Bittersweet Mondays: A Webcomic Series

Confab is proud to present our weekly web-comic series:

Bittersweet Comics

Follow the adventures of Matt, Enmi, Hal and Sean as they battle through a world that many gamers will recognise in an instant.

For previous weeks comics click here

Comic 3: Meet the Team!

Comic 4: Sounds like...

Check back next Monday for the next strips by Bittersweet Comics! 

Story by: Matthew Joy
Drawn by: Enmi Wahlbäck

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Game Review: Mass Effect 3 (Extended Cut)

Mass Effect 3 is the epic final chapter of a trilogy I have sunk more time into than any other series. While this review does seem a bit late, with the release of the Extended Cut DLC, the game is now more complete than it was on release. So now seems like a good time to review it.

Mass Effect 3 follows the continuing adventures of Commander Shepard and the crew of the SSV Normandy, as the galaxy erupts into a ferocious war against the organic-decimating machines, the Reapers. Shepard’s task is to build an army the likes of which the galaxy has never seen, and solve the thousands-of-years-old issues that cause tensions between the various alien races.

Allying these races against the Reapers forms the main brunt of the story. Unlike in Mass Effect 2, which saw Shepard attempting to recruit highly skilled individuals for his suicide mission against the Collectors, the stakes are bigger and Shepard needs to convince the entire galaxy to forget the grudges of the past.

While this may seem like it makes for a much less personal story, the ability to import your saves from the previous two games means that there is a much greater connection to your individual Shepard. It is easily the most emotionally-affecting title in the franchise, as we see Shepard struggle to deal with the losses he has encountered (and in most cases, caused) over the years, as we see well-loved characters die, and as we see races teeter on the brink of extinction.

As you assist individual characters, militaries and races, you gain War Assets which add to your Galactic Readiness meter. This essentially determines how well prepared the galaxy is for the inevitable final battle and is integral to the success or failure of the end-game. It’s a system that works well, and it does an excellent job of letting you know how well you are doing.

As an evolution from the original Mass Effect, Mass Effect 2 was astounding. Clunky combat and menu systems were streamlined, and the game was pretty much as polished as it could be. So it’s little wonder that, while Mass Effect 3 definitely improves on its predecessor, it’s not as big a leap forward as the previous sequel. But the important thing is that it does improve. Tedious mechanics like planet scanning are minimised to their bare essentials, movement is slicker as Shepard can now roll, make prompted jumps across gabs and climb ladders, and the Galaxy Map is easier to navigate (with an added threat of Reapers chasing your miniaturised Normandy).

But not every change works as well. Side missions are given to you awkwardly, as you overhear conversations on the Citadel (essentially a galactic Hub) and then dispatch yourself to solve these people’s problems. It’s a little like hearing someone in the street say they fancy a sandwich, and then you decide to return in a week with a sandwich for them. It’s awkward, and they feel a little pointless in the grand scheme of things, despite the fact that you gain War Assets for these little detours.

It’s a good job then that the main story missions work so well. Each one feels relevant and worthy of the time of the galaxy’s saviour. The conversation and choice system works the best it ever has, and your choices feel like they have a genuine impact in determining the fates of entire species. Combat is also mildly improved over Mass Effect 2. The cover-based third person shooting feels fast and fluid, with the game’s Powers system bringing an excellent balance and some stunning effects. The addition of a heavy melee (which differs for each class) also brings a different, welcome aspect to fights.

The AI of your squad works well, and they are often useful in fights, only going down if you aren’t paying enough attention to them. The enemy AI also provides a great challenge. They won’t just stick to cover and pop up like Whack-A-Moles, they will throw grenades, attempt to flank, and generally try their best to kill you. There are a variety of different types of enemies and each one requires a different set of tactics, which keeps the gameplay feeling fresh on your umpteenth playthrough.

Now, as this review is being written because of the Extended Cut DLC, I should mention the endings (spoiler-free). I was one of the people unhappy with the game’s original endings. I thought they were full of plot-holes, were very vague, and were just generally unsatisfying for someone who has invested 5 years and between 20-30 combined playthroughs of all three games. But with the addition of this DLC, I no longer feel like I’ve wasted my love on this franchise. Each ending feels satisfying and any previous inaccuracies are explained away well. I sat through my ending with a grin on my face the entire way through. That says a lot when I was previously so disappointed.

Despite being a story-and-character-driven game, Bioware decided to include a multiplayer component to Mass Effect 3. It could very easily have gone wrong, but thankfully it works amazingly well. Each match gives you Galactic Readiness to use in your single-player game and being able to play as each of the galaxy’s races is a treat. You haven’t played Mass Effect 3 until you have head-butted a Brute to death as a Krogan. Combine the excellent gameplay with Bioware’s continued free updates, and this becomes a multiplayer mode I will gladly sink many more hours into.

Fans of the series play Mass Effect for the story, for the characters, and for the fascinating universe that Bioware has created. Mass Effect 3 does not disappoint. It’s a thrill to play and is a world I will continue to engross myself in for many years to come. If you haven’t given this excellent franchise a shot yet, do yourself a favour and pick it up.

Developer: Bioware

Publisher: Electronic Arts

Platforms: PS3, Xbox 360 (Reviewed), Windows, Wii U

Genre: Action RPG/FPS

Release Date: 15 June 2012

Price: £39.99/$69.99

By Paul Brown

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Game Review: Mutant Mudds

Mutant Mudds brings us back to the old-school retro style look, and it's a game that should be played by all seasoned players! This one was supposed to be released as a retail title on Nintendo DS as Maximilian and the Rise of the Mutant Mudds, but sadly, that didn't happen. The project was then moved to Nintendo's DSiWare service, but ended up not going there either. The game eventually found a home on the Nintendo eShop and PC, under its current name today. It's been a long time coming, but it has been worth the wait!


This game is developed by Renegade Kid, the team that worked on popular games such as Dementium and Moon for the Nintendo DS, and is lead by Jools Watsham. Mutant Mudds is an old-school platformer, where your objective is to eliminate the invasion of Mutant Mudds that have landed on Earth!

The player controls Max. Max is equipped with a jet pack, allowing him to hover across areas he can't do by just jumping alone (which is very similar to Gargoyle's Quest on the Game Boy). Also equipped is a water cannon to help eliminate enemies. There are 40 levels spanning across 5 worlds in the game, which includes main, secret and boss levels. Each main level has 100 jewels, and a water sprite in all levels to collect. Mutant Mudds difficulty is harder than first expected. The level design is done extremely well, and the environment of the enemy's moves takes a while to get used to. There are warp panels that allows Max to further away or closer towards you, which may alert some players like myself of where you are and where you're actually going (believe me, I got tricked at a couple points near the end of a level because I thought I was touching the water sprite, but really wasn't!). Also, each level has to be done on a time limit, which may put some pressure on players to get everything in that level. Each level has a secret area, which is marked either G-Land or V-Land. These secret level doors actually has an influence to the Game Boy and Virtual Boy. Fortunately, when you enter these secret doors, the time resets. If you die in these secret areas you immediately go right back to the beginning of it without having to start at the beginning of the main level itself. In terms of collecting things, you only need to collect the water sprite itself. However, that doesn't mean you will go without a challenge, as the secret areas may be harder than the main areas, bringing veteran players to the test.


Mutant Mudds has great usage of the 3D feature, with at least three layers put into it. The 3D fits quite well with the colourful, retro layout. Another thing that gave me quite the appreciation is the chiptune music, which is an added bonus! Going to the game over screen a lot of times usually is frustrating, however with this one, the music really touches my heart and is one of the most memorable tunes I've heard in a long time!

If there is any complaints about Mutant Mudds I have, it's the lack of items and objects. There is only three available right now, which is not much. If it had a variety of weapons and/or objects of such like in the Mega Man games, then players would have the ability to pick the weapon of their choice.


Conclusion


Renegade Kid has made Mutant Mudds is a game that can't be missed. It's clever level design and its difficulty makes this a must download purchase. Although, the initial game is fairly short, there will be extra levels added soon. If you're a fan of these types of games, or someone who is looking for something new to play, go download this now and experience this terrific retro-style platformer!

Publisher: Renegade Kid

Developer: Renegade Kid

Genre: Platformer

Platform: 3DS eShop (Reviewed), PC

Players: 1

Release Date: 21st June 2012

Price: £8.00/$8.99

By Vernon Schieck

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Game Review: Limbo

When I first started to play Limbo I wasn't sure what to expect. Reputed to be one of the best and most commercially successful indie games of all time, it had a lot to live up to. Vaguely aware of the game's art style due to stills on gaming websites, I loaded it up, but was completely unprepared for the game that came up before me. Because what stills of the game and reviews fail to encapsulate, is how much of the appeal and experience of Limbo lies in the atmosphere created by the animation and sound (or lack thereof). On the surface, Limbo is standard platformer, pretty much as simple as they come. There is nothing in the way of story within the game itself; Playdead only gave the game the tagline: Unsure of his sister’s fate, a boy enters the unknown. But it is this simplicity and ambiguity wherein lies the genius of Limbo.

On starting a new game the screen transitions from black to a dark forest in which the boy lies. The graphics are in greyscale, images in the forefront and background are out of focus, only the playable area is sharp. The screen flickers like an old black and white movie but nothing happens. I waited for my player to move, or for some indication that the game had begun, but until I pressed one of the arrow keys, the boy remained flat on his back. Upon hitting the key, the boy's eyes light up and he slowly got to his feet before waiting again for my command. This was the first indication that Limbo was not the usual spoon feeding game, that would offer instructions and hints in order to help the player solve a puzzle. The game required the player from the first instance to be proactive and learn how to control the boy themselves.

The boy's first challenge is climbing off of a tree trunk. It is completely simple, requiring only that he drops or jumps down close to the edge so he lands safely on the sloping ground below. From the top of the tree trunk it is impossible to see the ground and requires the boy to make a leap of faith. If the boy takes a running jump off of the trunk he will fall to his death, teaching the player early on in the game that being overly confident and taking action without thinking will get them nowhere. The player continues with care and trepidation, adding to the tense atmosphere instilled by the soundtrack.


It is difficult to underestimate how eerie a game without sound can be. The sound of footsteps, the rustle of trees, the crack of bones:  this is Limbo's soundtrack, at least in the earlier stages of the game. The distinct absence of sound in the initial stages, makes the louder sounds in the later levels all the more significant. The violent snap of the animal traps sent me flying about a foot in the air and shocked my system with adrenaline.

By now, the reader has probably sensed a strong sense of fear from this reviewer. This is due to the fact that (bear in mind I am a massive fan of the survival horror genre) Limbo is the most terrifying game I have ever played. The boy stumbles across dead bodies in cages, floating in pools of water and littered on the ground.  Seeing the spider creep silently behind you as you run away is far more affecting than any overproduced megaboss with frantic music of a Triple A title along the lines of the Legend of Zelda, Metroid and selected bosses of the Metal Gear series. The other boy figures who attack the player with dart guns and swinging traps make the outdoor area feel like Lord of the Flies without the cheery beginning, giving the game very sinister overtones.

The boy never gains any skills or power-ups, in this way the gameplay is very pure. Like other popular indie title Super Meat Boy, the difficulty of the game increases as new mechanics are introduced in each level. The boy must learn to time jumps, destroy body-possessing brain slugs and use anti-gravity switches in order to progress.  There are stages in which the whole level move and rotates (once in semi-darkness) which require great concentration on the players part, other levels which require different switches to be pressed quickly in order for the boy to reach the next level. The gameplay is innovative and the controls easy to use, with only two buttons: jump and action. Taking everything back to basics  allows Limbo to offer something original and atmospheric. The game doesn't last very long, you will finish it in a couple of hours, but if you are looking for something a little bit different and whole lot of dark I urge you to give Limbo a look.

Developer: Playdead

Publisher: Microsoft Studios, Playdead

Platforms: XBLA, PSN, Windows, Mac OSX, Linux

Release Date: 21st July 2010
Players: 1

Price: £6.99

By Emma-Lee Davidson

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Game Review: Serious Sam HD: The Second Encounter

A welcome less-'Serious' & over the top shooter in the age of gritty realism: 

In "The First Encounter" Sam "Serious" Stone had to battle his way through vast hordes of enemies to prevent alien races from taking over the universe. As this is a direct continuation the story follows the same path however so does the gameplay.

Largely "The Second Encounter" is exactly like the first in the series just with a new environment and a couple of extra weapons and enemies so going into the game thinking there will be a whole lot more will leave you disappointed. I however was expecting exactly what I got and it definitely was not a bad thing.

The game starts with Sam crash landing in South America, conveniently close to the object he is now trying to obtain. The player is stripped of all weaponry collected in the first game which makes sense seeing as there will be players who start with this game and it is the beginning of a new part of the story. What didn't make sense to me was how the game reintroduced about half the arsenal within the first couple of stages along with three new weapons. Although the armoury felt more complete with a chainsaw, flame-thrower and sniper rifle to use, the pacing that the game used for their distribution felt rushed.

As ever Serious Sam does not hold back and throws everything it can at you right from the off however within the opening minutes you'll be facing enemies which weren't introduced until much later in the first game. This may be the reasoning behind including so many weapons in the very early stages of the game but it may be a little overwhelming to newcomers. With those two points out the way, alongside the old enemies are an array of new ones including chainsaw pumpkin men, alien soldiers and winged demons. This new cast of cretins adds a small but welcome variety to the enemy ranks waiting to get blown to pieces.

There are three scenarios throughout the game, South America, Persia and Medieval. Each has a unique look and different level layouts which is a lovely contrast to playing through a mostly yellow coloured campaign in the shape of Egypt from the first game.

An annoying feature is that you lose all collected weaponry at the beginning of each scenario, not just the first one. And each time you are quickly re-introduced to the lovely collection you had to leave behind. Again, it makes little sense to me.

In terms of core gameplay, it is largely the same as the first game but with different level structures. Puzzles are still no more complex than "find button, push button, kill an army equivalent to the population of the Earth and continue" but the game uses them well. The boss encounters are a lot more exciting than simply fighting another horde of enemies as this time three main bosses are included, one for the end of each scenario. Although they largely follow the same structure in terms of how to kill them, it felt good to have a finale style battle.

In terms of multiplayer, "The Second Encounter" includes a co-op mode and a death-match mode, which return from the first game, as well as a new survival mode. I managed to play all three this time around, if only for a short while however, I did gain an opinion on all three.

The cooperative model is the one people have hyped up for me. It allows for up to 16 players to battle side by side through the games campaign missions with unlimited re-spawns and what I visualised as full-on carnage. Sadly, I was disappointed. I paired up with around 5 others and played through a level midway through the game however with the firepower of 6 people it was ridiculously easy, let alone 16. I can see how people may find a thrill to having that many people play at one time against a mass onslaught however winning isn't fun if it's too easy and there is practically no way to lose.

There is a version of the co-op campaign which limits the team to three lives per level which means players actually have to be careful. This provides a much more tense and fun experience in my opinion.

The deathmatch mode was fun from what I played however I got booted from every game for playing the game as it's meant to be played; get kills, don't die. That aside, the arenas were nicely designed and the "Quake" style of play worked well.
There are several other game modes however deathmatch was the only one with players.

The last mode, survival, was the most fun I had outside the solo campaign. It is very similar to Horde mode from the Gears series or the Firefight mode from the Halo series however instead of multiple waves there is one never-ending one with timed enemy spawns. It was great fun to play, shooting everything in sight until you simply couldn't hold them back anymore. After you die, your time of death is logged and counts as your score. This provides a contrast to the L4D survival in which team time is awarded.

Overall I enjoyed the multiplayer aspects of the game but I personally feel a greater sense of achievement if I beat something really difficult on my own and when there is a way to lose.

I can imagine playing all of the different modes would be fantastic if playing with people you know as it always adds a greater element of fun than playing with or against random people.

Although it has flaws, "Serious Sam HD: The Second Encounter" was ab enjoyable experience. I'd have to recommend it over "The First Encounter" as it's practically the same game with simply more stuff added. The new enemies, weapons, power-ups and some truly wonderful secrets compliment the new campaigns to provide an intense, full-on old school fps.

For those who played the originals, you already know what the games are like, however, if you didn't get a chance to play it back in the day (like myself), give this remake a go. You may be pleasantly surprised.

Developer: Croteam

Publisher: Devolver Digital & CDV Software Entertainment 

Platforms: Steam (reviewed) & Xbox 360 Arcade

Genre: FPS

Release Date: 28 April 2010

Price: £6.99 / 1200 MS Points

-Tom Seed

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Game Review: Lollipop Chainsaw

Attractive girls can kill zombies too...

Lollipop Chainsaw has been surrounded by controversy. It has been accused from many corners of objectifying women, perpetuating stereotypes and being downright crude. But what all of the publicity has tended to leave in the dark is - it's a pretty average game. The opening cinematic plays out like a nineties chick flick along the same lines as Clueless and heroine Juliet is equally as vapid as the film's Cher. The melange of the undead and high school drama isn't exactly original but provides the foundation for a story which is at times genuinely witty and entertaining, despite its self-conscious ridiculousness.

Juliet Starling is a chainsaw-wielding, cheer leading, scantily clad, blonde bombshell, whose ditsy dialogue often invokes eye-rolling and the occasional chuckle. As she fights her way across her hometown she is accompanied by boyfriend, who thanks to an unfortunate zombie-biting incident at the beginning of the game, is now a decapitated but animate head.

Comic book style animation and stills combined with a cel-shaded colourful approach provide Chainsaw with a fresh, endearing look which combines perfectly with the light-hearted comedy which is at the heart of the game. It is a shame that so much of the animation is dedicated to Juliet in compromising positions; never a cut scene goes by without an up skirt shot, which is ironic given that an achievement is awarded for managing this in-game. Unfortunately, this does not even scratch the surface of the misogynistic behaviour that Juliet is subjected too. She is frequently called a 'whore' or 'bitch' and one of her classmates tells her he will 'totally masturbate to you tonight'.

The controls are your basic hack and slash. Juliet has a pom-pom stunning attack as well as her basic chainsaw move. I often found the controls to be sluggish and at times even unresponsive. The combo moves are simple button combinations but only a couple seem to hit consistently. After gaining enough meter Juliet can unleash her super mode which allows her to take out zombies in one hit while 'Hey Mickey' plays in the background - CAUTION: you will know most of the words by the end of the game if you don't already. Juliet gains other super moves throughout the rest of the game, involved propelling Nick out of a cannon and gaining a super blaster projectile weapon which is probably the most accurate weapon. Juliet does a dance after racking up some combo kills which leaves her vulnerable to attack, which can be very irritating and damaging if she is in the middle of a group of zombies.

There is little in the way of original features on offer in Chainsaw. Some of the stages have some quirky features, such as the hallucinogenic farm area which allows you to plough through a field of zombies on a combine harvester and the Funland stage which features Pacman and Pong influenced levels.

If the tiny outfits, misogynist comments and dodgy controls haven't put you off yet, it is purely because of the humour. While Juliet's remarks often fall flat ('you're like a kitten, a kitten that doesn't speak Japanese') her boyfriend's banter is what keeps the comedy in the game. With gems such as 'This is so much fun, I almost forgot all my friends are dead!'. However, the main problem with Chainsaw, is that the line between satire and filth is constantly blurred. What begins as an ironic poke at American culture quickly becomes an excuse to objectify Juliet in every way possible, leaving an uncomfortable aftertaste. Some of the worst moments include Juliet revealing her aged Sensei taught her how to pole dance and gave her some 'sweet lap dancing moves'.

While the controls are temperamental and the behaviour towards Juliet outrageous, Lollipop Chainsaw offers some entertainment. Juliet is far from an engaging protagonist but Nick and family go a little way in making up for that. If you can look past the often distasteful but sometimes witty jokes and see the game for what it is - a bit of fun - Lollipop Chainsaw is a reasonable way to spend a couple of hours and empty your head.

Developer: Kurukowa Games/Grasshopper Manufacture

Publisher: Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Inc.

Platforms: PS3 & Xbox 360

Genre: Hack & Slash/Horror

Release Date: 15 June 2012

Price: £29.99/$59.99

By Emma-Lee Davidson

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Game Review: Family Tennis 3D

Family Tennis 3DS eShop Review

ARC System Works recently brought its first 3D entry of the Family Series to the Nintendo 3DS eShop. The Family series first appeared on WiiWare, but they were just average or below par than what 3DS gamers had hoped. However, this title follows a whole new format so read on to see how this one did:

Family Tennis 3D brings us those same familiar characters that we saw in the other Family games. In terms of game modes, there is: Quick play and game play. Quick play throws you into a quick casual match against an opponent randomly chosen, and set usually at two games, one set matches. This mode is a good way for you to get used to the game. In game play, you have the option of choosing either free play, tournament, and minigames. Free play allows you to select singles and doubles, as well as the characters and the option or how long you want your game to be. Tournament mode provides you a series of matches on the difficulty of choice. You can only select higher difficulties if you completed tournament on the lower ones. Finally, minigames allows you to pick between three different options that has an objective of trying to get a higher score than your opponent. In terms of other features, unfortunately there is no multiplayer, which will probably set other players, along with myself disappointed there is none of that in this Family series entry.

The games controls allow the usage of the circle pad to move your character. It's a shame there is no option to use both the d-pad and circle pad. Additionally, the movement is wonky at times, making it difficult running to get the ball and hitting it. It seems you character dives down almost every time you do both actions almost or entirely at the same time. Also, some of those opportunities to do a smash hit sometimes goes over the area mark, making these efforts frustrating at some of these moments.
The 3D capabilities are at least decent, but do not exceed what I was expecting. It is not terrible by any means, but the developer could have added more more layer or depth to the game. The animations are good though, and the additions of viewing replays after every score, as well as the ability to change camera views are welcome additions.

Conclusion
Family Tennis 3D at the core is a passable tennis title, but does not rise to the quality tennis fans would hope for. The game's often poor controls and lack of controller options makes me difficult to recommend this game to 3DS owners. There is an option to set it to easy mode, but unfortunately it doesn't make much of a difference. Unless you are a huge fan of all of ARC System Works past games in the Family series, it's best shy away from this title and to just save your cash something such as Mario Tennis Open for your portable tennis fix.

Developer: Arc System Works

Publisher: Arc System Works

Platforms: 3DS eShop 

Genre: Sports

North America Date: 5th July 2012 / 

Europe & UK Date: TBA

Price: $6.99

- Vernon Schieck

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Game Feature: Sexism in Horror Video Games (NSFW)

"Of course, they see me as a piece of meat...they're zombies!" - Sexism in Survival Horror & Zombie Games

Gaming in general has been accused of objectifying women pretty much since the introduction of the first female protagonist into arcades. In 1982, Ms Pacman was introduced as ‘the new femme fatale of the game world’ on a poster that features the lady herself, a highly made up ball on legs. While the Pacman games are hardly known for an engaging storyline (or any storyline at all), players of Ms Pacman were treated to a closing scene showing Ms Pacman’s reward for completing her trials, as having a family. The world of gaming has changed colossally since the eighties, now volumes of games of all genres are available for the different home consoles. The perception of women’s roles has also changed, however, sexism is still apparent and perhaps more widely in gaming than in any other medium. Many different genres are guilty of sexism to varying degrees and perhaps one of the worst is the survival horror/zombie game, after fighting games of course. 

Team Ninja's highly sexualised fighter 'Dead or Alive series

While it's debatable whether or not Resident evil created the survival horror genre, there's no arguing it made it popular. At first glance, the Resident Evil series could be said to be one of the lesser offenders. On the surface, the original Resident Evil even seems to be a champion for the cause, allowing players to choose between male or female characters, Chris and Jill. However, after deeper analysis we see that the game is much easier while playing as Jill as she is given two extra item slots in addition to a lockpick, allowing the player to avoid the tedious key collecting required to progress through the Chris game. This is completely independent of the difficulty setting, as you choose that separately before you begin the game. There are two possible occasions in the game whereby Jill can find herself being rescued from danger by the NPC Barry Burton. In one situation a trap is activated and the ceiling starts to descend threatening to squish the player, and the other involves a giant blood-thirsty mutant plant. Meanwhile, in Chris story mode, no one ever comes to his rescue should he find himself in danger. Instead of Barry, Chris' companion for the game is the young Rebecca Chambers, the medic of the Bravo team. She does not engage in combat, merely waiting by her teammate Richard while Chris explores the mansion and requires the player controlling Chris to rescue her at one point in the game.

The prequel, Resident Evil 0, also offers a male/female character choice, though this time in an ongoing manner using the 'partner system' whereby the character not chosen by the player is controlled by the game. This time the pick is between Rebecca of the first game and escaped convict Billy. Rebecca is equally as drippy in this game as she was in the original, coming away with such dialogue gems as 'Don't call me princess' in a high-pitched nasal tone. Resident Evil 4 features the defenceless Ashley following Leon around, having been rescued multiple times by him throughout the game and in the end asking him for some very suggestive 'overtime', and sporting a cleavage heavy bonus costume after beating the game.

Was this really necessary?

The other two female characters, on the other hand, seem to be far less stereotypical. Hunnigan has little to do in the grand scheme of the game but does turn Leon down when he asks for her phone number which is slightly refreshing after Ashley has been pining after him for the whole game. Ada is a far more developed character with a rich back story and more than once through the game she saves Leon's life. In fact, at several points throughout the games she is shown to be cunning and quick-witted, frequently outmanoeuvring her male co-stars. Yet, it is not enough for her to be clever and resourceful. For Resident Evil 4 Ada's outfit was given a more sexualised upgrade, with a high slit in dress and less coverage on her back. Besides Ada though, most of the female characters within the Resident Evil canon are only there concerning men or to play stereotypical roles. Rebecca is looking to recapture Billy; Claire is looking for her brother and along the way mothers Sherry and Jill spend the duration of Resident Evil 1 searching for Chris.

If the lack of independent, fully characterised women in the Resident Evil series is disillusioning, that is nothing compared to the Dead Rising series. Resident Evil could be accused of tokenism and less than fully developed female characters, whereas Dead Rising is filled with blatant, old school sexism. In both Dead Rising 1 and Dead Rising 2: Off the Record, you can gain experience points by taking pictures of various targets which come under the headings of Horror, Outtake, Drama, Brutality and Erotica. To score highly in the Erotica category, protagonist Frank must try and get snaps of scantily clad legs, cleavage and upskirt shots. In the original, survivor Cheryl actually asks Frank to take Erotica pictures of her.

Dead Rising 2's protagonist Chuck is a more respectful character, but the women featured in the game are still generally helpless. Three missions require you to carry next-to-naked women back to the Safe House; one of whom wearing a mermaid costume she won't take off because she isn't wearing any underwear. The main female characters Stacey Forsythe and Rebecca Chang are portrayed as strong intelligent women, at least at the beginning of the story. Off the Record is virtually the same game remade with Frank West of the original, so all the sexism of the photography feature combines with a storyline made even more sexually charged. Rebecca Chang becomes Frank's love interest and requires Frank to come to her rescue at various points throughout the game.

Other games that have stirred up controversy include the likes of Dead Island, which included in its code a skill ever so subtly called 'Feminist Whore' and the newly released Lollipop Chainsaw, whose heroine is a big busted blonde bombshell, who slays zombies in a miniskirt and crop top like a soft-core pornographic Buffy caricature.

No points for guessing who this was marketed towards?

Onechenbara: Bikini Samurai Squad is not unlike Lollipop Chainsaw in that it's a Japanese developed zombie killing game starring a scantily-clad, busty protagonist. However, unlike Lollipop Chainsaw it saw poor reviews due to lacking any real enjoyable or compelling gameplay. In an interesting provoked publicity stunt, the games publisher D3 supplied naked pictures of the main protagonist to world-renown Playboy when requested for their review of the game.

A poor 'by the numbers game' with breasts as the main selling point

There are the likes of the Left 4 Dead games which don't appear to be sexist at all but still suffer from what 'Feminist Frequency' dubs the Smurfette Principle, where the female characters appear in an ensemble of men, special infected included. It could be argued that in the case of Left 4 Dead the vast majority of players are male and so may want to play as male characters. However, although not Zombie games, the protagonists of the Metroid and Portal series are female and these have proved popular regardless of that fact (although in the original Metroid it is not apparent that the character of Samus is a woman until the credits at the end of the game).

Slightly less revealing than the previous image

In light of what is stated above, it could be said that there is a lot of work to do in the portrayal of women in survival horror/zombie games and in gaming more generally. The current female characters are underdeveloped and overly sexualised and this detracts from the authenticity of the scenario. As it is, there are and have been many fantastic zombie games that are hugely entertaining (including most of the games mentioned above) but until there are richer characters of both genders, they will fail to fulfil the potential they have to make a dramatic impact.

By Emma-Lee Davidson
Co-written by guest writers Rhiannon Davidson, Connor Keegan and Sean Keegan.

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Game News: Dragon Ball Z Budokai HD Collection & DBZ: Kinect Hit Q4 2012

DBZ Fans are set to shout and scream this Winter... Because it makes you stronger:

A Dragon Ball Z Budokai HD Collection consisting of two PS2 fighting games from the overly popular anime franchise was announced by Namco Bandai earlier today.


Dragon Ball Z Budokai HD, will include HD remasters of DBZ: Budokai and DBZ: Budokai 3. The latter remains to date, the highest-rated Dragon Ball game on Metacritic. Oddly and inexplicably Budokai 2 seems to have been left out of the collection.

The HD collection will be joining Dragon Ball Z: Kinect (Xbox exclusive) for a Q4 2012 release as It is set to be released in North America on 9th October 2012 and in Europe on 12th October for Xbox 360 and PS3. A new trailer was released alongside the announcement:

Dragon Ball Z began airing as long as 23 years ago in Japan and has seen dozens of video game releases since.

- Ben Carron

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Overrated: The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

As a long time Zelda fan, last November I eagerly awaited the release of The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, unconvinced by the graphics in the screenshots which had been released but with an open mind; I had already been pleasantly surprised by Windwaker's cel-shading despite being initially sceptical. As it turned out, the less than spectacular visuals were one of the more minor objections I had to the game when I came to play it in full. It must be said now that Skyward Sword seems to have had a 'marmite' effect on the vast majority of Zelda fans. Many, perhaps even most, have hailed it as the best in the series, and the game has been met with gushing critical reviews; it scored 93 out of 100 on Metacritic and 10/10 on IGN which labelled it a 'masterpiece'. Some fans have accused it of not 'feeling' like a Zelda game but that it is still 'amazing' (Zelda Universe forums). I have to admit to being slightly baffled at the response to the game after having played it.

The controls have split the opinions of many reviewers. Zelda Universe begins by describing them as 'one of the mixed parts of the game', going on to state that they 'aren't completely horrible but 'just unpolished'. IGN on the other hand, claims that they are 'the purest, most perfect realisation of Nintendo's ambitious goals for motion-controlled gaming. I found myself somewhere in between these two positions. While I found that the controls were innovative and exciting, there were various times when the Nunchuk was unresponsive or had a delayed reaction (particularly during the last fight). The bow, as in Twilight Princess, was remarkably accurate but where the real difference was apparent was in the sword. The Wii Motion Plus allowed Nintendo to finally cash the cheque they wrote with Twilight Princess, creating truly responsive and realistic swordplay.

I don't want to spend too much time talking about the positives of the game (of which there are many) as there are plenty of reviews showing nothing but these positives turning a blind eye to the faults, which to my mind are glaring and numerous. The first of these I would like to address is the graphics. I understand that there were many complaints that the Wii struggled with Twilight Princess's realistic style and so to circumvent these issues Skyward Sword adopted the impressionistic style. As I already mentioned I had seen screenshots of the game prior to playing my own copy and was relatively unimpressed. Official Nintendo Magazine swooned at the sight of them but I just found them to look unclean. When I saw them upon first playing the game I was utterly disappointed. It is by far the most colourful of the games and in the larger areas, where things are far off in the distance it looks much better. However, as I first looked around Link's room, I was in disbelief at what to me just translated as a lack of detail, rather than the artsy, abstract effect that Nintendo seemed to have been aiming for.

After exiting the building there was the usual annoying tutorial to learn the controls, for which I can forgive the developers, despite wistfully looking back at Majora's Mask and its distinct, welcome lack of it. It is here the story begins.

Skyward Sword sets a new, important benchmark for Nintendo. Modern video games have made significant strides in how they present stories to audiences, and it seems as though Nintendo has finally taken notice. At times they are downright captivating with their picturesque settings and powerful drama. The game lacks voice acting as always, but characters' emotions shine through regardless, and the framing of scenes is incredible- (IGN.com)

It was alright. I felt a bit like Mario getting to the castle discovering a bunch of Toads instead of Princess Peach every time Zelda ran off. It has been said that the character development displayed in this game is the best the series has seen so far, which I can only meet with a guffaw. It is true that there is some great character development on display, the problem is that it is limited to one character. Groose is the only Skyloftian who goes through any gradable transformation in the game. He is one of Nintendo's success stories, driving much of the humour in the game and moving from a completely unlikeable jerk to a character you are rooting for. There is a change in the Zelda character of Skyward Sword but I don't think you could go as far as to call it character development. She could be likened to Midna in Twilight Princess in that she seems to go from one extreme to another in a binary fashion. Skyward Zelda is a bit pushy (literally...) and annoying until she gets swept away and as if a switch has been pressed she becomes saintly. The rest of the characters are rather like the island folk in Windwaker. They will say a few different things if you talk to them, but nothing to make you feel as if what you do affects what is going on in any tangible way. In fact, that is only true of some of the Windwaker characters, you can actually matchmake and improve the shop in Windwaker through character interaction, as well as steering Mila away from a life of crime. Both Windwaker and Twilight Princess come much closer to reaching the benchmark set in 2000 by Majora's Mask in terms of character development than Skyward Sword ever does.

Probably the most irritating and 'un-Zelda like' aspect of the game for me was the map. I wouldn't accuse the game in general of being un-Zelda like at all, as it falls back on some old standards of the series (which I will discuss later). The map however was incredibly off-putting. You have the Sky area which consists of Skyloft, the Lumpy Pumpkin and the Thunderhead. Everything else is random rocks, making the flying part of the game feel like a bit of a waste of time. If there had been a couple more settlements or more to do in the sky I think the game would have benefited greatly. The surface world comprises of these three areas that are totally inaccessible from each other while on land. In other words, every time you want to go between areas, you have to go back to the sky world and then fly to the other area. The disjointed nature of the landscape made me feel like I was playing Eternal Sonata rather than a Zelda game. It is suspected that it was the criticism of Twilight Princess as big and empty that led Nintendo to adopt this kind of map, however, I think that the setting of the former felt more realistic and more suited to the adventure genre.

Much had been made of Skyward Sword's attempts to move away from the standard two-part, dungeon to dungeon format of the series prior to the game's release. It is fair to say that it achieved this to some extent. The usual pre-dungeon quests are much lengthier than in any of the previous console Zelda games and correspondingly the dungeons themselves are much shorter. The standard enemies such as Bokoblins and Deku Babas have become much more sophisticated and combat with them is now strategy based. However, when it comes to boss battles many of the old Zelda tactics rear their heads, the most obvious example being Tentalus, whose eye could have been replaced with an 'arrow goes here' sign and it couldn't have been more obvious. Each item you find in a dungeon is, as always in Zelda, used in that dungeon in order to progress. Many of the same weapons appear; it wouldn't be Zelda without the sword, bow and bombs. The bombs do get a bit of an upgrade though, you may roll them across the ground like a bowling ball to varying degrees of success. The bomb-wielding aspect of the controls caused a few hair-pulling, swearing tirades during one boss fight. One fantastic addition, however, is the beetle, which allowed me to check out all corners of the room before deciding what my next move would be.


Overall, Skyward Sword is not a bad game. It can be entertaining in places and has a couple of genius pieces of composition which lend the game personality that its characters often fail to deliver. Had I played it without the expectation that always accompanies a Zelda game I may have been pleasantly surprised. Compared with other hallmarks of the series, however, I feel it fails to match up to their high standards. Although it is visually more colourful than any of the other games, it is less colourful where it really counts and so for me, does not deserve a lot of the high praise it has been awarded from most corners.


- Emma-Lee Davidson

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