If you are simply interested in Project Origin alone then you might wish to visit Play or HMV, who have both dropped their prices to beat Shop To’s deal that Marius posted yesterday, and are now selling it for  just £7.99. However Game’s exclusive special edition contains both the sequel and the original game. If you’re looking to get both this is a great deal because the best price for the original F.E.A.R. is £9.99 alone from Game Seek. So if you buy from Game you can get both games for the normal price for one.

• Click here to order F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin Exclusive Special Edition for £9.99 from Game now

As well as including the original F.E.A.R. title, Game’s exclusive collector’s edition comes in the steelbook packaging that lots of people seem to go crazy for and offers exclusive skins.

The original F.E.A.R. was an exciting and clever thrill ride through a blend of horror and first person shooter gameplay that attracted a body of fans eagerly anticipating the next instalment. As is often the case, the sequel did not quite live up to the high expectations but that is not to say that it is not worthwhile. Project Origin may not quite reach the standard of its predecessor but it is still a very enjoyable way to spend a few hours.

While there are some good, creepy scenes, the game just isn’t that scary and the storyline just feels a little to predictable to build up any real tension. Nonetheless as a shooter this feels solid and the slow-mo shoot outs are a lot of fun, particularly if you are a fan of gore. With the fantastic original included, F.E.A.R. 2 is well worth a go at this price.

Thanks to quazilogic at Hotukdeals!

Dealspwn UK Games Deals:

F.E.A.R. 2 Special Edition £9.99 @ Game [PC Games]

Motion control is the current must-have fad that the Big Three have been investing their precious time and resources into. The Wii was able to tap into a massive casual market with its accessible control scheme, and naturally Sony and Microsoft would love a piece of that action. Microsoft and Molyneux have been making a lot of noise about Project Natal, but Sony has finally revealed their take on motion control: The Playstation Move.

At first glance, the Playstation Move appears to be a black Wiimote with a brightly coloured globe sticking obscenely out of the top. Whilst these orbs make Sony’s peripheral an easy target for crude jokes, they critically provide a point of reference for the Playstation Eye camera that allows the controller’s position to be accurately located in 3D space. A gyroscope, accelerometer and terrestrial magnetic field sensor provides precise measurement of both controller motions and position relative to the television- which makes for an incredibly accurate motion control scheme. An optional ‘Subcontroller’ (basically a nunchuck with an extra D-Pad) allows the Move to be used with more conventional titles.

I’m still not convinced that motion control is anything more than a fashionable phase in the grand scheme of things, but the combination of large-scale body movements with small-scale button and trigger feedback is intriguing. Not only that, but support for LBP, SOCOM 4, and Eyepet has been confirmed; and 35 AAA publishers have also jumped on the bandwagon. The Playstation Move is shaping up nicely… and Sony has the in-house devs to make it a worthwhile purchase. The way it’s going, I’d take Sony’s pendulous orbs over Molyneux’s touchable child simulator any day. Microsoft will need to secure some big Natal titles very quickly to stay in the game.

[via Kotaku and 1UP]

OnLive US Launches June 17th

OnLive, the subscription-based cloud gaming service, will be launching this summer in the United States. According to the OnLive official blog, it will be released on June 17th and will cost $14.95 per month. There will doubtlessly be a number of bolt-on loyalty packages available nearer the time, which will be discussed at this year’s E3.

Just in case you don’t know, OnLive uses video streaming to allow even slow computers to play high end games, using remote servers to do all the hard work. So long as your computer can handle high-quality streaming video, it can play top-end titles without any upgrades whatsoever. I’ll let the CEO fill you in about the rest  himself:

“Once you are on the service, instant-play, top-tier, newly-released games will be for sale and for rent on an à la carte basis [as streaming video rather than software downloads]. Also included in your monthly service fee are OnLive-exclusive features such as instant-play free game demos; multiplayer across [all] platforms; and cloud-saving of games you’ve purchased—pause, and instantly resume from anywhere, even on a different platform.”- Steve Perlman, Founder and CEO

It’s likely that the US sales will determine whether OnLive makes it across the Atlantic. I’m personally excited about the new service, but I’d be interested to hear what you think about the cloud gaming service. Have your say in the comments!

Naruto Devs give us Seven Day Countdown

A mysterious countdown has appeared on CyberConnect2’s website. Apparently something is going to happen in seven days, though since they’re the developer behind the .hack and Natuto franchises, that something will almost certainly be a sequel.

I’ve got my fingers crossed for a Next-Gen or handheld .hack title, since I personally think that the //GU series showed real potential on the PS2. On the other hand, it will probably be just another churned out Naruto title. Still, only one week to find out!

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From Playstation Move to OnLive Release Date – News Roundup 11th March 2010

• Click here to order a copy of Battleforge for £3.99 from HMV now.

The gameplay of Battleforge sees the player battling it out against their opponent RTS style with a variety of fantasy creatures. However instead of recruiting units from a barracks or base, the player uses an interactive card deck to summon units directly onto the battlefield. This is done using points acquired from captured power wells which essentially function as the game’s resource. You can also acquire orbs from various structures scattered across the environment which enable you to upgrade and gain access to more powerful cards. And although the system might sound complex, it’s brilliantly designed, and the sheer level of depth on offer means you can devout many happy hours tweaking your various decks outside battles.

Although the gameplay seamlessly integrates RTS with a collectable card game however, the story can be quite frustrating to follow. Essentially, Battleforge casts the player as a skylord who is rewarded by the gods for giving aid in a war against giants…or something along those lines. But if you’re really interesting in pursing the accompanying narrative, it isn’t easy, as the story is related in the form of an on-screen book which, unfortunately, you can’t book mark, which means you have to spend a great deal of time sifting through virtual pages to read new sections. The campaign is also annoyingly short, but that said, Battleforge does get things spot on when it comes to online multiplayer. So if you’re an RTS fan, Battleforge is definitely worth a look – even if you hate collectable card games.

Dealspwn UK Games Deals:

Battleforge £3.99 @ HMV (PC Games)

Apparently, according to Yakuza 3, a short walk to the store around the corner in Japan will see you set upon by jacketed thugs, mind you, considering Kiryu Kazuma’s chequered past, that’s not exactly surprising. This third instalment finds the tattoed former clan chairman looking after orphaned kids. Of course, things don’t stay quiet for long, and he ends up having to protect the orphanage from a swathe of rival clan baddies under pressure from the government to demolish the sanctuary and erect a seaside resort and barracks.

ShopTo is currently offering the Premium Edition (which comes with 4 pieces of DLC and a 31 track accompanying soundtrack) for £32.85, which is a good couple of quid cheaper than anyone else offering a version of the PS3 exclusive.

• Click here to buy Yakuza 3 Premium Edition for £32.85 from ShopTo

The most striking aspect of Yakuza 3 is arguably it’s setting: the lush and verdant Ryukyu Islands of Okinawa are a far cry from the gritty streets of Tokyo and Osaka. The presentation is, as you’d expect, pretty damn special and the gameplay is incredibly true to form.

Many Yakuza veterans hail the series as being far superior to that of the Rockstar franchise to which it often gets compared and, whilst  I’m not entirely sure I’d go that far, it’s clear that SEGA has pulled out all of the stops with this one. The freeroaming aspects of the game virtually peerless, and the development team has done such a good job with fleshing out the game world with endless distractions, mini-games and bustling urban cityscapes that it seems almost as if they’re deliberately trying to draw you away from the convoluted main story.

There’ve been a few cuts for the Western release, but this shouldn’t put you off at all.

Dealspwn UK Games Deals:

Yakuza 3 Premium Edition £32.85 @ ShopTo [PS3 Games]

• Click here to order a copy of Tom Clancy’s End War for £5.85 from Shopto now.

You can’t help but notice a few parallels regarding the Endwar’s storyline – which basically involves a large scale conflict over dwindling oil reserves. But unlike some of the more convoluted Tom Clancy plot lines, thankfully Endwar doesn’t bombard you with loads of politics and keeps things nice and brief. As already mentioned, the game uses a voice recognition system which allows you to issue commands. And although EW can be played with just a controller if you choose – and are self-conscious about housemates/girlfriends/family hearing you shouting orders for hours on end – you’ll be missing out on one of the game’s best features.

Unlike when you ring Virgin Media, the voice recognition in Endwar actually works very well – especially on the PS3. Lots of background noise can be a problem, but on the whole, it’s a system that’s been surprisingly well implemented.  You don’t have to have the entire command list memorized, as the order options appear in the top corner of the screen and can be cycled through until you find the one you need. Unfortunately however, despite the fact it manages to bypass the control problem, End War isn’t exactly awe-inspiring when it comes to visuals. Path finding could be also better, and overall, there are a few minor issues which mean that while the game is good, it can’t quite be described as great.

Thanks to Ipswich772 from Hotukdeals.

Dealspwn UK Games Deals:

TOM CLANCY’S ENDWAR £5.85 @ Shopto [PS3 Games]

Activision, being the money grabbing fiends that they are, have successfully turned the music game genre into a lucrative cash-cow of endless rehashes and expensive peripherals. The premise is simple: purchase a pricey, fake, plastic guitar and mash a series of coloured buttons in time to  a soundtrack made up of one part rock classics and four parts obscurity. Guitar Hero World Tour was the moment when Activision and Red Octane finally caught up with prodigal sons Harmonix, and actually introduced full band support.

The pricey nature of this hardware-dependent genre makes this particular deal all the more mouthwatering, offering you the PS3 version of the game along with probably the best wireless guitar peripheral avilable on the market at the moment, and all for just £29.99 from HMV. This bundle isn’t in stock in a huge number of places, with most vendors that are still selling listing the product up around the £50 mark. You can pick up a solus version for about £10-15 these days, but that still means with this deal your getting the guitar for just a tenner!

• Click here to buy Guitar Hero World Tour (Guitar Bundle) for £29.99 from HMV

World Tour is essentially Guitar Hero 3 with knobs on, only with a soundtrack that’s about half as good. To be honest, though, these games will always encounter a certain level of subjectivity. It’s encouraging that Activision and Red Octane have now followed Harmonix’s example of enabling cross-game assimilation with Guitar Hero 5, but there’s no importing with this title.

The band support is strong, though unlike Rock Band you still kind of feel like an ensemble of individuals rather than a musical team, and the engine itself is a wonderful combination of plentiful notes and a fairly forgiving timing system. The new slide notes are a good idea, even if the touchpad on the new guitar pales in comparison to simply using the buttons themselves.

All in all, this is a fun little game, with an incredibly study and well-made peripheral that frankly kicks Rock Band’s guitar square in the nuts. But check out the soundtrack before you purchase.

Thanks to williamj1 at HUKD

UPDATE: Too late – you were too slow and missed this hot deal! Why not subscribe to our email updates or RSS feeds to make sure that doesn’t happen again?

Dealspwn UK Games Deals:

Guitar Hero World Tour (Guitar Bundle) £29.99 @ HMV [PS3 Games]

[YouTube]

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Daily Bite: The Real Street Fighter

Level 5’s first project for the PS3 is unfortunately this terribly mediocre fantasy rpg. It’s not the worst game ever but it’s certainly a huge let down.

If the poor reviews have not been enough to put you off then you may be interested to hear that The Game Collection are currently selling White Knight Chronicles for just £27.99; this is a good £6 cheaper than the next best price of £34 from Amazon.

• Click here to buy White Knight Chronicles for £27.99 from The Game Collection now

In the kingdom of Balandor, a princess’s traditional coming of age feast is rudely interrupted by evil organisation The Magi. The princess manages to escape with the aid of a plucky young chap called Leonard who is magically and conveniently transformed into ancient warrior the White Knight, who has the power to defeat The Magi, when he stumbles into a suit of armour. Thus begins a predictable and highly disappointing adventure.

There are some great enemies to pit yourself against but unfortunately the combat system that you will be using to fight them is thoroughly unexciting and battle is often far too easy. There are some nice environments but the character models aren’t great and, while the voice acting very good, the lip syncing that accompanies it is often dreadful. The story is a reasonable length, offering a good thirty hours of play and there’s a whole heap of side quests to kill plenty more time. The multiplayer mode isn’t perfect but it’s nice to have the option to tackle a good selection of the quests with some chums.

Overall it’s not a dreadful game but it shoots way below what was expected—a sad, missed opportunity.

Thanks to Adam2050 at Hotukdeals!

Dealspwn UK Games Deals:

White Knight Chronicles £27.99 @ The Game Collection [PS3 Games]

Shop To are offering a very interesting deal for pre order of the PC version of Metro 2033—for £25.85 you get the game plus a copy of Red Faction: Guerrilla and a 1GB memory stick. If you don’t already own RF: Guerrilla (and would like to give it a try) then this is a great little deal, as if you were to buy all three items separately at their cheapest online prices you would expect to pay at least £30. If however you are not interested in the Red Faction game, then you are probably better off heading to Cool Shop for your preorder of Metro 2033 as they are selling it for a sweet £21.49.

• Click here to preorder Metro 2033 with Red Faction: Guerrilla & 1GB Memory Stick for £25.85 from Shop To now

Metro 2033 is an interesting mixed bag: a first person shooter with survival horror and RPG elements, based on the novel of the same name by Dmitry Glukhovsky. In post apocalyptic Moscow, the only safe haven is the sprawling metro system which has become host to a series of makeshift towns and homesteads, while the outside world has been rendered a scorched and hostile wasteland.

Previews suggest that Metro 2033 will be dark and atmospheric, set in a world that is a marvel to explore, populated with interesting characters who converse in well scripted dialogue.  The nearly HUD-less presentation makes for an extra realistic experience and, alongside the makeshift weaponry and bullets-as-currency device, should make for an interesting and challenging game.  So far, it all sounds so good and I am tentatively excited about this title.

Thanks to Vantage91 at Hotukdeals!

Dealspwn UK Games Deals:

Metro 2033 + Red Faction: Guerrilla + 1GB Memory Stick £25.85 @ Shop To [PC Games]

It’s always the case isn’t it? Someone writes a literary masterpiece about the Nine Circles of Hell and several centuries later a large games publisher buys up the licence and turns it into a hack and slash game that bears a fairly large resemblance to a certain PS3 exclusive with a dodgy morality system tacked on for good measure. Dante’s Inferno is a relatively enjoyable scythe-swinging romp with some fantastic art direction, but don’t expect anything hugely original.

You can pick up a copy of this relatively recent title for just £26.85 at ShopTo as they’ve just lowered their prices again, now saving you £28.89 from Simply Games.

• Click here to buy Dante’s Inferno for £26.85 from ShopTo

Having reimagined the poet Dante as a returning crusader with a penchant for skin sewing, Ea starts off by having you kick Death in the balls, nick his scythe, and then begin your descent into Hell to rescue your missus from Lucifer who needs to wed her so that he can break free of Hell.

You won’t be bowled over by this game in the gameplay department, but it looks wonderful, the character and enemy creations are striking and varied and the different Circles of Hell all have their own distinct flavour. The atmosphere is good and the game looks the part so it’s a bit of a shame that it doesn’t quite play as well as it looks. Combat is a little clunky to be honest, but there’s enough variety to keep fans of the genre entertained.

A solid title then, easy on the eye, but not as refined as some.

Dealspwn UK Games Deals:

Dante’s Inferno £26.85 @ ShopTo [PS3 Games]

Harmonix and EA have announced that Rock Band 3 will be released in Q3, promising to “revolutionise” the music game genre. It’s unclear how they plan on doing that exactly (considering that Rock Band and Guitar Hero improvements tend to be incremental rather than sweeping), but it is clear that they’ll be facing some competition.

Seven45 Studios have announced the development of Power Gig: Rise of the Six String at this year’s GDC. It’s a standard colour-matching rhythm game…  except that the peripheral is an actual electric guitar. It can be plugged into an amp for some sick riffage, and provides game input with the addition of a plastic gizmo that fits under the strings. Whilst Power Gig won’t require players to sweep pick or double-handed tap, it will teach elementary power chord progressions as well as elemental guitar theory (and hopefully will include an optional guitar training mode).

This brave new IP may well bridge the gap between rhythm game aficionados and skilled guitar players (who take great pride in smugly slamming the genre), but will require very careful pricing in order to make a splash. Music game sales have been steadily declining since the start of last year and Seven45 studios can’t afford to price fickle consumers out of the market (especially since the peripheral is unlikely to be compatible with existing GH and RB titles). Watch this space. [Gamezine]

Details Emerge about Girl Shooting Tragedy

Two days ago, we brought you the heartbreaking story of a young girl who mistook a loaded pistol for a Wiimote and subsequently killed herself. Details were thin on the ground since the news was breaking at the time of writing, but we’re now in command of all the facts surrounding this needless death.

Cheyenne Alexis McKeehan’s stepfather left the loaded semiautomatic weapon on a worktop counter after suspecting that an intruder had entered the property. However, many gamers were confused by the fact that a white plastic Wiimote could be confused with a handgun by someone of any age (and left perfectly reasonable comments to that effect). Now we know.

Manufactured by a Chinese company, this black peripheral is technically illegal in the States due to its realistic colouration and the absence of an orange gun barrel (which is mandatory for lightgun peripherals and toy replicas). Whilst it’s now clear how a harmless Wiimote could be mistaken for a lethal weapon, this doesn’t vindicate Cheyenne’s stepfather at all. He left an unattended loaded weapon within reach of a young child. Don’t blame the game, folks: inattentive parenting ruins (and indeed, kills) more kids than violent media ever will. [via Kotaku]

Final Fantasy XIII Shifts Five Million Copies

We had mixed feelings about Square’s latest Final Fantasy RPG odyssey, but the sales don’t lie. After two days of sales, Final Fantasy has already shifted five million units, which is a huge number in anyone’s book. Square’s lavish launch parties, press events and hype machine have definitely paid off- even if critical reviews have been divided over whether it deserves such massive support.

In an statement to Gamesindustry.biz, Square Enix Europe CEO Phil Rogers was quick  to laud FFXIII’s strong European sales:

“The European launch of Final Fantasy XIII has been incredible. We hope this latest Final Fantasy adventure will excite our loyal fans and introduce this rich franchise to a totally new audience.”

Square have certainly enticed the “totally new” western audience… but  this isn’t entirely a success story. Final Fantasy XIII has the weakest Japanese Debut of any FF title to date, with less than two million units sold in its traditional home territory. It’s likely that the butch, western stylings of its main character and combat-driven first half have forced Japanese gamers out of their comfort zone. [Gamesindustry.biz]

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From Realistic Wiimote Handgun to Rise of the Six String – News Roundup 10th March 2010

• Click here to order a copy of Fear 2: Project Origin for £8.85 from Shopto now.

If, like me, you couldn’t help feeling that the original Fear game could have done with a bit more diversity – as despite how much fun the combat seemed initially, it did grow rather repetitious – thankfully the sequel does attempt to be slightly more dynamic. No longer are you just confined to fighting things out on foot, as Fear 2 allows you to wreck havoc upon your opponents by entering mechanical suits bristling with machine guns and rockets.

The levels are also a bit more varied and no longer restricted to those corridor and offices interiors which predominantly made up the setting for the first game. You’ll find yourself diverted into streets, and at one point into a school, and clearly the developers are trying to rectify many of the problems which plagued the original.

But with all this emphasis on spicing up the gameplay, the story does suffer.  Fear 2 fails to be anywhere near as atmospheric as its predecessor which, on occasion, could be brilliantly disturbing. Instead, the sequel tries to spook you out with jumpy moments which are quite predictable, and as a horror title, I personally found Fear 2 a bit of a let down. However as a first person shooter the game does deliver, and if that’s what really matters to you, Fear 2 won’t disappoint.

Thanks to QenTox from Hotukdeals.

Dealspwn UK Games Deals:

F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin £8.85 @ ShopTo [PS3 Games]

Well there’s a kick in the stones for loyal day one fans of Final Fantasy XIII. One day after its European release the Collector’s Edition for the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions has had £10 knocked off the price at HMV.

• Click here to buy Final Fantasy XIII: Collector’s Edition (PS3) from HMV for £49.99
• Click here to buy Final Fantasy XIII: Collector’s Edition (360) from HMV for £49.99

If you own both consoles you might as well go for the PS3 version which has better graphics in some areas. 360 players are still getting a fantastic looking game though.

So what’s in the box? A CD soundtrack presented in an artwork decorated slipcase and liner notes by the composer Masashi Hamauzu, a hardback book featured artwork, CG renders and images of the games epic vista environments. There are also three separate exclusive art prints of the Eidolons or Summon monsters if you prefer. Last of all there’s a ‘Brand of the L’Cie’ decal (sticker) that you can treasure, slap it on your fridge or spend all day trying to get it to stop falling off your arm at the next Tokyo Game Show.

PS3 gamers will also find a card in the box (and the standard edition) with a number to register online to get included in a future lottery of beta keys for FFXIV, with unique items upon the game’s release too.

Why the almost immediate reduction then? Well, the scores have started coming in and they’ve ranged from sevens to high nines generally which by Final Fantasy standards isn’t great as they’re expected to average at least a nine. Perhaps HMV have thought they better get rid while hype still surrounds the release. To be honest, looking at the contents of this Collector’s Edition it’s a much fairer price for what you’re getting. Still, no keyring?

Praise has been high for the game’s gorgeous graphics and excellent soundtrack. The story has been well received too. However, the more linear nature of the game has upset quite a few fans. The amount of people I saw on facebook yesterday complaining that all they’d done was press one button for the first three hours was shocking. For a more in-depth look at the game, check out Matt’s review.

If the scores are to blame for this sudden reduction, you have to wonder how long it’ll be before websites start chopping the price of the standard edition? We’re RPG players, we can wait.

Thanks to Scazza at HotUkDeals

Dealspwn UK Games Deals:

Final Fantasy XIII: Collector’s Edition £49.99 @ HMV.com [PS3/Xbox 360 Games]

Dealspwn Rating: 5/10

Platforms: PS3 / XBox 360

Developer: Agetec

Publisher: Agetec

The year is 1560. Which, as any fule kno – cough, splutter – is the Sengoku Era, when Feudal Japan was in a violent political mess. Yeah, who says games can’t be educational?

Actually, that’s about it as far as the history lesson goes. It was, as that movie voiceover chap would have it, a time of war and that makes it a very good setting for this hack-and-slash title with a bit of a twist. You are an inexperienced Samurai. There are three factions battling for supremacy: the Fujimori Clan, the Ouka Clan and the villagers. Will you choose sides? Will you play one off against the others for your own gain and greed? Will you be a power of good through the land? Or will you be nasty and kill anyone who crosses your path? Your choices will determine what sort of game you have.
Only, of course, they won’t. Well not fully. For all the claims that Way of the Samurai is an “open world” game, with far-reaching decisions that will change your game, the AI for the billed “cause and effect” angle just isn’t quite up the level needed to make this a truly satisfying experience.

After an impressive start – a cut scene that wouldn’t look out of place in a Jet Li movie or, perhaps more likely, Season Two of Heroes – your Samurai (I called mine Daveymoto, because I’m such a wag) is in bad shape and is found by two passers-by. If you’re vaguely polite here, your Samurai will pass out and come round in a pretty little village called Takatane. If you’re aggressive and pull your sword – you regularly have a choice of flashing the blade or kneeling in submissive apology – you’ll make a startling recovery, terrify your potential rescuers and find yourself running through a gory battlefield… Either way, however, you pretty much end up in the same place: wandering around places trying to work out what the hell is going on.

It’s sort of Fallout 3 with blades, or Far Cry 2 in Ancient Japan: the discovery of what you can do and what your purpose is relies on general wandering and interaction with assorted locals. Unfortunately, unlike the two modern-themed titles, this can take hours of utterly pointless “conversations” (and deeply unfunny jokey banter) and sudden attacks from wandering men who, apparently, just don’t like the look of your face: I died three times (and had to restart the entire game) before I made it through to the fighting tutorial – and then died during that. If the “way of the samurai” is learning patience through highly repetitive acts, then the programmers have hit the nail squarely on the head…

The main cause and effect angle is based around your sword. If you go into situations aggressively, you’ll get an aggressive reaction or locals fleeing in terror. This then scores you “good” and “bad” Samurai points. It’s a lovely idea but the horrible spinning camera work and dumb AI means you can easily find yourself cutting down the villager who’s stupidly wandered between you and your enemy mid fight. Seriously, mate, did you not see the metre long swords in our hands? Knob.

Likewise, the apology angle very rarely works in your favour. More often than not, you’ll be called “pathetic” by some no-mark local or find that trying to appease the sword-wielding nutter coming your way just means they can get half a dozen blows in before you can even stand up and draw your weapon.

In order to survive, you will find yourself running away or finding ways to restore health. This is easy enough as you can either pick up bits of food – although you’ll often get sarcastic comments from the villagers that such behaviour should be beneath a Samurai – or you can sleep. For the most part though, the latter requires yet more repetition as you make your way back through the land back to your house in Takatane. Yawn. Quite literally in this case.

Finally, another frustration: the tasks. In order to appease the villagers and progress, you can choose to complete jobs. These are pretty dull fare – deliver this note, chop these vegetables, find the old woman’s lost underwear (no, really) – but a mostly necessary evil. The problem however is that you can’t stack up the jobs and complete them as and when you find the recipient or the laundry bundle etc. No, you can only handle one job at a time (lady readers, insert your own “female samurai / multitasking” joke here) which makes this element of the game, yes, you guessed it, deeply repetitious.

However, if you can get past the annoyances and frustrations, and get into the deeper game, there is something oddly compelling here. The non-linear nature of the tale, the fact that things aren’t spoonfed; that’s actually quite refreshing. And the fighting, while you can hack-and-slash with moderate success, does require some time and thought. It’s still a bit of a surprise when you die during what was supposed to be a tutorial though. Still, there are a lot of save points and I’d suggest you use them.

Pros

• Actually being unashamedly aimed at genre fans isn’t necessarily a bad thing
• A fighting system that requires timing and skill – assuming you can be bothered to put the time in.
• A game of some ambition and scale

Cons

• As repetitive as repetitive can be
• Some very dodgy AI – which is at least often funnier than the supposed humour to be found here
• Requires a lot of time and effort – and that repetitive nature might see it become a trade-in / drink mat before you get to the real meat

The Short Version: The Way of the Samurai is an ambitious, decent looking genre title and there is, clearly, the germ of something here. The problem is, while fans of this sort of thing will be happily locked in their bedrooms for several days while they investigate the 20+ different endings, it’s simply not enough to make it a break out genre title. Fourth time lucky, eh chaps?

Score: 5/10

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Way Of The Samurai 3 Review

It’s become the ‘cool’ thing in a hip, new movie or TV series to have people playing the Wii. When they do, it’s usually a game of tennis: big, brash, everybody know what you’re doing, especially if you get into the spirit with the obligatory Wimbledon grunts. But try as they might, the Wiimotes look more like an entertainment system all-in-one rather than a sporting utensil, which is where this tasty bundle comes in.

For just under £13 from Amazon you can nab yourself a copy of Virtua Tennis 2009 and two racket attachments for you and your partner to take to the virtual courts in style. HMV are offering the same price for zero stock at the moment, and the next competitor is £10 away at ShopTo.

• Click here to buy the Virtua Tennis 2009 Championship Pack from Amazon for £12.99

To be honest, the Wii is the only console you’d even think about biying Virtua Tennis 2009 for, as it’s a disappointing affair on the higher end consoles and a disaster on the PC. On Nintendo’s alabaster cuboid, however, it proves to be a fairly nifty little title that plays to the Wii’s strengths, bringing a wealth of content, some fun developmental mini-games and much-needed tuning to the formula laid down by the Tennis part of Wii Sports.

Although compatible with Wii MotionPlus, it’s not included, the rackets being somewhat more decorative than anything else, but it helps you get in the spirit of the thing, and the motion-control is pretty good even without MotionPlus, much better than that in Wii Sports anyway.

You can buy the game solo for around £1.50 less, but I’d actually go with this one. Accessories are a fundamental part of the Wii Experience, and the game genuinely feels better – it’s far easy to give yourself over to thrashing your arms about like Roger Federer’s crackpot cousin with these attachments – with them included.

Thanks to amibees at HUKD

Dealspwn UK Games Deals:

Virtua Tennis 2009 Championship Pack £12.99 @ Amazon [Wii Games]