Darwinia

Set in the virtual world of Darwinia, you’re tasked with saving its AI inhabitants from a deadly computer virus that threatens to wipe them out completely. You’re not alone in this task however, aided by Darwinia’s creator “Dr Sepulveda” you’ll work together as you try to restore order to Darwinia, and save his life’s work.

While that may sound like an easy task, it couldn’t be much further from the truth. As an end user in the Darwinia virtual themepark experience (I should trademark that), you only have access to a few select unit types at first. Basic Squad units and Engineers are all that you have at hand, as you are thrust into the deep end in your fight against a seemingly unstoppable enemy.

Virus Infestation

Why is it unstoppable? The virus plaguing the Darwinians doesn’t just simply destroy them, it converts them into the very thing you’re trying to stop. Even the tiniest remnant of it, could potentially lead to the world threatening menace you’re currently facing. It’s not all doom and gloom however, as with each virus unit you destroy, you’ll be able to convert its corrupted soul back into a Darwinian.

Over the course of the game, you’ll be able to use your Engineers to recover various parts of Dr Sepulveda’s research, which will provide new unit types, as well as allowing him to further upgrade the units already at your disposal. Upgrades include increased squad members, and weapon enhancements. You’ll want to track down as much of this research as you can, as it will definitely help against the ever changing virus forces.

It’s the seemingly simple premise which is one of greatest strengths of Darwinia+. It sucks you in, and before you know it you’re deep into a world of frantic action, which will have you gritting your teeth as you move ever closer to the edge of your seat.

Darwinian Moai

However it’s these shining aspects which quickly make Darwinia+’s (very few) flaws apparent. A minor error on the second campaign level left me scratching my head, as I worked to complete the final objective. Moving the Darwinians that I’d rescued to a specially shielded area, I was informed that I hadn’t saved any at all, and indeed the counter remained fixed at zero. After some fevered tinkering, I moved a number of Darwinians a centimetre to the left & voilà: Objective Complete. A simple indicator showing the specific rescue “area” would have spared me from the ultimate n00b frustration. Another flaw is the lack of camera control when you are guiding your squads. The inability to move the camera can sometimes lead to being unable to view the action, which in turn leads to the complete obliteration of your squad. While camera movement gives way to squad movement and targeting, camera rotation could have easily been mapped to the shoulder buttons in this instance, thus making sure that the player can see the battlefield perfectly at all times.

Save Us!

While these problems can be fixed in future patches, something Introversion takes very seriously, it does snap you out of the virtual world and back to reality.

In closing Darwinia+ is a fantastic mix of classic strategy, action, and simple retro graphics that touch upon the various old school elements that were possible influences. From the Spectrum era tape loading screens, to the Tron-like Engineers, Darwinia+ presents a lovingly created world that puts a lot of triple A games to shame.

What are you waiting for? Just buy it already!

8.5/10

Support Old School Gamer

You can help support Old School Gamer by purchasing Microsoft Points (you’ll need 1200 for Darwinia+) from the following sites: -

ShopTo: 2100 MS Points, 4200 MS Points.
Amazon: 2100 MS Points, 4200 MS Points.

Camero

It’s a simple sounding premise, however Forza 3 deceptively hides a challenge for complete racing n00bs & hardened race fans alike. With a host of customisable options, difficulty can be tailored to suit your needs and in no time at all you’ll pushing for gold at the chequered line.

The main career is split into 6 distinct “years,” which you can fill with a number of minor tournaments while also racing through that year’s championship. Each race will earn you money to spend on new cars and upgrades, as well as experience points. Experience points are applied to both your driver and your car, and earn you discounts on a number of upgrade parts.

Shelby GT500

While the main championship car types and classes will be decided for you, you’ll be able to choose from a number of various tournaments which vary greatly in difficulty. These tournaments can be focused around specific themes (GT vs Camero, for example), giving you the chance to get comfortable with advanced car classes at a pace which suits you.

It’s this approach that makes Forza Motorsport 3 so accessible to anyone who picks it up. Coupled with the difficulty tailoring, Forza 3 can be as easy or as tough as you want it to be; and you can adjust the settings at any time. The Multiplayer aspect of Forza Motorsport 3 is just as customisable, allowing you to easily tailor a game around anything you desire. Want to race a specific car, class, or make? It’s done, with a few simple menu selections.

Ferrari

The only real disappointments I could find with this game lie with its limited soundtrack, and its sometimes complicated menu systems. While the rather bland music selection can easily be addressed by using your own music library, the interface has no such escape clause. The mountain of customisation options on offer can sometimes leave you lost and desperately searching for whatever it is you’re looking for. This is clearly evident while trying to select a game mode for play. Strangely split between Freeplay and Career, some of these options are buried where you’d least expect them. It leaves me wondering if this aspect of the game was outsourced during development to a crazy man, as all the polish and attention to detail is severely lacking in this area.

Peugeot

The menus would be a minor niggle (as the music is), if only the player didn’t have to spend so much time navigating them; and as such they can be a little frustrating at first.

Overall, Forza Motorsport 3 is my favourite racer of 2009, and one that definitely made me appreciate the genre. If you’re after a fun and engaging “high octane” experience, look no further; Forza Motorsport 3 has it all, and then some.

8/10

Support Old School Gamer

You can help support Old School Gamer by purchasing Forza Motorsport 3 from the following sites: -

ShopTo: Standard Edition.
Amazon: Standard Edition.

The extended maintenance has given me the opportunity to push OSG in a new direction, and focus specifically on the content that I love to write, reviews & articles. As such, Old School Gamer now closely resembles the gaming blog that I originally envisioned, when I first set up Confessions of an Old School Gamer in 2008.

If you’re looking to catch up on the latest Xbox 360 news, then I suggest visiting XboxLiveAddicts; where I’m currently a guest writer for their news section.

Stay tuned to Old School Gamer for more reviews & articles, a number of which will go live during this week.

As I will no longer be covering every piece of information that surfaces, it means that I’ll be able to dedicate more time to writing original and engaging content.  While I would love to continue providing up to date information on all things Xbox 360, it’s simply no longer a possibility.

As a result of this decision OSG will be shut down for a period of two weeks, starting tomorrow, to allow for much needed site maintenance.

I hope that you, OSG’s avid readers, continue to visit the site on a regular basis throughout this transition.

In preparation for their interview Gaming Angels opened the floor for community submitted questions, and I was happy to discover that one of mine was selected: -

While working on the original PRINCE OF PERSIA game, did you ever think it would turn into a franchise? Or did you intend for it to be a “one shot” game?

You know, back in the 1980’s when I was programming the first Prince of Persia game on the Apple II, I don’t think I could have imagined it would still be around 20 years later, much less that it would turn into a giant Jerry Bruckheimer film with these epic production values. That’s really more than a dream come true.

Many thanks to Naomi for selecting one of my questions for her interview, which you can read in full here.

This week is dedicated solely to New Super Mario Bros. WII, however includes a generous helping of out-takes from the series so far.

If streaming isn’t your thing, then you’ll be happy to learn that CO-OP Season 3 Episode 7  is also available for download, here.

Don’t forget, you can also subscribe to CO-OP via iTunes (Small, Large, HD).

The first pack, Battle of Forli, is scheduled to launch in January. The second DLC pack, Bonfire of the Vanities, will be available in February.

Speaking on Medal of Honor, Sean Decker (VP and General Manager of EALA), had this to say: -

EA has always been an advocate for telling the soldiers’ story. The new Medal of Honor follows that tradition. We felt it was important to tell the story of today’s war and today’s elite soldiers via today’s most relevant medium – videogames. [...] We are so proud to bring together two powerhouse development teams to make this game a reality; EA Los Angeles and EA DICE. Medal of Honor promises to be an unforgettable entry in the modern shooter genre.

Pets are expected to cost 240 MS points each.

Don’t have any MS points? Remeber the Final Fantasy XII twitter competion? If you’ve taken part, you’ll be able to claim your FREE Chocobo Avatar Pet soon. Don’t worry, you can still register to claim your free Chocobo Avatar Pet.

Official blurb: -

For the first time ever, Infinity Ward’s 2003 award-winning game that launched a franchise comes to consoles in Call of Duty Classic. Relive the original Call of Duty experience in high definition, including online multiplayer on Xbox LIVE with Leaderboard support.

• Legendary franchise: Play the winner of more than 80 Game of the Year Awards and 50 Editor’s Choice Awards.
• Battlefield action: Experience the cinematic intensity of World War II’s biggest conflicts including D-Day, Stalingrad, and the Battle of Berlin. Play through 24 epic single-player missions across four interconnected campaigns.
• Online multiplayer: Take your game online with multiplayer on Xbox LIVE, including Leaderboard support.