Kane and Lynch: Dead Men (18)

Platform: Xbox 360, also PS3, PC.
Verdict: More bark than bite.
Rating: 3½/5
The standard genus hero of videogaming’s short and accelerating history has been that of the unflinching beefcake of justice. You know the type - chiselled jaw, gruff voice and bullet proof skin with the ability to drop cliched catchphrases at the exact hour of cheese o’ clock. Admittedly some shooters have played the anti-hero card but they usually involve leather attire and nu-metal. Kane and Lynch’s over stated direction flys in the face of all that by introducing two ‘heros’ who are anything but.
Meet escaped convicts Kane and Lynch, one a mercenary heading for the chair for mass murder, the other a medicated psychopath prone to seeing pig faces. Freed by The 7, an elite mercenary group who want their stolen money back from Kane, Lynch is thrown in as his unpredictable watchdog and together they must fight to get the cash, save Kane’s family and avoid being killed by The 7, or most likely - each other.
Playing much like Io’s previous Freedom Fighters, Kane and Lynch mixes basic squad based mechanics with daring heists and the unpredictable nature of Kane who can flip at any moment and kill a room full of hostages at the whiff of bacon.
The story is initially executed with considerable flair as Kane and Lynch argue their way through the tourette filled missions, but regrettably becomes hum drum as quickly as their banter begins to tire.
Multiplayer avoids the me-too crowd with Fragile Alliance which pits you and online friends as a group of robbers after some cash. With loot separated evenly between the fellow criminals, it’s possible to turn on your friends at any point, kill them and take their stash. It’s admirable in it’s intentions but games can quickly turn into an unsatisfying scrap.
Unfortunately the high production values and obvious effort that has been poured into the single player script are dashed against the rocks of accolade by the element most essential to get right - gameplay. With clunky, counter-intuitive controls and a glitchy cover system, Kane and Lynch is reduced to mediocrity in one foul swipe. Perhaps Kane should have got the chair after all.

Virtua Fighter 5

Platform: Xbox 360, also PS3.
Verdict: The king of fighters.
Rating: 4½/5
As the very first 3D beat-em-up, the original Virtua Fighter was a blocky mesh of simple polygons that held gamers entranced with it’s primary colours, innovative gameplay and promises of what the future held. Fast forward almost 15 years and the latest iteration of this refined and polished series arrives, surpassing 93’s teenage visions, promising unparalleled gameplay and future arthritis.
Originally released on the PS3 a year ago, the 360 version has been a long time coming but the wait has been well worth it - based on the Version C arcade revision, it surpasses the PS3’s version with important gameplay tweaks, improved graphics and the killer addition of online play.
Regarded by many as the best 3D fighter, Virtua Fighter’s combat system is held highly and with good reason.
From simple button mashing to ‘sit down with a manual and revise em’ combos, VF5 allows beginners an easy entry into its hardcore fold, while the experts dip their resin covered virtual fists into the broken glass of high level play and showboat their skills online.
Those unfortunate souls without Xbox Live (hurry up Paul) or friends can take solace in the play modes on offer - alongside the traditional Arcade mode lies the addictive and balanced Quest mode where you tour virtual arcades, enter tournaments and unlock clothing and items for your fighter as you rank up the leaderboards.
Different arcades represent differing levels of difficulty and unlike the Arcade mode’s steadying increase in difficulty (to rock hard) it’s easy for the beginner (or expert) to settle into a Quest mode arcade and fight a continual queue of like-skilled opponents.
Online play may be the jewel in the 360’s crown but it’s also where the game is weakest - restricting you to single matches against strangers with the inability to switch characters when playing with friends, VF5’s offering is frugal at best but thankfully lag free.
Alongside the deep and satisfying gameplay, gorgeous graphics and wide variety of martial artists and moves, any gripes quickly fade away in a flurry of fists.
I’m 3rd Dan, come fight me.

Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron

Platform: PSP
Verdict: Too big for it's portable boots.
Rating: 3/5
Since the dawning of George Lucas' empire in '77 there have been over 40 videogames with the iconic logo emblazoned on their box art. Mostly they've been rubbish, apart from the odd diamond like The Knights of the Old Republic. After seeing how popular a home made Star Wars mod of Battlefield 1942 had become, Lucas Arts created the Battlefront series. The mixture of epic multiplayer gameplay, vehicular combat and the Star Wars license was a no brainer which saw it become one of the most successful Star Wars games made.
Renegade Squadron sees the traditional template of base capturing and Storm Trooper blasting married with online multiplayer (a first for the series on the PSP) and a new narrative to carry its single player.
Based around the secret group of galactic misfits organised by Han Solo to use guerilla tactics against the Empire, Renegade Squadron weaves its tale around the films with animated illustrations, filling in the gaps between episodes and creating behind-the-scenes tales.
Gameplay remains the same as ever with no dramatic changes other than removing soldier classes in favour of user customisation. Essentially allowing you to pick and choose your weapon sets, Renegade Squadron allows players to create their own style of soldier, restricted only by a credit system that prevents you from becoming a walking armoury.
As well as the rote base capturing, missions are spiced up with varying tasks like destroying generators or protecting friendly characters but they all essentially boil down to the same thing while space combat missions are a twitchy disappointment.
The eternal curse of the PSP's single stick layout detracts from the game immensely, providing an auto lock-on substitute to a second stick. It's an unsatisfying solution that removes most of the skill from the shooter template and makes multiplayer a tedious game of circling opponents while waiting to see who dies first.
To its credit though, production levels are high, customisation options varied and the all too rare inclusion of 16 player online multiplayer is the jewel in its crown - but then that was the whole point of Battlefront in the first place.