Sherlock Holmes vs Jack The Ripper

Sherlock Holmes versus Jack The Ripper is the newest addition to the mystery series. It follows the same principal as its predecessors using conversation and unraveling puzzles to solve the case. There are some new additions to this release that I enjoyed, but a bit later about that…

Your adventure starts with a couple of brutal murders that took place in the White Chapel area.

First Glance

I found the menu neatly done and it pulls you right into the game, so to speak. At first, the menu seemed to have a lot of buttons, but I really came to appreciate the fact that it was so easy to use. There is no second guessing as to where to find the option you need. I had to sometimes search deep and hard for a feature, apparently lost in the menu options, in some titles. Once found, chances are you’ll be looking for it the second time around! The first thing I do with any game, is to click on the “Options” menu and then “controls” to see what keyboard key is bound to what function. In this case, it proved to be unnecessary; since you are presented with a keyboard and mouse diagram with the whole game control layout when starting a new game. It is so much better to see it visually and to remember the key bounds are so much easier. It used to be a common thing to do back in the day, but it seemed to have phased out. I, for one, am glad to see it once more.
So we start a new game…

Graphics and detail

I like to keep this part short and sweet: It is either excellent, very good, good, bad or terrible. I usually cut it down to good or bad.
The graphics did surprise me somewhat: While standing next to the window, I have noticed the wall looks so textured and real that I could almost feel it. It is not true; however, for all parts of the game, but there certainly is some good usage of texture and lighting in areas. Mostly the game has a sketchy feel to it. When first walking the streets, it reminded me of the classic game, Thief. I appreciated the fact that the map did not lack detail: It did not feel empty. There are people roaming the streets and you can pretty much interact with each and everyone – even if it is just a one liner they give back at you.

Sound

It is not like I played the game on surround sound speakers, but it sounded pretty decent to me. I liked the background noises in the streets.

Gameplay

Here I will elaborate on some of the extra features: You are able to switch between 3rd person view or first person view with the press of a button. In 3rd person view, it is point and click and in 1st person view you use WASD to control your character. I preferred the 1st person view; since I struggled with the 3rd person view – but that could just be me. You get a map of London that you use to travel to different locations on the map. In the beginning you are sent on errands before getting to the point where you start solving the case. I found these very unchallenging and made my mind up that this game will be a breeze to play. To top it off, you can press the space bar to see all the “hot spots” (areas that you can click on or interact with) I soon realized it was only to get you accustomed to the mechanics of the game. There are a number of puzzles that are quite difficult to solve. I like a challenge, but it presents a small problem only because the game is linear and you have no choice but to solve the puzzle before you can carry on with the game. Some of the puzzles have got nothing to do with solving the case either: Like helping someone to open their briefcase. It can be a bit frustrating, but fun all the same. My favorite feature in the game is the detection board: This is where all the clues are written down and you get to choose some options of how the crime went down. These assumptions then links to one another that has to make the final statements true.
I found the interface easy to use and picking up the mechanics of the game was no problem at all. The game kept me interested with the odd frustration of not being able to solve a puzzle. I would like to think that a movie is only as good as the dialogue and the same goes for me when it comes to a mystery game like this one. The dialogue, in this case, was nicely done.

All in all, I had a good gaming experience and I would recommend this game to anyone that likes a bit of mystery solving.

I rate this game 3 and ½ stars out of 5.
1- Not worth the time
1 and ½ – Playable, but you might want to give it a miss
2 – Not Bad. There are games more worthwhile to play though.
3 – Good. You may consider buying this game.
3 and ½- This is worth a shot and your money’s worth.
4- A very cool game. Don’t miss out on this one!
4 and ½ – You’d miss out if not playing this!
5- Awesome game. Forget about the rest. You should play only this game!

See for yourself:

Trick your Girlfriend into letting you Game

Let’s face it… many women don’t like gaming. Especially mine. But I have managed to trick her in various ways which has either landed me with another few rounds of COD5 and/or her actually taking a part in Gaming.

#1 The Lie

When your girl is begging you to get off your console, explain to her that quitting a round early could “get you banned” from Xbox Live. Prove it to her by insisting she plays while you go to the toilet or have a cigarette. WARNING: If you play COD, she will suck, and you will wince as you see your deaths begin to rise. Be sure to leave the mike on so you and everyone else on Xbox Live can enjoy her asking about what exactly the fuck is going on.

#2 “Gay” Games

Let her choose a game. There are lots of “gay” games around these days… Viva Pinata and The Sims come to mind. These are games that either appeal to the fun, family side of her or her innate desire to control the pathetic life of someone else in the case of the Sims. Let her play, preferably on a laptop. Behind you, in front of you, anywhere except on your Xbox. When is she is playing, you can play. And that’s everyone happy, no?

#3 The Quest

Choose story intensive games with lots of cut-scenes. Then, if you get her stoned enough you may find that she responds as she would to a good TV program: utterly compelled and wouldn’t miss it for the world. Be careful she doesn’t get into it too much however, because an argument based on who gets to find Umbra’s Gear on the misty plains of Tamriel is just weird. And it’s certain that you’ll be pretty pissed off if she finds it first!

#4 Sweet TV

If you live with your girlfriend, all is not lost. Purport that your latest purchases of a 1080p progressive scan 50″ HDTV and a Sony 5.1 Theater Sound System needs to be used for gaming every so often. Add just a smidgen of emotional blackmail and tell her “I buy you this TV, Xbox and sound system, and you never use it!” Then promise to get her more of her own electronic devices. After all, it’s not like gaming is a crime.

#5 The Last Resort

The Last Resort is, well, the very last resort. By going this route you will undoubtedly declare your love of Gamingdom. However you will forever bear the title of sneaky, rotten, dirty, filthy, gaming bastard. Leave a slippery substance on the floor, in the hope that she slips and injures herself. You are hoping for a leg injury. While at the doctor, insist that she needs a wheelchair until she is put into one. Then install a step in your gaming room.

Resident Evil 5 gets PC Release date

Capcom’s most recent edition of its popular survival horror series was released on Xbox 360 and PS3 in March this year.

Resident Evil V has players stepping into the shoes of Chris Redfield as he and Sheva Alomar investgate a terrorist threat in an unspecified African country.

The game managed to sell over 2 million units in its first three weeks, and as of June it had sold over 5 million units around the world, making it the best selling Resident Evil game to date.

All this and it still has not even been released on PC. In business terms, this was probably a good move on the part of Capcom as we all know how PC gamers love to pirate. However, the publisher seems content that it has milked the game for what it is worth on console, and is ready to give PC gamers a taste of the action.

Capcom announced last night that Resident Evil V for PC will arrive in Europe on September 18.

The PC version will feature support for higher resolutions than the console versions, as well as support for Nvidia’s GeForce 3D Vision hardware. The new release will also feature subtle in-game changes, such as new costumes and a “new and improved mercenaries mode with three times as many enemies.”

Even though I prefer these types of games on console, I remember playing Resident Evil 2 on my PC. Much fun to be had. So watch out for this title soon!

SBK09 – Superbike World Championship

This game works for me. Why? Everything just works well and smoothly. Ever wanted to pop a wheelie on the front or back wheel – no problem! How about lifting your front wheel out of a corner or have the back tire slide from under you as you accelerate around the bend? Insane, hey!(Pun intended)I would compare SBK to Toca Race Driver when it comes to realism and features.

Graphics and detail

The bike – and rider models look very good. Something that I immediately noticed was the well textured tarmac. The skyline is pleasant to look at and you can see all the flags from the different countries wave in the wind as you speed past the finishing line. There is quite a bit of detail around the track ranging from a helicopter cruising the sky to buildings and advertisement boards. I haven’t noticed any special effects like sun glare, but that doesn’t take away from the game at all. Over all, the graphics are convincing.

Exit the game son, dinner is ready!

“This is no game, Mom!”
Realism, you ask…Well, there is a whole menu dedicated to realism options. Speaking of menus: They are easy to use and having a dynamic background with animated objects and characters just adds to the feel of the game. Some of the realism options you can choose from: Bike damage, Rider Health, Realistic inertia, Tire wear…and the list goes on. You are able to select a team, rider and weather conditions. The weather effects are quite cool. Rainy will have your screen splattered with raindrops and the sky gets all grey and cloudy. Does the wet track make any difference? It definitely does. I found the water on the track looks impressive and the way your tires get wet. When you wheelie on the back wheel or front wheel, you can tip the bike if pushing it a bit too far. Crashing into a wall or slipping around a corner looks quite realistic. You even got a button for reverse! I haven’t tried it, come to think of it. I would think that you will push the bike backwards. I just love the camera angles in both real time play and replay mode. Racing with the dashboard view gives you that extra adrenaline rush.

How well does it go?

The game is responsive and as smooth as anything. What impressed me the most, was the snappy loading times. SBK09, features Multiplayer mode so you can duel it out amongst your friends. Playing the game is quite fun and you may find yourself playing with all the features and moves you can do, that before you realize it, the race is over and you still need to pull away! Here is a neat trick you can try: Pressing the front brake while pushing down on the throttle, your rider will put his feet down on the ground and the bike will spin in one place.
Another happy surprise: Trying my Logitech Rumblepad II with SBK09, gave very good results. Finally a game that has good force feedback with my game pad!

Sound

Luckily you can turn off the racing music, because it just didn’t do it for me all that much. Only one thing that stood out: The lack of booming crashes. The animation is there, it looks convincing, but it just didn’t sound all that convincing to me. Other than that, there is not much to grumble about.

Over all this is a great game and I will recommend it to any Super bike fan out there.

I will give this game 4 out of 5 stars. See and Rate it for yourself here:

Recent server problems plagues World of WarCraft

Problems with the servers in the last 2 days has had relentless debate online as to what is happening with the service levels of Blizzard. No response from Blizzard and unplayable servers have brought some enthuisiasts to seek out other games like Guild Wars or Lord of the Rings Online.

With Dungeons & Dragons Online becoming Free to Play another blow to the loyal World of Warcraft fanbase may help in sinking this giant. It appears that Blizzard just does not give a damn anymore, with Support Tickets going unheard for over 10 hours, one just has to wonder what is going on.

Recently Blizzard decided to remove LAN play from Diablo 3 and StarCraft 2, causing an outrage from the community. As The Gamer said, it seems Blizzard has lost all touch with it’s loyal subscriber base, and even though the new anticipated titles will probably sell 1 Million copies before release date, I wonder how much more would have been sold if Blizzard listened to it’s fans.

Here’s hoping Blizzard sees the light before it’s too late. Bigger giants with greater titles have sunk because of their ignorance. Let’s just hope it’s not too late!

Gamers sign StarCraft 2 LAN Petition

Over 70 000 gamers have opted to sign an online petition against the idea of removing the LAN capabilities of StarCraft, one of Blizzard’s most popular games to date, being played by millions after 10 years on the market.

PC gamers around the world threw their collective hands in the air on June 29 2009 when Blizzard casually announced that StarCraft II would ship without LAN support.

Blizzard explained that the reason there will be no LAN support is that it wants Battle.net to be a central hub for StarCraft 2 multiplayer. Bob Colayco from Blizzard PR went on to explain that the decision was also made in order to curb piracy of the hugely anticipated title.

Even though the promise of the new Battle.net appears intriguing, Blizzard doesn’t account for the millions of players without regular internet access. Something that might stifle the game’s re-playability, something Blizzard wants to enhance with the World of WarCraft Achievement system, yet doesn’t account for in it’s player-base currently.

Something tells me Blizzard has lost touch with it’s consumers. Be sure to raise your voice in the online petition. I sure have!