FIFA 2010 / Xbox 360 / EA

Shrek and Co.

Can FIFA Keep Up Its Game.

Whatever you do keep this to yourself but last years Fifa was actually better than PES 2009. Before any of the fan boys start I have been a PES follower since the series start on the PS1 and before that ISS (International Superstar Soccer) so writing the first line of this review actually upset me because of this. So here we are in 2010 and have EA Sports kept up its good run of form and improved on last years effort. Having played the demo for both titles I was initially concerned for Fifa that it had gone backwards but thankfully I was wrong.

The major change for this years Fifa is one of the biggest and turns out be the most important change to have been made to a football title in many a year. It is the new 360 degree dribbling, it may sound like nothing but this change is everything. In previous football games you could only move in eight directions but in this year you can move fluidly in any direction you wish and it makes a huge difference. All the animation routines have been changed to incorporate it and it is the nuances in these that make this work so well. To be able to throw a feint and just jink round a player with barely a change of direction or to flick a pass on and dance round the oncoming player and on to the ball are all a joy now and easier than ever. Its not all about player movement the system also helps when it comes to flick-ons, passes and goal mouth scrambles everything now seems more natural and organic. It is a wonder why somebody did not attempt this years ago because it has improved gameplay so fundamentally.

 The other major change is the ability to create your own set piece routines. This seems to make little difference but is a good addition for the more tactically minded player. Other than these two gameplay additions it is more a case of upgrades from last years various modes. Virtual Pro 2.0 is an expanded version of last years “Be A Pro Mode” where you get to make your own fledgling player and play through his career. You can now even use your created player in all the play modes and build up his stats whilst doing so. It’s a good solid play mode and this years expansion of the idea does not hurt it one bit.

A similar upgrade has taken place with the managerial mode where you control a football club managing the finances and transfer signings as well as playing the games and again this works superbly well.

Online play is also solid with full 10 on 10 games again and various other modes including leagues and cups. There seems to be little in the way of lag and all runs along very nicely.

Gameplay has also been tweaked and improved. Areas like the shooting have been tinkered with and it is now possible to score with 30 yard screamers. The A button tackle has been toned down so it is not the all conquering thing it was last time out. Contact between players has been improved no end to with big lumps striding through mistimed challenges whilst smaller less physical players come a cropper from them. The frame rate for me could do with being cranked up a bit and although you can change this in the options even on its fastest setting it still feels a little pedestrian at times. This though is a small niggle compared to the Fifa’s of old.

Graphically the game is very good but once again player likenesses are a big let down in particular cover boy Wayne Rooney which looks nothing like him, (Possibly a good thing.) The animation is fantastic and is the best ever for the Fifa series. As usual with EA the Presentation is tip-top through out and it all adds up to one hell of a package.

In all this has taken all that was good about last years game built on it and improved it in every way. Konami I hope you are listening because you are really going to have to up your game (Our first trials of the PES 2010 demo are positive though) Drew will bring you the review of this game shortly and then we will swap and write reviews of the other.

 Rating 8.5 / 10

Why I Hate The Game Store Group

The Next Level My Arse!!!!

My Name Is Moonhead And I Hate Everything About Game.

I am just going to start this by telling you a true story. It was Friday 2nd October and its about 14:30, I was on my tea break so decided to go and have a look in my local Game store.  Surprisingly for the time of day it is very busy with loads of gamer’s in store nearly all of which were after Fifa 2010 which had launched that very day. There were five people in the queue two of whom had just finished paying £39.99 for their new game and there were others milling about perusing the shelves. Prior to going on my tea break I had been browsing online and had read that the major supermarkets were having a price war with regards to Fifa 2010 and Tesco’s had decided to undercut everybody and sell the game for the incredible price of £24.97. I decided it was my civic duty to let everybody know this and the fact that there was a Tesco’s directly over the road. So I shouted it out to everybody in store.

The, now slightly pissed off store manager behind the counter retorted that the Tesco’s across the road had only stocked 2 copies and had already sold out and did I think he would not do his research. So I countered this by saying that Tesco’s were offering the same price online and that other supermarkets were also selling the game for around £26.00 plus the fact everybody has a Tesco’s somewhere near where they live.

The two people who had just paid for their copies of the game promptly asked for refunds, another man who had just been offered £2.95 trade-in value for his old copy of Fifa 2009 (what a fucking insult) decided against it and two others placed their empty boxes back on the shelf and left. RESULT!!!!! I managed to stop at least 5 people being ripped off by this useless soulless shit hole of a high street chain.

I know some of you are going to say that Tesco’s are not any better and I would make you right in most ways but I am not here to go into the whys and wherefores of rip off corporate Britain. I am here though to try and let people know about games and help you purchase your games at the best prices. So on that note I am going to list all the reasons why I hate Game stores so very very much and why you should try to avoid giving them any of your hard earned cash.

1. Pricing – Game’s price for absolutely everything they sell either in store or online can be beaten just about everywhere. And I do mean everywhere, high street or online. Everything Game sells is at or around the RRP (recommended retail price). There is no common sense to their pricing either I have often seen pre-owned titles being sold for more than the same brand new sealed title because it is the special of the week. Are you really going to pay more for a second hand title? I do not think so but Game obviously do.

2. Useless Staff – Considering they are the number one high street chain for games their staff seemingly know nothing about what they are selling. Some of the rubbish I have heard spouted from Game staff is ridiculous. From telling punters that the latest rubbish licensed film game is the best thing out at the moment to poor advice on what console is suitable for varying people. I once heard one of them tell a woman who was considering buying a Wii for some family entertainment for her and her 2 sons that she would be better buying a PS3 because of Buzz and Singstar, she was falling for it to. I intervened and asked her how old her sons were she replied 3 and 5 so I told her to stick with the Wii as it was more suitable. The only reason I can think they would attempt this is to make more money and not give their customer what they actually need.

3. Advertisement and Shelf Space – Rows and rows of identikit licensed games and the next big blockbuster is all you will ever see in Game. If you want something more niche or unheard of be ready to have to root around in the bargain bins, asking the idiot behind the counter would usually illicit a response of how they only ordered 3 copies of the game you are after because “It was not going to be a big seller.” Surely this attitude limits the size of their customer base and they would be better broadening their horizons. I know that this problem is not just down to Game staff as big companies pay for displays and shelf space in store but surely there is a better way for Game to manage it. Also if you’re an import nut you can forget about going to Game.

 4. Trade Ins – There is much debate in the industry at the moment about whether the trading in of old titles against new ones is very healthy for the games developers and publishers of this world. I am not going to get into this debate all I wish to say on this matter is that Game’s trade in system is a complete rip off. They do not ever give you a fair price for the titles you are giving them and then overcharge when selling them on. Point in case the man in my tale above being given a miserly £2.95 for his year old copy of Fifa 2009. I had a little check and online they are selling pre-owned copies of Fifa 2009 for £17.99 now you cannot tell me they are not taking the piss right there. They are selling a game they tried to pay £2.95 for at five times the price. 

5. Customer Service – Or rather a complete lack of especially from the web store. Here comes another recent true story -: I decided to pre order Halo 3: ODST from Game’s web store as surprisingly it was around the same price as everywhere else and I also had some points on my next to useless loyalty card so it was going to end up being cheaper (there is a first time for everything you know). The web site stated that the Game would post in time to be with me for launch day the 22nd September. The 22nd September comes but the game does not. Upon checking the web site the game was posted on the 20th of September, a bloody Sunday!!! So how it was supposed to get to me for launch I’ll never know. I send them an email moaning about this fact on the evening of the 22nd and a second one on the 23rd as I did not receive any response. In fact, I did not receive a response from their customer service department until the 29th September. All this response stated was that two days was ample enough time to get my pre-order to me (it may well have been if the day they posted it was not a Sunday) and that if my order had not turned up by the 6th October to contact them again and they would send a replacement or give me a full refund. I sent a reply asking why it would take until the 6th to get a refund or a replacement? It had got to the 30th September and as it stood I had not received a reply. As I said SHIT CUSTOMER SERVICE!!!!!

6. Crap Hardware Bundles -All of the major players on the High Street can have this particular point levelled at them but again Game are the worst. They will do their utmost to palm unsuspecting customers off with the worst crappiest games and pointless accessory packs as bundles and try to make it look as if they are doing you a favour under the guise of saving you money. It is total bollocks, all they are doing is getting rid of stock that will not or is not selling. You do not and will not ever need a plastic Tennis Racket extension for your Wii-Mote or a non slip silicon cover for your Wii Board it’s just all crap. And as for the games they try to palm you off with, it is always ridiculously crappy licensed rubbish. Don’t get me wrong they are not always bad and some good deals can be occasionally be found cropping up there but in general they are terrible. In days gone by you could go into Game and come up with your own bundle but no more, you can only get the crap they insist you take. Even when they advertise that you can pick your own game you are restricted to a selection of five or six titles that more likely than not you will never play and trade in for 50p three days later!

I could and probably should go on but I will be here forever with gripe after gripe. A lot of what I have said here can be levelled at all the High Street retailers but as Game are number 1 they will and should come in for the most stick. All I want for all gamers are fair deals, I understand that gaming is an expensive hobby and growing ever more expensive. So all I want is to get the most for my money and Game patently do not offer that. For those of you interested in learning some tips in how to save money when buying games read this article I wrote nearly 2 years ago. Also please comment below on whether you agree or disagree with my little rant or if you know of any ways to save money let us know and we will spread the good word.

Halo 3: ODST / Xbox 360 / Microsoft

Bungie Bounce Back To Halo 3.

Were  any of you actually worried after the Bungie and Microsoft split that either company would be too quick to leave their cash cow behind. After playing this I suspect some of you may actually wished they had for a while at least.

This started life as a Halo 3 expansion pack but is now being sold as a full standalone game. Whether it is worth the full retail (£34.99 seems to be the going rate in store and around £29.99 online) release is another question one which I will answer at the end of this review.

For the first time in Bungie’s Halo games you are not playing as the all conquering genetically enhanced Spartan the eponymous Master Chief but instead a rookie ODST (Orbital Digital Shock Trooper) think of him as the future’s answer to say either a Marine or a Para Trooper. The game is set between Halo 2 and Halo 3 with your squad of ODST on what amounts to be a suicide mission in trying to stop the Covenant forces from taking over New Mombasa. A botched job of dropping in behind enemy lines has left you waking up 6 hours later separated from your squad and you are tasked with salvaging the mission and finding what has become of your squad mates.

Kill The Covenant Scum

Your first point of call is to log in to New Mombasa’s computer network called the Superintendant. Once this is done you then have access to the city’s map and waypoint markers as to where your colleagues pod’s had crashed landed it is then up to you to find them. Once you do find the point where one of your colleagues landed you drop into their shoes and follow their story path showing you what has happened to them in the intervening 6 hours.

Bungie have tried to big up the differences between playing as a Spartan and a ODST. But in truth they are very minimal and this still  feels distinctly like every other Halo game. In gameplay terms though the key differences are the inability to run and dual wield weapons also you no longer have a regenerating shield.  Instead of a shield you have a health bar which can be replenished by picking up health packs. You also can be stunned which you come out of by lying low for a second or two (sounds very much like a regenerating shield to me). Also you cannot jump as high as the Master Chief could but this makes no gameplay difference at all. The weapons are all the same barring the return of the first Halo’s handgun in a slightly re-jigged form and the SMG now has a silencer on it. As a ODST you also have a visor that acts as a kind of night vision mode and highlights your covenant foes and allies. It’s shown through a rather nice looking graphical trick where all objects are outlined and highlighted with a kind of luminous effect.

New Mombasa's Dark And Moody Streets

 Although the game still plays and feels like Halo the open world elements of the Rookie’s sections do give it a new darker, moody feel. Creeping around New Mombasa’s streets you have to take a more tactical approach to combat as running in all guns blazing and trying to jump about like the Master Chief will get you killed very quickly. It’s these sections that for me are this games crowning glory and show that Bungie are still very much atop of their game. The music as in all past Halo’s is excellent but this time it is toned down and adds to the darker mood. 

Now to online the juicy ripe cherry that has always sat atop of the Halo cake since Halo 2. There are 2 different online sides to this game, on the ODST disc comes Firefight which is Bungie’s answer to Gears Of War 2’s Horde mode.  It is much the same as Horde in that you and 3 of your friends must try to repel and defeat wave after wave of Covenant forces being dropped in. What Firefight offers over Horde is Bungie’s genius in the online arena by this I mean better matchmaking, map design and weapon balance. Also on a separate disc comes the complete Halo 3 online package including all the previously released map packs and 2 brand new maps. There is no Halo 3 story or co-op though.

Defeat The Covenant Together In Firefight

So now its time to answer my question is this a full retail release or an expansion pack and for me it is the later. The game on  nomal difficulty will all be over in around 6 hours and whilst it is enjoyable while it lasts it is too short to have merited a full retail release and price. It is though a worthwhile experiment with the Halo universe and I’m sure that Bungie will have learnt some lessons from making this game. Especially in art direction and story telling as these areas are a real improvement over Halo 3 and I look forward to seeing these new lessons learned put to good use in next years prequel Halo Reach.

 In the end, if you like Halo and wanted more of the same this will be well worth the punt as it is a really enjoyable slightly alternative retread of the Halo universe. If  though, you were expecting something new and different perhaps look elsewhere. I thoroughly enjoyed the game but the fact that Bungie / Microsoft have released it as a full retail release and not an expansion pack looses it at least 1 point in my final score. This is mainly down to the games brevity and price point you simply do not get enough bang for your buck.

 

Rating 7/10 

Feature: Does multiplayer dilute the gaming experience?

With news that the imminent and much anticipated release of Bioshock 2 will feature an online multi-player mode G4A asks do all games future need this feature?

Bioshock is one of this generations most accomplished and highly decorated titles.

Oi Bioshock 2 Multiplayer, NO!

Featuring an entirely new look and feel to anything that had come before it. It is still possibly the most important title to have been released in sometime. The art-deco stylings and sumptuous gameplay still bring a smile to my face even now. So you can imagine my delight when I heard of the inevitable release of Bioshock 2.

My excitement was tempered when I heard that original game creator Ken Levine would not be working on the title, although he has apparently kept an eye on it. Still the results remain to be seen.

Then came the pre-release video! We all wanted to see what was going to happen in the game, a little taster to whet the appetite for the wonders that lay ahead. To my horror to video showed a multi-player online game with many people thrashing about in Rapture (The games setting) shooting each other and using EVE (Magic).

Big Daddy is Back!

For me it felt wrong, my experience playing Bioshock was so deep and so immersive that to me, seeing this bastardisation of the purity of the game left me feeling a little sick. Okay so that may be a little over the top you could say, but it is like someone going back to your favourite movie and adding in loads of slapstick moments with stupid sound effects, (This obviously doesn’t happen unless you are George Lucas, IT STILL HURTS LUCAS!)

It got me thinking, do we need these multi-player elements in games such as Bioshock. Is the stand alone game not enough on its own? The one thing we can be thankful for is that the multi-player elements have been outsourced to Digital Extremes who were responsible for the PS3 conversion of the original game. So at least the main development team have been concentrating on the main game.

I may be wrong, when Bioshock 2 is released the single player campaign may be everything we all hope it will be but my point remains.

Take Call Of Duty: World At War, here is a game that deals with the lives and deaths on millions of young

Nazi Zombie's? Who the hell's idea was that?

men the world over. Men that fought for their countries and for politics that they did not understand. For the most part the COD franchise has dealt with this subject matter in a sensitive and compassionate manner COD3 and all of the Infinity Ward titles especially but with COD: WAW the developers decide to add in a Nazi Zombie shooting game. It was unneeded and crass in the extreme.

I digress with that last paragraph but I feel that while these parts are added to games that are exceptional (Not COD: WAW that was average) it cheapens the whole experience. I find myself wondering if Ken Levine would have added online multi-player and what he thinks of this addition?

Am I talking out of my arse? What do you think?

Batman Arkham Asylum / Xbox 360 / Eidos

The Dark Knight takes centre stage.

I know we have been quiet for a while now and this game has been out for nearly a month now but I could not let G4A’s rebirth come and go without writing something about this fantastic game. 

First things first this game is not tied to the recent and decent movie in any way other than for the fact that both the Caped Crusader and the Joker are both in the game. This game takes most of its cue’s from the excellent animation series including the same voice actors (more on these later) but there are other influences throughout from the various comics to the movies themselves it is very distinctively Batman. It’s this attention and obvious love of the subject and details that marks this above every other licensed super hero game ever made (and yes Drew that does include the Spiderman game you so loved).

Batman Gets to Grips With the Joker

 The  games story whilst not being a literary work of genius is played out and told in such a compelling way it keeps you hooked. It involves you being suckered into a trap by the Joker who has allowed you to catch him and return him to the titular Arkham Asylum. And it’s this game of cat and mouse between these two that keeps the game rolling. The before mentioned voice acting of the 2 main protagonists and supporting cast is magnificent and among the best I have ever heard.

The graphical splendour in which the whole game is presented in is fantastic and makes this without a doubt one the best looking games of this year if not this generation. Hats off to Rocksteady’s artist they have most definitely pulled out all the stops in terms of graphics from the way Batman’s cape flows and shines to the combat animation it is a graphical tour de force.

Gameplay wise the game adds up to be bigger and better than the sum of its parts. The combat is suitably chunky and absorbing mainly consisting of timed button presses to keep combos flowing.  Add in the well implemented stealth elements to the combat and it all feels well just so very right. There is no feeling like leaping from gargoyle to gargoyle and eventually pouncing quietly on some unsuspecting bad guy.Batman’s various gadgets are drip fed to you as the game progresses and none of them feel gimmicky or out-of-place and are well implemented throughout. The game even manages to add in Batman’s superior detective skills having you scan various areas for clues about the whereabouts of various henchman.

KAPOW!!

So after all the gushing glowing stuff has to come the negatives and yes there are some, not many but some. First up the boss battles they are unimaginative and tedious. They don’t ruin proceedings but seeing as everything else is top notch they just let the side down slightly. Collectables and lots of them, these have obviously been added to add to the games length and replay value. Personally I abhor collectables and nothing here is going to change my mind. As I just alluded to in my last comment the game is criminally short, on normal difficulty it will take between 6 – 8 hours. There are also challenge rooms that add some extra game  time for the high score merchants and online leaderboard whores among you out there but does not add much. Speaking about online there really is none which is neither here nor there really as it is a single player experience. 

So in all this is a triumphant super hero game and one I hope becomes the blue print for all future licensed super hero games (I do seriously doubt this though). Rocksteady and Eidos I commend you on a first class job and I look forward to the inevitable sequel.

Rating 9/10

Batman Arkham Asylum is out now on PS3, Xbox 360 and PC

The Beatles: Rock Band / Xbox 360 / EA

Beatle Mania Cranking Up Again.

Love them or loathe them you cannot escape the fact that the Beatles changed the musical landscape forever. 50 years on from when they formed Harmonix are trying to do the same with the Fab 4 in gaming form.

Harmonix have as you would expect stuck to the tried and tested Rock Band gameplay of the previous games and also wisely steered clear of the rip off land of Rock Band ACDC Live. This is a full featured stand alone game and as a piece of fan fuelled fancy is quite difficult to criticise too much.

Beautiful Trippy Dreamscape

The game graphics are a step up from previous Rock Band incarnations but are great and not truly stunning. The art style sits well with Fab 4′ s iconic clothes, album covers and the 60’s era style. A special mention though  must go to the dreamscapes of the Abbey Studio chapters of the game these beautiful colourful trippy sections are a joy to behold it’s just a shame that you are to busy watching the colours on the highway to pay any real attention to them.

The only new gameplay function added is the 3 part vocal harmonies which is done really well but hardly a necessary gaming addition. In fact due to licensing issues the game takes more away than it adds. Gone are the in game sound effects, drum and guitar freestyle fill’s and this is all due to the programmers not being allowed to alter the 45 licensed Beatles songs. Also gone is the ability to fail a song so no matter how bad your playing is you will complete the song.

Co-Op Fun

The game is jam packed with fan  pleasing  unlockables from unheard soundbites as you wait for  the games songs to begin. Through to rare unseen photos and videos and other oddities. My particular favourite being the recording of the bands 1962 christmas message which just highlights that at the beginning these 4 were just a group of likeable humorous lads with no knowledge of the super stardom that was to follow.

There are some notable absences on the track list for the game though. Most notably for me Hey Jude and All You Need Is Love (the later of which was up for purchase on Marketplace on the day of release). I am also sure any holes in the track list will be made available at an extra cost over the coming weeks though.

As I said before this is such a well put together package it is hard to criticise it to much. The content here though does not lend itself to Rock Bands core party game loving fans as the songs just do not cut it in that sort of way. So this game is only truly essential if you are a Beatles fan (like the Mrs and daughter) if not stick to Rock Band 2.

Rating 7/10

The Beatles: Rock Band is out now on PS3, Xbox 360 and Wii

Let’s sit down, ‘ave a cuppa and a catch up shall we?

Yes its been ages, and yes lot’s has happened in the world of games! Let me go over the top 15 with our thoughts on them!

• PS3 Slim: Sony launched the slim inevitable PS3 with a larger HD and a better price point. Good news finally from Sony whose refusal to lower the PS3 price seems to have been purely because they couldn’t afford to. Bad news for my mate Fudgester who bought his PS3 only 3 days before the new one was announced on my say so! Oops!
• SHOCK: EA have actually started producing good games! Yes I said good, I know it is odd isn’t it? Hopefully they will continue in this vein from now on!
• NATAL: Microsoft unveil Natal! Great just what we need another over-priced peripheral that will probably get minimal support and then gather dust just like my Live Cam! It has got to be doomed, let’s face it Peter Molyneux has been talking it up and we all know what that means! ( We shall see.)
• F***: Gordon Ramsay released a F***ing game! (Erm that is, he released a game about cooking not F***… Oh you know what I mean!)(This isn’t one of our highlights I just wanted to use that joke!)
• Halo: Despite Bungie claiming that Halo 3 would be the “Last ever Halo game, honest guv, no like seriously, we ain’t kidding!” We have since seen two more Halo games. I was really surprised I bet you were too! No really!
• Uncharted 2: Sony’s Tomb Raider beater famously received 26/25 in some French Mag Hmm we shall see, we shall see!
• Game Central: The very sad news that in the shake up of teletext Game Central will be no more from the end of this year! As one of the last bastions of totally unbiased game reviewing we will be sorry to see them depart. Moonhead and I have been avid followers ever since it was Digitiser and I even worked as their sports game reviewer for a while!
• G4A gets pissed off with reviewers and decides to pull its Joypads out of its collective arses and get back in the game, especially since Game Central will be no more the world needs someone to take up their mantel!
• Xbox still suffering the red ring of death but now death comes in a new form E73. Moonhead has had both this year!
• PS3’s now also dying of yellow fever, or yellow light failure (I like mine better) and Sony charging £125 to repair if out of warranty!
• Batman: The wondrous Batman Arkham Asylum, finally a decent Superhero game!
• E3: The return of E3, the world’s premier game show returns to somewhere near its best!
• Delay’s: Loads of top titles now slipped until 2010! Still better that than half-arsed rushed versions!
• Duke has finally been Nuked, with the demise of 3D Realms it seems that the single longest running gaming soap-opera has come to a close. Duke Nukem Forever would appear to be no more! Personally I think they should just release it virally in whatever state it is in like Thrill Kill on the Playstation. Will there be a resurrection? I suspect that somewhere down the line we will all wake up form a dream and Duke will be in the shower treading on an aliens kneck!
• Obsession By MicroSonySoft: The major console manufacturer’s obsession with having to outdo each others stupid motion tracking gadgets! Leave that to the experts at Nintendo and get on with making PS4 and Xbox 1080!!

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G4A Guest Reviewers!! We Want You!!

Ever Thought Of Writing Games Reviews!

You know the G4A is the best games blog anywhere but Moonhead and me are just humans (Barely) and these days we don’t get paid for writing game reviews.

Yes we have to fit the blog into our general lives, and a lot of the time we are too drunk to see let alone write anything.

And so we have decided to open the floor up to you lot! If you have a game review you would like to write, on any machine. Or if you have something good to say or even better if something is really getting up your nose then we want you to let everyone know about it here!

Don’t be shy, lets make G4A the best place for game based discussion and you could be leading those topics!

We Are Older, Wiser and Yes Hooray We Are Back

Drew and myself (Moonhead) have decided it is time to stop letting the gaming grass grow under our feet and try despite our busy schedules to get this quality gaming Blog going again. But as ever we need your help so let us know what you want. So please comment below on what is pleasing or pissing you off in gaming. Is there anybody out there you see as gaming’s great evangelist or who is gaming’s super villain (Activision’s Boobi Kockit I’m looking at you and yes I have deliberately misspelt his name). Please join in and let us know because without our readers feedback it is all rather pointless.

Gaming News Christmas Eve

Merry Christmas!!

We at G4A may have been a little busy over the last few months with real jobs and everything, Moonhead has also been moving house. But we want to say thanks for sticking with us and we hope to get back on track real soon. We would like to say Merry Christmas and have a Brilliant New Year to all our readers.

Christmas Number 1

Well what do you know the festive charts have thrown up a few surprises over the years. Not this year though as FIFA 09 takes top spot on the chart. Just pipping Call Of Duty: World At War for the festive honour Possibly the first FIFA in as long as we can remember that actually deserves its healthy sales so well done to EA on that one.

Coming Soon

Those of you who read G4A regularly will know every year we do a “Games to look out for next year” feature and 09 will be no different. We confidently (Sort of) predicted that Gears Of War 2 would be out by the end of the year when everyone else had it down as an 09 release. So basically we kick arse, but then we were drunk at the time we wrote that. Anyway look out for the feature coming soon.

So with all of that in mind have a great time this festive season and be safe.

Cheers!  Drew10 & Moonhead