Top 5 Unsung Gaming Heroes Of 2010 So Far

At times, we miss out on gaming titles that, while not perfect, prove interesting on the video games radar. Here are my favourites unsung heroes of 2010 so far...
SPLIT SECOND: VELOCITY (7/10)- A racing game featuring explosions, wrecked cars and dynamite aplenty- Burnout much?- this was overlooked in light of other big gaming releases at the time such as Alan Wake, but at half price now it's well worth purchasing for some party time fun.
RED DEAD REDEMPTION (9.5/10)- Believe it or not, this sold well but not as well as the other titles in the GTA company Rockstar's repertoire. Shame, then, because Wild West revamp Red Dead's compelling storyline, near-flawless game-play and longevity make it one of the best adventure titles this year.
SUPER STREET FIGHTER 4 (9/10)- Though it shuns newcomers at first, Super Street Fighter IV is a wholly rewarding experience for fans and eventually all gamers alike.
SPIDER-MAN: SHATTERED DIMENSIONS (8/10): Combining four universes, Amazing, Noir, 2099 and Ultimate, Shattered Dimensions was only let down by its repetition, but the vivid graphics, comic-book plot and often innovative game-play make it utterly excellent.
LEGO HARRY POTTER YEARS 1-4 (9/10): The underwhelming LEGO Batman and Indiana Jones 2 instalments left LEGO fans a little bit disbelieving towards the Harry Potter version, but overall it was the best in the children-aimed franchise by a mile!

The Brilliant Book Of Doctor Who 2011 Review (4.5/5)

The BBC Marketing campaign for the fifth season of Doctor Who has been incredibly extensive, and the latest hard-back to come out of the campaign is dubbed The Brilliant Book Of Doctor Who 2011. This release seems uncannily similar to a bargain-bin annual at first glance, but fans will quickly realise the episode guides, brand new behind-the-scenes facts and imagery and teasers for Series 6 make this anything but. Titles such as "The Dream's Lord Teasers" for the latter double-page spread do give off a whim of writers trying to find new ways of communicating the plots of each story, though the fact these could quickly prove massive in next year's episodes adds an extra layer of fan service to the book. Simply put, though at times, the limited double-page spreads do at times make for at times for too brief sections, but overall the release is well worth a look for any 2005-, 2010- or classic fan!

Guitar Hero: Warriors Of Rock Review (5/10)

Isn't it about time that the music-rhythm genre took a rest? Seriously, after well over 10 Guitar Hero titles, 5 Rock Band titles, DJ Hero (the sequel of which is coming next month, as is Rock Band 3), Guitar Hero: Warriors Of Rock feels predictable and somewhat dated to play. The sixth full entry in the franchise, Warriors Of Rock gives players the opportunity to turn their comic, fictional avatars into rock demons in an effort to destroy a creature known only as "The Beast", and while this premise seems a dire attempt by Neversoft in their final GH entry to spice things up, the new story or Quest mode (narrated by one Gene Simmons) actually works quite well in changing how the genre works. Nevertheless, players are still essentially just pushing coloured buttons to the beat, and though this was pretty fun for the first two or three instalments, now the concept is just getting old. Annual releases can work greatly at times, just look at Call Of Duty, but like the racing and football genres, Warriors Of Rock serves as proof the music-rhythm stuff is way passed its best before date.

Skulduggery Pleasant: Mortal Coil Review (4.5/5)

There are lots of things to hate about Mortal Coil, the fifth book in the Skulduggery Pleasant series by Derek Landy. For one, the 600 page length of the new hardback that would often be used to pack loads of major events and twists in is here mostly used as a method of Valkyrie withholding the terrible truth she discovered in Dark Days (4/5) from Skulduggery, her friends and her family, and this sense of distrust and eventual betrayal outstays its welcome far quicker than it should of given this release's close proximity to that of the fourth book (released in April 2010, Landy clearly intended this year's double-release as a way of changing things for the series, but this gaping flaw leaves me to wonder whether the short time he must have had to write 2 books for 1 year prevented him from writing at his best, found in the original Pleasant novel). Also, new characters introduced such as Tesseract for the majority of the time have little-to-no in depth characterisation, leaving readers to use the image on the back of the lavish cover or their imagination to decrypt who this assassin really is. Why, then, do you see such a high score above? Simply put, once the book finds its pace (around the half-way mark, at 300 or so pages), it doesn't let the attention of the reader escape, and while there's nothing utterly groundbreaking here in the writing or in terms of series-changing twists, the events of the last 100 pages are truly shocking for the franchise as a whole, with the final chapter in particular striking in the mind simply for the return of someone thought previously to be dead. Though some may be put off by its length, Mortal Coil (eventually) is a gripping tale in the Pleasant that deserves to be read by fans!

The Other Guys Review (3.5/5)

Will Ferrell has a long line of film greats behind his back already: Anchorman; Talladega Nights and Step Brothers being just a few, and 3-D animation Megamind still to come this Autumn. Bearing all that in mind, we come to the latest Ferr-ociously funny entry, The Other Guys. Like the great cop flicks of the '70s and '80s, this at times outrageous comedy opens a car chase used primarily to showcase the high-octane cameos of Samuel "Mace Windu" L Jackson and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, and is then succeeded by perhaps the funniest moment in the film, which also ends the Jackson/Johnson scenes on a high. Enter The Other Guys, where Ferrell's character steps in along with another cop, portrayed by Mark Wahlberg (the names of the characters were so infrequently mentioned they certainly don't stick out), to tackle a plot involving scaffolding, explosions and Steve Coogan (who adds some nice British edge to an otherwise US-fuelled flick as David Ershon). I went in expecting some good comedy with the odd burst-out-laughing gag, and didn't come away disappointed. At no point does The Other Guys step into the realms of movie-comedy masterclass where The Hangover and Get Him To The Greek currently preside, but it's a good romp nonetheless and Will Ferrell at his best.

Doctor Who: Empire Of The Wolf & Judoon Monsoon Review (3/5)

Ever since the Decide Your Destiny books were thought up, there's been fan controversy as to whether any of the solo adventures involving making your own decisions about the path the Doctor, the companion and yourself should take, could be regarded as canon. The second wave of this year's Season 5 journeys, however, seems to remedy this by providing near-complete analysis of when in the Whoniverse both stories take place: Judoon Monsoon sees the Doctor, Amy and Rory travelling shortly after the events of The Big Bang (we aren't sure if it's directly after, but the words "her husband" with regards to Rory basically confirm the time-frame) and Empire Of The Wolf predictably a sequel to the David Tennant story Tooth And Claw, albeit now focusing on Matt Smith's Doctor and Amy (some point after Cold Blood but before the finale). Judoon Monsoon provides easy reading, not actually making much use of the titular villains but offering some interestingly emotional climaxes nonetheless, while Empire Of The Wolf takes things one step further by providing a direct sequel to Tooth And Claw, even referencing what happened to the Empire of werewolves after the head wolf died at Queen Victoria's hand. As with the other DYD adventures, there's nothing on offer here that will make for a truly captivating pair of reads, but both will appeal to fans of 1963-2010 or simply 2005-2010 Doctor Who.

Doctor Who: The Only Good Dalek Review (4.5/5)

Doctor Who has never had an illustrious history in the comic-book world, only delving into the land of panels and speech bubbles through its sister magazines and compliation publications, so the announcement of The Only Good Dalek came as a somewhat surprise, said to be launching a new series of 11th Doctor graphic novels that would be regarded as canon to the TV show. The Only Good Dalek takes place somewhere between Cold Blood and The Pandorica Opens, leaving Amy wiped of memory of her husband Rory and the Doctor trying to find somewhere to "make it up" to her. Here, we see the TARDIS (with no explanation whatsoever for once) arrive on Station 7, before encountering a menagerie of classic Dalek-related adversaries (I won't spoil them for classic-series fans, but sufficed to say there are some nice surprises) and spying an experiment by humans to convert the Doctor's feared arch-foes into weapons against their own kind. It's typical Who stuff, and the premise certainly doesn't come as a shock for this reviewer, but there are definitely some twists and turns which, while not posed to set Who-canon on fire, will catch readers off guard, and remind long-time devotees of the classic strategic factor the Daleks had been missing until the new Paradigm was created in Season 5. The feeling that it is simply stealing from televised Dalek stories does occasionally crop up at times, and often the art-work can leave a little to be desired, but The Only Good Dalek is a captivating start the new Who comic franchise.

Top 5 Games Of The Year So Far

GRAND THEFT AUTO: EPISODES FROM LIBERTY CITY (9/10)- This compilation of the two DLC packs for Grand Theft Auto 4 (10/10) brought together the excellent Lost And Damned (8/10) and Ballad Of Gay Tony (9/10), the former providing an exciting club-based romp through the city via motorbike and providing a good 10 hours entertainment, and the latter adding the fun zest San Andreas was known for and that Niko's storyline was missing through new mechanics such as golf and hijacking trains.

MASS EFFECT 2 (10/10)- Pretty much the equivalent to The Dark Knight as a sequel, Mass Effect 2 expanded on the original (9/10) in every way, showcasing finer-tuned graphics, emotional instrumentals and a wealth of possibilities carrying through from Mass Effect and of which would effect ME3. A truly special 360 exclusive that will find its way to PC and PS3 in January 2011!

RED DEAD REDEMPTION (9.5/10)- Glitches and an at times messed up plot prevented this from achieving the full 10, but none-the-less Red Dead's voice cast, powerful twists and true-to-history Western setting provided the most memorable free-roaming game since Grand Theft Auto IV, a title worthy of the Rockstar name.

SUPER MARIO GALAXY 2 (10/10)- Simply amazing, the sequel to Galaxy was near-perfect in every way, providing stunning graphics, a heartwarming soundtrack and not least some fine imagination to boot. If this isn't a contender for Game Of The Year, I don't know what is.

HALO: REACH (10/10)- Nearly missed out on the 10 due to its unoriginality at times and graphics which no longer look so neat, but the amazing story and huge replay value made this THE complete FPS package for all gamers to own on 360.

Halo: Reach Review (10/10)

Hmm. That simple thought struck me as I played through the opening levels of Halo: Reach, hearing the same sounds of gunfire, witnessing the same good-but-not-great graphics, and lobbing the same plasma grenades as I had in Halo, Halo 2, Halo 3, Halo Wars and Halo 3: ODST before it. But do you know what? Despite all that, all the niggling criticisms that I could level at Reach throughout my game-play time, there wasn't a single moment when I wasn't loving it just as much as, make that more than the other Halo titles. If you didn't know by now, the planet Reach's take-over by the Covenant opened the original trilogy of Xbox titles, and so this prequel sheds some light on just how Reach was invaded and how the Master Chief managed to survive the conflict. But, in essence, it's the story of Noble Team, some of the most developed characters ever in the Haloverse, and their struggle to hold off the defence that bit longer, to save as many civilians as they can, and ultimately to lay down their lives in the name of humanity. The story truly is Bungie's franchise at its absolute best, proving the ultimate swan-song before the team leaves for a different series, and culminating in the most nostalgic way ever- I'm not kidding. The campaign will last you around 10 hours-20 depending on the difficulty level (I played on Normal and didn't find it too hard, but Heroic and Legendary kick up the difficulty insanely), but there's Firefight (much better than ODST) and Online to keep you going. Simply put, there's a ton of life-span here for gamers, fans and newcomers, and while it may not look the prettiest, or be the most original Halo ever (though romps in space, Falcons and MAC Cannons easily shake things up), it's the FPS you've known and loved for ten years, and doesn't get any better.

Merlin: The Tears Of Uther Pendragon Part 2 Review (4/5)

As I said last week, the first part of this opening story was a solid, darker start to the third season of Merlin, so it was up to Part 2 to take that one step further, which surprisingly it did. The Tears Of Uther Pendragon should have, by all rights, been a by-the-books opener with little accomplished other than yet another reintroduction of the main cast for newcomers. However, that wasn't the case: big events from Season 2 are referenced here as if you should have been watching the show since its beginning in 2008, and major plot-lines such as Merlin's destiny and the future love between Arthur and Gwenneviere were expanded largely for the first time here. The Great Dragon's fleeting appearance was nice, though hopefully if he's in the other 11 episodes the writers have thought of a solid reason for him to stay and help, not trying to think of a different circumstance every week. Seeing once good characters such as Morgana turn devilishly wicked is often quite disturbing stuff, and likely will be for the younger ones too! Whether this season can keep up the finale-like pace each episode remains to be seen (and the trail for the third story seems to suggest otherwise), but The Tears Of Uther Pendragon undoubtedly rivals the best of Merlin so far.

Playstation Move Review (7/10)

There'll be no Xbox 360 biasm here: I went into HMV as the proud owner of a Playstation 2, and a gamer intrigued by the concept of advancing the motion genre beyond the Nintendo Wii, looking only to credit the Playstation Move. So, what did it have to say for itself? I tried out three Move games, Sports Champions; The Shoot and Eyepet: Move Edition, and while I didn't come away flabbergast or breathless at the variety and calibration on offer in the titles, neither was I completely put off by the new control system either. The Move works using the Playstation Eye to detect a flashing light orb on the end of the new motion controller. Here a problem arose early on: even mild lighting can distract the all-seeing Eye in any one game, and given that most people will be playing this in the comfort of their bright living rooms, the lighting dilemma may start to cause major lag and calibration issues. However, for all the times the calibration was fine, the Playstation Move worked fine: Sports Champions played a little like Wii Sports Resort (8/10) but with better graphics, allowing precise sporting actions and fun multi-player romps (although it's been said that Kinect will cost more, however, thinking of the amount of Move controllers needed for multi-player as opposed to one camera will make the shelling out approximately even); The Shoot provided a compitent, if inaccurate FPS experience not far removed from Red Dead Redemption, though the novelty quickly wore off, and the same could be said of the Eyepet tool. One thing's for sure, the Move has more hard-core games to look forward to very soon, and as soon as its got its calibration issues sorted out, it could easily be the true successor to Wii, and a major distraction in Microsoft's master-plan to dominate casual gaming with the Kinect in Christmas. There's room for expansion, sure, but the launch line-up provides a solid foundation for what is to come in PS3's future.

Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam DVD Review (3.5/5)

The original Camp Rock (3/5) was Disney's latest attempt at finding a spin-off franchise of sorts for the so-called phenomenon the High School Musical trilogy, and though it had an average to decent soundtrack, the story was too predictable and the acting too melodramatic to provide a true classic. I'd love to say that's all changed with Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam, but as ever Demi Lovato and co give off the standard Disney Channel fan-fare that put me off the station as I left junior school, acting so unbelievably badly at times you'd think this was a soap (enter a wave of hate mail for this reviewer). To give it its credit, The Final Jam boasts a much more solid and consistently likeable soundtrack than its predecessor, with tracks such as Introducing Me and Brand New Day proving heartwarming and harkening back to the days of Grease's hits, and a story which may lift the emotions that little bit more than the original. If you can get over the terrible acting and often out-of-video vocal backing, Camp Rock 2 provides a better watch than the first film and a solid foundation for an increasingly lovable franchise.

Merlin: The Tears Of Uther Pendragon Part 1 Review (3.5/5)

So, Merlin's back for a third season, and predictably enough given the light-hearted nature of the first two series, the writers thought it was a time for a change, providing a dark twist with the new opener Tears Of Uther Pendragon. From Morgana becoming the cold hearted witch prophesised in the Arthur folklore to King Uther being ravaged by ghostly visions from the past, the tone was a lot more grim than we're used to. But, mostly, that was for the better. Only the utterly simple cliff-hanger of the Great Dragon saving Merlin from his untimely demise drew this opener down from being an otherwise solid start to the third series. To be concluded this Sunday...

Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions Review (8/10)

Spider-Man certainly hasn't had an illustrious history in video gaming: movie adaptation Spider-Man 2 is considered to be the best title featuring the webbed wonder, and yet still upon closer analysis isn't that great. So, predictably, anticipation wasn't high for Shattered Dimensions due to the countless times fans have been let down before. But if hard-core Spider-fans choose to opt out of buying this fresh new release, they'll be missing out on a winner: Shattered Dimensions successfully combines four different game-play styles together, with only repetition encountered in the second half stopping it from acheiving Arkham Asylum (10/10) greatness. Critics have already complained the plot is too slim, however look back at most Spidey games and there wasn't much of a cohesive story there, either. The only problem I found here is that at times the game tried to get tangled up (pun intended) in the main stories of its respective comics, and in doing so alienated me, a fan but not hard-core comic reader, and probably the target audience of 16 year-olds looking to kick butt as four Spider-Men. The dimensions are as follows: Amazing (4/5), boasting simple Spider web-based fighting and some great comic animations, Noir (3/5) allowing for a more stealthy approach, yet getting caught up too much in the shadows to truly be the Silent Predator mode, 2099 (4/5), a futuristic brawler featuring fun free-fall sections but that are too sparse in-between, and Ultimate (4.5/5), getting my vote as favourite for its style and light fighting. After 6 or 7 hours of continuous play, Shattered Dimensions' repetition did tire on me somewhat, but having left it then come back the problem was pretty much solved, though sadly not unforgivable. Basically, this is the best Spider-Man game we've seen SINCE Spider-Man 2, but due to a couple of flaws won't match up to the best of Batman.

Aliens VS Predator Review (2/5)

The AVP franchise of the 21st century certainly doesn't have the best repertoire, with the original Alien VS Predator getting mediocre reviews and Requiem getting average at best, so can Aliens VS Predator, a new video game for 360 and PS3, manage any better? Sadly, it seems not. The human sections try to hastily put together FPS and horror, but it doesn't work as gunning down once-deadly Aliens feels both a chore and too easy. The sections based around that enemy don't work brilliantly either, with sloppy wall-crawl controls, and the less said of the Predator bits the better. Overall, a bit of a sloppy effort then, with mere moments of greatness.

Adrian Mole: The Prostrate Years (3.5/5)

Oh Sue Townsend, how you tease us. In 2007, fans witnessed Adrian Mole hitting 40, and seemingly left him a content, if unsatisfied man working in a bookstore with a wife who said "who would ever read your diary" (oh, the irony!), and his son proudly fighting in Afghanistan. That was how Adrian Mole and the Weapons Of Mass Destruction culminated three years ago, however it turns out not where the series finished: Adrian Mole The Prostrate Years was released this summer, and picks up where Weapons left off, only casting Mole with more problems than ever before: cancer, the return of Pandora into his life, and the book-shop facing huge financial problems and soon threatening to close down. This may sound more than a little depressing, and in a sense it is, but that only adds to the likeability of Prostrate Years (not to be taken literally, of course), as well as the satirical humour, cutting references and tear-jerking ending the recent diaries of the now 42-year-old Adrian have been known for. Without spoiling it, the Moles seem in a much happier place than they were when we saw them in 2007 this time around, and though it's all-but-confirmed the story will continue next year, this would be a great end to the saga. Old flaws, however, do rear their ugly heads: the genuine appeal found with the original Aged 13 3/4 novel is near-totally lost now, so teenagers who have been avidly following Mole's exploits may find themselves lost here. Perhaps, though, given that since The Capuccino Years this has pretty much been the case, fans won't mind- we'll see!

Merlin: Series Three Begins This Saturday

Ever since Merlin hit BBC One in 2008, it's ratings have constantly risen, and the tales of King-to-be Arthur's titular apprentice in his pre-wizardry years have convinced viewers it's a drama to be reckoned with as it returns every autumn. The third season of adventures is set to begin broadcasting on BBC One this Saturday the 11th of September. Set a year after Season Two, the new series will see Merlin face off against friend-turned-foe Morgana, have to go through perilous tasks in order to keep his secret from King Uther Pendragon, and even call upon the aid of arch-enemy the Great Dragon as evil witches threaten to destroy the Kingdom Of Camelot. It all promises to be exciting stuff, and you can find the first review of Episode 1 (Part 1 of an opening two-parter) on this site after broadcast on Saturday night!

The Blind Side Review (4/5)

Sandra Bullock isn't a great actress, in my opinion, and "hits" such as The Proposal serve as more than evidence in my mind. The Blind Side, however, shows her better, more emotional side as her character, a rich mother, deals with an American-Football player (portrayed by the superb Michael Lewis) who also suffers with his African-American heritage in his schooling and day-to-day life. This could be seen as a fairly dull premise, were it not for the heart-warming scenes that follow between Bullock and Lewis, easily convincing this reviewer there was something special going on as The Blind Side was shot. The plot itself isn't completely solid, featuring gaping holes such as any significant historical context, but the superb duo's consistently pleasing dynamic basically makes up for this shortcoming, and ensure that The Blind Side is a worthy entry in its genre with plenty of laughs and tears sure to be provoked throughout.

Spider-Man Shattered Dimensions Countdown: Ultimate

Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions is just less than a week away now, so it's time to look at the final of the four revealed dimension experiences. Ultimate Spider-Man enjoyed a popular run of comics from the year 2001 onwards, and while the comic has for the most part come to an end, its success is still widely-known. There was even a great PS2 game based around the saga, which got an 8/10 here. So the return of this reborn hero is easily welcome to fans including myself. Fans were wondering given his similarities to Amazing Spider-Man whether the two dimensions would be different at all bar graphical style, so thank goodness Beenox pulled out a wild card and put Ultimate Spidey into the previously little-used (in the comic) black Venom suit. The costume gives our iconic hero tentacles with which to cause havoc, so predictably the bosses here are some of Spidey's toughest ever and whole armies of enemies will be dispatched to fight our dark hero. While it doesn't look to be as different as, say, 2099 or Noir, Ultimate will provide a unique Spider-Man experience, and we obviously want some familiarity at times anyway. Will Shattered Dimensions live up to fans' (including my own) high expectations? Expect impressions on Friday, September 10th, then the full review on Sunday September 12th, plus a wholesome review of Halo: Reach the next week!

Top Gear: The Alternative Highway Code Review (3/5)

I'll be honest, I'm not the biggest fan of BBC's Top Gear, the car-based weekly show featuring Richard Hammond, Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Ben Collins (yes, I went there!), but the premise of this newly released book- an alternative set of driving rules- got me interested, and this is great value as I found it for a fiver. All the classic humour of the series is injected here, there are some cutely drawn animated pictures of the cast, although at times you can't truly see who the target audience is: occasionally the simplicity of the writing will have you thinking it's for kids, but the references to past shows seems like it's made for the adult fan. Either way, it's still a simple yet effective book that's great while it lasts.

Doctor Who Series 6 Will Be Broadcast In Two Halves

"What this show needs," said Steven Moffat at the Media Guardian Festival in Edinburgh "is a big event in the middle. I kept referring to a mid-season finale. So we are going to make it two series – seven episodes at Easter building to an earth-shattering climax, a cliffhanger we could never normally do because it would be too long before it came back. An enormous game-changing cliffhanger that will change everything." If that didn't summarise it well enough, basically Moffat and co have confirmed Series 6, instead of being simply broadcast as 13 episodes through Spring, will be split in two: seven episodes from Easter 2011 to sometime around late May, a couple of months wait with Torchwood: The New World in-between, then come September the other 6 episodes will lead us through to late October, at which point Sherlock, Merlin and The Sarah Jane Adventures will take over BBC's Drama. What the cliff-hanger seperating the two mini-seasons might be, we don't know yet (though the Sun has made the claim Amy will die, it's easy to take this with a giant pinch of salt), but Steven's claim of it being "game-changing" will likely have something to do with Professor River Song, since at the same event he was asked whether Song's identity would be revealed in Season 6 (which could either mean the Easter run, or the whole year's episodes), to which he replied "Definitely.". Exciting stuff, then, in what will essentially be a year where Doctor Who always has some presence on television!

Spider-Man Shattered Dimensions Countdown: 2099

Of the four dimensions revealed for this latest Spider-Man video game, 2099 looks to be the most diverse and different from the titles that have come before. Predictably set 89 years from now, 2099 sees a different character take the suit out for a web-spin in New York, one Miguel O Hara, and involves futuristic landscapes ready for some free-falling combat against the likes of Hobgoblin, Scorpion and a female Doc Ock (you heard right!). This will obviously mean some different control mechanics come into play, but don't worry as a (albeit very cheesy and minor) tutorial shows you how each of the Spider-Men play as the game opens. Acheivements and Trophies are already set to challenge Spider-fans to get through a free-fall section without being hit by hover-cars or oncoming buildings, so there's no doubt 2099 will provide a challenge, not to mention three incredibly tough bosses to face off against, two of which were never seen in the 2099 comic. With this and Noir looking to be brand new Spidey experiences, and Amazing and Ultimate (more on him in a few days) providing a nostalgic sense of familiarity, Shattered Dimensions is set to shatter your expectations of a superhero game on September 10th.