How exactly does one follow up Gears of War? The 2006 title was not only a monster hit (over 5 million copies sold) but also one of the most critically acclaimed games of the current generation. In all its Unreal Engine 3 powered glory, it truly ushered in ‘next-gen’ gaming, setting a technological standard that - two years on - only a handful of games have managed to match. So how could anyone possibly make a worthy successor?

The answer is surprisingly simple: just make a better game. Which is precisely what Cliff Bleszinski and his talented team at Epic Games have managed to do. Gears of War 2 features everything that we loved about its predecessor, but it refines it and extends it and presents it on a scale not even hinted at by the first game. In short, they have delivered commendably on their promise of “bigger, better and more bad-ass.”

Continue reading El33tonline’s review of Gears of War 2. If you are a Gears fan don’t forget to enter our Gears of War 2 competition - there are awesome T-shirts and art books up for grabs!

There are few people in the gaming industry who are as intimately familiar with the consequences of broken promises as Peter Molyneux. In 2004, when his wildly anticipated game Fable was released on the original Xbox, it wasn’t quite the revolutionary title that he had led people to believe it would be. Much-hyped features were nowhere to be found, and the Internet all but erupted in a roar of disapproval from thousands of scorned gamers. It was a pity, as the real victim in this drama was the game itself, an excellent action-RPG that was prematurely and unfairly written off as a disappointment.

When Fable II was announced in 2006, many had already dismissed Molyneux as being past his prime, and assumed that the sequel would be marred by yet more unkept promises. Gamers are after all a fickle and unforgiving bunch and apart from a few cautiously optimistic media previews, Fable II’s development carried on fairly quietly, while higher-profile RPGs like Mass Effect and Fallout 3 got all the attention. But now Fable II is finally here, and it begs the question: has Peter Molyneux been redeemed? The answer is a resounding ‘Yes.’

Continue reading El33tonline’s review of Fable II.

For the past twelve years, Lara Croft has been the Hollywood starlet of videogames. When she made her debut in 1996, she was instantly established as a hot new property, an object of desire for male gamers and a welcome role model for gaming’s small but rapidly growing contingent of young ladies. In a very short time she had become a true icon, a figurehead for gaming’s accelerating emergence as a significant aspect of popular culture. Her image appeared on magazine covers and in television advertisements, and her name and likeness were recognisable even to people who had never before played videogames. A Tomb Raider film was released and made more money than any videogame-based movie before or since. But then, as with so many promising young celebrities, things started going wrong.

Continue reading El33tonline’s Xbox 360 review of Tomb Raider: Anniversary.

Last year’s Ratchet & Clank: Tools of Destruction brought some welcome colour and charm to the PS3’s line-up, and proved that the long-running series was still fresh and relevant. With Quest for Booty, Insomniac gives the franchise the episodic treatment with a short but sweet downloadable sequel to Tools of Destruction. Quest for Booty is currently available as a 3.2 gigabyte download on PSN at R140, with a Blu-Ray release coming within the next few weeks. But is it worth the price-tag? Absolutely.

Quest for Booty carries on pretty much right where Tools of Destruction left off. Gamers who are new to the series or who missed the first PS3 installment might be left a little in the dark with regards to the narrative, but there is enough exposition to bring everyone up to speed on the back-story. I won’t reveal much here for fear of spoiling the ending of Tools and Destruction, and all you need to know is that Ratchet is on the trail of a long-dead pirate’s hidden treasure. This pirate theme is carried through to virtually all the game’s design aspects, and it makes for a charming setting. The writing and dialogue are top-notch throughout, with the humorous tone culminating in many laugh-out-loud moments. Contributing to this is the voice acting, which like in previous Ratchet games is exceptional.

Continue reading El33tonline’s review of Ratchet & Clank Future: Quest for Booty.

With the original SoulCalibur (Dreamcast) considered by many to be the greatest console 3D fighting game ever made, it comes as no surprise that the latest instalment in the series has met both fervent anticipation and impossibly high expectations. Fortunately, SoulCalibur IV is a game that not only holds its own amongst its esteemed predecessors, but also makes a strong case for being perhaps the richest and most satisfying fighting experience we’ve seen this generation.

I should mention that I am no frame-counting hardcore fighting game fanatic. I approached SoulCalibur IV from the perspective of a middle-core gamer craving a fighting game that is accessible and intuitive enough to pick up and play with little resistance and frustration, but also deep and technical enough to offer a rewarding and lasting experience that would push me to constantly improve my skills and rule out luck as a determining factor during matches. From this perspective, the game delivers the goods. In spades.

Continue reading El33tonline’s review of SoulCalibur IV.