Gameplay is in the same sort of action-RPG styIe as X-Men Legends or fantasy outings like Dark Alliance, which suits the universe perfectly. Each character (of which there are lots) has their own unique set of moves - melee and projectile, special attacks, buffs, debuffs, double jumps or flying attacks - which makes building a well-rounded team a fun task. I'm currently at the start of Act II and have unlocked 11 achievements for 190 points.

Professor Layton and Pandora's Box (DS)

I finally finished this one. I really enjoyed the puzzles - though the story was pure silliness - and it was a good distraction for me during lunch breaks and other brief downtime. It's a lot more enjoyable than any one of dozens of dull 'brain training' games out there, for sure! I recently picked up the first game, which I might start soon (yes, I'm doing things backwards).

Sherlock Holmes: Consulting Detective Vol. II (MCD)

A part of me hoped this would be halfway decent. Alas, in truth, the whole thing is an unfathomable mess of low-quality video and astoundingly obtuse leaps of logic. I like old-school mysteries of the type presented here, and I like figuring things out logically... but I don't think there's anything logical about Sherlock Holmes Vol. II. The idea is that you, as the titular detective, must solve crimes by travelling about London and gathering enough clues and hard evidence to bring a suspect to trial. Each important location yields a crappy piece of FMV with a couple of clues to lead you to either the next location and its own set of clues or, eventually, a conclusion as to who done the deed, how and why. Unfortunately, the audio is of such poor quality (and the accents so atrociously bad) that any pertinent information you might gather from a video are lost in the muffle, leaving you literally clueless. In the end I just completed the game through trial and error and some rather astonishingly brilliant guesswork.

In Conclusion...

Another month of fun-packed gaming. Summer's pretty much over, so we'll all be gearing up for the big autumn releases soon. I've got some serious catching up to do this year already, but personally I can't wait for some of the big upcoming games. Fallout: New Vegas, Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood and Medal of Honor to name just a few. On a side note, I just completed Xmas planning at work. 16 weeks to go, peeps :roll:

Month in Review: August 2010

Not one, not two, not three but four new pieces of hardware were welcomed into my collection this month. I must be mad.

New Acquisitions

I love finding Channel F stuff and this year has been really good so far. Channel F games have appeared on eBay UK four times this year, and each time I've been the auction winner (actually, the only bidder in most cases). Anyway, this lot was all listed seperately at £3.99 with £2.50 postage on each, which would have taken the grand total way over what I wanted to pay. Fortunately, the seller must have been desperate since he not only took my offer of £40 shipped for the lot, he threw in a brand new sealed copy of Resident Evil 2 for Game.com when I enquired about it!

There's that Game.com game, which will remained sealed since I have no intention of ever getting one of those machines. Republic Commando was a cheap used game from CeX and the Mass Effect graphic novel was purchased through work and thus subject to staff discount. I'm not a huge fan of comics and/or graphic novels, but I am a huge fan of Mass Effect and Liara in particular, so this should be a decent enough read.

Hardware addition number one. I became interested in getting a Mega CD not long after I got my Mega Drive, but I was determined to get a Model I to go with my main console. The pop-top not only looks and feels cheaper, but it doesn't have the cool retro red and green lights - which are of course the most important features when choosing a games console.

With most new consoles in my collection comes an initial splurge as I track down the best, brightest or, more usually, the cheapest games available. This lot were all from eBay and all cost less than £2 each. Aside from a few cracked cases (thanks, Royal Mail) they are all in otherwise near mint condition.

Some more Mega CD games, this time of the slightly more premium variety. Sonic CD and Prince of Persia are the pick of the bunch, both real cIassics. The Sherlock Holmes game is balls, but it came bundled with Prince of Persia so I had little choice in the matter.

Arkham Asylum has been out a while, but I was looking to pick up a cheap copy and lo! and behold! Game just happened to have a nice copy of the Collector's Edition for less than the cost of a regular copy (£14.99 if you want to know). No true collector could say no to that. Everything is there: the batarang, journal, making-of DVD and game disc and manual. I'll be playing this one soon enough.

Various charity shops buys picked up throughout the month. Thunder Force IV is my favourite, although it has some sun fading on the cover (on this pic t looks much worse than it is) it's otherwise in extremely good condition and a bargain at £1. Dawn of Sorrow for DS was a fiver, the rest cost between 50p and £1 each.

I figured I'd better pick up the first Marvel Ultimate Alliance before it disappears completely. The price is already creeping up, which is strange since everybody (except me) bought it the first time around. I didn't realise the DLC had already been pulled though, which is a shame. I also picked up the sequel and the first Professor Layton game from Game Zone, in a 2 for £17 deal.

Hardware acquisition number two, this is a Model II Sega Master System in the box. I bought it in a charity shop for £10 with three games, and while it's missing the power lead the console itself is in immaculate condition. I'd have really liked a Model I SMS, but beggars can't be choosers.

The three games that came with the Master System. The Cyber Shinobi is pretty good, though it's not your regular Shinobi game. Alien 3 is one of those games (much like Aladdin) that is wildly different depending on which version you play, so it's interesting to compare the SMS release to the SNES and Mega Drive versions. It's pretty good.

Another new console, from the same place as the SMS. I never really wanted a Dreamcast, but I found it hard to pass up a near mint console for £10. Honestly, the thing is so clean you'd think it was kept under quarantine. It's loose with two controllers, one VMU, power supply and RF lead, but unfortunately no games. The RF cable was broken, so I replaced it with a brand new AV cable straight away. Now I just need some games to play on the darn thing.

I was talking with some friends the other day about shooters we really enjoyed and I remembered having a blast with F.E.A.R. back in the day. Actually, it was one of my favourite games for a long time. I decided to revisit the series in preparation for F.3.A.R. so I picked up both expansions for the first game (used) and last year's sequel (brand new) for a total cost of £6.45. Not bad.

The first carboot I've been to in ages yielded this great little find. I've already got a ZX Spectrum+, but I've always wanted an original rubber keyed version. They are just so great-looking in a 1982 way and so very tiny! The original ZX is just slightly bigger than a couple of DVD cases stacked together, which is nothing. This is a 48k model, released not long after the initial 16k machine. The other item is a rare Timex Sinclair thermal printer, fully working with half a roll of paper (which shall be carefully rationed as I doubt replacements are readily available). I got this, with a box full of games, for a tenner.

The first lot of Spectrum games from the above bundle. Only one duplicate in the entire lot (40+ games), and just two sports games! Most of the games are decent titles: platformers and fantasy adventures dominate, which says good things about the original owner!

More games from the Speccy lot. That's a cool Transformers game at the top left.

The final few Spectrum games from the box. Oh, and God of War for PS2, which wasn't in the box but was from the same carboot so I threw it in the picture. That cost me just £1 (mint aside from the half-peeled sticker on the case) and it's about time I bought the damn thing.

I think that's more or less it for my August aquisitions. Phew! As usual, game playing updates will appear in a few days. Take care!

I've done it again. I went into a charity shop on my way home from work the other day and got myself one of these:

And one of these:

Cost to me: ten pounds each.

The Master System is boxed with three games, one controller and RF cable. No power supply, but it uses the same PSU as the Mega Drive, so there's no problem. It's very clean, the console itself is practically mint and it loads cartridges first time with no wiggling or threatening behaviour required. Which is a bonus. I didn't really need a Master System since I went out of my way to get a Power Base Converter for the Mega Drive, but it's always nice to have the real hardware. I would have really liked a Model I Master System, those things are just so... angular... but I'll settle for this this since it's in such nice condition.

The Dreamcast is also in very nice condition, unboxed with two controllers, one VMU, power cable and RF cable (what? no AV?) but no games. Turns out the RF cable was borked anyway, so I ordered a third-party AV/S-video cable off Amazon that night and it turned up this morning. I'm happy to report that everything seems to be fully operational at this point, at least until I can get a couple of games to test with. It seems like the previous owner had quite a DC collection, I went through the VMU memory and it was full to bursting. I had a look at his saves - quite the Crazy Taxi fan, it seems. And is that a Half-Life save game I spy? Interesting...

Anyway, just wanted to report that I'm now officially and completely accidentally a Sega collector. Can't really hide it any more. Just the Saturn to go... or maybe a SG-1000/3000?