What goes around comes around

Whether it be planets, a boomerang or swingball, life is one giant vicious circle. The famous saying of 'what comes around goes around' is, sadly, very true. The saying is usually related to life, you know relationships, friends and all that malarkey, however, this trend is becoming ever more prevalent within gaming.

I don't want to cause a fuss here, but 'real' gaming appeared around 1995 (by 'real' gaming I mean the emergence of games that can be linked to the everyday releases of 2011). The stars were Lara Croft, Solid Snake, Rayman etc. All of these were, and in some cases still are, mascots of the platforming era. Back then games were much simpler, there was no fancy online components, there was no stupid motion control, the only thing that the game had was its gameplay, and luckily, it was usually great! But, as time went on games developed and evolved into these new orbs of enjoyment. New features were added; 'full destructibility', '10 million graphics' and 'its better than Call of Duty!' are all slogans that will appear on modern games, tempting in the naive with one dimensional 'innovations'. Anyway, lets stop rambling and get to the point.


After E3 it is becoming ever clearer that the games industry is looking back and using it as a guideline, a concept that is resulting in quality over quantity. Take the newly announced Rayman Origins. Beneath the Bioshock's and Uncharted's, Rayman Origins looked incredible at E3. The beautiful art style and nostalgic gameplay conjured up memories from the 1990's era. Ubisoft seem to have gone back in time, stripping the game down to its basics. Likewise, the recently released Mortal Kombat game makes do with a much smoother, simpler and stream-lined approach.


I recently posted an entry regarding Tony Hawks and how we should look back in time for inspiration, and I take full responsibility for this, game developers seem to be doing it. Simplifying things down. But, it cant all be good can it? Much like 'what goes around comes around', the phrase 'karma's a bitch' is also surprisingly relevant  Two words for this. Duke. Nukem. The 14 year wait has proven to be a bit of a waste as Duke's cockiness and self loving character is simply annoying now, much like his actual game. So the question is, is the past better? There are many examples of games being stream lined and stripped to help create a purely quality game with no fancy features. Pure gameplay is where its at. Take Super Meat Boy for example. It is not at all afraid to be horrible. It is simple, yet addictive due to its 'one more go' attitude and annoyingly difficult levels. Yes a story is sometimes interesting, but what would you prefer, a long detailed story regarding some despressed emo kid who is just trying to carve his own destiny or a 2D game that eats away at your life? Wait, stupid question, but I hope you understand what I am getting at. 

Me and my Ginx TV

We all love games. We love the feeling of being someone your not, we love the feeling of being somewhere that does not exist. But, through all the artsy fartsy stuff, I, and many other people love being part of the community which we call 'gamers'. The term 'gamers' has wild preconceptions. 'We're all spotty teenagers who are recluses'. But, us gamers can swallow the pride and look past the ignorant public who whisper our names in hush tones. We should be proud of who we are!

We are a group, a community, a family if you like. We share the same interests, and many of us want to discuss these, sharing our views and trolling forums. There is this new TV Channel coming to Sky in a few months named Ginx TV. It is a channel that is made by gamers, for gamers. I have been part of this group for quite a while ago, and I can safely say that (although I am licking serious arse), it is amazing, I love it! There is a tightly knit community that talk about the things that we all love, the games. There is currently a show on Challenge named the Blurb which acts as a taster of things to come from Ginx TV. It is a studio-shot programme that includes reviews, previews, features, interviews and more. The team at Ginx have worked really hard with everything and through their constant support of the Ginx fans like myself, they are forming a channel to please and cater for us, the gamers. So I really do urge you guys to join up to Ginx TV whether it be on Facebook or Twitter. Join the community and experience real conversations with real people who just want to chat about their passion, games.

Here's the link: www.ginx.tv.com

Thanks guys, and I look forward to seeing you chatting about shizz!

Infamous 2 Review

The original InFamous found its way onto our Playstations in early 2009 where we were treated to a wonderful open-world superhero game that actually worked, and although it may have suffered from a few major faults, InFamous was hailed as the best comic book game ever until a certain Mr Batman arrived. 2 years after its original birth, the world of InFamous is back, but have Sucker Punch created a mega watt experience or is it a broken fuse? Here is my review:

The story opens with a heart racing battle against the aptly named 'Beast' from the originals finish. Cole McGrath is faced with his demons and after an intense fight, is forced to flee to the recently flooded city of New Marais, a New Orleans inspired location. Travelling with his trusty friend Zeke, of whom is much less annoying this time, and an FBI agent named Lucy Kuo, Cole lands in New Marais in attempt to strengthen his powers, but instead he is faced with a mutant-hating tyrant and an army of ice soldiers. The whole narrative is structured around Cole finding 6 Blast Cores which will be used to destroy the Beast who is slowly closing down on Cole once again. Whether you choose to be a hero or villain, InFamous 2's story is great and is full of tantalising twists and a heart wrenching finale. The story borders on being too cheesy but strafes into the compelling with a more sympathetic Cole and humbling Zeke. (I will briefly mention that whilst I miss Cole's original voice actor, the newer Cole is a vast improvement on the first).

Sucker Punch have listened to the fans and have improved on what the fans wanted, resulting in a greatly improved sequel. Whilst the gameplay was original and unique in the first, Sucker Punch have charged Cole up in such ways that even after 15 hours of play, the feeling of novelty is still incredibly prevalent. With added variations of Cole's powers and the introduction of a new melee weapon known as the 'Amp', InFamous 2 increases Cole's arsenal 10-fold, resulting in a wider range of tactics and play styles. The powers are unlocked from either gaining XP or reaching a certain Karma level. The new destructive moves such as the Ionic Vortex are incredible and rip through the streets with such beauty that you'll end up you feeling like an actual electricity charged superhero. The 'Amp' is a lot of fun and adds an extra incentive for close combat but the camera can get muddled up sometimes, however, this is only a little niggle.

My other 'little niggle' would be the Karma system. After the purely Black and White Karma system in the original, I was hoping for a few more subtle decisions, ones that weren't obvious to either direction, but sadly, the return is a miserable one as the inclusion of Cole's Angel and Demo Nix and Kuo make the Karma system much more laughable. However, saying that, it is still a very fun inclusion and adds an incentive to complete the story twice to see each ending.


The introduction of Nix and Kuo also means that Cole can use some different powers, not just is burning electricity. If you chose Nix, or the evil side, you are granted control over oil, whilst Kuo gives you power of ice. Both are fun combinations and reflect your morale compass very well. And you need this vastly increased power set if you are to defeat the enemies on offer. Long gone are the boring rebels of the first and in their place comes giant swamp creatures, ice titans and weird acid spiting snail things. The boss fights are less frequent now and are replaced with simply larger battles, although when a boss fight does occur, it on ridiculously massive terms! 


Whether it be fighting mutants with ice blades or gliding over the ruins of New Marais, the frame rate is constantly smooth and the graphics are amazing.The original was a little bit rough around the edges but Sucker Punch have ironed them out and have made the second look simply mind blowing. The cut scenes are very well acted and voice acting is above average,e but not anything special. Also, the city of New Marais is much more alive than Empire City and each area is very distinct and unique, offering different challenges. It was great to see the city become more alive as the original was a bit dim. 


With a single player campaign lasting around 15-20 hours, InFamous 2 is long enough to quench your superhero needs but with many people being urged to complete the game a second time around, the game will be in your disk tray for a while to come. There are still thousands of Blast Shards to be found and Dead Drops to beef up the background meaning that you can never get bored. And, as InFamous 2 is the latest Sony game to include the 'Play Create Share' moto, there is an incredibly deep mission creator, much like LittleBigPlanet, is terrifying at first, but once you tame the beast you will be editing away.


InFamous 2 is a masterpiece. Sucker Punch have tweaked and changed the formula, and as a result have ended up with a wonderful sandbox game that outs you in the shoes of a genuine superhero. Cole is more likeable and powerful this time round, finally tipping him into Sony's roster of mascots this generation. The graphics are gorgeous, the gameplay is fast and fluid and the story will leave will hit you like a 100,000 volt shock. Yes, the game is 'electrifying' and 'shockingly good', but cheesy puns aside, InFamous 2 is a charged up thrill ride that any comic book loving gamer will adore and cherish. Once again, 2011 ushers in another beautiful game. Bring it on Batman, there's a new hero in town!

Best and Worst of E3 2011

Here we are then. After months of tense anticipation, E3 2011 is finally over. Was it good? Did you guys like it? From the 3 E3's I have properly followed I would most certainly say that this years Electronic Expo was the best I have seen. Whilst it may have lacked in huge mind blowing surprises, this years E3 has once again poured petrol onto our flames of anticipation as all of our favourite sequels and games have been teased and tried, only adding to the excitement for next year. However, although there were some great moments, there were also some totally crap ones. Here is my compilation of best and worst moments of E3 2011......


NGP Melting our Faces!


This was a good'n. After many months waiting for concrete details on Sony's new handheld system, Sony's press conference on Monday did a great job of summing up this new device and showcasing what was on offer. The first piece of information was the name. Now the NGP will be known as the PS Vita, but that's a crap name so for now on I'll keep calling it the NGP, I don't like change. Sony set itself apart from Nintendo's 3DS by showing the great games that will be on offer; Uncharted, Resistance, Modnation Racers, the list goes on. Each game was shown to have implemented the innovative touch pads surprisingly well and the cross capability's between PS3 and Vita seem to have a lot of potential. La La La, I could go on about the actual console, but the best moment regarding the NGP has to be the price. Sony have learnt from their painful over pricing and stunned the audience with an incredibly competitive price of $249. The price may be the thing that sets the NGP off, but we can only wait to find out.


SO MUCH KINECT!

MY EYES!

Maybe it was just me but after Microsoft's appalling conference last year I expected this years to be more on the games than the stupid bloody Kinect. It started off well. A live demo of MW3 followed by Gears of War 3, then Kinect crept in. Its use in Mass Effect was OK, if not a tad pointless whilst its implementation in Ghost Recon seemed to be quite interesting, then, it went downhill. Disneyland-land? Muppets? Kinect Sports 2? Bloody hell Microsoft, it was painful! For a cringe worthy hour we witnessed poorly paid child actors pretend to be having a great time. But the worse was to come. Kinect has potential and we know it, but after seeing it all go to waste with 'say hello to my friend Ronando', all our hopes were simply gulped up and shat out of Microsoft's money rimmed arse. Luckily though the MS conference regained a few tatters of dignity with its last surprise, but still, FISTBUMP FTW!!


The Games!

Sounds stupid I know but what is the main reason for E3? To showcase the games! And man was this year good! We already know that 2011 is going to rock our socks off but after witnessing these beautiful creations we are getting ready for a very large rocking! Demo's of games such as Gears of War 3, Skyrim, Hitman, Batman AA, Twisted Metal, Battlefield 3 and Resistance blew us all away. Most of these games are at early stages but they already seem to be incredible! Battefield 3 is just simply WOW whilst I feel a special mention has to go out to the downloadable game The Heist which slipped under our radars and from what I have seen, it looks great fun and perhaps a GTA heist beater. The games of 2011 and 2012 are shaping up to be huge and I am pretty sure that most of us will suffer from dry and empty wallets due to this!

THE  SMUG BASTARD!

The Surprises
Earlier on I claimed that although there were no surprises, E3 2011 still owned in terms of games and hardware, but you can't deny that you missed them? Sadly the big surprise of Halo 4 was leaked a few hours before the conference and whilst the trailer still made every nerd squeal a squeal of joy, it wasn't exactly the most amazing surprise ever. Where were Valve? That is the question. What new exclusives can we expect? What about a tease of the new Xbox? What about the announcement that the Call of Duty franchise would end at MW3 to spare us from an infinite line of trolls claiming that Deus Ex sucks because 'its nothing like Call of Duty!'? Thats right, there were none. It didn't exactly spoil the whole show but I felt that E3 sorely missed a big bad surprise, we just want news on Half Life!


Tomb Raider
I have chosen to include the latest Tomb Raider in its separate category because that is how special I think it is. After having her crown stolen by Nathan Drake, Lara has had to come up with something sensational, and from this very early build, we can already see how much Lara has changed. Most reboots that claim they are 'grittier' usually suck as they try to be more serious but end up being rubbish, however after seeing the latest demo at Microsoft's conference, the latest Tomb Raider looks amazing! Lara is de-sexualized and seems to have more sense whilst being more vulnerable. The short snippet of gameplay enticed the audience in with the mysterious pursuer and even some very Uncharted-espue jumps. Overall, Mr Drake may need to watch his back, the Queen is back!


Minecraft on Xbox
This angered me a lot. I dont want to be bias but I feel that Markus 'Notch' Persson has made a big mistake here. If you are not aware, Minecraft is an extremely popular game on the PC that allows players to simply roam around an ever expanding 8 bit land with the necessary tools to create almost anything. Sound familiar?  Probably the closest relative to Minecraft is LBP, on PS3. I feel that by making Minecraft exclusive to Xbox they may be missing out on a much more creative, friendly community that has proven itself to be capable of creating amazing stuff. Also, the announcement seemed to come and go perhaps making way for the stupid Kinect games. Minecraft coming to consoles deserves much more attention than it was given and I sincerely feel that by either switching the console base or going multi-plat Minecraft's reception and utilisation would be very different


Dust 514- Revolution?
Much like Minecraft, this game has been quite quiet and when announced, was met with a simple 'meh' by the audience. However, after researching the sci fi shooter Dust 514, I truly believe that we may be witnessing a revolution and perhaps turning point in online gaming. Valve's masterpiece Portal 2 already allows PS3 players to play online with PC, but only if they have a Steam account. Dust 514 simply joins the PC servers with the PS3 servers, resulting in a mixture of both in a single match. This new combination is great as it shows how some developers are trying to work together and get a new revolution starting. I love the idea of playing with PC players and I would also love to play against my friends who own Xbox's. No longer would we have to be split between different consoles, we could all play with each other with no stupid squabbling. I understand that Dust 514 may not be the greatest shooter ever, but I believe that it could be, and I mean could be, a turning point for the online aspect.


And finally, the one you have all been waiting for........


Here it is. After 7 long paragraphs I am finally here. All my anger and disgust has been building up inside of me over the past couple of days. I will try and not bore you, but here goes. The biggest disappointment of E3 2011 by far is the WiiU, or as my brother likes to call it, 'a pile of wank'. After the truly revolutionary Wii we were all expecting something amazing from Nintendo's conference and all we were given was a stupid controller with a screen on it, so basically a PSV but not portable. What is the point in this? It was a huge let down. Gaming is about the experience. Gaming is about having the largest TV possible with gun shots so loud that your ear drums burst, not a dull screen causing neck pains. Taking the TV out of the equation is one of if not the most retarded concepts for anything. Consoles are for the TV, handhelds are not. Why cross them over and create a hybrid? Thats like combining a gorilla with a daffodil, there is no point!


There is no point in the Wii U except milking the Nintendo fanboys (cough*Marc*cough) who believe that everything Nintendo create is as special as a golden shit from a unicorn. The Wii did change gaming, the growth of gaming is due to the runaway success of the Wii, so how would Nintendo follow on? How about not creating a worthless accessory that is better suited to being a doorstop than an actual useful gaming device. Seriously, why? The price for this crap will be around $300 probably, and for that price you could purchase a genuinely good piece of tech, the PS Vita with actual good games, not another bloody brain training. What a let down, I would have rather been raped by a cactus than watch the poor reaction over this underwhelming  'revolutionary' pile of pure tosh. Waste of time. 

Thought this is more relevant

(I would like to point out that this is a complete rant and very very biased. I do not fully feel what I have just written, but I do feel that the Wii U is extremely pointless. I also understand that this feeling is due to a poor presentation from Nintendo where there was a painful lack of explanation. I am not giving up hope on it just yet, after all it is Nintendo! I imagine that I will regret this rant in a couple of years after the Wii U takes over the world, but for now, I am just extremely underwhelmed. Just to reiterate again, this is for fun this rant, I do not believe everything I just put down!)


Thank you guys, hope you enjoyed it!
James

Fight Night Champion Review

I dont like fighting games. Its not that I hate the style and ideas, but its the sad fact that I am usually awful at them. I did try Street Fighter IV and, well, I was basically raped. So, with this in mind, I was extremely caution when starting the latest Fight Night, but my god was I surprised. Fight Night Champion has somehow changed my view on fighting games due to its wonderful execution. Want more? Read on....

FALCON PUNCH!

Fight Night is the long running boxing series that has always offered the most compelling and realistic interpretation of the brutal sport. Champion continues this trait, offering suitable gameplay for even the noob-iest of noobs! The first thing that strikes you are the graphics. The word beautiful does not do the game justice. Bodies shimmer with sweat and the impacts are truly wince-worthy. The facial animations are also amazing, reacting to every punch, scratch or cut that may happen to find its way onto your face. All of the present boxers are pretty accurate with only a few zombie looking people, but the majority are almost uncanny. Whilst the game does run pretty smoothly, I did notice a few frame rate drops in Champion Mode, but as Fight Night is a true feast of the eyes, I think many people will forgive the occasional drop!


Sport games never really have a story, but Fight Night shakes up the genre a bit by actually including a story mode, and its actually really good! Slightly reminiscent of Raging Bull, the Champion Mode mainly acts as an introduction to the main game, but it seems to be more than that. You control up and coming boxer Andrey Bishop, an all going, mean-ass boxer. La di da, the story plays out, its pretty predictable to be honest, but still conjures some Rocky-esque emotions. Champion Mode does a great job of introducing you to Fight Night, making sure that you are accustomed with the classic flick punch controls and weaving and bobbing.


The actual gameplay hasn't changed really as the awesome stick controls return from Fight Night 3. The controls surprised me, by mapping out punches onto the right analogue stick, EA Sports seem to have revolutionised boxing games, making them much more intuitive than before. I personally loved the controls as it has been a long time since I have seen something so natural. There is now an option for a more retarded control version, meaning that punches are mapped to different face buttons, but it doesn't feel the same as classic controls, much like playing Killzone with CoD controls, pure blasphemy!

Its all about the stare!

After spending around 5 hours completing the main campaign mode, you can then jump into Legacy Mode, the career mode. I was originally blown away by the customisation options, from tattoos, to cloaks, to eyebrow colour, every little thing can be personalised, its brilliant! At first some may find the whole calendar and training camps stuff quite intimidating, but after a few hours with it you'll soon become a master. If I were to have one criticism it would be that you can make it all too easy, for example, Im title holder of 3 belts and the furthest I've been is round 3, yeah, you can dominate. However, saying that, you can still ramp up the difficulty to almost IMPOSSIBLE, but then its no fun! 


There is an online mode, but I'm too scared to try it out as I know that I'll just get owned, but I hear its quite good. My bad peeps!


Overall, I am blown away by Fight Night Champion. I wasn't expecting much from the game, but after pouring around 15 hours into all modes, my mind is fully changed. I really do urge you guys to try it, take the plunge. With a huge rooster of professional boxers ranging from veterans like Ali to modern ego filled monsters like David Haye the Hayemaker, Fight Night Champion really is the all round and definitive boxing title. The Champion Mode may be a revolution in the sporting genre, showing that you can include an interesting story without resorting to cheesiness and the amount of customisation is rarely seen. I feel slightly proud of Fight Night, proud that it has shot out of its corner, showing the bigger blockbusters that a excellent gaming experience can arise with two sweaty men in a ring. just remember people, DUN, DUN DUN DUN, DUN DUN DUN, DUN DUN DUUUUUUNNNNN.

GTA IV vs Red Dead Redemption

Rockstar are incredible. Don't try and be cool by denying it, (nearly) every game they have released has been amazing. They revolutionised gaming and introduced 3D worlds, and for that they deserve uttermost praise. However, which pinnacle of Rockstar's creative genius is the best. Grand Theft Auto IV, one of the most critically acclaimed games of all time, or Red Dead Redemption, the wannabe cowboys wet dream? Both are beautiful experiences, but which one rides off into the sunset with the prestigious prize of best sandbox game? Lets find out.............

Protagonists

          Niko Bellic                                                     John Marston















    
OK, this is a controversial one. I would like to remind people that this is only my opinion, with my explanations why. I personally find Niko Bellic better here, more interesting and a cooler guy. Im not saying that Mr Marston is a boring character, oh no, but in games I prefer the angrier people, look at Kratos! I also prefer putting a little bit of me into the character and with Niko I feel you can make him more you than Marston. Both have contradicting aims in their stories, but both are a pure master-class in character design, showing a wonderful and believable array of emotions. But, in my eyes, GTA IV takes the early lead here.


               GTA IV 1               Red Dead Redemption 0

Settings

                         
                  Liberty City                                  West America (3 states)





This one is slightly easier. When GTA IV finally arrived in 2007 we were all blown away by how alive it felt, streets bustled and there was a certain buzz. However, last year, Liberty City looked like a dead cat compared to Red Dead. The feeling as you rode around the beautiful vistas is truly outstanding. Although it is very barren compared to the metropolis Liberty City, America seems to be so much more alive. The random encounters create an every changing world and being attacked by a wild cougar really added to the authenticity. After playing GTA IV after Red Dead, it made me realise just how much love Rockstar poured into Red Dead. The best game world ever.


          GTA IV 1               Red Dead Redemption 1

Stuff

Stuff, the true nature of an open world game. When I say 'stuff' I actually mean all the extra time wasting activites that you can get up to besides the narrative. Both games have a huge amount of activities that you can spend hours on, whether it be poker or snooker. GTA's city setting means it can offer up past times such as bowling, darts, or even going to a cheeky strip club for a while (I lost sooo much money), but Red Dead's wild west setting offers poker, shoot outs and flower picking (YAY!). The winner of this round though is Red Dead, just though. I had great fun playing snooker with Little Jacob on GTA, but after spending over an hour on one game of poker, I think that this round has to go to Red Dead!


                 GTA IV 1               Red Dead Redemption 2

Sound

      Booming Radios                                             Classic Western tunes



The man under Red Dead's name is artist Jose Gonzalez, and he is responsible for Far Away, the song that plays during the Mexico crossing. There, could finish it here. Red Dead Redemptions music is once again loving reminiscent of the classic Western films. Strange, floating sounds that offer as much to the experience as Mr Marston himself. Whilst Red Dead wins hand down, GTA's radio stations are brilliant too, offering the very best of the best from each genre. Some of the chat shows are hilarious, one chats about a 6 year old boy that has been lost in a mall for 4 years. However, Jean Michelle Jarre is just pipped to the line by Jose Gonzalez, its just so damn emotional!




          GTA IV 1               Red Dead Redemption 3

Enjoyment

Whilst both games have some of the best stories in gaming, both are just generally enjoyable games. For example, Heavy Rain was a really good game, but it wasn't exactly 'fun'. With that in mind, I think the final round should go to GTA IV. Red Dead is fun, very fun. Running around with the old guns and hog tying random people is awesome, but the general aura around Red Dead is a little more serious. This is probably due to the settings, as GTA allows helicopter rides and RPG killing sprees. I spent much more time playing GTA IV after I finished the main story than I did with Red Dead. The physics engine with the cars is pure comedy gold. Both are great games, but GTA is just a little more 'fun'.


      GTA IV 2                 Red Dead Redemption 3

Verdict

Here we are then. After playing GTA IV after Red Dead, it is clear to see what Rockstar have done. All of the baselines for Red Dead are ever present in GTA, the world is good, but not great, the time wasting activities are fun, but slightly tedious and the actual story is a little flat. However, Red Dead Redemption takes this template and adds to it. Many people were calling Red Dead 'GTA with horses', but they were wrong. The template was there, but Rockstar built around it, carving out a unique game that stands alone. Both are astonishing games and I love both, but there has to be one winner, and that winner is Red Dead Redemption. ITS SO GOD DAMN MEMORABLE!

Winner

                                                                                                        

Are the classics really better?

More than any other type of entertainment, gaming has been the one that is seen to have developed and evolved the most over the past decade or so. Much like technology, as time advances, so do the games. Its not always like it in films though and music though, look at Twilight and N-Dubz. So whilst we all sit down with a beaming smile on our faces due to the latest blockbuster game that implements some crazy tech, gaming develops and changes into something new, something better.

However, I, young Mr James disagree here. If you are friends with me on the Facebook then you will know that I have recently started playing Tony Hawks Pro Skater 2. I downloaded it onto my iPod not that long ago and after destroying the single player, I decided to put this masterpiece into my PS3. I was blown away. Over 10 years after its original release, Tony Hawks Pro Skater 2 still amazed me. Its just so perfect. There is no stupid faffing around with online deathmatches or stupid peripheral that gets you wearing a space suit or something, no, THPS2 is pure, balls out gaming bliss. Whilst the majority of games now are more focused on having gorgeous graphics and a silky frame rate, back in 2000 the made do with what they had, which was basically nothing! I know that their are still brilliant games that care about gameplay, look at Portal or Fallout, but some games nowadays only really care about looking good (COUGH BLOODY COUGH KILLZONE 3).

Casually ollieing into a stair grind into a manual into a nosegrab 360 is still brilliant. The controls are so simple but deep, R1 isn't shoot and the levels are beautifully designed. THPS is a game that no matter what your skill level, whether it be Tony Hawk veteran or complete noob, it made you feel like a god. Few games are this accessible now days. Think Rust or Rainbow Road get you thinking tactically? Try nailing a run on Marseilles skate park! But, although the game has much better gameplay due to the concentration being fully on creating the best experience, the developers at Neversoft crammed their game with so many extras that it puts anything these days to shame. From Spider Man to the classic Horse mode, every aspect of it is amazing, not beautiful or polished, but fun.

I may be being biased as it holds many memories for me, but after playing Tony Hawks, I'm starting to think, have we really moved on as much as we think? Story has been a major turning point in gaming, steering games away from a random run around to a story driven engrossing narrative. I do enjoy the deep game, I love them, but occasionally I like to let loose of all intelligence, leave the mind bending twists behind and play games for the real reason we play them, for fun. Sadly, the Tony Hawks franchise has gone into a very large decline, but the second instalment has partially changed my views on gaming as a whole. I still want to remind you guys that I dont hate modern games now, I love them, hence me having a blog about them, but it just surprised me how a game from 10 years ago can still compete against the latest blockbuster. Fancy facial animation that 'picks up every single detail to the nearest millimetre'? Give me a board, an abandoned hanger and a legendary skater any day!