CALL OF JUAREZ : GUNSLINGER : Review

Relive the hunt for the biggest bandits Western anyone? If so, that's good because that's what Techland offers through a nervous title with a tasty atmosphere and a unique narrative quality. It embodies Silas Greaves, bounty hunter in his spare time, telling her in a saloon feats to a captivated audience. The homecoming of the series is it successful, and most importantly, the quality is it to go with such a small price?

"A bad episode, that you can plant a series! "Said one day an old farmer in Arizona about the saga of Call of Juarez. After a third episode missed frankly, things have, it seems, evolved. Determined to make their mea culpa, Polish developers have now understood that a game on the Wild West has to happen at the time of the Wild West. The result today is a nice arcade FPS's claims formed, leaving only in dematerialized and an introductory price attractive. It is clear that the title, despite some flaws, is fulfilling its objectives and will keep you entertained for 6-7 hours, or even a little more if you are focused on scoring.

When "budget" rhymes with "limited ambitions"

Let's start with the realization since we always learn the bad news first. First, know that its graphic aspect, the game features a cel shading rather economical, allowing a Chrome Engine 5, a little older, a breather. The motor home, used since "The Cartel" episode starts to show its limits (who said "Riptide"?) And we feel that Techland has wanted to give a second life to this album. The transition to such a report, inevitably recalling the Borderlands is a success for a first try, even if one could blame him some imperfections. Some textures are a bit limited and the clipping is a little too far. Everything remains fluid at all times and relatively pleasing to the eye.

However, we quickly get used to the technical choices that allow for a consistent style while avoiding the developer to squander the budget as where it could clearly not excel. Remember that this is probably the "result of the last chance" for the saga. The artistic touch is relatively well controlled and it is with great pleasure that we visit typical of a good western atmospheres: abandoned mine, ghost town, saloons and other populated expanses of wild Indian in short, the works! The cut-scenes We note in passing very "cartoon" bringing a little more fun in a way not missing lightness.

The soundtrack on the other hand is generally a success. The music is pleasant without being masterful and well accompany the fight sequences. In terms of voice, again the work is quality. The voice acting of the main stakeholders, VOST, perfectly punctuate your missions, dialogues are well written and often bring a touch of humor. Special course to doubling the hero who leads his boat a deep, pleasant voice mention contributing to the quality of the narrative. This is a point to which we return later because the speech Silas holds a crucial place in the game

On the menu tonight: arcade gameplay effective and advanced variety

Do not see Gunslinger as a title that showcases the subtlety. It is actually a nice big arcade défouloir said that giving the player more tools to manage its gunfights. Besides the QTE multiple executions and dodging bullets fatal, include among others the now classic bullet time, which will save your life more than once. Next up, the skill system allowing you to specialize your hero through three trees used to build character bounty hunter will be appreciated. So you can spend your points earned in battle and become a master of guns, a sniper made a castagneur or a mixture of all three. All of which allow you to vary the pleasures in effective but too little diversity action sequences.

AI enemies to perfectible and level design dirigiste

If we dig a little deeper into the critical, one could say that the fighting regulate mostly taking cover to eliminate one by one each enemy themselves are often stashed. And since the gunfights are almost all playable stages, we would have liked a wider "bestiary" to avoid some redundancy over hours. There are many Indians, sometimes favoring the body-to-body, the sturdiest enemies that you must slay, or the boss, but the limits of AI and scripts are quickly felt. On the enemies of Completion for example, we must admit that they leave us wanting more, and while some out of the ordinary (including one thinks of hide and seek in the sawmill), their sequences are set globally all in the same way: take cover with the right timing and buggers blows dynamite and bastos in the face.

That said, make no mistake, although improved, AI is rather good job when it comes to follow the predefined route, to hide and take us to view as a rabbit. The real concerns are hardly visible, even if the scenes on trains you will see a typical behavior of FPS AI unsophisticated: the enemies you aim and shoot, even when you're not in the room . The "fault" is due to the level design, which at these levels, is intended to be very narrow and not necessarily adapted to the scripts of your opponents. Reassure us immediately, these sequences are few problems. Speaking of level design, it is good to define Gunslinger as a FPS deliberately very interventionist in order to trigger the appropriate narrative. Remember that you are playing in the memories of an old man telling, years later, it happened at precise moments of his life. So do not expect out of predefined rails during your part: you have a well marked path and very few alternatives.

A narrator in the heart of the plot and game design

Too few games where the story takes a major place, and that's a pity. Gunslinger is one of those games that, like a "Bastion" or "Alan Wake" put the narrator at the heart of the adventure. Here, the interest is based on the status of the latter, and the evolution of his story. Silas, decidedly focused on whiskey, will tell his story sometimes rough way, changing some details in the evening or returning to historical facts, which directly affects the part of the player. An example of a stalking bounty hunter takes him to the door of an abandoned mine. The narrator explains that he had, at that time, the opportunity to borrow a difficult path and populated with enemies. The player, who is obviously not a choice, enters a gallery infested with bandits, who also eventually collapses on itself. Is then expected to have the game over screen when suddenly the narrator speaks again and evokes this dangerous path, saying that it was obviously a bad idea to borrow and he finally chose to stay a safe level. Rewind the action, you're back near the entrance of the mine and a ladder appears before you magic! This is obviously an example and it is best that you discover these "stories tainted" by yourself in order to maintain the element of surprise which adorns most chapters.

The narration altered: we want more pleasure!

We note nevertheless a certain inequality levels vis-à-vis the concept of narrative altered. If chapters such as marshes are an opportunity to observe an impressive range of processes such as changes in climate or environments building before our eyes, it regrets that some sequences just confined to the appearance of scales or opening passages. Nothing serious about 6-7 hours of play, of course. Let's just say that the concept is so valuable that we would have liked to see much more often exploited, and especially more equitably distributed between each level.

Between revenge and redemption ...

Always about the content, we welcome the presence of a New Game Plus Mode to test different levels of difficulty while keeping its objects and improvements. If you wish, you can also play without HUD, which will enhance the immersion to repeat the adventure as a real cowboy and discover the two epilogues proposed. Besides the story mode, there is an Arcade mode you will face hordes of enemies, and that showcases the scoring and online rankings. Similarly, if the many duels the story mode you liked, remember that you can relive them through a dedicated mode, giving the opportunity to chain millimiters clashes where reflexes count as much as placing your hand over your six-shooter.

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METRO : LAST LIGHT : Review

Released in 2010, Metro 2033 had managed to get a place in the crowded world of FPS with a narrative as beautiful as poorly optimized engine and an original and compelling post-apocalyptic world. A game in hand, which relied strongly on player immersion with some effectiveness, making some forget the shortcomings of gameplay yet very present.

Three years and the fall of THQ later Ukrainians 4A Games rely cover with Metro Last Light led by Deep Silver for another snorkeling in the bowels of the Moscow metro.

THE GENERAL LINE

The game now takes place in 2034 in Moscow and still in the subway but does not mean the adaptation of the book Metro 2034 Dmitry Gloukhovski. In fact, Metro Last Light develops an original story that takes the direct sequel to the first game and in which there are Artyom in pursuit of the last dark, humanoid creature with psychic powers, having escaped the destruction of the nest in 2033. Dark corridors, stations crowded dormitories or dive into the nuclear winter surface Artyom will again see a lot of countries throughout his adventure. A journey that will still mostly underground but not redundant, however. Every place has a meticulous care and has a special atmosphere and its own, some designs are so breathtaking. It welcomes back the heavy and dirty atmosphere that gave the game its first interest.

The feeling of being isolated in a hostile environment, or conversely prey, being smothered by the overcrowding of the last bastions of humanity is fully restored by staging effective and graphics rendering particularly flattering on PC. If some details are a little spot (rare vegetation for example, or certain textures), the title is based on the effects of light and superb art direction mastered, rough as the climate of the Urals. Despair literally oozes through the screen, but also in every little detail of background. NPC dialogues between micro individual tragedies through the many allusions to the historical context of Russia (Stalinist Communism, thrust of fascism, corruption), each element of Metro Last Light seems to naturally articulate with each other to give us a especially rich and coherent universe. The power of immersion as is undeniable, especially when moving the dialogue in Russian, and can live a real trip full-fledged company Artyom.


GOOD FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE

All this takes the form of a particularly interventionist and contemplative game with sometimes startling times (like splitting a crowd of fanatics in a neo-Nazi rally) but, unfortunately, some less inspired. Blame it on a somewhat disjointed scenario that it is difficult to identify the issues and that the succession of "capture / escape" (sometimes cleverly replaced by "left for dead / escape") for inspiration. Fault as a particularly violent cutting levels with a lot of very narrow maps, some loadings will be separated by 10 minutes of chitchat and some walking in a corridor. Loads between each map are fortunately very fast PC, but hard not to be frustrated by this aspect of the ground running.

Gameplay side, the title remains close to its origins with tense confrontations against fierce monsters, the increase in tension in dark areas and crossing enemy lines. This latter aspect can be done in two ways: either the old bourrinant or by sneaking in and getting rid discreetly permanently or showing mercy, sentinel. The human enemies are rather violent and our character is a bit clumsy, contemplative will require the direct approach is not particularly recommended. It is even less than the game retains the principle of alignment points masked and kill too many people instead of saving prevents us from having access to the "good" ending.

It will therefore be inclined to favor the stealthy approach. Infiltration levels offer a number of ways to move forward, Artyom can start small knives for silent assassinations and the ability to debunk all the lights to cover us is a real plus. Indeed, the villains are mainly for our presence in the light, a small light on our shows telling us about our situation is good and black, blue you can see us. A simple system that urges us to really use infiltration.


CRIME AND PUNISHMENT

Unfortunately, this is in these situations that artificial intelligence shows most limitations. You can literally get close to 10 cm from the front, a target to knock him quietly, and without it we can see without his friend, yet looking in our direction, noticing. You can also get several meters high next to a guard without it no one is interested or explode some lamps silent without it many people do not care, even if that light is in their field vision. Small bugs or real programming defects, hard to tell but the examples are too frequent to be harmless. Catastrophic IA literally ruin passages infiltration.

On paper, the system was expanded and seems full of promise, but these mistakes lead to absurd situations completions, which often ruin the immersion. In combat, it is not much better since opponents will be bypassed without worry or anticipate them. And they are generous trigger when it is in their line of sight, but as soon as we lost the initiative to get around and wait as the slaughterhouse. We now understand that the clashes in narrow hallways trying to hide the really annoying problems.

Nevertheless, the gunfights are pleasant cobbled look through weapons (that we can improve in-store) and nice sound work even if the whole is a little too static. Confront the monsters is not very subtle, but proves quite stressful so gratifying. They attack in packs and are resistant to bullets, which sometimes will result in frantic races in Moscow rubble to find a way to recharge or run. In the open air, although radiating from the destruction of our gas masks in combat there is still a good source of panic when we will start searching every nook and cranny looking for a new mask. These semi-open outer passages are really successful and help break pleasantly succession corridors-cutscenes. Certainly aware of the rigidity of the progression, the developers have managed to vary enough situations to avoid the monotony to settle permanently.


WAR AND PEACE

Metro Last Light is all about the immersion, its ability to make credible path cross Artyom in a chilling post-apocalyptic world. We are surprised to find themselves suddenly faced with a game too easy: the bullets found in large numbers, like for other explosives and Molotov, filters for the gas mask and never miss Artyom seems to have a titanium skin . Normal is only 8 hours to finish the game with a few people and even fewer difficulties fashion - at most a few concerns readability goals. The game features a system medikit for critical situations, but they will almost never be useful, especially with generous checkpoints. Hard Mode will force us to be more cautious, but that does not ultimately change much. Most players then take the direction of Ranger mode.

Everything is more rare, the HUD disappears and the balls are much worse. It does not solve the problems I. A. or gameplay, but it makes the most dynamic shooting (any stray bullet that can be fatal) while enhancing the appearance pleasantly survival sticks so well to the world of the game Unfortunately, PC, the famous Ranger mode a preorder bonus and will be accessible to others by passing again to the body via a paid DLC. While the console versions feature classic online pass and have access to the full game, PC gamers who bought their full pot game will not have access to this mode gives access yet to experience the most authentic Thurs A simply unacceptable and unjustifiable practice.

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DEAD ISLAND RIPTIDE : Review

If Dead Island was surprised mixing genres of RPG, FPS and survival of his result here would benefit more than the element of surprise. No big deal since developers Techland seem to have released this Dead Island Riptide to satisfy the fans before a probable third episode. But beyond its appearance Dead Island 1.5, Riptide is it really worth some attention?

Dead Island Riptide is what might be called a transitional episode. Certainly, no new segment has not yet been formalized but no doubt that Techland is already working on the issue, especially as the end of this album sounds in some ways like 28 Weeks Later. So, your feelings will vary depending on your knowledge of the previous game with the Riptide is ultimately a lazy clone making some additions here and there. However, and as paradoxical as it may seem, Riptide is for fans of the first Dead Island, which is a direct result, while the gringue all other players by offering a vast game than its predecessor, enhanced with new creatures, weapons and whatnot. In this case, difficult to give a clear and determined about the value of this title as the balance is finally balanced between frustration and joy of plunging back into this heavenly hell judgment.

artificial paradise

For those who take the boat running, know that Dead Island is a little video game that Planet Terror is the cinema: a product scenario completely crazy kitsch but damn enjoyable. Thus, the first part of the saga of Techland we recounted the woes of several characters stranded on an island infested with zombies. So the big bis spot with all that that implies caricatures and scenario pretext for a heap of guts. Seen in this light, all might seem suicidal except dads Call of Juarez had the good sense to maximize the atmosphere B-Movie to offer an adventure briskly borrowing moult genres of video games while developing a system deeper game than one might imagine at first. The result is surprising in more ways than one, opted for an increase based EXP and skills to unlock while the obligation to recover everything behind to create makeshift weapons offered the fights hand-to-gross appearance of a body stripping. Unsurprisingly, Dead Island Riptide uses the formula and do not forget to sprinkle some all original ingredients.

A copy

Opening on the direct purpose of Dead Island Riptide gives us quickly into the bath. Thus, after importing the character of Dead Island or chose one of the five available packings (one adventurer is unpublished) starting directly to Level 15, we are again facing the nightmare. Hardly time to smile to face more shots situations and characters that have never been to escape from a military ship from running aground. Back to the starting point, and it is left for a trip through the jungle to try to learn a little more about the origins of the virus, how to get rid of it and eventually find a way to take the powder 'escampette. So quickly, exploration premium on the scenario whose interest is just as important as how Final Season Derrick, a sense of déjà vu is invited swiftly. And because the construction of Riptide is a decal that of its big brother. Progression through a jungle, a huge village serving hub, Japanese tunnels (replacing at short notice sewers Dead Island), a new city, a military base, everything, absolutely everything, is modeled on the first episode. So know that if you're looking for originality, you're not in the right place. By cons, if this aspect does not bother you any more than that, you should once again take a huge foot.

A gore and cry

So if Riptide draws its strength from the ideas of its predecessor, it is undeniable that despite the total lack of ambition of the project, the title comes out through well-oiled mechanisms. The zombies run, hit, spit, some newcomers screaming in our ears to destabilize us and in this infernal chaos, the focus is always on creating weapons although you can quickly find a sling to firearms. So yes, it is regrettable lack of unreleased mods, ok, our characters have the same capabilities but strangely, if one is aware of all these defects, it is delightful to browse the new adventure. Of course, impossible to put blinders on when we consider the news which can be summarized in a few extra weapons (mines, a missile or various knives), a new vehicle (boat) and the famous tower defense phase . Regarding the latter, as saying that Techland could do without. Indeed, these passages ask you to barricade a makeshift headquarters by placing barbed wire and Gatling at strategic points and watering during the VERY long minutes of zombies until such time that the Horde is completely destroyed. The name is not trivial since these sequences are neither more nor less than Horde in the adventure solo or co-op as it is of course possible to play with three friends. In short, all is unnecessary seen between two phases of tower defense, it smashes the zombie every five minutes.

Sea, sex and gun

Finally, it is difficult to Riptide strongly advise those who made the previous installment as we are served by the same game set in different drowned in bright sunshine environments. But on the other hand, if you liked the first episode, you should logically you laugh with the Riptide, although Techland has not even bothered to address shortcomings of its predecessor. In sum, there are always small amount of annoying things (some jumps that go wrong, being able to get in the car one side Single Player ...) and the fragility of our characters (even high-level) results still many premature deaths. Certainly, this aspect led to a respawn system linked to our savings we would have liked a little better managed in the sense that these deaths are more bulky than penalizing since we quickly get a bunch of money is if that difficulty we search everywhere. Also include the overflow quests Fedex or obligation to roam whenever in long, wide and across the map to reach our goals. Again, we feel that everything has been designed to force us to visit, to use vehicles and trudge in scrubs strength of stiff but it got tired ... While at regular intervals, the machine restarts on a bang with a lot of excessive situations allowing us to take advantage of new, more lethal toys. Dead Island Riptide is it an indispensable? No, but if you know what you are buying, it's a safe bet that you will enjoy once again.

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SHOOTMANIA STORM :Review

Most young people may not be aware, but there have been gold online FPS another age. Today, toddlers brighten on militaristic titles with distinguished strangers and take their time to aim, move slowly, or even longer in the bush to stay hidden. Before, stand still, it was to be dead, and adjust its really not the shooting mode. Moreover, the iron sight does not exist.

This was the era of fast FPS, which saw the birth Unreal Tournament, Tribes and gave the Quake series the third subtitled "Arena" album, still very active today with Quake Live.

It is the latter that is inspired with Nadeo Shootmania now available after months of beta and reports which should allow the studio to perfect his title in order to make a new standard for e-sports meter. Remains whether it will appeal to the common man.

NEW SOFTWARE OPPOSITION IN SUBJECTIVE PERSPECTIVE

Shootmania in the first obstacles that stand in the way of the player are the different interface layers that separate the office of a frag properly. To start the game, it is first necessary to go through ManiaPlanet the series dedicated to the transgender Nadeo platform. After going through a launcher recalling the finest moments in Windows 95, we are propelled on a starry above which fit together various tiles blue background, more or less in the manner of the recent Windows 8 Metro interface. Some fill the entire screen and the games are: TrackMania ² Canyon, Stadium, beta recently and ShootMania Storm so. Other smaller ones are less explicit in the first first and are in fact various modes of previous games. After all, what could be more natural than to separate the free for all or capture the main points of the content offered by the giant tile Storm? To top it off, the menu options, symbolized by a gear stitched the web browsers, is filled with unwanted settings tab the text of which is partially invisible, the fault of the boxes too small for the content to display. It will therefore set the anisotropic filtering of textures haphazardly leaving our intuition guide us into the "faster" extreme and "prettier."

Once past this initial disappointment and also after clicking several times on the screen interesting us, the lack of responsiveness of the menu and feedback buttons leaving us free to guess if our application was considered at the first attempt we enter the heart of the matter. Right, new tiles inform us of fresh news about the game, its events, its broadcasts, and below a newsfeed arranged as a twitter page is. A little strange, but not annoying, unlike dedicated navigation buttons, a rather unsettling for a few minutes brevity. After several hours, you get used to the interface with no frills, but the impression of being faced with a brief video editing software, music, anything but a video game, never happens really disappear. Things even worse with the server browser or creating some that are a true way of the cross and stick to many headaches before they get to share a few rockets between gentlemen. Again, everything is better after an adjustment period, but counting the need to reconfigure the firewall by hand, and the lack of explanation really give the impression of arriving in an unknown universe hostile - quite similar to what was done in this area 15 years ago, finally. Tribute ...


THE MAGIC BUTTON

Behind the bitterness is yet hides the simplicity only six buttons are required to play Shootmania. Four are of course dedicated to travel, another shooting, no one left, the right mouse button, the most interesting of the lot. Its function is purely contextual. It is primarily used to jump, because that would be a fast shooter without his cohort kangaroos killers? Once in the air, however, hold reveals a new facet of gameplay: the glide, or sprint depending on the height at which our character is at the time of activation. The first accelerates the horizontal movement during a fall, transforming the parabolic trajectory slide. But as long as this function is activated a few inches off the ground, it will only affect the low down. Instead, our character will run like hell before getting out of breath. The stamina gauge is short and empty fast enough. In the manner of Tribes, the whole point is to alternate jump, acceleration and inertia play the avatar to go the distance as soon as possible. That's the basic usage.

The intricacies of the plot are changing interest. Some metal plates disable the example simply, along with the ability to shoot elsewhere. On others, when they constitute a path, it is impossible to jump but acceleration sprint and much more important. And when the road is paved with wood, right click makes us grow roller skates while releasing trigger a jump in the Jet Set Radio. Some hang high points can occasionally activate a grapple, very useful to cross large areas while building up speed. The railgun finally plaques dedicated to transforming the easy zoom button. The shooter is then more accurate but also more vulnerable because exposure to light and unable to leave in a hurry or even play leapfrog with projectiles pouncing on him. The range of movement is complemented by wall jumps, which inherit the initial speed of the character and consume stamina, and rocket jumps that save a few centimeters from a classic jump, without losing a life. Nevertheless, it still remains far from the possibilities they could offer in Quake.

HIKING IN marked trails

Knowing how to move optimally therefore requires a long learning period. To be sure, there is enough to go on a "Barrier" server and try to see the end of a map. In the first attempts, needless to say that we sometimes take ten minutes to reach the first checkpoint just a few dozen meters from the starting point. Unlike other types of game, here it is impossible to draw on its congeners and collisions between characters are disabled. Shooting game, the title becomes the first platformer uncompromising person. It is also here that the motion system suggests its complexity but also its limits. Most of the time, there is only one way to pass each obstacle course requiring precision timing and intrinsically linked to the nature of the terrain. If Shootmania requires a good deal of control, however it leaves little room for improvisation, and it is ultimately the developers and designers of maps that determine the moments of grace in architecture levels. The dramatic figures are for the most part agreed in advance and are therefore less likely to be admired.

Unfortunately, these restrictions also affect the use of arms, and many players may be put off by the inability to choose as they see fit between the three key weapons, four if you count the arrows available on the cards " Combo ". Except in this game mode, which for once is like a watered down version of the titles released in the late 90s until the appearance of boxes to pick up, probably inspired by the unstoppable Quake is again the game decides for us to use projectiles. In tunnels, the nucleus is de rigueur, which launches extremely slow stickies. Metallic platforms give way to railgun, the only hitscan weapon in the universe, and the rocket launcher reign everywhere. Each toy finds its balance in the damage it inflicts, number of ammunition and reloading time. It is not a matter of picking up balls on the ground, but the time it takes for the energy bar corresponding to arms to fill. It is sectioned into four rifle base, two for the nucleus, and in the case of full laser sniper. The rate of fire is much higher for the former than the latter, but it does not lose a point of armor when the third removes two without requiring anticipate the trajectories of the opponent.


THE MOD FROM U.S.

ShootMania Storm is crippled with sometimes unpleasant limits governing the balance between the parties, but no or almost no final. The real wealth of the title is not so much the degree of requirement of gameplay and the possibility to define oneself rules every battle. By itself, it means the competent modders that are activated from the beta to provide new and interesting concepts to users. As often happens in such situations, it is to drink and eat, although the appreciation of each mode is highly subjective. Elite is probably the one that was most shown so far, the one that best reflects the ambition of Nadeo teasing electronic sports. Two teams of three compete in an asymmetric game between an attacker with a railgun and three armor three defenders ragged equipped with rocket launchers. The attacker has fifteen seconds to capture a totem by touching a brief moment. But before the post is active, the defenders have a minute to remove the intruder. The role of each team changes each round, and the confrontation ends when one team reaches a specified number of points in advance.

The demo of the game offers free as well as the "Royal" mode, a last man standing in the arena which is gradually victim of a hurricane whose eye is at the center of the map. Players will now join the As to the center and reducing the playground amplifies the intensity and frequency of games. Also talk mode "Joust", probably one of the most interesting for the uninitiated, right next to the already mentioned "Obstacle". It is simply a duel between two snipers on small arenas. The weapon will no longer charge over time, but asked to go touch one of the poles of the card when it is dry. No offense to the campers, said post then off, forcing the soldier to get his food elsewhere next time. Here, ammunition and armor points are more numerous so that the sleeves are longer than thirty seconds, and all offer good slices of fun, stress and of course in bad faith. The "Battle", especially in its variant "waves" as is widely being practiced for anyone who takes the time to understand the ins and outs.


INNER BEAUTY IS ... IT SEEMS

Both teams are just trying to capture the stakes located in the opposing camp by close enough. The time required to conquer is relatively long, and if a defender moves to the capture area, it prevents the entry. In the variant, only a camp attack at once, and the defenders must prevent any approach for fifteen seconds to start the assault. The collective work is absolutely essential to hope for success, but the defense is much more complicated than the attack, trends can be reversed completely following a learning organization, and the red out of a commitment to winning 90% against zero part against them if they stick together and risk everything to never lose the benefit of aggression. In such cases, we really like living a moment of grace, or redo Waterloo as the incarnate camp, despite the gameplay, the graphics on poverty draws or questionable interface.

For we must be honest: wanting to offer a competitive and stripped software, Nadeo has also managed to bring about a complete lack of visual identity. The characters are pumped back unsightly models Unreal Tournament repainted neon and stand beautifully decorated without a personality to dull colors. The hud is clear but unsightly and ugly crosshairs and bulky bases. Or the primacy of efficiency on aesthetics, pushing a unusual degree of extremism. Except when the crash bugs are invited to the party or the lag adds a grain of teleportation.

Despite these relatively boring for a title for the competition defects, it is difficult to really want to Shootmania, for various reasons. On the one hand, his game modes are so varied that it is difficult not to find something to suit him. In addition to those already mentioned here, it would still include "Heroes", "Speedball", "Instagib", "Jailbreak" ... not to mention future possibilities! Icing on the cake, it offers a simple local mode (or rather arcane) to understand than its connected, and simple mechanisms to grasp but hard to master make an ideal ambassador to resurrect the good old LAN with friends, of course accompanied by their cold pizza and warm soda stale. As well as appealing to traditional values ​​...

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SNIPER : GHOST WARRIOR 2 : REVIEW

Rogues are the party: with the release of Sniper Ghost Warrior 2, they will be able destocking tents and sniper rifles after their first album, released in 2010, already entered the pantheon of titles most nazes video games. Three years later, CITY Interactive plunges us back into the shoes of a sniper in a lot of headshots, without putting in the miles ...

Tom Berenger APPROVED

One thing is certain: this is not the scenario with a Sniper Ghost Warrior 2 is likely to lure the barge as the title of City Interactive puts worthy shots of the worst series B as many pearls reclining on the breast of the poor . We find therefore in good working order the wicked Russians, Arabs villains Hispanic colleague willingly roommate so we must beers strength to save his ass there would be enough to compete with the Oktoberfest, the irascible supervisor the biological weapon is the trunk or former brother in arms too psychotic to be honest. The staging is confused, the awful scenes, twists visible for miles ... Anyway, regarding the pitch and narration, Sniper Ghost Warrior 2 is like a purge. Insiders then stand up one man arguing that the essential thing is that given the offer and this kind of segment, the important thing is to spray heads 800 meters, secretly stashed in privet. And they will have somewhere right.

Especially since the first moment, rifle in hand, could foreshadow something nice, if not memorable. Worn by CryEngine 3 still pretty, the title is rather pleasing to the eye, as long as it is not too fussed about the textures and animations a stiff hair, with a colorful title and who suffers not too many bugs. It has got a couple of scripts that are not launched, a Pashtun who need twenty cartridges before moving the bucket or a hero suddenly unable to draw any ball within restart the game but nothing serious at all. Lurking in the shadows, the watchful eye, the Blaster feverishly glued to the chest, then sneak up on the first spot before deploying his deadly weapon and to start looking at the slightest knock grunt. Once the target is acquired, it holds its breath. Concentration. The first victim, then two, then three ... No doubt it's good to be a coward.


NOT ONE SHOT

Unfortunately, like chocolate mousse Mamie we try to refill us "to throw" Sniper Ghost Warrior 2, which showed far more enjoyable, quickly starts to become heavy after an hour Thurs victim of its bias which means that in a sniper game, it spends most of his time holed up and still, to see the world through the lens of his gun, the title of City Interactive quickly turns round without proposing any alternative likely to break the monotony ambient, heavy as a leaden. Constantly attended and by the hand by his counterpart, our spook invariably alternates between phases of infiltration cushy, silent knife killings and clay pigeon shooting sessions before folding saplings, continue to infiltrate enemy territory to next shooting spot and repeat the same pattern ad nauseam. Then we say that City Interactive could at least treat form.

Of course, there are always tremors to manage the wind and gravity to tame - playing in Hard mode, of course, history off all aid to the target, otherwise all presents absolutely no interest . But what is the beginning, the main difficulty of the case is ultimately fairly easy to master, because really distant or difficult to make shots and real consequences of missed. There is also a lack pestera before - certainly understandable, but still - different Gun with sniper rifles missing an identity and potato hair, sometimes giving the impression to shoot .22 long rifle while the one is supposed to send the .338 Lapua. The enemy AI, without being totally catastrophic, just about it to show reactive most of the time and ultimately owes its salvation to his prodigious propensity to send this ad patres heroes in a half-burst assault rifle ... when she has the opportunity to get close enough, obviously. Direct consequence during the six hours up the campaign, we will never really worried except in one or two passages tense, due to spawn more particularly vicious than anything else soldiers.

For more fierce, Sniper Ghost Warrior 2 course offers a multiplayer mode where you will find happiness with an arsenal of guns a little longer provided. Too bad at the same time it is limited to a single game mode (the inevitable Team Deathmatch) for only two cards where s'écharper up to twelve players, and that apart from a match between snipers, where hideout and immobility are the key words, there is nothing more boring than a match between snipers. A philosophy seems.

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BORDERLANDS 2 : SIR HAMMERLOCK'S BIG GAME HUNT

After a treasure hunt with Captain Scarlett and a general fight arena at Mr. torgue, it is now time to go hunting with Sir Hammerlock in the last DLC Borderlands 2.

As usual, this trip will be an opportunity to slaughter entire armies of monsters, collect tons of guns and pocket a fortune in credits sweet-crazy world of the series. A recipe that has proven in the past but lack a little the boat this time.

TO PARTICIPATE IN THE HUNT ...

Gone weekend hunting with friend Hammerlock to relax between two global conflicts, the player Borderlands 2 Sir Hammerlock's Big Game Hunt will once again invited to discover a new part of Pandora to sow a monster mess. As usual, just use the map to start the main plot of this additional content and discover introduced to handle the unprecedented opportunity areas. Good news, Sir Hammerlock broke very quickly with two main shortcomings of his predecessors, namely the lack of originality environments and the monotony of a bestiary which is struggling to renew. Here, we quickly discovered very different from those we have already scouring far and wide, even if the overall architecture of our progress so far does not change settings, and unreleased monsters in Borderlands 2 that exceed stage simple re-skin.

Big scorpions can cause problems near and far and above a tribe of savages directed by particularly snack candy shamans. If this bestiary refurbished is obviously good to take, you'll regret against the general lack of personality of all these new opponents. The monsters / animals / mutants do not necessarily have much to tell us, but the lack of talkativeness wild (which usually just guttural cries) largely disappointing. Morons replicas and zany atmosphere is one of the greatest strengths of the franchise and Sir Hammerlock's Big Game Hunt totally misses at that level. I must say that dear Hammerlock did not exactly extravagance of Mr. torgue and the new big bad but lacks the charisma of humor necessary to turn heads. This results in much less comical than usual and especially a particularly bland main story dialogues.

The main quest of the DLC as lack of stamina and almost ends up twice as fast as Mr. torgue. It remains happily complete all the perks, whether hunting big rewarded with unique weapons or rather content for high level characters monster. This union has unfortunately not come to make us forget that a little bored during the holidays to hunt with Sir Hammerlock. That lack of impressive and memorable clashes, mainly because of a missed final particularly, a boss out of nowhere and a conclusion that falls a little flat. We would also like Borderlands 2 comes one day host a DLC that does not add more bugs than it fixes. For this, perhaps?

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