OXCGN’s Army of Two: The Devil’s Cartel Review

army of 2 header

OXCGN’s Army of Two: The Devil’s Cartel Review

Devil’s in the Detail

by Kent Sobey

© 2013 Kent Sobey

Army_of_two_devil_oxcgn_screenshot 1.5Back in 2008 we got out first taste of Army of Two. It was pretty well received and had some new and very clever mechanics that made co-op play much more interesting.

A couple years later (in 2010) we got the sequel, called The 40th Day, which was equally well received and again had a strong focus on co-op play.

Before I continue with this review I’ll just state for the record that I am a very big fan of the first two games and I was very excited to play this one.

Now we’ve been given our third instalment in the franchise, called The Devils Cartel, but how does it stack up against its two predecessors?

Army of Two review here

OXCGN’s Dead Space 3 Review

dead space 3 review

OXCGN’s Dead Space 3 Review

A ‘visceral’ stomp?

by Daniel Geikowski

©2013 Daniel Geikowski

dead space 3 3It seems that during the course of gaming, various trends come and go, much like everything nowadays.

Whether they are visual styles, aesthetics, themes, mechanics or gameplay styles, many publishers attempt to incorporate these current trends into their games and franchises, with mixed results.

The Darkness II altered its visual style from a realistic to cell-shaded effect, reminiscent of the game’s comic origins.

Splinter Cell: Conviction ditched its primary focus on stealth and silence, opting to turn to a more “Bourne-like” action theme.

dead space 3 screenshots oxcgn #1The Fallout series was originally a top-down RPG, however Bethesda mixed things up in Fallout 3 by utilising a first person perspective, used in titles such as Oblivion, and later Skyrim.

Some hit the jackpot, while others damage their franchises by incorporating something which feels seemingly out-of-place.

Dead Space 3 is no different.

Dead Space 3 review

If You Don’t Like Dead Space 3, Speak With Your Wallet Not Your Keyboard

ARTICLE_dead space 3

If You Don’t Like Dead Space 3, Speak With Your Wallet

Not your keyboard

by Arthur Kotsopoulos

©2013 Arthur Kotsopoulos

Dead_Space_3_boxart_oxcgnDead Space 3 is still the same Dead Space we know and love, albeit with the inclusion of auto and semi-automatic weapon wielding Unitologist soldiers and Necromorphs.

Yes, the game now features a very basic cover system, and various intense action pieces which are fleshed out through the game dependent on the story.

These have not been included for the sake of including them because Visceral and EA wish to ruin the Dead Space franchise, but instead as producer on Dead Space 3 John Calhoun puts it in our interview which you can read here:

Other things like weapon crafting and other features, these are just ways of innovating and making sure that Dead Space isn’t stale. When people buy this game, we want them to make sure they get a good value. There’s a lot that’s new and everything that you love is still intact.

After playing through the first three hours of the title, the game still retains the same basic functions that made Dead Space such a great new IP when it was released in 2008. What do you think?

OXCGN’s Dead Space 3 Demo Impressions

PREVIEW_Dead space 3

OXCGN’s Dead Space 3 Demo Impressions

Freezing never felt so good

by Kent Sobey

©2013 Kent Sobey

dead space 3 3“Why won’t you just DIE?!”

This is probably a sentence that you’ll be thinking to yourself over and over again when you get a chance to play the Dead Space 3 demo. Or, if you’re anything like me, you’ll be screaming it at the TV in a mad panic just trying to stay alive yourself.

The demo gives you two options to whet your appetite before the 7th of February when the game is actually released.

You can go at it alone and give the single player a try, or play the same section of the game with a buddy – or in my case, some random stranger on Xbox Live.

Is this the Dead Space we’ve been waiting for?

%d bloggers like this: