As a speaker of Russian (albeit not a great one), I was excited to find out that PC/Xbox 360/PS3 game Metro 2033 has an option to play the entire game in Russian. It makes sense considering that the game's developer, 4A Games, is located in the Ukraine. Metro 2033 received fair-to-good reviews when it came out last year, and I only got a chance to sit down with the game this afternoon - so there's nothing I can say that hasn't been said already in terms of gameplay other than to confirm that it plays fairly well although the combat is a little wonky and the animation seems a little off.

Instead, I want to tackle the idea of using this game as something different - not as a form of mindless entertainment, but as a language tool for enthusiasts that want to practice their fluency.

The game is already set up for an immersive experience that fits your language level - you can toggle the audio, in-game text, and subtitles in either Russian or English, allowing you to pick and choose how you want to experience the game. Initially I chose Russian for the spoken language but with English subtitles - which is a disaster considering you have to concentrate on listening to Russian while following the text in English while also playing the damn game. I also noticed drastic differences in the Russian and English text. Simply put, the English translation is a watered-down version of the original Russian, which contains full sentences that weren't carried over to English. So in the end I switched to Russian without subtitles but with English text for things like the objectives list and pause menu.

Playing the game in Russian is pretty tough for me, but it's a unique experience to tackle the game as a foreigner. There isn't a lot of repeated dialogue so everything also seems fresh. The wording is poetic at times, especially during the between-chapters monologues. Many of the characters talk over each other, which makes it even harder to piece together what everyone is saying. Although there are plenty of times when I simply don't understand what they want me to do, having the objectives list in English clears everything up nicely; once I get the hang of the game I'll try changing that to Russian as well.



Overall, playing this game in another language is weird - I'm enjoying the game and also feel like I'm accomplishing more than just being entertained. The game is at a bargain-bin pricing level right now, so regardless of your command of the Russian language, you might find something worth your time and money here.

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It's been a while since you've heard from me on this wonderful gaming website, mostly because I haven't been doing a whole lot of gaming lately. That all changed today when I downloaded the Mortal Kombat Arcade Kollection (brilliant use of the letter "K", guys). You see, it became available on both XBLA and PSN this week to the tune of $10. Considering the mounds of quarters I spent on the first game alone, $10 for the arcade versions of Mortal Kombat, Mortal Kombat II, and Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 is a ridiculous steal. I mean, back in the 1990s I paid $50 for the Sega Genesis versions of each of those games, and face it, those ports pretty much sucked compared to the arcade versions.

So how do these games hold up? In a nutshell: I planned on checking out each game for a few minutes, but three hours flew by instead. There's something to be said about having the actual arcade versions of these games at my disposal, as opposed to the watered-down console versions I mastered as a teen. The controls are exactly how they were on the arcades (read: slightly unresponsive, especially the first game) and the end bosses are still a bunch of cheap, cheating assholes. The pause menu has a moves list which includes fatalities etc, but for some reason you can only access the moves list during a match.

In hindsight, I should have bought the game on the PSN to use the superior PS3 d-pad, but I had my eye on the Xbox 360 achievements, which are pretty easy to earn ("do a fatality", "do a babality", etc). It still plays fine on the Xbox controller though. There are options to turn off blood (yeah right!) and a difficulty setting, which as far as I could tell didn't make the game any easier.

So yeah, if you played these games as a young lad/lass, you definitely owe it to yourself to check this shit out. no comments

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Russ

I didn't know much about Bulletstorm before trying the demo, other than I knew it was co-developed by Epic Games. In all honesty, the game could go either way: Epic's current flagship series, Gears of War, has played well and even brought some serious storytelling to the plate in the last game - despite itself and its hulking, cliche-drenched characterization (seriously, is estrogen banished in the future?). Plus, they've really been batting 100 lately with their latest release, Infinity Blade on iOS. But then again, Epic has also made quite a few duds.

The game's controls are instantly familiar for anyone that's played Gears of War, but with a bit more of an arcade feel. The shooting is sufficient and the sensitivity is customizable, both positives. The ground never seems quite level and angles can change depending on the environment, giving a cinematic feel even behind a first-person perspective.

However, those are a few shining quality elements within a myriad of shitty ones. The game is set in some future world that's a mix of Earth a la Enslaved and the world of Spira in Final Fantasy X, and its tropical elements are in stark contrast of the developer's insistence on gory, low-brow mayhem. The touted "special moves" (lassoing enemies and watch them dangle in the air) reek of Mass Effect, and environmental kills are so staged that they feel boring even the first time you pull one off.

Lastly, it's the tone of the game that really turns me off. Gears of War succeeds because it tells a compelling story that makes the player want to endure the repetitive gameplay and cliche characters. Bulletstorm instead focuses on gameplay, combos, and repeated playthroughs and feels like a first-person gameshow. If I was fourteen and somehow fooled my grandparents into buying me this game, I would probably really enjoy it. But for anyone that's gotten to second base with a girl, this game will feel trite, manipulative and shallow. Go ahead and try the demo, but I have a feeling that you'll want to pass on the full version.

Steve

It comes as no surprise that Bulletstorm, the latest game by Polish developers People Can Fly, was picked up by Epic Games: It’s full of big, burly men (and even the odd burly woman) with big guns, trades on its over-the-top gore, and is filled with the sort of verbal diarrhea that we’ve come to know and love from the Gears of War series.

Right from the offset, Bulletstorm promised to be a slick, fast-paced and outrageous shooter, designed to titillate with thrills, spills, bad language and well… very little else. And the demo does exactly that; it gives you access to one (score-based) level, a handful of weapons, and sets you loose with the objective of putting the games “Skill Shot” system through its paces in order to try and set as high a score as you possibly can. However, the decision to base the demo around a score-attack level is a curious one. The level in question essentially looks like nothing more than a modified level from the solo campaign, which will likely be a divisive decision: On one hand, players will get to sample a little bit of both play modes, yet the game also runs the risk of being judged as a score-based shooter, which typically don’t sell very well - just ask Sega’s The Club.

The game itself plays much the same as you would expect, though the action sometimes isn’t as fluid as it needs to be. For example, sprinting, sliding and using the energy leash are often more unwieldy than you would expect, and it can be difficult to use these techniques with accuracy. This is especially true in tight quarters, where you’ll likely end up hitting the wrong target, missing your opportunity to follow up on your initial strike due to poor positioning, or accidentally sending your enemy sailing into a wall of spikes that you didn’t even know was there. If truth be told, the overall execution of the combat feels just a little too sloppy for the game to be as dynamic and slick as it would like to be.

If you just can’t wait for Gears of War 3 to get your fix of foul-mouthed, homo-erotic machismo in video game form, then Bulletstorm may well sate your cravings until it arrives. However, based on the strength of the demo, renting definitely seems like it would be the smartest option. no comments

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January is always an exciting month in video games - not because anything especially awesome usually comes out (we're reeling from holidays for the most part), but because we can finally get our heads back in the game and map out the rest of the year. Personally, I have a hard time tracking down all of the announcements during the big game conferences throughout the year, so I always look forward to someone else doing all the legwork. GamesRadar has posted an inspiring list of their most anticipated games of 2011, and there are some exciting titles on there.

First of all, there seems to be a lot of rookie JRPG titles coming out in the next year, from some big league designers. The picture above is from Ni no Kuni, which is co-developed by Level-5 (Dark Cloud, the latest Dragon Quest game) and Studio Ghibli (Spirited Away). In the game, you play as a young boy whose mother dies as the results of his actions. It hasn't been announced for the US yet, but I think it will be. Also, the Wii is going to release a game called The Last Story which is helmed by Hironobu Sakaguchi, directing his first game since back in the day when he directed the first FIVE Final Fantasy games (he also came up with the concepts for Final Fantasies 7/9 and Parasite Eve).

On the Western RPG front (besides the obvious - Mass Effect 3), there is one title that piqued my interest, an RPG called The Lord of the Rings: War in the North. Before you scoff at it, bear in mind that the studio is taking cues from BioWare's dialogue system, and the trailer makes the game look pretty fun. And definitely gory.

Also, XBLA/PSN seems to be getting some RPG excitement this year, with Dust: An Elysian Tail, which features side-scrolling melee combat and some really impressive hand-drawn graphics:



A lot of long-anticipated titles are scheduled to come out this year as well, including Rage, Bulletstorm, The Last Guardian, Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright (I KNOW!), L.A. Noire and Star Wars: The Old Republic.

Along the way we'll be treated with sequels aplenty. Here are just a few that I'm looking forward to - Resistance 3, inFamous 2, Uncharted 3, Gears of War 3, Portal 2, and Mass Effect 3.

What are you looking forward to the most? What games do you think will inevitably miss their scheduled release date? no comments

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Mass Effect was a game that earned itself a reputation as a “must-play” title in spite of itself. Though harboring some glaring faults which stopped it from reaching its true potential, the quality of the dialogue, the attention to detail lavished on the game’s universe, and arguably the one of best stories in modern video gaming earned Mass Effect its reputation as an essential game. So much so, in fact, that the gaming public expected the sequel to simply be a refined version of the original.

When Mass Effect 2 eventually came, Bioware exceeded everyone’s expectation by not only listening to, and reacting to, the fans comments, but they also practically rebuilt the game from the ground up, with anything that didn’t work in the original being either completely re-tooled, or ruthlessly cut from the sequel. All of Bioware’s hard work clearly paid off, as the resulting game is something of a technical marvel; a fascinating story, driven by some of the most believable and charming characters featured in a video game, set against the backdrop of one of the most rich and compelling Sci-Fi universes in recent memory. Add to this, the fact that the re-tooled combat engine is slicker than a penguin in a wet-suit, smothered in butter, and we have ourselves a winner. no comments

The Easy Mode is counting down its top games of 2010 throughout the week! Stay tuned for more reveals, more twists and a satisfying conclusion. On the way, we reveal what our editors picked and their personal take on the year.

Red Dead Redemption is the most compelling interpretation of the Old American West in recent memory. Its vision to depict that time and place in history is all-encompassing, romanticised and satisfying - a magical alchemy that some developers never master, or even comprehend. While it has been afforded a huge budget and an extended development period, Red Dead is a clear accomplishment in creativity and soul.

While not nearly as populated as a Liberty City, Red Dead's expansive world feels much more alive. The magic poignancy occurred at often quiet times; the vast, empty landscapes, a lynching in the corner of your eye or a rolling thunderstorm overhead. That's not to say the main story had its share of moments. The vivid characters and their relationship with the game's protagonist, John Marston, is an unravelling insight into the Wild West. Everything in Red Dead Redemption is defined with such integrity and honesty that it fulfils every bit of escapism that we had about the Wild West. no comments

The Easy Mode is counting down its top games of 2010 throughout the week! Stay tuned for more reveals, more twists and a satisfying conclusion. On the way, we reveal what our editors picked and their personal take on the year.

1. Mass Effect 2
2. Red Dead Redemption
3. Heavy Rain
4. Civilization V
5. Enslaved: Odyssey to the West

Mass Effect 2 set the bar high and early in January 2010. Even though I didn't play it until much later in the year than everyone else, I knew people's expectations for upcoming releases spiked, and deservedly so. Mass Effect 2 is elaborate in its presentation, yet so tightly focused in its scope. The same applies to Red Dead Redemption - a game originally nowhere near my radar and the biggest surprise performer for me this year. The romanticised American Southwest backdrop seemed to soften the usual staleness traditionally seem from Rockstar's GTA series and its story of revenge, grief and survival struck a chord with many.

Even though the market for a story-driven, single-player only, action/adventure game may be increasingly niche, games like Heavy Rain and Enslaved proved that there was rightful place for concise and condensed gaming experiences. Compared to some notable exclusions on the list (Fallout: New Vegas, Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood come to mind), I took a lot more out of those two games and I hope the industry does as well.

Civilization V may seem the most out of place game on The Easy Mode's combined list but it quickly sunk its claws into me and never let go. The game is a never-ending simulator of war, diplomacy and economy; for a control freak like myself, it's pure fun. no comments