The Walking Dead: The Game: Episode 2: Starved for Help Review (Ps3)

The second of five downloadable episodes, Starved for Help picks up three months after the zombie apocalypse broke out in Episode 1 of The Walking Dead, still playing as protagonist Lee Everett, protecting Clementine, and dealing with a group of survivors assembled at a makeshift fortress that used to be a motel.



The Walking Dead: The Game is all about choice and consequence, and in Episode 2, we get to see just how our choices have panned out. In a "Previously, on the Walking Dead", we see all the choices we made from Episode 1 carried over to the next instalment. This is a game where you don't get a second chance to say/do something (without starting a new game). You have a limited time to to make a choice that will influence your friends and make new enemies.

Starved for Help opens with a truly horrific moment (if you choose to play it that way) and after the gut wrenching blood bath is over, you then have to make a moral decision: The group's nearly out of food, and when it's up to you to choose which few survivors get rations for the day, you have to figure out if you're playing favorites or focusing on the greater good of the group. If you're smart, you can figure out a way to make the majority of people happy (or even take some food yourself).

Episode 2 gives us, for the first time, the real chance to decide if Lee's going to be an upstanding person or a survivor willing to do anything to live another day. It's the first time a game has had me debating whose side I was on and turning my back on established relationships, genuinely moving me in some cases. I can't think of another game that had me establish a character I thought I knew and had a connection with, then have me re-thinking big decisions a few scenes later, even though I knew I couldn't change it.

When a new group of survivors from the St. John's Dairy Farm show up and invite your group to come over and trade gas for food, you're left with the decisions of obviously taking their offer, or the unknown of whether or not you can trust these random strangers. The group needs food, you're pretty much out, and with the world gone to hell, you're going to need all the supplies you can get to keep your group alive, but are these guys legit?

Whatever choice you make, Episode 2 will shock you to your very core.











The most shocking entry so far, Starved For Help is a brilliant new episode of the Walking Dead game, and also the most brutal.

• Published by: Telltale Games
• Developed by: Telltale Games
• Genre: Adventure
• Release Date:
  Europe: April 2012
• PEGI: 18
• Available On: Playstation 3, PC, Macintosh, iPad, Xbox 360

PlayStation 3 Review: Game of Thrones RPG

Tales of Mors Westford and Alester Sarwyck has twists and turns, but falls flat at every turn.



It should be noted that you don’t need to follow the television series or have read the books to follow the Game of Thrones RPG. Obviously it helps, but those unfamiliar with the series won't feel out of place, unlike the constant bugs and muddy textures that plague the majority of the game. Game of Thrones had a seven year development cycle, but you really, really wouldn't assume that from state of it, it just feels very rushed in order to coincide with the success of the recent TV series.

It is a 30 hour long RPG, with in all fairness, a moment or two where it excels if you play long enough.  However, for most people, you’ll more likely stop after the 15th loading screen appears because after it, the game just returns to the same dry and mediocre story.

I found myself bored whilst playing, and yes, it's because of the disappointment the team has delivered in terms of a story, something the books and TV show really shine with, but also because Game of Thrones looks horribly dated.

Character models look awful and animations can range from stiff to ridiculous, whilst in most parts models look extremely similar. In some scenes, you'll witness three of four clones of the exact same model doing something exactly the same. If they were part of a huge background crowd then you could forgive the design, but when it's a small cut scene, with the clones front and centre, it's really lazy.

I don't know if it was just the review copy I received (it probably isn't), but the music suddenly cuts out at times and simply loops back to the beginning of a song instead of flowing together, whilst later footsteps randomly stopped then started again mid walk.

These aren't signs of a seven year development cycle.

Combat on the other hand, is surprisingly robust, with a vast amount of options to build your character up, but you'll ultimately learn to rely on seemingly random tactics to win. As you start a battle, you can slow down the action, with enemies still slowly moving keeping the intensity of the moment alive and allow you to strategically plan your attack. By switching between characters and setting them to use a specific set of attacks, you can plan your attack through the players, before exiting the slow-down mode whilst you wait for your energy to recharge.

It is actually pretty well done considering the rest of the game; until you realize that you’re only using about three or four attacks over and over again. While we're on combat, there are times you’ll cue a violent cinematic kill (usually when you defeat the last of a group of enemies), but if you never switch weapons, you’ll always see the one animation, which gets very tedious, other games offer at least a few different animations, regardless of whether you switch weapons (Deus Ex: Human Revolution showed some brilliant take down animations).

The game had potential, even with below-par graphics if they fixed the bugs and threw in a really strong and smartly delivered story; that would have carried the game through. But, as it is, when something 'good' happens, something even worse happens to ruin it all over again, even if (without spoiling it for those that do play through the game) it has some neat and unexpected twists.

Overall
Whilst Game of Thrones lacks the polish and finesse of its book and TV series, the juicy portions and twists are actually genuinely good. It's a shame that the other 97% of the game is a buggy, ugly, and utterly poorly delivered mess.

Game of Thrones is rated M (Mature) by the ESRB for Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Content, Strong Language. This game can also be found on: PC and Xbox 360.

Article first published as PlayStation 3 Review: Game of Thrones RPG on Blogcritics By Callum Povey

Max Payne 3 (Ps3) Review

Max Payne (as you may guess from his name) has suffered a lot, and it's been nine years since the last game in the series. Max has remained deeply traumatised by the death of his wife and child, and for a man who's addicted to painkillers, drinking his weight in alcohol; trauma is not a good mix, for he chooses to relive the past, with only his ghosts and demons as companions.



Thankfully, gameplay wise, Max Payne 3 is a new jungle compared to its two successors. The dirty rundown tenements and murky bloodstained sidewalks of New York have been replaced by upbeat glamorous nightclubs and the cold empty snow is now replaced by baking the heat of São Paulo. Max is working private security for wealthy businessman Rodrigo Branco, and as you can imagine, things don't go so smoothly. Rodrigo’s trophy wife, Fabiana, gets kidnapped on Max’s watch, which starts a chain of events that draws Max into a much larger, more sinister story.

Cinematic effects such as scan lines, chromatic aberration and shifting film stock claw at you through the screen, and whilst some may deem this as "too much, or too noisy", I quite liked the effects, as it garnered your attention in a kind of new-wave graphic novel, feeding Max's characterisation, emphasising his jaded disconnection from the world around him. And it works.

James McCaffrey, who voices Max, does a stella job, making Max the gnarled and bitter man he should be. Whilst playing as Max, who delivers calloused cynicism through out, you're never sure if he's genuinely trying to save his employers wife, or simply trying to generate his own destruction.

Max Payne wouldn't be the same without Bullet Time, and it's here in spades. Whilst many games now offer bullet time (slow-mo), none do it as well as Max Payne. Diving, shooting all with up-most control, and now including a new "last man standing" gimmick, which gives Max one last chance when he's pretty much dead, to take out an attacker, giving him a little health back. It works well, and gives you a little breathing room to plan your next attack.

The game’s fully-destructible environments really intensify firefights – seeing the air around you slowly woven with spiralling bullets, fractured glass, and plumes of shredded paper is genuinely thrilling, and once you realise you can use this to your advantage, you can strategically plan an assault. For example, hiding in a garage, there's a car up on a ramp, enemies underneath, whilst further across there's a flammable barrel behind some enemies, all whilst more flank you from the other side. A possible solution? Bullet-time > shoot the lever on the ramp to crush the enemies under the car > turn, shoot barrel, blowing enemies up > dive and shoot to take out the remaining attackers. Max doesn't magically regain health, so those of you who want to hide behind a concrete pillar waiting for your health to come back, you're in for a shock. Your health will stay low - and the pillar will collapse. It's a great feeling, knowing that every bullet counts, enemies will flank you out, and you're never safe; it makes you desperate.
Although you’ll kill hundreds of people in Max Payne 3, the game’s kill camera tracks the final bullet from Max’s gun to its intended target; and whilst it's one of the game’s many visual flourishes, it shows that life for Max is still an ugly business.

Max Payne 3 is violent. Very violent, with ragged bullet wounds, charred flesh and dismembered limbs, it's very visceral in its manifestations. But where Max Panyne 3 differs from other violent games, is that it shows the dirty underbelly of disparity between rich and poor, and how every person can turn to desperation, no matter where they are.

For some, comparisons to Uncharted are a no brainer. A third-person action/adventure title with a thrilling story and gorgeous visuals sounds spot on, and the games action set-pieces do nothing but add more similarity to Nathan Drake's adventures. But unfortunately, whilst Max Paynes sequences are terrific, they're not as good as Uncharted's. In Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception, Sully and Drake must escape from a French château before it burns to the ground, and it's exciting and adrenaline-inducing all whilst looking sublime. But where it falls is that it doesn't offer up anything to the narrative, it kind of just happens then it's over. Whereas in Max Payne 3, a building is set on fire and Max must escape before he is incinerated, and whilst it isn't as "exciting" as Uncharted 3's sequence, it is of far greater significance, and is an integral part of the story. That, and it really looks fantastic.

Multiplayer wise, it's well, surprising. It's brilliant, giving players a sense of freedom absent from the single-player campaign. With a range of modes, bursts (perks), as well as the exceptional Gang Wars, a mode that weaves a narrative into the gameplay; it's something fresh and exciting, and feels different to what would normally be a player-determined experience. Max Payne's multiplayer will keep people happy for a long time after they've finished the single-player campaign.

Overall

Max Payne 3 is simple yet satisfying, bringing a strong story, superb voice acting and gorgeous visuals. Although a Rockstar game, you aren't at liberty to explore like in GTA or Red Dead Redemption, this may seem constricted, but it doesn't ruin the game at all. Max Payne 3 deserves your time, and you'll be rewarded in abundance.

Published by: Rockstar Games

Developed by: Rockstar Studios

Genre: Shooter, Action, Adventure

US: May 15, 2012

UK: May 18, 2012

Rating: Mature

Also Available On: Xbox 360, PC

Game of Thrones Review (in process)

Yesterday, our review copy of Game of Thrones arrived, so we are currently in the process of writing the review, so keep your eyes peeled! Also, our Max Payne 3 review is almost finished, so we'll try get that up as soon as possible!

As always, keep it here at Tech Beever!

Published by: Atlus

Developed by: Cyanide

Genre: RPG

Release Date:

US: May 15, 2012

UK: Mar 31, 2012

Also Available On: PC PlayStation 3

Max Payne 3 (Ps3) Review: SOON!

Today is a good day, our copy of Max Payne 3 sits awaiting to be reviewed! Although we had to wait for this one, it finally came. Our apologies it isn't up earlier than usual!

We'll have the full review up as soon as possible, along with our Game of Thrones RPG review.

Want more Max Payne? Check out the embedded video after the jump.

Coming Up... Game of Thrones (Ps3) Review

Our review copy of the RPG Game of Thrones is on its way. So we'll be firing up the PS3 very soon to bring you the full review, but really, it's a small filler whilst we await Max Payne 3...

The Walking Dead Game: Episode 1 Review (Ps3)

After Telltale Games disappointed us with Back To The Future and Jurassic Park, the initial response when it was revealed that the developers would be handling the Walking Dead Game was, well, not great. Have they redeemed themselves with the final product?



The deciding factor of The Walking Dead is ultimately down to one thing; the talking. If you're happy to get fully immersed in brilliant story telling, genuinely forming bonds with the characters and caring for your new found child 'side-kick', then the talking won't stop you. If you're not big on talking and would rather get down and gritty with zombies -- play Left 4 Dead.

In Episode 1: A New Day, you take on the role of Lee Everett, a man who may or may not be a killer, and your first introduction to him is in the back of a cop car, handcuffed and oblivious to the zombie apocalypse that's kicking off as he's escorted to prison.

You're given your first play with the conversation tree mechanic here, where you select what you want to say (or stay silent). The inclusion of 'split second' decisions is great, as you have only a limited amount of time to choose what to say, and it really adds to the pressure.

As you sit in the back of the cop car, talking with your chaperone, the games is happening concurrently with the comic book series, so as Lee's story kicks off at the start of the zombie apocalypse, Rick, the protagonist of the comics and TV show, is lying comatose in his hospital bed. This gives way to a whole new group of survivors, although expect a few familiar faces to pop up along the way.

It's not all talking, however, there are plenty of action sequences (a lot, actually), but whilst they're gore packed, Zombie smashing fun; they have the added effect of being very panic driven, and tie into the deep story remarkably well, but you'll spend the majority of your time making decisions and living with the consequences.

The outstanding feature Telltale has done, is the way your actions have consequences. When someone asks you a question, you have a limited time to pick one of four responses. Whatever you decide, you live with. Characters remember what you say and take note of your demeanour,usage, pronoun etc. While this might simply be someone questioning Lee's story in this episode, Telltale says the way people perceive him is going to drastically affect future episodes. What if your squad finds out you've been talking crap from the get-go? What if they find out all about your past? What if they push you out of the group? Or worse, take Clementine from you?

What I found with A New Day, is just how attached to Clementine I became. I wanted to do nothing but save her, cheer her up, reassure her that we'd find her parents, together. When she was hungry, I'd find her food. When she cut her finger, I franticly searched the office to find the First Aid Kit. But worse, when she got grabbed by a Zombie, there was no one that was going to stop me saving her.

It's extremely powerful stuff, and that's added to some of the choices you'll have to make. Think picking who lives and who dies will be easy? Think again. A solid example of this is on Hershel's farm. You have to decide whether to save Hershel's son, Sean, or your new acquittance Fred's much younger son, Duck. Did we mention Sean saved you earlier?
In a split second, you have to decide who you save, knowing full well that either action is going to have dire repercussions, and even cause you guilt.

There are the odd goof-ball moments, not mentioning anything specific, but you'd think a grown person would know to put batteries in a radio...


Overall

The Walking Dead is off to a great start, with outstanding game mechanics, immersing story and a genuine feel of characters. The bad part is waiting for Episode 2...

• Published by: Telltale Games
• Developed by: Telltale Games
• Genre: Adventure
• Release Date:
  Europe: April 2012
• PEGI: 18
• Available On: Playstation 3, PC, Macintosh, iPad, Xbox 360

The Adventures of Tintin Playstation 3 Review

The Adventures of Tintin tries to capture the energy and spectacle of Steven Spielberg's latest cinematic release; but falls short of its goal.

The story of Tintin follows that of the movie, with the well-quaffed boy reporter trying to find the secrets of the Unicorn (a ship) in an adventure that takes him from mainland Europe to Morocco by air and sea. The result is a 2-D Prince of Persia inspired platformer, with puzzles to solve as you switch between Tintin and his canine companion, Snowy.

If the game left it this way, and simply made the puzzles and platforming a little more varied, then Ubisoft may have been on to a winner. Certain elements are nearly brilliant, but still disappoint almost instantly. With car chases and an escape from a capsizing boat, there are times when Tintin shows a certain flair for a adventure title; but as the same themed sequences are also done in the far superior Uncharted 3: Drakes Deception, the sequences in Tintin feel like dire, pale comparisons.

Swapping between Tintin and Snowy (and Captain Haddock among others if you're playing co-op) as you travel through the 2-D levels show one of the games real strengths. Tintin, although small, is able to easily take care of himself; punching, slamming and throwing enemies, whilst Snowy can dig his way into tiny areas, finding treasure, missing keys and even using his sense of smell to locate trails.The characters have plenty of life, with generally good characterisation, and some nice voice work, bringing a lot of charm and personality to the game.

However, it's the way you're led on what feels like a series of mini-games that are really, are quite poor. Captain Haddock's flashbacks bring swashbuckling into the fold, which would be a welcome addition, if it weren't for the clunky controls, making the whole ordeal rather painful. Boss fights are equally shallow, and cutting through a wave of bandits feels more like a chore, as there seems to be no swordsmanship involved.

As a 2-D platformer, Tintin is an enjoyable adventure, that is easy on the eye, and full of charm. But the way Ubisoft has tried to shoehorn in variety, makes it feel like they've rushed what could have been a fun game.

The Adventures of Tintin: The Game is rated E10+ (Everyone 10 and older) by the ESRB for Cartoon Violence. This game can also be found on: Windows PC, Wii, and Xbox 360.

Article first published as PlayStation 3 Review: The Adventures of Tintin on Blogcritics.

Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception Review

Uncharted 3 sets a new benchmark for all-action blockbuster games, this is something truly special.

Uncharted 3 is a masterpiece. I could start and finish the review there, because it really is. From the moment the opening montage kicks in, to the final credits, it has every single ingredient needed to succeed.

The original Drake's Fortune set the bar for visuals and third-person adventures on the PlayStation 3 and Uncharted 2: Among Thieves greatly improved on that, adding multiplayer modes and even shockingly improving on visuals; as does Drake's Deception. It looks brilliant, and if you have a 3D TV, I urge you to try it out; don the silly specs and get very immersed.

"Y'know what, I have no idea where I parked the Volvo"

Drake's Deception may sound familiar to it's predecessors, with the same general idea of a lost city that needs finding before the bad guys get there. But where it achieves one of it's greatest feats is through it's unpredictability. With the game starting off with a barroom brawl that introduces its new melee system, leading to a conversation between villainess Katherine Marlowe and Drake, the game leaves behind the betrayal elements of the last game, instead focusing on a more, "family" orientated relationship between Drake and his mentor Sully.

Gameplay still revolves around climbing walls and shooting bad guys, but thanks to minor refinement, those mechanics are now better than ever. Everything looks incredible, and running through levels and taking cover never gets old because Naughty Dog has done a lot of work to merge the gameplay with the story. With perfect pacing alongside cutting edge graphics and excellent cinematography -- it's a breathtaking experience.

"You said you'd put out your cigar!"

The game isn't all climbing and shooting though, and strangely, one of the games best sections contains none of those segments.

*SPOILER ALERT*

In a heart-wrenching section where Drake is by himself and completely lost. He's fell from a plane, using only a parachuted cargo crate to land safely, he finds himself lost in a desert. Literally on his own, battered and bruised, he's as good as dead. He becomes desperate. And although the sands and textures look phenomenal, it's horrible. After mirages of water, and some of his lost friend, Sully, appear, he seeks shelter and loses hope. And as he does, my heart breaks.

It's a very slow process, with day/night sequences, but it never gets old or boring because it's so well done, and shows us a side of Drake we've never seen before. Drake slowly begins to give up, until he finds a a derelict city, with a small puddle of water, he give sin to his despair and drinks it, after which, finds himself at odds with armed bad guys, and the pace picks up again.

It's a brilliant addition to the gameplay, and it was an enjoyable, and moving part of the story, even though it made me want to reach out and hug Drake, just to tell him he wasn't alone, but that's a different story...

What Naughty Dog has done with Drake's Deception, is created a living world. We all know the cast, the relationships between Drake, Sully, Elena, Chloe and the witty banter each has, as well as the one liners Drake spews out through the game, but what's changed here, is that we're given backstories, broken bonds and characters fears. It's beautiful and engaging, and at times, glorious nightmares.

Sully, like your Dad, only much cooler.

Speaking of the cast, yet again, the acting is tremendous, the actors record their lines along with their movements, which leads to their characters feeling incredibly real, they all bring glittering chemistry. The games score adds more atmospheric feeling, beautifully orchestrated, and memorable. The games own "best in the industry" graphics go up and over what we all thought was possible, making the whole thing gorgeous, with sand clinging to Drakes hair, fire that almost burns through your TV screen and sunlight that breaks through holes in ceilings and walls.

But what about when it's all over? Then there's the multiplayer. Not really anything new over the Beta that we were all playing over the summer, but it stands on it's own, with several game modes, and the fact it's always a fresh experience each time you play, the multiplayer will be host to many a frustrating and enjoyable time.

Overall

Drake's Deception is a truly unique and incredibly special game, but that's the problem; it's not just a game, it's an experience.

From start to finish, single player to multiplayer, Uncharted 3 is one of games finest moments, and you better experience it, otherwise you'll miss out on one of the best games ever made.

A true masterpiece.

Exclusively on: PlayStation 3
Suitable for ages: 16 and overGenre: Third-Person Action Adventure 
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Developer: Naughty Dog Software

PlayStation 3 Review: Child of Eden

Does Child of Eden deliver as a psychedelic rhythm action game?



Child of Eden takes place after the death of Lumi, the first human being born in outer space, with her only knowledge of Earth being the sights of its distant greens and blues from her home among the stars. And so Child of Eden begins.



A rhythm action game from the minds of renowned videogame designer Tetsuya Mizuguchi and his team at Q Entertainment, Child of Eden is a marvelous, if psychedelic, looking game, that although is an arcade shooter at heart, offers a lot more than meets the eye.
Being a shooter with on the rails movement that was originally brought to Microsoft's Xbox Kinect, the controls take some getting used to. You move your particle target around using the analogue stick, and even though I've not played the Xbox version, I couldn't help but feel that the controller free Kinect would offer a much better control scheme. Child of Eden does support Sony's PlayStation Move, but it still doesn't quite capture the same feeling as that of Kinect. Of the two choices on PS3, I'd recommend the Dual Shock set up, as the Move Controller often makes it feel as though I am not pointing, but simply dragging the particle across the screen.
As stated, the game takes place after Lumi's death, with mankind working to recreate Lumi's existence inside stores of online intel, known as Eden. However, every time you're successful with a part of Project Lumi, a virus attacks the artificial girl and threatens mankind's efforts. And that's where you come in. Gameplay wise, whilst the game does offer a story, it's not strong enough to justify why you're speeding through colourful tunnels, or finding yourself attacked by swarms of viruses.
The music in the game is cleverly implemented into your shooting skills, with every virus taken out resulting in a different beat or tempo. With varying virus enemies, you're given the chance to use either your lock-on shot or a rapid-fire attack to purify the infected data and move on to face a boss battle filled with visual spectacle. The colours are mesmerising, and I urge people to try it in 3D; it's a brilliant experience.

Relatively simple, Child of Eden is also hugely repetitive. You are forced to replay archives in order to obtain stars to unlock the next archive, and as there aren't an awful lot of then, it gets bland very quickly.
I'm torn as to how I feel about Child of Eden. On one hand, it's a thunderous on-rails shooter, with a clever musical rhythm action scheme bundled with terrific colours. But, on the more critical hand, it's a bland, easily forgotten experience that frustrates more than it pleases, with tedious repetitive gameplay.
Overall
Child of Eden is always going to divide, with fans of the old Dreamcast gem Rez lapping it up, whilst the masses quickly grow tired of the colours and repetitive nature.


Child of Eden is rated E10+ (Everyone 10 and older) by the ESRB for Mild Fantasy Violence. This game can also be found on: Xbox 360.
Article first published as PlayStation 3 Review: Child of Eden on Blogcritics.

Playstation 3 Review: White Knight Chronicles II

Is White Knight Chronicles II better than its predecessor?

White Knight Chronicles II is a JRPG from developer Level 5, the company responsible for the likes of Dark Cloud, Dragon Quest 8, and the marvelous Rogue Galaxy.  They are also responsible for the original White Knight Chronicles — a game which sounds much better on paper than when it is actually played.

So, White Knight Chronicles II should be a chance to correct all the mistakes and downfalls of the original, right?  Sadly, it doesn't.

Events kick off shortly after the first game.  If you've never played the original, you can be somewhat eased in by the long-winded recap, after which, you're sprung into battle as hero Leonard and his teammates, Yulie and Eldore, without so much as a whisper to the controls.

This proves frustrating, you are targeted by enemies, and my fumbling attempts to attack brought up the in-game chat menu. Once this is overcome, the RPG nature of "attack - wait - attack" becomes easier, although the combat system/menu seems awfully scattered.

Being a JRPG in vein of Final Fantasy, the cinematics should be top dollar, oozing with theatrical climaxes. White Knight Chronicles II is, unfortunately, without these traits. Blighted by clunky dialogue, wholly underwhelming writing and direction, and with bland and uninspiring characters, White Knight Chronicles II quickly becomes dire and stale.  The world you travel is monotone and lacking in energy, resulting in easy battles between you and every single place you want to go—which isn't far, as alternative routes are magically sealed off. Magically as in huge blue walls that won't disappear until you're allowed to pass.

Battles are a sluggish and long affair in which you assign nearly identical skills to three hotbars and click on them to activate them once a timing circle has built up. It doesn't feel at all strategic, and as the enemies are sparsely varied, you never have to be.

What should be White Knight Chronicles II's most fun battle feature, is the ability to change into a giant knight, which you can do as often as you like - albeit with a brief cooldown to regain power between uses. But even this element is hampered by the clumsy unskippable animation sequence that prefaces every time you transform into your knight; which is a shame, as it could have been a fun addition the boring battles.

You are able to create your own character, he accompanies your team, and you are able to switch to play as said avatar.  However, the creation tends to look much more out of place than any of the characters you encounter of your journey.  Your chosen creation carries over all your experience and items to the game's multiplayer, which allows you to field parties of six characters and take on quests, along with the fun Georama mode which lets you build your own towns.

White Knight Chronicles II does come packed with the original White Knight Chronicles (a slightly more polished version), so you are effectively getting two 20+ hours' long games for one, with online co-op features.  So, there is value in the title, it's just a shame that the games themselves are uninspiring and lack the emotion that other JRPG/RPG's carry so well.

Overall, White Knight Chronicles II isn't a game I would recommend to anyone over other (better) JRPGs, but for value for money alone, I award White Knight Chronicles II two stars.

White Knight Chronicles II is rated T (Teen) by the ESRB for Mild Language, Partial Nudity, Suggestive Themes, Use of Alcohol, Violence.

Article first published as Playstation 3 Review: White Knight Chronicles II on Blogcritics.