Excuse Me, Mr. Clancy: A Review of Rainbow Six – Vegas 2 for the Xbox 360
For a so-so author of throwaway airport thrillers, Tom Clancy has done alright for himself. I don’t mean to slight the man – in my younger years I read and enjoyed at least one of his novels – but consider this: from the variously successful big-screen adaptations of his Jack Ryan books to the outright novelty of several series of novels ‘inspired’ by his intellectual property, not to mention a trio of board games, Clancy seems quite content to sit back on his billfold bed and let the royalties roll in. In fact, the latest licensing deal to have arisen from his empire involved nothing less than the sale of his own name to Ubisoft, the French development studio behind such torrid mini-game fare as the irrepressible rabbids of Rayman fame are wont to inflict and the thematically daring but otherwise by-the-numbers Assassin’s Creed – oh, and something like thirty Tom Clancy Presents games. In the last decade. It wouldn’t be unreasonable, then, to expect that the maintenance of any kind of quality bar through such an overwhelming mass of quick-fire development cycles might prove, well… taxing, to put it lightly. There have certainly been some disappointing Clancy games; there have, indeed, been some downright awful entries in the each of three franchises that have spearheaded Clancy’s involvement in video-games. And yet.
Patap0wnage: A Review of Patapon for the PSP
In the summer of 2006, LocoRoco was released for the PSP, and with precious little in the way of fanfare. With the exciting launch of the first next-gen console to anticipate and a crowded release calendar which included new instalments of such venerable franchises as Half-Life, Tomb Raider, Splinter Cell and Final Fantasy, it wasn’t a surprise to see this excellent new IP fall under most gamers’ radar. Today, however, it stands shoulder to shoulder with Katamari Damacy as among the most innovative platformers to come to video games in decades. Its simple yet distinctive aesthetic proved uniquely appealing, while its gravity-oriented gameplay mechanics were a breath of fresh air next to more traditional fare. LocoRoco was a brief thrill, admittedly, but an unforgettable one nonetheless, and considering how much it has in common with Patapon, one can only hope that Japan studio’s latest proves able to carve out a more appealing fate. And let it be said: this game demands your recognition.
All Things Uncertain 