KimFidler

It's not every day that a game you expected to be horrible, turns out to be pretty good. I will admit that my expectations for Robert Ludlum's The Bourne Conspiracy were pretty low, and maybe that's why I had such a great time with it. High Moon Studios has proven that it is possible to make a video game based off of a movie that is not only decent, but better than many of the other titles sitting on store shelves. While it's not perfect, it does show what kind of product can be released when a developer is not rushed to coincide with a film's release.

The Bourne Conspiracy follows the events of the first film, and many of Bourne's missions leading up to it. That basically means that if you haven't watched the first movie but would like to watch it sometime in the near future, you might want to steer clear of The Bourne Conspiracy for now. While the narrative isn't as tight and polished as in the film version, it does serve its purpose. You see the character of Bourne go from a brainwashed government weapon, to an actual human being, fighting for answers of his past. It doesn't take on the deep meaning that it does in the books or films, but it does relay it pretty well for a video game.

What many fans of the films will love is how The Bourne Conspiracy takes you into Jason's past and gives you a first-hand look at some of his early missions. The assassination attempt on Wombasi is probably the best in terms of connecting the movie to the game, and thankfully it still includes the scene where Bourne realizes that he may just be human. Along with all of the flashbacks you'll get a chance to play through many of the scenes from The Bourne Identity. The fight with Castel in Bourne's apartment is probably the stand out and looks just as amazingly frenetic as it did in the film. While they could have spent a little more time on the narrative for newcomers to the series, as a supplement it should more than satisfy anyone's need to know more about Jason Bourne's past.

The basic game play elements utilized in The Bourne Conspiracy are that of a brawler with built-in Real Time Events. Bourne can utilize a fair number of attacks while in combat, but they all revolve around the basics of a light and heavy attack. Light attacks are quick but don't do as much damage, while heavy attacks are a little slower but cause more damage. With each and every successful attack, Bourne's Adrenaline meter will build-up to a total of three levels. Each level allows you to perform a takedown which will trigger a quick cut-scene where Jason attacks the enemy with whatever happens to be near them at that time. At times you'll be out in the open and he will merely pummel them with punches and kicks, but ultimately it isn't as exciting compared to when you're near an item of interest. Items glow yellow when you're in battle and if you lure the enemy near one and activate a takedown, Bourne will deliver a devastating blow to them with whatever item it happens to be. My personal favorite would have to be when he used a book to knock an attacker out cold. A book!

While the premise of an old school brawler sounds promising it doesn't translate as well as it could have. At times it feels as though you're just going through the motions of the fighting engine, and that there really isn't a way for the enemy to defeat you. There were boss fights where I just held down the block button and waited for the enemy to make a move. When they did and were blocked from doing any damage, I simply retaliated. There is no way for an enemy to break your block except with a takedown of their own, and even that is easily shrugged off with the push of a button within a real-time event. A little more variety in terms of the moves would have also been nice, as it seems that I could get away with using the same combo over and over. Of course, Part of the blame could be put on myself for being unoriginal - but when you find a combo string that is 99% successful, you tend to use it.

When you're not fighting with your fists in The Bourne Conspiracy, you're fighting with yours guns. Sadly, fighting with guns isn't really all that fun, and tends to pale in comparison to the over the top hand to hand combat. Bourne follows the one pistol, one heavy weapon formula, which is actually pretty realistic - except for the fact that you can be just as lethal with a handgun as you can with an assault rifle. The game has a strange mechanic that almost makes it impossible not to get a head-shot on an adversary. Anything aimed above the waist seems to register as a head-shot on the counter, and it allows you to tear through enemies with ease. Where the frustration of Bourne's gunplay really kicks in, is when you don't know where the shots are coming from. In other games there tends to be an indicator that lets you know where the enemy is situated but here you basically have to spin around until you find an enemy poking his head out from behind a wall. This brings me to my next point, the enemy AI.

I've played many games where the enemies have very dynamic AI. They adapt to what you do, flank you if they can, and use whatever they have accessible to take you out. In The Bourne Conspiracy, the enemies do one of two things - shoot at you or fight you. It does fit the quick pace of the game, but more often than not, you'll be treated to a veritable shooting gallery of soldiers standing right out in the open. I think it has much to do with the clipping within the levels, and the attackers inability to gain a line of sight on you. For example, on the last boss I literally stood out in the open and shot him in the head for a good thirty seconds while he simply crouched and looked at me. It was a pretty easy win, but it felt a little cheap when you consider that he was the last boss in the game.

Now it may sound like I really didn't like The Bourne Conspiracy by the way I'm bashing it, but that couldn't be more untrue. It's very hard to explain, but even with all of its faults it still comes out being a genuinely enjoyable experience. Clocking in at around 8 hours from start to finish, it hits that sweet spot that many action games aim for. The spot where the game is still at the point where it's fun without being repetitive, and short enough to complete after a few sit downs. I have already recommended it to many of my friends who can't make the same time commitment as I do to games, based on the fact that I know it's a solid single player experience that they'd be able to play from start to finish.

For the more hard-core players, High Moon Studios included some extras to keep you coming back for more. The achievements are set up in the way that they are actually tracked and progress can be viewed by simply hitting the start button. I will admit that I'm an Achievement Connoisseur, and The Bourne Conspiracy has set them up in a way that I'll definitely be playing the game again. Along with the solid stable of achievements, there are some in-game rewards that you'll be given on completion of your first play-through and with the collecting of passports. There are 5 passports on every stage and as you collect them you will gain unlockables that are accessible from the main menu. It's nothing really too great but it will give you something to do if you ever want to give the game a couple play-throughs in the future.

While the game is far from perfect, I have no problem recommending it to anyone who wants a brief 8 hour distraction. It's one of those titles that makes a perfect "filler" game that fits snugly between many of the bigger releases and doesn't require all that much of the player. Along with giving fans of the movies a little more story depth, you'd be hard pressed to not give the game a chance. The only thing that I find somewhat off-putting at the moment is that the game is $60. Taking into consideration that the visuals are amazing, the sound quality is top tier, and the production values are very high. I still don't think I could warrant a purchase of The Bourne Conspiracy at its initial retail price. As a rental or after a price drop, I would have no issue with it. It really is a game that surprised me with how much fun I actually had with it, and impressed me with how high they set the bar for all future movie tie-in games.

Kim Fidler
Freelance Writer

Back in 2002, a game came out that was totally different than anything I had played before. It was an online only game that had some of the largest maps I had ever seen, and a plethora of vehicles to traverse them. Battlefield 1942 was my first taste of actual online warfare. While I did play Counterstrike, Quake III, and Team Fortress Classic; BF1942 was the first time that I actually felt like I was in a real war. Well, as close as a video game could potentially get you to real war. Over the next few years, several other iterations of the Battlefield series came out but I never got to give them a try. Most were only on PC and quickly became classics amongst many of my friends, while the couple that did come to console were of a much lower quality.

With the Battlefield series being mainly made for PC, the announcement of a console-only Battlefield game didn't sit well with many people. From the beginning, Battlefield: Bad Company was touted as a whole new experience. With a full fledged single player story mode that quickly garnered attention with some of the titles' early trailers, and a robust multiplayer mode that promised unlocks, ranks, and all the usual bells and whistles of a modern FPS. It sounded like developer DICE was biting off more than they could chew, and I will admit that I was skeptical of the final product.

Most people that pick up Bad Company are going to throw it in their Xbox 360, click multiplayer, and jump right into the battle. I know I did, and I quickly found out that maybe I should have gotten my feet wet with the single player mode first. In Bad Company, more than any other game I've played before, the single player serves as a tutorial that guides you along from the start of the story right to the very end. Every level you are introduced to a new tool or gadget that will make your life easier, and ultimately make every multi-player game that much more enjoyable.

The story revolves around four soldiers, the army that abandons them, and the search for mercenary gold. It sounds cliche' but as you play through the game you realize that Bad Company tells a much deeper story than it sets out to tell. It's not a pro-war game in any way, and there are more than a handful of moments where every character states how much they'd like to be out of the army. Whether it be in the anxiety surrounding an early release from the army, or the way they embrace their situation, it's a story that really is enjoyable to watch from the beginning to the end.

The characters while fairly static, are fleshed out enough that they never seem to get old. Private Preston Marlow is not only the protagonist of the story, but also the new guy in Bad Company. He's joined by Private Terrence Sweetwater, the level headed intelligent member of platoon; Private George Gordon Haggard, the laugh-inducing demolitions expert; Sergeant Samuel D Redford rounds out the cast as the end of his service leader of the company. It's a pretty standard character lineup for a war story, but every character manages to be likeable enough to care for. The only complaint I have about the characters is how you never really get to see the other side of the conflict. The people you're fighting against are never really introduced and at times it feels as though you're fighting a faceless enemy with no real agenda.

The first thing that will stand out when you boot up Bad Company is how great the game looks. In the past, Battlefield titles have looked pretty nice, but I would go so far as to say that Bad Company looks just as good, if not better than anything else on the Xbox 360. The maps are huge, detailed, and best of all, completely destructible. Yes, many titles in the past have played the destructible environment card, but Battlefield: Bad Company takes it to the next level and allows the player to blow through anything they want. In many other games people will hide behind walls in order to avoid gunfire, but in BC, all you have to do is merely throw a grenade at the wall to expose them. It's a simple mechanic that makes the game feel totally different than anything else out there.

It's with the destructible environments that you begin to realize just how great the sound is in Battlefield: Bad Company. If you have a surround sound setup, the buildings sound as though they are crumbling around you , the bullets whiz right by your head, and the cries of your friends come from the direction they are situated. The guns do sound a little on the wimpy side when compared to the booming sounds of the Call of Duty 4 weaponry, but it's easily overlooked when you enter a vehicle. The vehicles sound just as you would expect them to, and when you're lumbering through a field in heavy armor the bass rumbles as though you're really moving around the soil beneath you. The soundtrack uses a mix of heavy jazz-inspired war themes mixed with a 60s-era spy movie flavor. It sounds like a style that wouldn't work but once you play it you'll realize that no other another soundtrack would suit the style of Bad Company. I would recommend hooking up the surround sound because it makes the game much more enjoyable, but I did try it on a regular television and did sound pretty decent.

As you make your way through the single player campaign, there are a few things that really remind you that this is the first Battlefield game with a full fledged single player mode. The one thing that bothered me the most is that whenever you die, you just re-spawn and jump right back into battle. It makes the game less frustrating, but at times I found myself killing one guy, then dying, and repeating it all over again. It felt as though I was playing the game wrong and it wasn't really forcing me to play any better. What I also disliked about the single player mechanics is how the regeneration of health is handled. Basically, you are given a health injector and at any time you can shoot it into your heart to regain all your lost life. It would be fine if there was a set amount of times you could do this, but it's totally unlimited and very abusable. There is a re-spawn time on it of a few seconds, but once again I felt like I was playing the game wrong whenever I ran around injecting myself any chance I could get. Gameplay elements aside, the only thing about the missions that felt very disconnected is how repetitive they manage to become. They revolve around going somewhere to destroy a piece of enemy equipment, and when that is done you go to a new location to destroy something else. It makes the missions feel really long and drawn out, but with the amount of fun you'll be having blowing up things, it'll be easily overlooked.

Let's face it, the reason most people are going to buy Bad Company is the multi-player mode. Everyone has played a Battlefield game at some point in their life, and almost every time it's a pretty enjoyable experience. It mainly revolves around large team games where you actually have to work together to accomplish a common goal. Some people may be tasked with playing defense where you must guard a certain area so that the opposing team will not be able to capture it. While the other side focuses on being more aggressive, meeting the enemies head-on in order to slow down their pursuit of the target. If you don't have a good balance of offense and defense there is a good chance that your opponents will quickly find a way to overpower you.

The basic gameplay in BF: BC is fairly similar to past Battlefield games, but the "Gold Rush" mode actually makes the game simpler while making it more difficult. It removes the need to capture different points for one side, and removes the need for the other side to be aggressive. The attackers will always be able to spawn at one point or on one of their squad members, while the other side has to maintain the gold crates to avoid being pushed back to another pair of gold crates. There are only so many bases to occupy so the game ends when the defending team loses all of their gold crates, or the attacking team loses all of their reinforcements. Reinforcements can best be explained as spawns. Every spawn uses up one reinforcement, and when those run out, no one can spawn and the defending team wins. One of the most enjoyable aspects of the gold crates is that you don't have to capture them by standing next to them, you just need to destroy them. It doesn't matter what you use, just as long as the gold crate is destroyed in some way. It's a different mechanic than the "Conquest" mode found in past Battlefield titles, but it's still enjoyable in a very similar way.

Fans of ranking-up in games will have alot to like about the Battlefield: Bad Company multi-player. Similar to the presedence set in Call of Duty 4, BF: BC has 25 different ranks that grant you access to new weapons and gadgets. What many people will enjoy is the fact that the player is actually given the choice as to what they want to unlock. Ultimately that means you can have your optimal gear setup very early in your multi-player career, and not have to wait until level 20 to get that gun you want to use. The weaponry in BC takes into consideration the different classes the player has available to them, and allows total customization within the context of that class. With over 35 weapons to choose from, everyone will have something they love to use with every class setup.

One of the more addicting aspects of Bad Company's online experience is the inclusion of "Awards." Similar to the Achievement system on the 360, trophies are awarded to the player for completing certain tasks online. The first awards given out are for a certain number of kills with an assault rifle, running a certain number of people over with a vehicle, etc. As you gain more awards, you'll start to receive Patches and Wildcards; These are obtained through achieving different combinations of awards. It doesn't really add anything to the game but they do show up on your Battlefield online profile which people can look at anytime.

At first the online play can be frustrating because of the sheer size of maps you have to work with. The maps are huge and at times you almost need to use a vehicle in order to cross them. Crossing them on foot will quickly end with you being on the receiving end of a sniper bullet, and without the experience gained through repeated play, it might get a little aggravating. I'm not sure what the catalyst is, but at some point while playing Bad Company online, something will click. You'll spawn, grab a vehicle, blaze across the field avoiding enemy fire and jump out mowing down anyone that stands before you. It's one of the greatest feelings you can have while playing a videogame and it will automatically make you want to play more. The best part about the online component is that the better you play, the more you're rewarded. You gain experience for kills, defusing bombs, planting bombs, blowing up vehicles, and winning the rounds. It actually offers those personal rewards that make you want to play as good as you can in order to receive them.

All in all, I would rank the multi-player in Battlefield: Bad Company right up there with Halo 3 and Call of Duty 4. There is enough variety in the gameplay to keep the game interesting, and it sounds like it's only going to get better with the ongoing support from EA and DICE. It has already been announced that with an upcoming patch, the Conquest game mode will be added to the game within a few months. That obviously means new awards and hopefully a new map or two. I feel Conquest mode is how a Battlefield game is meant to be played, and I'm expecting to put another 100 hours into the online game.

While I went into Battlefield: Bad Company not expecting anything great, I am happy to admit that I was wrong. Bad Company is a game that incorporates a single player experience that doesn't take itself too seriously, while still reigning supreme as one of the most enjoyable multi-player games out on the market. Personally, I have nearly put about 50 hours into BF: BC and I don't see myself putting it down anytime soon. I don't know if it's the fact that I can blow a hole in any wall I want, or if it's the nearly flawless multi-player that has me hooked; But there is something unexplainably fun about Battlefield: Bad Company. If you're looking to move on from the war-torn maps of Halo 3 or Call of Duty 4, you cannot go wrong with what Battlefield: Bad Company has to offer.

Kim Fidler

Street racing, one of the newest forms of youthful expression, has taken the videogame world by storm. Dozens of titles have flooded the market since "The Fast and the Furious" trend began, but only a handful have proved to be worthy of purchase. Is THQ's latest release, Juiced, one of the few successful interpretations, or is it just another face in the crowd?

Juiced is an import racer that focuses on all the right areas and paints a pretty realistic picture of the import scene. It accurately reflects the process of racing for pink slips, or dropping down thousands of dollars on a race between a Honda CRX and a Volkswagen Beetle. The requisite over-the-top "street" attitude isn't really indicative of real life, but the game does provide an opportunity for players to trick out their rides with all the aluminum wings and neon they could want.

Juiced's core gameplay will be nothing new to anyone who has ever played an import racer such as Need for Speed: Underground or the Midnight Club series. There are standard circuit races that have players racing on tracks against various opponents, drag races, and the showoff events that give players the opportunity to perform donuts and drifts to score points. The circuit races make up the majority of the game and can often be the most puzzling. Bets are placed before each circuit race, and the amount of the bet determines how much respect is earned by a victory in that race. The strange thing is that opposing vehicles that are clearly inferior to your own are impossible to catch on the straightaway once the race begins. This begs the question: why tune up a car if it doesn't result in a more competitive vehicle?

As mentioned above, Juiced incorporates a "respect" meter that governs the places you can explore in the game. Respect is earned by winning races, and higher levels of respect result in access to higher money races, pink slip races, and the "pimpest" cars around. The respect meter is a great addition to the standard racing formula, but it doesn't come without consequences. In Juiced, cars will actually take damage, and this can lead to a loss of respect when you plow into your opponents and damage their rides. This sounds logical, but the feature is hamstrung by the fact that the other drivers sport horrible A.I. Instead of avoiding you in order to maintain their cars' street value, they decide that going through you would be better. All computer cars take the same line through certain corners; even if your car happens to be in the way. Making matters even more frustrating is the fact that competitors can always catch up to you once they fall behind, no matter how much of a lead you command. This certainly makes the game challenging, but it is also very frustrating.

The other two race types (drag racing and show-off events) help to bulk up the game, but not by much. The drag racing challenges are basically a blatant rip-off of the drags in NFS: U. Gas it, shift at the right time, use nitrous. However, not a lot of challenge or fun can be found in this mode, as players are given a ridiculous amount of nitrous and can breeze through the challenge almost every time. The show-off events fare a little bit better, giving you the opportunity to show off your skills with power drifts, high speed 180s, 360s and donuts. There is a fair amount of variety to the tricks, but ultimately, cars are only capable of so much, and you'll eventually find yourself falling back on the old faithful 360 in order to rack up points.

In terms of car customization ability, Juiced certainly gets the job done. THQ claims there are over a billion different modding combinations, but (realistically) there are only about a hundred per car. This still gives players quite a bit of latitude when tricking out their vehicles, however, and it is right on par with the competition. You get to change everything from the color of your ride to the body kit; and even tweak the sound of your engine. Sadly, there is only so much you can do to the vehicles before they start looking cluttered and messy, but if you're looking for a huge variety of visual customization in your racers, Juiced has it.

Visually, Juiced is actually a pretty stunning game. It's not as realistic as the Gran Turismos or Forzas of the racing genre, but this surprisingly works to the game's advantage. The cars look exactly like their real life counterparts but they also sport a cartoon-y look that really matches the spirit of the game. The tracks are vibrant and have a fair number of events happening in the background during the races. Similarly, weather effects look great and really spice up the various environments. A nice addition that Juiced brings to the import genre is actually being able to race in the daylight. No longer are street racers forced to find refuge in the cover of darkness. Finally, tuners can live and drive among the normal people! It's nice to see the stereotype finally stripped away, and hopefully some of Juiced's competitors will follow suit.

The soundtrack in Juiced, while small, has something for everyone. A good amount of electronica, hip-hop, and rock ensures that there is going to be at least one song that you�ll enjoy driving to. THQ could have gone the extra mile and licensed about a dozen more songs, but what you get is a pretty good assortment of driving tunes. The sound effects are exactly what you would expect from a racing game�louder in the higher RPMs, and even more screaming in the corners. While it�s nowhere near as authentic as Gran Turismo, the sound effects in Juiced are polished enough to get by.

What Juiced has going for it that the many of its competitors do not is the online mode. Juiced is an average racing title offline, but online it's an unreal amount of fun. Not only can you race, but you can also challenge other people to put up their cars in a pink slip match. It can be very satisfying to defeat a trash-talker online and then use his or her car to fund your own ride. THQ even included a feature that results in the loss of both the race and your car if the power or connection is cut to the Xbox. No longer can players pull out mid-game in order to save themselves from an embarrassing loss. While some latency issues mar the experience from time to time, Juice is still a great addition to the Live! roster.

THQ has brought a very decent import racer to the market; it's just unfortunate that it couldn't have come out at an earlier date. With all of the other, more refined titles out there, it is very likely that Juiced is going to be pushed aside and overlooked by the gaming public. If released even six months earlier, Juiced would have made more of an impact, but at this point it doesn't have what it takes to make a huge impression. However, if you�re looking for a decent, customizable racer that takes it to the streets, Juiced might be for you.

Kim Fidler

Have you ever seen a news story on TV that made you ask yourself why anyone would do such a thing? Haunting Ground, Capcom's latest horror offering for the PlayStation 2, is exactly the same type of thing - a voyeuristic adventure that begs to be played, even if it can at times feel quite unsettling. It is not unlike a car crash that is gawked at by onlookers and rubberneck traffic as they pass by, hoping to catch a glimpse of something they know they should not have seen.

Haunting Ground puts players in the role of Fiona Belli, a stunning young blonde that has found herself in a very strange situation; being naked (except for a strategically placed bed sheet), in a cage, and in some fat guy's blood splattered basement. Sound strange? Well, it only gets more and more disturbing as she gets out of her confinement and begins to explore her surroundings. In almost every conceivable way, Fiona is a stark contrast to the type of lead, female or otherwise, that usually headlines games. She is fragile, weak, and doesn't have an abundance of options going for her in terms of defending herself. In other words, she is easy pickings in the demented world she's been thrust into.

That's where Hewie comes in. Hewie and Fiona meet very early in the game, and almost immediately he is cast in the role of her protector. Instead of being another gun-toting, fast-talking, military sort of character most players are accustomed to having around to fend off the forces of evil, Hewie is instead a simple dog - merely a companion that will help Fiona solve puzzles, reach certain places that only a dog could reach, and do his best to slow down any of Fiona's pursuers. It's a fresh approach and definitely one of the defining traits of Haunting Ground.

Rounding out the cast are the antagonists of Haunting Ground. Daniella is a gothic hottie who has taken a rather disturbing interest in the enjoyment in pain that she cannot feel. Riccardo is the mysterious keeper of the house that does a good job of being... well, mysterious. And then there is Debilitas - quite possibly one of the most original and disturbing creations in survival horror to date. All of these characters play their roles perfectly, while maintaining their own separate identities. Without spoiling much in terms of story, suffice it to say that getting to know each of these personalities makes up a great deal of the enjoyment to be had in this game.

One of the first things to be noticed about Haunting Ground that makes it different from other titles in the genre is the absence of 'filler' enemies. Gone are hundreds of nameless zombies, werewolves, and other clich� monsters players have become accustomed to killing in waves. Instead Haunting Ground employs the use of fewer, more fleshed out characters, giving players a better understanding into how they live and why they act the way they do. It provides the player a look into the creepy lair of Haunting Ground that houses the personification of sins everyone tries to hide, and brings them to life in the shape of Fiona's adversaries.

Haunting Ground's gameplay does not follow the standard formula adopted by most other survival horror titles. Instead it relies on the basic mechanics utilized by less conventional titles such as the Fatal Frame and Clock Tower series. By relying on the main character's fragility, Capcom has created over 130 rooms that will challenge both the player's reflexes and brain. In some cases Fiona will be trying to figure out a puzzle barring her advancement only to be interrupted by someone who is out to kill her. Unfortunately she has to abandon her current task and run away as she is unable to fight off her assailant.

Instead of giving her an arsenal of bazookas, assault rifles, and grenades, Capcom has stripped Fiona down to the basics of kicks, shoves, and mixtures that can be thrown. If caught in a situation without Hewie, or a hiding spot, Fiona is essentially a sitting duck. Reduced to running around for her life, this is where one of the most interesting features of Haunting Ground comes into play.

The panic meter is never visible but a player can easily tell when Fiona is close to going out of her mind. As she gets more stressed, the screen will begin to distort, the sound will begin to get more and more grating, and Fiona will become harder to control as she stubbles about in her efforts to get away. The nice part of the feature is how it evolves over time. At first Fiona will be running just fine, only to tire down to a jog. As she slows down, the pursuer will gain ground on her until the panic meter reaches the point of pure adrenaline, oftentimes making the player (on some level at least) share in her need to escape.

Hewie is what makes the gameplay in Haunting Ground both fun and frustrating at the same time. While Hewie is a great character when he is retrieving keys or pushing boxes, he is unfortunately one of the most difficult to control companions in videogame history. Thankfully, as time goes on, and as he is praised for his accomplishments, Hewie eventfully becomes a bit easier to handle. The player never actually gets to physically control Hewie, but they can use the power of suggestion to get him to do what they want. By utilizing the right analogue controls, a player can give Hewie commands such as follow, sit and, in battle situations, the command to attack. In exploration sequences, the possibility exists to have Hewie explore the area, and occasionally he will turn up some great items to help Fiona out. Mastering Hewie's control scheme makes the game infinitely easier, and many times more enjoyable for the gamer; plus it can lead to the opening up of some great secrets.

The graphical style of Haunting Ground is nothing that has not been seen before, however the game does show how far the developers have come in terms of creating expressive, more well-rounded characters. Every personality in the game reacts to situations, and it is actually possible see and read the emotional responses in their faces. It goes a long way in being able to connect to Fiona as a character when a player is able to see the fear in her face whenever she encounters someone who wants to kill her. The other characters are modeled and animated in ways that would be expected of the type of personality they employ. Debilitas' mind of a 5 year old somehow translates over flawlessly in his huge mutant body by the way he moves, giggles, and stalks Fiona. Daniella moves in a cold, stiff manner that not only fits her demeanor, but it actually makes her a very creepy adversary in the way she follows Fiona around, devoid of any emotion.

Aurally, Haunting Ground delivers in the all the right areas without reinventing or brining anything totally new to the genre. The voice acting is surprisingly very well done, and the characters' tone is always right on target. What really stands out about the audio in Haunting Ground is how each pursuer is accompanied by original theme music. Debilitas has the tortured score to accompany his personality, while Daniella's industrial theme is both strange, and appealing, just like Daniella herself. The sound is very well done, and it's nice to see the genre make such strides in recent years.

Overall, Haunting Ground is a great game for fans of survival horror titles. It does what it sets out to do very well, without truly breaking any new or significant ground. The gameplay itself is very much in line with what has come to be expected of the genre. Similarly, the story, while appropriate, is tired at time, but even when it stumbles it never comes off as being in any way inappropriate or detracting from the overall experience. Haunting Ground is disturbing, demented, and very fun to play for those looking for something genuinely startling. Anyone wanting a game to keep busy with for a dozen hours on a dark night should give Haunting Ground a try.

There's something about Lego that never really grows old. You could have been given your first Lego set at 5 years old, and 20 years later still feel inclined to play with it. I remember going home about 5 years after I had moved out and finding my box of Legos that I had last played with when I was about 11. There was a knife in there that I spent about 4 hours on trying to make it look as realistic as possible. At the bottom of the box, another unfinished masterpiece that I believe was going to be a handgun. Then I sat back and tried to recall why I was such a messed up kid.

A couple of years ago I got to relive my love for Legos. Lego: Star Wars hit the major systems and while it wasn't the same, it was just as cool as the first time you built the Millennium Falcon out of Lego. There was little lego versions of Darth Maul, Chewbacca, and all my favorite locals from the new trilogy were present. It was a great day, that was only triumphed by the release of the Original Trilogy. With those releases I had a conversation with a group of friends about what modern day classics should be recreated in the Lego Universe. The game I played this past week was one of those suggestions.

Lego: Indiana Jones is just as it sounds. A Lego game that allows gamers to relive the events from the three Indiana Jones films, but this time, in full HD. I know that last line sounds a little out of place, I mean, could the graphics in a game about Lego really be improved that much from the last generation? The answer? Yes they can. From the minute I entered into the first level, I was immediately impressed with how much they improved the graphics engine. The environments are filled with stuff to smash like the Star Wars games, but this time it just looks more crisp and enjoyable. Each character is modeled to look like super-deformed version of who they're representing, and it kind of makes you wish the Star Wars titles were built from the ground up to be played on the Current-Gen systems.

The general gameplay in Lego Indiana Jones, is still pretty much the same. You run around a level, build Lego objects, smash Lego objects, attack enemies, and get rich or die trying. Well, not exactly die because in the Lego universe, you can never truly die. You have hearts representing your health but after playing it for a couple of hours, you'll ask yourself "Why bother?" When you die you just lose a couple of the collectible Lego pieces used as currency and respawn on the spot. It kind of takes away a good chunk of the challenge, but when you take the major demographic into consideration, I could see what they were going for. A nice easy game to pick up and play without getting frustrated. It works.

Each movie in the trilogy is broken up into several levels with different environments for Indy and his entourage to explore. The scene with the big boulder in Raiders of the Lost Ark, the Heart ripping scene from Temple of Doom, and the chase scene from Last Crusade. It's all in there, and it is instant nostalgia for anyone who has ever been a fan of the series. One of the big setbacks in terms of going from Star Wars to Indiana Jones, has to be the fact that I didn't really want to play as anyone else but Indiana Jones. As you go through the game you can unlock a ton of new characters, but when it really came down to it, I kept switching back to Jones. Not a huge deal, but when you have about 10 different versions of Indy to choose from, you quickly come to the realization that the developer had a hard time filling out the roster.

For fans of the John Williams score from Indiana Jones, you'll be pleasantly surprised to find it pretty much intact. Everything is recreated perfectly, and with each and every stage you're treated to one of the better treatments of a licensed property. Too many movie to videogame translations have been finding their way to store shelves with straight to game music, but with any of the Traveller's Tales titles, they've taken the time to get it right. It adds that extra level of polish in a game that doesn't necessarily need to be immersive at all. It's pretty sad when a game focused around little Lego men running around gives you a better sense of "being there," than games that really need it.

While the initial game will only take you about 6-9 hours to play through, like the other Lego games, there is plenty to do after that. There are a ton of characters to unlock, and thankfully each of them has a use to help you on your way to achieving a 100% completion. For those of us that have OCD, we are once again given some extra levels if we so choose to take on the task of wanting to do everything in the game. There's some Young Indy levels, some special Lego themed ones, and a ton of extras to unlock that will change how the game plays. Add on Achievements if you're playing the Xbox 360 version, and you have yourself a game that you could spend nearly 30-40 hours on. That's alot of Lego.

Is Indiana Jones worth it? At the time I am writing this, I have already saw the game on the shelf for $40 on sale, and it is most definitely worth $40. After playing through Lego Indy, I can safely say that I am getting a little burnt out on the formula. It works, but not enough is really changing with the gameplay to keep me coming back for more. I was cool up until I was near the end of Lego Indiana Jones, and while it is no fault of the game, it's just a fault of the standard set by the Lego Star wars games. If this is your first Lego themed game and you're a fan of Indiana Jones, then I say that you should check it out. If you're not really familiar with the movie, I would suggest checking out "Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga," in stores now, or "Lego Batman" later on this year. If you are one of the thousands of people who played the Lego Star Wars titles to death, then I don't know if I can recommend Lego Indiana Jones too highly. It's a relevant title, but I don't see it really being worth a purchase. Pick it up if you get a good deal, or just wait for a series that you really love. I have a feeling that there is going to be many, many more movies and games that get the Lego treatment.

*cough* Matrix trilogy please *cough*

Kim Fidler