"Snake?! Snake?! SNAAAAKE!" - "What?!" - "Do you understand this story?!"

Anyway, my point is that those who haven’t played the other games will simple not understand the fourth. Yes, Yes: so there are elements that make it feature as a stand-alone game. However, not even I can tell you the entire story without sitting down over some steaming food rations, an edible snake, and a guard uniform complete with AK47 that-I-ran-around-for-hours-on-end-trying-to-get-because-they’re-in-different-parts-of-the-Big-Shell-and-I-could-have-been-doing-something-important-like- killing-the-Metal-Gear-or-making-noodle-

I digress.

It’s such a rich and diverse story that it appears the series has perhaps gotten too rich. I have a similar issue with TV shows, like Lost or Heroes. I miss a few perhaps, and suddenly I’ve lost the entire plot. For example, without playing Metal Gear Solid 2, you’re clueless when it comes to playing 4, because the story line is cut by the third instalment (including “Portable Ops” for the PSP. Get it? Portable? Ha!) Having spoken to people about the fourth game, I understand that it retains all the elements of a Kojima game, but also adds tactical logic, such as the automatic camo-suit…thing. This simply pushes MGS further towards it’s purpose: to be real.

Unfortunately, for those who are at this moment playing Forza in a lovely little mini, thinking: “I need a change”, they’re simply not going to be able to access this game with such ease. I’m sure Konami will attempt to fill the player in, but I just can’t see the new-age fan being fully satisfied that they know the majority of the back story, without playing the other games. I mean, I know someone who played Gears of War 2 only, and they had no problem finding what had happened in the first game. For the moment, we shall see what comes out: those cheeky Japanese haven’t announced what exactly the storyline will entail yet. All we can do is hope and pray that people who just want to play the latest game, can do so without being completely baffled.

Tower Defense games tend to be a passive affair, leaving AI units to do their job upon being plonked down in the players only involvement in the game. Whilst providing easy to maintain gameplay, you cannot help but feel like the game is playing itself for you. Not very fun eh?

Toy Soldiers rips up the rulebook for this genre of games, instead opting to provide you with an interactive shooter hybrid which sees you take control of your tower replacements in the form of machine guns, mortars and vehicles such as tanks and planes. Rather than watching enemies get taken out by your structures and units, you can instead take control and do the damage yourself.

Set upon a series of dioramas based on the events of World War I, you are tasked with protecting your Toy Box from the onslaughts of enemy infantry, tanks and planes. As usual with Tower Defense games, each of these enemies has a weakness you can exploit, be it infantry susceptible to being toxically gassed, tanks slow and thus easily defeated by mortars or simply planes being quickly taken down by anti-air placements. As well as the various ‘normal’ offense, you encounter a selection of ‘bosses’. These over-exaggerated tanks or blimps or whatever provide a hilarious thrill as a huge Godzilla-esque tank comes rolling down the hall squashing your helpless troops. Whilst a little frustrating at times with their ridiculous health and power, they do provide a cheap laugh as you can’t help but remember the one toy you used to own that used to be massively out of proportion to the others. Yeah, you remember it now!

The game starts off very forgiving, with enemies limited in number and easily defendable objectives. However, fast forward to midway through the campaign and you start to feel a sense of overwhelming annoyance. With the limited ‘zoom out’ function only letting you see some of the map at a time, attempting to navigate the larger maps, defending multiple toy boxes and with limited defensive placements leaves you confused, frustrated and generally not a happy gamer. Losing your bearings in the middle of what can be a lengthy level is frustrating in most games, but as there are no checkpoints in this, the intensified upset is more damaging and I did at times turn the game off with little to no intention of attempting the level again. Whilst challenging gameplay is fun, for an arcade TD title without a mouse it’s best to keep these frustrations to a minimum, as opposed to the majority of the campaign.

The aforementioned lack of defensive placements (whereby you place mortars, machine gunners and anti-air among other things) is a mixed bag of exciting heart racing puzzle solving and frustrating nimble fingered favouritism. Whilst it force you to utilize the timeline showing the upcoming enemies, chopping and changing your defenses as needed, it confuses too easily. With many of the upgrades locked until later levels, chopping and changing only to realise you can’t upgrade your units is an annoyance, requiring time and money, all the while leaving your base defenseless. When the game requires key timing and resource management, you have to wonder whether more freedom in placing defenses would of been a better design idea, rather than fixed positions and thus a linear gaming experience.

Arguably Toy Soldiers greatest strength is in its authentic aesthetics and sound. The game is a beautiful looking game, boasting attractive scenery and design right down to the cogs on the tanks and physical gestures of the infantry. Even minute details like your mortars being reloaded or scenery able to be demolished adds even more depth to an already sophisticated game. Seeing every detail from a zoomed in perspective as well as observing the battlefield when zoomed out shows just how carefully every part of the game has been planned, with detail not lost regardless of range.

Multiplayer offers 5 maps for you and a friend (or random Xbox Live member) to contest. However, unlike the campaign, you each are defending and attacking in equal measure. Alongside a random spout of infantry you each are allocated, you can fund the offenses of cavalry, tanks and planes which will attack your enemy after a short ‘loading’ period, used to prevent the winning player from overwhelming constantly. However, the few maps, limited offensive options and lack of variety in modes leaves the multiplayer a fun activity but lacking much longevity.

Toy Soldiers boasts an innovative spin on the classic Tower Defense genre and signals the start of a great month for Xbox Live Arcade. With a lengthy and enjoyable campaign, a fun time wasting multiplayer and replayability in Campaign+ and Survival, this is one of the titles that will be held in high regard with the likes of Shadow Complex and Battlefield 1943.

4/5

Win a copy of Toy Soldiers!

So, do you want to get your hands on Toy Soldiers for XBLA? All you need to do is comment below and let us know your favourite childhood toy. We’ll pick a random winner on Monday 15th March.

In Portal 2 “Players will explore never-before-seen areas of the Aperture Science Labs and be reunited with GLaDOS, the occasionally murderous computer companion who guided them through the original game.” and according to a Gamestop pre-order page “Portal 2 introduces a cast of dynamic new characters, a host of fresh puzzle elements, and a much larger set of devious test chambers.” What is most intriguing about Portal 2’s announcement is that it is scheduled for a release ‘this holiday season’ and will be released on ‘PC, Xbox 360 and Mac’. This confirms the rumours of last week, that were floating about, talking of the Steam Client, with many games already converted to work on Macs, being released later this year. This rumour came about because of a vigilant Valve forum member noticing OSX code in the client, later the same week Valve released suspicious images and adverts hinting at a Mac release. All I can say, as I am a Mac user (I know not a popular front to be on when also a gamer) I can’t wait to start playing some more Steam based games as since I made the switch my PC gaming has just practically ceased to exist.

For more information on the Mac Rumours click here.

To read Valve’s blog and release details click here.

Gameplay Trailer:

Snowmobiles Are For Sissies…
It’s that time again! T.G.I.M. The results of this weeks chart shouldn’t surprise anyone. DICE, those Swedish masters of the combative arts released the much anticipated Battlefield: Bad Company 2 on Friday and already it’s battled its way to the top of the pack. Unfortunately for there to be winners there must be losers and Quantic Dream’s movie-in-game-clothing Heavy Rain is down to 4th place. Also slipping slowly down the chart this week is Aliens Vs Predator with a fall from 2nd to 3rd place and Bioshock 2 moves from 9th to 11th. Additionally it seems Bioware’s much lauded Mass Effect 2 has disappeared out of the top 20 all together. As one falls another rises though and emerging from the murky depths of the 20-40 list this week is former champion Assassins Creed 2 with a move up from 31st to 14th. Grand Theft Auto IV makes its way up two positions climbing from 16th to 18th and it’s joined by Uncharted 2: Among thieves which moves from 23rd to 19th. Also fans of dance games will be happy to know that after suffering a fall last week at the hands of Aliens Vs Predator Ubisoft’s Just Dance is back in what is fast becoming its de facto position of 2nd place. You can view the full top 20 below.

There seems to be plenty of racers out there now to add to every kind of gamers tastes. Does this game add any more to our already satiated appetite between Blur, any off-road series you can think of, and whatever Criteron is working on? We shall have to wait and see if this will be worth its weight in gamer gold ($60 USD).

AUSTIN, Texas -True Games Interactive, an international multi-player online game developer and publisher, along with award-winning developer, Petroglyph, released details about the unique storyline and challenges in Mytheon, the highly-anticipated online, multiplayer action/RPG with strategic game play due this Spring (www.MytheonGame.com).
The ancient Greek mythology and expansive folklore of Mytheon transports players to a time where heroes do battle with legendary monsters and gods.  Chief among the grand and colossal gods in the ancient world is the mighty Poseidon, god of the seas and earthquakes, and the creator of horses, including the famed Pegasus.  One of the early environments in Mytheon is The Shattered Isle, a mystical island created by Poseidon to house his family and loyal servants.  This island represents the dichotomy of the seas; beautiful and tranquil on one side, and dark and treacherous on the other.

Poseidon was the first and only god to attempt an outright assault on the fabled city of Argos.  Had it not been for the protection of the Golden Fleece, the city would have fallen.  He is encountered on the Shattered Isle where he is amassing an army to destroy the city of Argos.  Poseidon’s wrath is born out of arrogant jealousy over mankind’s newfound favor with the Fates.  For millennia, he has blessed mankind with such gifts as his beloved horses and the secrets of sea-faring.

“Experiencing the myths and legends we grew up with are what make Mytheon such a unique online experience and the giant gods in the game are an amazing challenge, said Peter Cesario, director of new business and product development at True Games Interactive.  “For years video games have been trying to capture the essence of fighting something so powerful, so huge that it is god-like; Mytheon is the real thing.”

Challenging a god-sized boss is one of the many thrilling encounters Mytheon players will face. And none is more epic than battling Poseidon, the master of earth and water who uses these primal elements to decimate entire legions of men.  It is ill-advised to rely on summoned structures in this epic fight, for Poseidon’s mastery of the earth will ensure their destruction.  At his command are the various creatures of the ocean, including a giant man-eating sea monster called the King Sentinel. Guarding Poseidon’s temple is the majestic Pegasus—in order for Poseidon to be challenged, Pegasus must first be defeated, proving the Stonecaster’s worthiness to face the mighty deity himself.

“Using mythologies from the various civilizations throughout our history as the basis of the story of Mytheon has given us a wealth of material to pull from,” said Chris Rubyor, lead designer of Mytheon at Petroglyph.  “We wanted the player to feel instantly familiar with the monsters and gods he or she will be fighting, but still feel a sense of awe and wonder at the encounters. We look forward to expanding on the Greek mythology that greets players in Mytheon to even more incredible encounters from Egypt, Asia and more as we continue to expand the game.

Mytheon is an online, multiplayer action/RPG with strategic game play where players experience classic mythology come to life and challenge legendary gods to define their own fate. Players, or “Stonecasters”, are powerful humans imbued with the ability to cast spells, summon minions, and erect structures that aid them in battle. An assortment of classes are available that approach combat differently and offer a range of unique, cinematic abilities.

Using some of the best and most familiar mechanics from traditional collectible card games, players will earn, buy, trade and collect stones they can assemble similar to deck-building among a thriving online community. Several compelling features have been added to create fast, visually stunning 3D combat sequences with a deep layer of strategy beneath it.

For additional details on Mytheon and to sign up for the closed beta test please visit: http://www.MytheonGame.com.
To follow all the latest news, please visit http://www.facebook.com/mytheon, http://twitter.com/mytheongame and 
http://www.youtube.com/group/mytheon

Pre-Load R.U.S.E. For Steam NOW!

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

Minimum:

[Spoilers for those who haven’t played beyond the first two hours of DA: O]

You’ll visit Ostagar near the beginning of the main Dragon Age storyline, and this is where the story will twist like crazy, and send you off on your quest. For such an important place, you won’t be revisiting Ostagar unless you download the “Return to Ostagar” DLC. Return to Ostagar was released earlier this year, and immediately removed from Xbox Live due to technical issues. The biggest of these problems saw players’ unlocked specialisations disappearing once they switched off their consoles if they didn’t use them straight away: a pretty major issue for an RPG.

Technical issues (now largely resolved) aside, Return to Ostagar, not surprisingly, sees players return to the site of the Battle for Ostagar seen at the beginning of Dragon Age. You get directed to a new location on your map, where you’ll meet a man who was entrusted with the key to King Cailan’s personal chest. He tells you where he hid the key at Ostagar and sends you on your way. The remainder of the quest pretty much just sees you killing your way through darkspawn to find what you’re looking for.

For 400 MS points, Return to Ostagar is the cheapest Dragon Age DLC to date. Personally, I found it no shorter than either of the previous two, and rather good value for money if you don’t mind the limited gameplay. A more story driven quest would have been much more preferable, with more things to do than just hack away. King Cailan’s armour is a worthy loot, though, and looks great as well as providing solid protection. You’ll also find another familiar face from Ostagar, although it’s a little anti-climactic.

Overall, Return to Ostagar is better value for money than previous Dragon Age content. Although the gameplay is pretty much limited to repetitive combat, and there isn’t much in the way of story, it’s certainly fun for an hour or so, and a good excuse to load up an old save and play again. There’s even a moment of exceptional pathos when you find King Cailan’s body. Recommended.

Forest Grumps is an exception to that rule.

Anyway here is episode three, but just to warn you; I’m not in a tie so please don’t shout at me for not dressing up as smartly-ish.

Here's the lil’ yellow link!

P.S I am sorry I am not in widescreen mode. A short as I am, it kept chopping off the top of my head.

If you have anything, preferably in English, you would like to add, then slam me some comments below orrr on my Youtube videos. It’s totally your call.
And if you’re new to the gamershub.co.uk and don’t know what I’m all about is about or want to see the previous entries, then have a peep into my channel.

Thank you very much for your time, as per usual.
Love,
Forest