CK's Monthly Highlights: Slay Me Harder!

Assassins Creed 2

 

 

Assassinations have never looked deadlier.

 

Enter the Animus

 

Set in 2012, Assassins Creed 2 starts off where the first game ended, with protagonist Desmond Miles escaping from Abstergo Industries with an employee, Lucy Stillman, after being forced to relive the genetic memories of an ancestoral assassin Altair ibn La-Ahad through a machine known as the "Animus". After escaping from the Asbergo, Desmond enters a device identical to the Animus and relives the genetic memories of ancestoral nobleman Ezio Auditore da Firenze, who lived during the Renaissance period of the late 15th and early 16th centuries in Italy.

 

A New Beginning

 

While Ezio has no desire to become an assassin, the death of his father and brothers changed his mind as he seeks revenge and justice on the very man that betrayed him. While the first game was a solid romp in the outskirts of Italy, it wasn't without its faults. Just a couple of hours into the game and its repetitive nature becomes apparent, as you would be performing the same tasks over and over again. You'll either be completely enamoured with the experience or loathe it – I for one had a love/hate relationship with the game and its engrossing story was what kept me going back for more.

 

A Blade for all Occasions

 

From jumping off rooftops to leaping off hundred feet ledges, you'll truly feel that you are part of it all and that's where Assassin Creed 2 shines as you will also be performing lethal assassinations that are both brutal and deadly. If you thought the first game was good, you owe it to yourself to play through Assassins Creed 2 as its an epic game that will enthral you from the moment it begins right up until the credits roll – its that good.

 

Modern Warfare 2

 

 

Online frag-fest at its finest.

 

A humble beginning

 

As far as quality shooters go, you can't go wrong with the Call of Duty series. From its humble beginnings as a new IP to the mega hit status that the series have found themselves in, Activision has struck a winning formula that is both successful and most of all profitable. With each passing iteration, both Infinty Ward and Treyarch have proven to push the boundaries set by its predecessors - by building on its strengths and introducing new elements to the shooter genre.

 

Crank it up a notch

 

If you thought Modern Warfare was brilliant, you'll feel right at home with its sequel as the action has been ramped up to unimaginable heights and with the new Spec Ops mode - you'll be hard pressed to find any faults with the game. Its campaign may be on the short side and a little uninspiring but as far as quality shooters go, Modern Warfare 2 will keep you immersed and glued to your screen.

 

End Game

 

With an epic campaign and a new mode that is an addictive alternative to its online offering, Modern Warfare 2 will be one of the better games that you have played all year. One minute you'll picking off unsuspecting guards with your heartbeat sensor in the snow, shooting pass civilians in the outskirts of South Africa to spraying bullets in the suburbs - its moments like these that may you feel that you're well and truly part of the action. Don't believe the hype, well it wouldn't hurt to try the game out and see for yourself.

 

Grand Theft Auto 4

 

 

Getting out of this won't be an easy task.

 

An Open Sandbox

 

As far as open ended games go, no other developer makes them quite like Rockstar, and the latest instalment in this series is no different. With an emphasis placed on realism this time around, the world of GTA has never looked and felt better. For one, the obvious shift in graphical prowess of consoles have reingorated this series to new heights and it is a sight to behold. You could spend countless hours just wrecking havok in Liberty City or shooting the numerous flying rats that roam around and have an absolute blast in doing so.

 

War Never Changes

 

In the game, players assume the role of Niko Bellic, a war veteran who is out for revenge on the very man that betrayed him. He arrives to America in search of the American Dream, but quickly becomes entangled in a world of gangs, crime and corruption. Throughout the game, Niko questions his actions and it is the sheer believability and nuances of his character that makes him all the more likeable and endearing than previous protagonists.

 

The Complete Package

 

Being the first game in the series to include an online offering, GTA IV is the complete package that keeps giving and giving. If you thought the carnage in the game was crazy, wait until you have seen a match in motion - or better yet being part of it all. With so many different modes to choose from, players will be in for a treat and with two excellent DLC's already released - it should keep you busy until the next instalment rolls around.

 

 

Avatar

 

 

Smurfed up and ready to go!

 

When his brother is killed in battle, paraplegic Marine Jake Sully decides to take his place in a mission on the distant world of Pandora. There he learns of greedy corporate figurehead Parker Selfridge's intentions of driving off the native humanoid "Na'vi" in order to mine for the precious material scattered throughout their rich woodland. In exchange for the spinal surgery that will fix his legs, Jake gathers intel for the cooperating military unit spearheaded by gung-ho Colonel Quaritch, while simultaneously attempting to infiltrate the Na'vi people with the use of an "avatar" identity. While Jake begins to bond with the native tribe and quickly falls in love with the beautiful alien Neytiri, the restless Colonel moves forward with his ruthless extermination tactics, forcing the soldier to take a stand - and fight back in an epic battle for the fate of Pandora.

 

Law Abiding Citizen

 

 

The staring game ensues.

 

Clyde Shelton (Gerard Butler) is a brilliant planner and inventor. One night two robbers invade his Philadelphia home and brutally kill his wife and daughter, and almost kill him. The killers are caught, and Assistant DA Nick Rice (Jamie Foxx) is assigned the case. Nick is ordered by the DA to make a deal with one of the killers to testify against his partner for a 10 year plea bargain prison sentence. Clyde doesn't want Nick to make the deal, but Nick says it was too late and the deal is done. The other killer got the death penalty. After 10 years, the other killer is released from prison, and he soon ends up dead. Clyde is arrested and kind of admits to Nick that he did it. Clyde is put in jail, and he warns Nick that he must fix the broken justice system that failed him and his family or else anyone connected to his case will soon die. Even from jail, Clyde's threats become a reality, and Nick must stop Clyde before his family is next.

 

District 9

 

 

"Just what in the world are you?!"

 

In 1982, a massive star ship bearing a bedraggled alien population, nicknamed "The Prawns," appeared over Johannesburg, South Africa. Twenty-eight years later, the initial welcome by the human population has faded. The refugee camp where the aliens were located has deteriorated into a militarized ghetto called District 9, where they are confined and exploited in squalor. In 2010, the munitions corporation, Multi-National United, is contracted to forcibly evict the population with operative Wikus van der Merwe in charge. In this operation, Wikus is exposed to a strange alien chemical and must rely on the help of his only two new 'Prawn' friends.

 

What I Ate

 

 

Pizza Supreme

 

 

Buttered Crab

 

 

Iced Cappuccino

 

 

 

Having had my PS3 for a good year or so, storage issues quickly became apparent as I continually had to delete old game installs to make way for new ones. And having to reinstall them just to play old gems such as Metal Gear Solid 4 or Grand Theft Auto 4, it quickly became a chore that I dreaded doing. From a meager 40GB PS3, I went out and purchased a 320GB hard drive and having the luxury of not worrying about space issues certainly is a nice change for awhile.

 

With that out of the way, have Happy New Year! :P