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LARA CROFT TOMB RAIDER: LEGEND
Publisher: Eidos Developer: Crystal Dynamics
Price: £39.99-£49.99
The first lady of action returns in Lara Croft Tomb Raider: Legend. The question is: are we glad to see her? Yes, even if her franchise is starting to get a little long in the tooth.
The first thing that’s striking about Legend is how good it looks but only if your computer is ‘top’. The graphics have really been given a shot in the arm and the environments look lush and verdant. Lara’s array of weaponry has also been beefed up, but don’t expect this to make life much easier – the game’s developers have made sure that both platforms and puzzles are as taxing as ever. Neither is it all archaeological action. Its ‘modern’ levels allow Ms Croft to wreak havoc in cities such as Tokyo. On the whole, this is an enjoyable return to form.
GUITAR HERO
Publisher: RedOctane Developer: Hermonix
Price: £49.99
If karaoke games leave you cold and dance mats prove a bit on the strenuous side for you, check out Guitar Hero, in which you can airguitar along to a relentlessly rocking soundtrack, covering classics from “Ace of Spades” and “I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll” to “Killer Queen” and “Smoke on the Water”. The game comes with its own plastic guitar, which has strum function and key buttons. Thrashing it soon begins to feel totally natural. To give the game some kind of narrative, players must work their way up from tiny gigs in dingy bars to stadium concerts depending on their skill and success. Guitar Hero marries an excellent idea with a format that really works. It’s fabulous; you owe it to yourself to buy this game.
AEON FLUX
Publisher: THQ Developer: Terminal Reality
Price £29.99
The film Aeon flux received a drubbing at the hands of critics, but the game manages to inject some of the cult appeal and action of the original MTV cartoon series. Players take on the role of the slinky agent Ms Flux, who is blessed with kick-ass abilities and a handy arsenal of shooters. Divided into episodic levels, the game pays no heed to constraints of coherency or narrative. Sometimes this works, but mostly it doesn’t. It resembles the recent Prince of Persia and Metroid titles, but it doesn’t quite match either of them.
ICE AGE 2: THE MELTDOWN
Publisher: Vivendi Developer Eurocon
Price: £39.99
Vivendi should be congratulated on creating a movie tie-in game for children that’s fun to look at and fun to play – no mean feat considering the glut of mediocre film games. Ice Age 2: the Meltdown is a conventional platformer, and it seldom deviates from a welltrodden path. But it still has a lot of charm. Players must help the main characters escape from floodwaters that threaten to drown their valley. They all look great and the original film’s voice actors are used. But you do have to like the film to love the game.
SONIC RIDERS
Publisher: Sega Developer: In-house
Price: £34.99
This isn’t the first racing game that highspeed hedgehog Sonic has appeared in, and despite his swift ways, previous titles haven’t set the gaming world alight. Sonic Riders comes closer to success, but there are still some sticky moments. It plays like a mix of SSX and WipEout, and while speed is important, players have to watch their air monitor (Sonic and pals are racing on hover boards rather than fourwheel drives) and take regular pit stops. It’s a nice idea, but the tracks fail to impress and the controls err towards the unruly.
Computer games
Computer games
Reviewed by Rebecca ArmstrongLARA CROFT TOMB RAIDER: LEGENDPublisher: Eidos Developer: Crystal Dynamics
Price: £39.99-£49.99
The first lady of action returns in Lara Croft Tomb Raider: Legend. The question is: are we glad to see her? Yes, even if her franchise is starting to get a little long in the tooth.
The first thing that’s striking about Legend is how good it looks but only if your computer is ‘top’. The graphics have really been given a shot in the arm and the environments look lush and verdant. Lara’s array of weaponry has also been beefed up, but don’t expect this to make life much easier – the game’s developers have made sure that both platforms and puzzles are as taxing as ever. Neither is it all archaeological action. Its ‘modern’ levels allow Ms Croft to wreak havoc in cities such as Tokyo. On the whole, this is an enjoyable return to form.
GUITAR HERO
Publisher: RedOctane Developer: HermonixPrice: £49.99
If karaoke games leave you cold and dance mats prove a bit on the strenuous side for you, check out Guitar Hero, in which you can airguitar along to a relentlessly rocking soundtrack, covering classics from “Ace of Spades” and “I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll” to “Killer Queen” and “Smoke on the Water”. The game comes with its own plastic guitar, which has strum function and key buttons. Thrashing it soon begins to feel totally natural. To give the game some kind of narrative, players must work their way up from tiny gigs in dingy bars to stadium concerts depending on their skill and success. Guitar Hero marries an excellent idea with a format that really works. It’s fabulous; you owe it to yourself to buy this game.
AEON FLUXPublisher: THQ Developer: Terminal Reality
Price £29.99
The film Aeon flux received a drubbing at the hands of critics, but the game manages to inject some of the cult appeal and action of the original MTV cartoon series. Players take on the role of the slinky agent Ms Flux, who is blessed with kick-ass abilities and a handy arsenal of shooters. Divided into episodic levels, the game pays no heed to constraints of coherency or narrative. Sometimes this works, but mostly it doesn’t. It resembles the recent Prince of Persia and Metroid titles, but it doesn’t quite match either of them.
ICE AGE 2: THE MELTDOWNPublisher: Vivendi Developer Eurocon
Price: £39.99
Vivendi should be congratulated on creating a movie tie-in game for children that’s fun to look at and fun to play – no mean feat considering the glut of mediocre film games. Ice Age 2: the Meltdown is a conventional platformer, and it seldom deviates from a welltrodden path. But it still has a lot of charm. Players must help the main characters escape from floodwaters that threaten to drown their valley. They all look great and the original film’s voice actors are used. But you do have to like the film to love the game.
SONIC RIDERSPublisher: Sega Developer: In-house
Price: £34.99
This isn’t the first racing game that highspeed hedgehog Sonic has appeared in, and despite his swift ways, previous titles haven’t set the gaming world alight. Sonic Riders comes closer to success, but there are still some sticky moments. It plays like a mix of SSX and WipEout, and while speed is important, players have to watch their air monitor (Sonic and pals are racing on hover boards rather than fourwheel drives) and take regular pit stops. It’s a nice idea, but the tracks fail to impress and the controls err towards the unruly.