2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa for Xbox 360/PS3 versions

2010 FIFA World Cup marking an improvement over FIFA 10, the Wii version doesn’t fare so well. In fact, this title is so similar to the year’s main game that it’s going to take the most dedicated of football fans to pick it up on Nintendo’s console. Against EA’s best efforts, what we have here is largely a rehash of FIFA 10, sprinkled under a World Cup skin.

Regrettably, this Wii title suffers from the limitations of the hardware. The other consoles provide a visual upgrade that’s hugely welcomed for the series, and a number of on-pitch tweaks that make it a worthwhile release. This kind of experimentation and step forward is lacking here, as there are very few improvements to get excited about.

Aside from the normal World Cup modes, the most interesting addition to the series is ‘Zakumi’s Dream Team.’ Here, players will start with a team comprised of unknown international players coming from the world’s least renowned football nations. Whether it’s a right back from Rwanda, or a goal-scoring hero from the Cape Verde Islands, the premise is to complete challenges and to earn players for your squad. You’re pitted against international teams every match, and come with three objectives that determine the quality of the player you can choose as your prize. Only complete the bronze challenge and you’ll only be able to pick a bronze rated player. Complete two challenges and silver also become available. If, however, you have the skill to overcome all three tasks, you’ll be able to pick any player from the opposing side to join your up-and-coming team.

While this section forces players to adapt their style of play, it’s the only new addition that we would like to have seen in the HD console versions. Working hard to unlock a big-name player for your team certainly pays off, as their quality and added ability helps take control against the tougher nations. Other than this, there aren’t enough modes to keep players coming back, especially if they’re invested into a league season on FIFA 10.

Rather predictably, 2010 FIFA World Cup is aimed towards the ridiculous on the Wii. Each game features a number of wonder goals, be it 30-yard strikes, amazing bicycle kicks or cheeky chips from just outside the area. Personal battles are still fought all over the pitch as you’re forced to time your headers correctly, shaking your arm when the ball glows. Similarly, set-pieces also require expert timing in order for you to be successful, both offensively and on the defensive side. The best feature is still the slow-motion when a battle could go either way. Witnessing the opponent just managing to slide long enough to block your shot adds tension to the game, as the ball bounces clear or bobbles away ready for the next match-up. Once in the box, you’ll also be treated to a close-up of your striker unleashing a thunderbolt towards goal, as the camera darts behind him in order to make you feel part of the action. These features are no doubt what outlines the Wii version from the rest, although they’re not going to add much to the life of someone who’s already picked up EA’s main offering this year.

Another section this version of 2010 FIFA World Cup also lacks in is it’s online play. Although players can compete against three friends in a ‘last man standing’ competition, it’s not a patch on what’s available on the other consoles. Admittedly, this is aimed towards the younger generation, but when you can compete in a number of modes with up to 31 other teams on the PS3 and 360, it’s difficult not to feel short changed here. It seems the only longevity this version has is with it’s Dream Team mode, as the rest of the package screams of EA cashing in on the license; something that isn’t true for alternative versions.

On a console that managed to get FIFA 10 so right for it’s audience, there’s a huge sense of disappointment here. Even the most avid of footballing youngsters will be sure the changes are minimal, and will be let down by the lack of new ideas. If you have to pick up one World Cup game this year, we recommend you look elsewhere.

The Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

Uncharted 2 Among Thieves

Uncharted 2 will keep you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end. The game begins with one of the most brilliant opening scenes I’ve ever seen. The game is packed with thrills, superb graphics, some puzzles (albeit not very challenging ones), and incredible cut scenes. Generally I’m not a big fan of cut scenes, but the developers did an excellent job of integrating good ones into the storyline at just the right moments.

As the Halo series is exclusive to the Xbox, the Uncharted series is exclusive to PlayStation. Although one doesn’t have to have played the game’s predecessor, Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune, to get started on this sequel—it’s certainly not a bad idea. The first installment was a very good game, but Uncharted 2 takes it to the next level by tweaking all of the areas that were lagging in the first game. The result is fantastic.

The single-player story mode offers about 12-20 hours of gameplay for most. A multiplayer option has been added to this sequel. It’s extremely addictive, providing endless hours of entertainment. In multiplayer mode you’ll be able to play five-on-five death matches, objective oriented matches, and co-op. Not only was multiplayer entertaining, but I found that it never experienced lag or disconnect.On the flip side, the game is in 720p definition. 1080p would have been better for a PS3-exclusive title. Additionally, puzzles throughout the game could have been a bit more challenging. That said, Uncharted 2 is a great game that no PS3 owner should pass up. It’s a prime contender for Game of the Year.

Gran Turismo 5 that Sony had on display at this year's Tokyo Game Show

Gran Turismo 5

When we last took a seat behind the wheel in Gran Turismo 5, we were playing the demo that Sony had on display at this year’s Tokyo Game Show. It was an interesting setup: Attendees had the chance to play the game from within an actual car while using a Logitech steering wheel peripheral. Fast forward a couple months, and we’ve just had another look at Gran Turismo 5 at a Sony event in New York City. While the demo is the same as what we saw at TGS–sans the full car, unfortunately–spending a bit more time with the game has given us the opportunity to pick up on some subtleties we missed last time. And by that, we mean we smashed cars into a wall at full speed to further test the new damage model. But let’s not nitpick, shall we?

First, let’s talk about where we were racing. The track in this demo is the Tokyo r246 circuit, a winding bundle of urban streets guiding you past a series of nondescript office buildings and verdant parks. According to a Sony rep, this track features an Easter egg of sorts: One of the buildings along the side of the track is Sony Computer’s Japanese headquarters. It was an interesting factoid, but we were more interested in the cars. More specifically, we had our eyes set on how those cars show damage–a feature new to the series.
http://www.youtube.com/v/oXtbXy5vO70&rel=0&fs=1
The conclusion we came away with is that the damage depicted in GT5 focuses more on the gradual wear and tear of a car rather than a sudden, catastrophic loss of parts after a huge wreck. Here’s an example: We took our Subaru Impreza WRX and bumped into a wall at a pretty solid speed. Rather than witnessing the crunch of shattering headlights and other debris, the front fender of our car began to sag on one side, dangling further down as we traded paint with more cars in front of us. We thought that was the extent of it, but at the next sharp turn, we noticed that the doors on our car wouldn’t latch shut anymore, comically popping open and closed depending on the momentum of the car.

This is the sort of damage you can expect from the vehicles in GT5. You’re not going to see significant chunks of the car go missing, but you will see an authentic level of wear and tear like paint scuffs that occur only on the spots where you hit a wall or parts of the exterior that gradually separate from your car as your reckless driving jostles out the few screws holding them together.

It would certainly be cool to see a smashed windshield after a massive head-on collision, but the simple fact of the matter is that Polyphony Digital is more focused on attention to detail rather than spectacle. That, combined with the restrictions that auto manufacturers place on what sort of damage can be shown in their vehicles (smoke and fire is a big no-no) means you won’t see any huge wrecks. But no matter where you stand, it’s hard to argue against the fact that the damage that is in the game is done well.

It’s also worth noting that the damage model will be a little different depending on whether you’re in a production car or a racing car. We tested out a Subaru Impreza WRX equipped for WRC events and a stock Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG. The Subaru showed more pronounced damage than the Mercedes, though the latter was hardly flawless when we were finished taking it on our impromptu demolition derby. The reason for this relates to the concerns of the auto manufacturers in the game. They’re more open to showing heavy damage on cars that you’d never see out on the road, while those cars you can go and buy at a dealer are going to be scaled back a bit. It’s not exactly an ideal concession in terms of consistency, but it’s hard to say how much of an impact this will have on the overall experience until we see how it works in the context of the full game.

All that being said, Gran Turismo 5 is still a driving game–not a crashing game. So it’s nice to see that the driving model in GT5 is just as tight as ever. Little details like the way the camera angles downward when you perform a sharp brake from the cockpit view highlighted our experience. The distinction between the light and grippy Subaru and the V8-powered SLS AMG was easily discernible, as well as provided a much different experience.

PES 2010 update next week

Transfers updates and new teams to be available to download on November 24thKonami has confirmed that it will be issuing a free downloadable update for Pro Evolution Soccer 2010 on November 24th.The DLC will update team rosters in line with the summer transfer activity. It will also add four teams to the Champions League mode – Atletico Madrid, Olympiacos, Lyon and Fiorentina.Konami also claims that it “enhances a number of elements in the full game”.Those who load up the game on Xbox 360 or PS3 today will be prompted to download a “primer patch” – this is to ensure that modified user data already on gamer’s hard drives will not be affected by the upcoming DLC.