South Park is under attack, and it depends on your ability to defend it! Cartman, Stan, Kyle and Kenny task themselves with saving the town from rampaging ginger kids, old people, Satan worshipping forest animals, Mongolians, sixth graders and more. You will build fastball machines, lasers and more hysterical inventions to stop waves of advancing enemies over eleven stages.

As one would expect the levels take places on a variety of South Park landmarks such as Stan’s house, stark’s pond, hells pass hospital etc being just a handful of the locations at your disposal. Each new level increases both the difficulty and the towers you are able to use. As you progress snow which is required to build towers upon becomes scarcer, forcing you to adapt and be on your toes. Where some of the final levels include traps to lure enemies into and vast open plains which you will need to build paths to stop enemies easily reaching the other side of the screen.

South Park does have its share of issues but in terms of playability, for harder difficulties you will have limited funds in which to build towers, and extreme amounts of enemies to face with barely a second to breath between waves to the point you will be so busy you won’t even notice the break at times. This only becomes easier if you invite round friends and have them join in. This helps but unless they know what they are doing will most likely waste funds or get the boys killed by walking in front of waves. Once they get used to the controls though the second pair of hands can make the difference from failure and success, so this is where Xbox Live comes in with multiplayer.

This makes sense its great having a game that you can play and a mode which is bordering on difficulties so hard you will need the extra help; if you could get a game that is. Sadly this is and will be South Parks failing along with most other casual XBLA titles that add multiplayer elements. Great for the first few days, but days or weeks later you will need people on your friends list with the game and willing to play to have some fun online with it. Which is a shame as this is possibly the perfect old school multiplayer party game where you can switch controllers and anyone can have a laugh listening to the classic lines from south park and its laughable attempt at a storyline introduced by Eric ‘it’s a conspiracy’ Cartman.

The game is very replayable due in-part to its comedy factor, and the vault of unlockables you can attain from it such as alternative characters from the series such as Timmy and Jimmy, Butters, Wendy, Craig. Basically every kid from class ten is in the game. Clips from South Park’s funnier moments are added for your enjoyment but remain fully relevant to the game showing you the origin of some enemies if you’re not familiar with certain ones.

While the story is rather flimsy to say the least which is merely in place as a reason for the game to exist, the gameplay itself is very solid with all types of enemies being weak to certain towers and you having to use your brain to strategically place towers some sets are weak against, while building a maze to heard the enemies in and stop them from reaching the town. Expect to be challenged later on with boss fights from time to time but these are essentially spray and pray affairs throwing all you have at them.

South Park comes down to two basic decisions One – How much do you love the series? Two – Are you willing to put in the time required to complete the game? If you answered yes to both of these then you can be safe in the knowledge you going to have a good time playing, with a host of things to attain including the games super hard achievement ‘Manbearpig’ which asks you to complete one of the hardest stages on insane difficulty with nothing but walls and snowballs. Previous experience with other Tower Defense games will most likely give someone a leg up on how to do such a task but it is still a feat to achieve. If on the other hand you said No to those questions, stay away. I’m sure you will only be disappointed at wasting your points.

But the beauty is you can always try the trail of the game to see if you will enjoy tower defense style gameplay or not coated in a nice triple coat of South Park humour. While there remain worse games on the marketplace for the price tag of 800 Microsoft Points, there most certainly are better out there to be downloaded for your enjoyment.

This made me laugh like crazy and thought I should jokingly tiny blog about it, let the boycott begin!

Gabe Newell via twitter:

Left4dead 2 is working me to the bone, I shall one day rest and on that day, I'll finally be able to start work on left4dead 3

Cue fan rage over half-life 2 episode 3 not being released yet or even teased, but I cannot wait to laugh my arse clean off when people start moaning about the possibility of left 4 dead 3 for Christmas 2010. I'm sure someones gonna rage at this snippet people cannot help themselves.

For anyone expecting Halo 3 remixed, stop. It shoots, moves, and talks like Halo. Even looks like it with the endless amounts of brutes, and grunts you will be facing off against, but this is no typical first person shooter. In fact the closet you are going to come to the other halo’s is David Scully reprising his role of Sgt. Avery Johnson and his cigar, not a Spartan to be seen, this is all unmodified human characters.

Halo 3: ODST is a fresh perspective on the war between mankind and the covenant, taking place at the end of Halo 2 when Master Chief boards a covenant vessel and jumps into hyperspace to ‘finish the fight’ the ODST’s are dropping into the ghost town of New Mombasa.

You take the role of the rookie who was forced off course by the shockwave of the hyperspace jump of the covenant vessel and was knocked unconscious. Upon reawakening six hours later, you’re tasked with finding out what happened to your team. This is the entire game in a nutshell searching new Mombasa for clues to what happened to them. Clues are conveniently highlighted in a bright primary yellow with the VISR mode turned on, which acts half as a helpful guide to see what lies ahead of you and as night vision goggles. The latter of which can be extremely unhelpful during daylight scenarios where you can be rendered blind, which in a fps can be is essentially like amputating a leg of Usian Bolt the world record holder of the 100m sprint. Luckily such a thing can be turned off as quick as you were able to turn it on.

What stands ODST apart from the other Halo’s is its free roam within the city limits you are given which is roughly about the central island of Liberty City in GTA IV. Small enough to feel isolated; but big enough to easily hold everything the game contains. Which is two storylines, thirty hidden collectibles, a new covenant species you will only see in ODST and more covenant than you can count.

The main campaign can last anywhere between three hours to six dependant on difficulty, skill and how many additional players you have [three including yourself] playing with you. The campaign has a decent amount of replayability with some achievements you probably won’t get first time playing on a high difficulty. The returning VidChallenges, such as complete a level on legendary without firing a single shot or throwing one grenade.

The combat of ODST is a lot more open than any of Master Chief’s outings, as avoidable combat is often scripted in previous Halo titles, yet here it is purely optional while playing as the rookie, only when you reach a flashback does it turn into all out warfare. This subtle option can make the game feel amazing as you sneak past a group of brute’s just feet away. While not a constant option or factor on lower difficulties on legendary you will be making choices of flight or flight.

Hidden within ODST’s main campaign is a secondary storyline of a female Civilian resident of New Mombasa named Sadie looking for her father, called ‘Sadie’s Story’. You will find things such as telephones and kiosks highlighted which when discovered will give you the option to collect or listen to as you play on searching for either the next clue to the story or the next segment of this hidden story. At first you will ponder what any of this has to even do with your nameless ODST rookie, but the more you collect, the more the hidden plot unfolds and the more you understand what your group leaders mission is, and even effect the outcome of an event later in the game.

Now on to the biggest disappointment in all ODST has to offer – Firefight. The mode itself is great, a Halo-esque take on Gears of War 2’s Horde Mode. The biggest problem comes in the fact there is no matchmaking. Unless you make plans with a friend to play this you will have to search game forums or visit bungie.net or play some Halo 3 multiplayer to see if anyone wants to play some firefight. This is quite frankly a massive issue for many a player and I pray it gets amended ASAP. Beyond this firefight is a highly enjoyable experience, were in an attempt to get the highest score you can will sap around two hours of playtime from you and your friends trying to reach the par score of 200,000 to get the stages achievement. The replayability from this mode alone will keep you hooked to ODST longer than you might plan with a willing and able friends list. As you will be having those did you just see that? Style moments over and over again, achieving kill counts you wouldn’t be able to touch via online competitive multiplayer.

Speaking of which, Halo 3: ODST has on a separate disc Halo 3 Mythic Multiplayer, with every map and three new maps making the list of achievements for Halo 3 now fully completeable and also playable again, as to those unaware Halo 3 multiplayer was unplayable to anyone who didn’t purchase the Mythic Map pack when it was first released way back when. Now you get the complete experience all on a tidy disc, the obvious catch being you have to purchase Halo 3: ODST. The simple reason for a separate disc being it makes it easier for a player to jump in and play what they want, campaign or multiplayer.

All in all, ODST achieves what it came to do. Offer a new perspective on the Halo universe while making sure you didn’t feel totally like a Spartan with a new story that feels distinctly human and not out of this world. You will be left satisfied with its great voice work and delivery and come away with a few more memories.

Its took a while but Valve has finally released some fresh campaign missions for its instant classic Left 4 Dead in the form of Crash Course. This new piece of story takes place directly after the rooftop finale atop the Mercy Hospital in the campaign No Mercy. It transpires the pilot who helps you escape from the hellish rooftop is himself infected and soon turned into an infected mid flight, upon which Zoey promptly shoots the pilot in the head causing the helicopter to crash land. One can only assume Bill with his military training was able to rescue some of the controls stopping the survivors from becoming bug splatter in the inevitable crash.

There are a few select introductions to this new DLC piece in the form of newly recorded audio from the main cast, which true to form are all hilarious. New voice work was even recorded for the fan made campaigns Dead Before Dawn and Night Terror which have been in production for quite some time and should see a release soon via the Left 4 Dead mod communities. You will hear Francis almost endlessly blaming Zoey for shooting the pilot throughout the campaign and is heard saying lines like, ‘Uh-oh here they come quick Zoey! Pretend they are all helicopter pilots!’ Sadly there is also a line which contains a reference to Valve’s download service Steam that is easily the worst pun in the entire game, let alone this new piece of DLC content. The self service may end there but the fan service is award winning, from Francis’ eternal hate of everything besides vests and lasagne, to new wall graffiti reminiscent of forum flaming of a love poem from a woman named Alison to her lover Jonathan. There are hidden extras aplenty to be enjoyed here.

However Crash Course is simply a two map affair, this may feel like a cheap campaign and some may whine they have been cheated out of two chapters, just remember it’s free so long as you update the game via steam. To the levels credit they are easily double in size of any previous chapters in Left 4 Dead, The only chapter I can think of which is equal in length as these new campaign levels is the Subway in the No Mercy campaign. This is possibly a wonderful precursor to the games upcoming sequel Left 4 Dead 2, surviving a nightmare of roaming witches, tanks, hunters and two new types of infected in the jockeys and spitters isn’t bad enough, length too can soon become an enemy in the long run. Such a thing will be most welcome to this gamer. In hindsight if Crash Course is what Left 4 Dead is capable in length, one can only imagine the brief under thirty-five second speedruns that have been made on back alley on No Mercy will become mere memories, though anyone willing to invest the time in Crash Course will come across numerous shortcuts and fun times to be had.

Sadly Crash Course has it fair share of release bugs. At the time of writing; main issues have been noted from phasing through cars and trucks, to versus players taking advantage of these in less than twelve hours making players think team mates are un-retrievable at times. To making survival times on the new campaign so high they baffle the casual player into think they are godlike, until they hear such times were attained by simply walking through a containment barrier as if it was merely an illusion, heading for the levels safe room forcing any infected that even manage to track you down in there along with the occasional tank, into a bottle neck of 4 players armed with assault rifles and hunting rifles. This soon causes ‘surviving’, into ‘how patient are you?’ times of anywhere between thirty minutes to hours. Left 4 Dead Crash Course only seems to have one persistent issue on the Xbox 360 in the achievement ‘Slippery Pull’ which simply requires you to pull a boomer bile covered survivor across the floor into your clutches, and has been the bane of many a 360 gamer I encountered looking to pertain this achievement.

With those easily patchable issues out of the way the question remains is Crash Course worth playing? Or the 560 Microsoft points asked purely by Microsoft for you to have? The simple and obvious answer is yes; yes it is. If the achievements don’t get you the hilarious dialogue will, and for the extra Francis misery rivals out there who hate achievements, comedy etcetera, the extra stages to play versus on and change up from the dated everyone-knows-the hiding-spots-and-choke-points-to-be-aware-of multiplayer should be the best part. Valve could easily of charged people for this piece of new content but didn’t, and it’s worth commending them for being such good Samaritans to their fan base... now if only Microsoft could do the same when someone wants there content to be free in future.

Everyone by now is most likely aware of Activision blaming the exchange rate of the pound versus the dollar as its scapegoat for the £54.99 price hike while every other retail release stays at £39.99 with a base of £49.99 as R.R.P. which retailers sucker unaware parents into thinking they are getting a deal when they aren't. Now while this hike has been marketed down to low as £42.99 on some online retail outlets such as gameplay.co.uk you will be hard pressed to find even a penny knocked off the hardened edition going at £69.99.

People may or may not be aware that Activision though the guise of Infinity Ward announced a limited edition console which comes with what will be the basic retail version of the game I taste it in my veins. which has been US priced at $399 not including tax, [God that is the one thing I do not envy about us sales prices the added stealth tax.] as it currently stand Xbox 360's in the UK are retailing at £199.99 Elite (seeming premiums are no longer produced). This is where there is a potential added rapeage by Activision, if a limited amount make it to UK shores which I assume will be. The package could retail at £249.99 which is a basic £50 rounded up profit on top of whatever basic profit Microsoft already make on top of the console, which is most likey the truth of the matter however it has potential to be much worse.

If this console is indeed as limited as it proclaims to be. Truth is it could go as far as a flat rate price exchange of $/£399.99 simply on the basis this console is limited and comes with an apparent not sold seperately 250GB Hard Drive [HDD from here on], additional controller over the standard one [also possibly limited edition design] and the game of COD:MW2. If you add a basic hike up for the HDD from basic elite i maybe see £20 legit mark up on price, additional controllers stand alone retail is basically £34.99 wireless, add the no discount COD:MW2 price of £54.99 I foresee UK sufferers of FPS syndrome out crying like the fanboys they already are. Because you just know they went to HMV [the only store chain in the UK to be allowed to sell the Prestige Edition of the game at £119.99] the fanboy rage will be overkill and the travesty of it all is some will still buy both.

But the breakdown even at that horrible price hike could still be claiming a discount! Here is a breakdown without over complicating things with mark ups and total:

Modern Warfare Console Bundle Extras Breakdown:
~Additional controller - £34.99
~Basic retail copy of COD:MW2 - £54.99
~Minimum! expected mark-up on a 250GB HDD - £20
~Elite Level Console - £199.99
Total = £309.97

So even if a fanboy did get this they’d pay £300 for the bundle, but will obviously want a prestige edition for his fanboy love of the game because they have defended the quality of the night vision goggles for whatever reason and has a previous pre-order that is essentially £120 which is an actual total of £509.96.
That is bad, but what’s worse is the HDD. At current R.R.P. a 120GB HDD is £129.99, but is usually found marked down to £99.99 which is double the price of the previous price of the 60GB HDD for £49.99 with discount [undiscounted it works out at £59.99 R.R.P.] and I was generous with the £20 mark-up because of it would cost for PC upgrades if you went to part markets.

But Microsoft [or Micro$oft on this occasion] would likely follow the previous patter and double the market value if this after 6 months came as a solo product, could end up retailing at £179.99 stand alone it can’t sell the same as the console because visually people would cry out. But it could reach such a ludicrous retail price but you'll be looking at £149.99 realistically if an across the board discount was to hit the HDD's. take away the stand alone price of 120 GB HDD's and that’s a £50 mark up. So in a realistic worst case scenario a fanboy would shell out a whopping £539.96!!! for essentially a game and a updated Hard Drive.

That is more than I spent on a dreamcast on its midnight release date with 8 release games extra controller and memory units! Ironically this is merely speculation as its only just been announced in the USA but if you planned on getting it there and a prestige Edition copy of the game. That’s a staggering $549.98 before tax.

Anyone whos likes Shadow Complex has got the game. The curious amoung those gamers has upon release, probably come across some snippet of information from IGN's Hil, who was shown a secret by the games developers Chair. After seeing it he said that anyone who was to attempt to find this secret would be crazy.
So... over on GameFAQ's the boards hottest topic was the 4% run achievement, a.k.a. 'The Insurgent' complete the game with 4% of items using only the grenades, foam and missles. Soon curiosity got the better of a handful of gamers and made it thier mission to find this apparent hidden secret. Over the course of what took a collective of people around three days. it was finally cracked by cooler.

It took only 20 minutes before I was able to replicate the requirements and saw the missle style gate close in front of me and I then determined decided to start over with a silent determination to reach this goal. and on the subsequent run filmed the results. (which is at the end of this post.)

Eventually it will probably mean the annhilation of the campaign time leaderboards....... Still let the insane world record times be logged and accounted for :) I wouldn't be suprised if someone found even more skippable areas getting times under 25 minutes. Still if like me you really enjoy Shadow Complex this secret will most likely extend your gameplay of this wonderful XBLA title. I know I still have to remind myself its a XBLA game and not a full retail release. So enjoy the vid and good luck with those attempted speedruns.

[EDIT] To clarify: The gap I falldown after surfacing from underwater, is the secret. If you dont reach that area fast enough the floor closes and it remains inaccessible for the rest of that run. Enough testing seems to show it closes after 5 minutes of a brand new game. But doesnt open until you defeat the 1st boss. So you have to get to the boss and back in under 5 minutes, or its closed. This secret enables a person to beat the game in 30-35 minutes.