CATS AND GADGETS

Magicka is a top-down RPG game on PC set in the Middle Ages, featuring wizards, goblins, beasts and your host Vlad – who swears he is not a vampire despite his suspicious actions to the contrary.

Players progress through the maps, entering villages that have been terrorised by the underworld army of the mighty Khan who is at war with the King of Midgard. Battles take place both en route between settlements and within the villages themselves.

Weapons equipped include a sword or conventional attack weapon, and a staff for casting spells. It is the spells themselves that cause the most damage, and the players’ ability to cast quickly and cast well soon becomes of most importance.

While the majority of powers are picked up early in the game, spells are acquired along the way through collecting the spell book at various points. Casting spells requires multiple key combinations, so practice is necessary for remembering the longer spells.

Admittedly the game seems like a bit of fun to pass the time at first, but soon the satire actually becomes funny and you find yourself enjoying the battles and using the opportunities to try out new spells and power combinations (or thinking about such combinations after you’ve logged off – the sign of a good game).

The game can be played in single player mode or multiplayer, both over a LAN connection and online and as the levels progress having a buddy to rely on certainly comes in handy. You can revive your team mates at any point where you can cast.

Magicka is peppered with pop culture references from movies to games – present in loading screens, unlockable achievements and the types of weapons available. There puns are many the average geek will pick up; and many they will not.

There are quite a few bugs still present despite its launch in January 2011 and slower computers may gitch from time to time. The developers Arrowhead Studios have been patching this regularly.  Nonetheless, the game is still very enjoyable.

Available as a download from Steam at $9.99 (US) – or four copies for $29.99 (why not game-swap with a friend?) it is definitely worth your extra cash.

Nintendo’s 3DS was announced last year, sparking worldwide excitement among the gaming community. The first independently accessible 3D technology (thanks to special screen, no glasses are required to see the 3D in action), many testers have attested to a truly revolutionary gaming experience.

With the exception of the screen, no major design changes have been made from the previous DSi console – two screens (including lower touchscreen with stylus control); control buttons plus the addition of a shallow analog thumbstick controller and two-way cameras remain.

The console is lighter than its predecessor and boasts backwards compatibility with DSi games. New features include a motion/gyro sensor and the street pass sensor which will alert you of potential gaming buddies. The 3DS comes with a charging cradle as opposed to the previous plug-and-charge function used in past models. The only colours that have been announced at this stage are black and cyan blue.

A good range of launch titles have been announced, including Nintendogs & Cats; Lego Star Wars III; Ghost Recon Shadow Wars 3D; Super Street Fighter IV and more.

Australia’s 3DS launch date is 31 March and the best deals at the moment are:

• JB Hifi - $328 with accessories pack
• Big W - $348 with free game (choice of Rayman 3D or Ghost Recon Shadow Wars 3D)

I had the opportunity to review many games in 2010 that I wouldn’t normally play. However, I also played less of the 2010 releases from my usual genre range.

I even bought games that I have yet to play or even play more than a few levels of. And there are many more games that I didn’t play and I’m waiting for them to drop in price before I make the commitment.

There were two standouts for me this year:

Heavy Rain [PS3]
This game was about  atmosphere. The graphics were beautiful; the sound effects so realistic you didn’t even notice them; the story so engaging I pushed away the outside world and was adamant about getting to the next stage. A polished effort from Quantic Dream.

Super Scribblenauts [DS]
Although released in 2009, Scribblenauts was added to my collection when on sale in 2010. As a word nerd, I loved the idea of solving puzzles by describing the object you needed. My imagination ran wild, describing mythical beasts and overpowered weapons to solve simple problems (although the game seemed to have problems with spelling sometimes).With the addition of adjectives in the 2010 Super Scribblenauts, I was sold the second it was announced. The language problems remain, and sometimes the “correct” answers are a bit puzzling however it’s a game I’m taking my time with simply because it’s not a push-this-button-to-solve puzzler.
Honourable Mentions:
These games are actually 2009 releases, but I played them constantly throughout 2010.

Borderlands [PC]
Roaming the land; picking up fancy guns; the opportunity to play an attractive yet tough female character; and it passes the test – just one more mission before I log off for the night.  It’s a nice change from the FPSs I normally play and I’m not one for the fantasy genre. I keep returning to Borderlands and have yet to get tired of it.

Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 [PS3]
A fantastic co-op for your favourite gaming partner. The sequel now follows the story of the Marvel Civil War so some tough decisions need to be made; but you now have the added bonus of fusion power – the ability to fuse the superpowers of the two active characters in co-op (ie. bounce Iceman’s ice blast off Captain America’s shield). Fun, quick play and easy to pick up at any time.

Tomb Raider Legend was one of the first console games that I played for hours on end, determined to solve the puzzle, escape my pursuers and master that new skill. I memorised the controller and executed every move with precision (rather than mashing as per my previous tactic for other games). It was the game that showed me I could have fun away from the PC as well.
Recently there have been images and rumours surfacing of a very different Lara Croft to the tough, animated one we know. And this month’s issue of Game Informer revealed the story.
We’re going back to where it all started. Lara, fresh out of university, is going to discover that identity that we all know (and love). This Lara isn’t the confident and uh, developed one we are used to. Like any young woman she has to learn everything for herself – physically and in confidence. Yes, it’s an origins story.
The design has taken a different turn too. The Lara Croft character looks remarkably human and special care has been taken to redesign her physical appearance to a somewhat more realistic person. Yep, that means her boobs are smaller. She looks young, athletic with a touch of determination (and even some fear?). She’s still a pretty attractive woman though.
I have been a Lara Croft fan for many years now. I’m an absolute sucker for the tough yet feminine heroine and the story of the Tomb Raider who was in it for the thrill of the chase – and of course to pull off some kick-ass moves from time to time.
I’m looking forward to this new game. No word yet on the release date.

I know I’m a bit behind on this one, but WOW.

I’m loving Borderlands.

I bought it a few months ago but have only just started playing it recently. I’ll do an actual write-up on it soon but I just had to share my enthusiasm.