The Good

Star Ocean: Second Evolution is an enhanced remake of developer Tri-Ace's Star Ocean: The Second Story, a popular PlayStation role-playing game. It shares much with First Departure, a recent remake of the original Star Ocean, highlighted by incredibly striking anime sequences courtesy of Production I.G., full voicing, and even an updated, smoother translation. The two games look and feel nearly identical, but while First Departure suffered from gruesome backtracking, Second Evolution frees itself from the constant barrage of pointless globe-trotting by focusing on engaging gameplay and a cohesive plot.

The game casts you as either Claude, a reluctant Federation ensign following in the footsteps of his powerful father, or Rena, a young girl who is desperately trying to locate her parents. Their fates intertwine as Claude accidentally sends himself through an interstellar gateway and awakens near Rena's village, where the locals are far too eager to adopt him as their prophesied hero. The story branches between the two characters for a more interesting twist, and while you'll observe only slight changes in the overall plot depending on your choice, the difference is enough to encourage a second play-through to flesh out both characters and to access all anime segments. There are numerous superfluous conversations between characters ("private action scenes"), but aside from giving your ally friendship levels a slight boost, these scenes won't do much for you. Nevertheless, the story and characters are all well done, and make this grand adventure one worth taking

You spend most of your time traversing a 3D world map that's just as bland as First Departure's and also suffers from occasional pop-up, which you'll spy whenever huge landmasses suddenly appear at your feet. It's a nuisance, but the convenient minimap and its excellent zoom feature help you navigate with ease. The incredibly mundane and exhausting backtracking from First Departure is utterly absent in Second Evolution, and the game is better for it; this equates to very little time wasted on the field defeating underleveled foes en route to a town you've already visited, which is refreshing. The standard quests still culminate in fetching items or talking to a famed non-player character the next town over, but more interesting side quests have also been implemented for optional characters and keep the adventure lively.

Battles are randomly generated real-time affairs that occur on a barren 3D battlefield. They're usually fast-paced and place you in control of the party leader while the adequate AI effectively manages your teammates, supporting your attacks with dependable melee allies and attentive spellcasters. You can adjust party tactics if an ally is giving you trouble, or assume direct control of the offender even in the midst of battle, a helpful feature that grants you immediate tactical control over any party member. Battles typically involve using overpowered spells and newly added three-hit combos to succeed, but the game avoids becoming just another button masher by offering progressively more challenging enemies, which encourages more strategic play. Unfortunately, tougher enemies and lengthier battles make casting somewhat annoying because your party members are frozen for the duration of any spells; the simple option to either shorten or skip these animations is sorely missing. The targeting system maintains a free-roaming option that gives you full view of your surroundings, but for the most part, autotargeting--when your reticle latches onto the nearest opponent--operates quite smoothly unless you happen to get surrounded by enemies, in which case the reticle bounces between them in confusion.

Extensive crafting and skill systems provide fun alternatives to straightforward monster hunting and questing. You can create items, write articles, cook delicious food, or even take up sculpting for quick cash. Crafting is an interesting activity, and serious item collectors will find plenty of depth here. Fortunately, it is unnecessary for completing the game, as you'll find it very easy to acquire excellent gear just by looting random chests. The skill system is even more exhaustive, enabling you to customize nearly every aspect of your favorite characters by awarding you skill points for leveling. These points can be spent on a full spectrum of abilities that can directly modify character stats, raise your skill points earned per level, increase or decrease your enemy encounter rate, and unlock a plethora of convenient specialties to make your travels easier. Mastering numerous skills and specialties with several characters will eventually unlock super specialties, which are unique skills that the entire party uses to pitch in to increase the success of a certain feat, such as book publishing.

Anime house Production I.G. has once again applied its creative talent to produce jaw-dropping anime sequences for a Star Ocean remake. A very impressive new opening and a new Japanese musical theme illustrate the game's most popular events and make for a special treat for fans. There are roughly 10 of these beautiful clips; however, some are a little short, and you'll have to thoroughly investigate every location to view them all. Despite these gorgeous sequences, the game often relies on the original's crude CG cutscenes for important segments, which somewhat cheapens key moments. The prerendered environments are highly detailed and feature numerous intricate touches, like sparkling streams, lush greenery, and even birds flying overhead. Character sprites now look sharper and complement the great anime segments, and while some character quips are overexaggerated, the voice acting is still a drastic improvement on Second Story's.

You can finish the main quest line in about 30 hours, but activating private action scenes, exploring the game's intimidating secret dungeon, crafting, and completing character quest lines can easily triple this amount. You can also unlock a difficulty option for additional play-throughs if you're interested in acquiring new party members and seeing events from the other main character's point of view. With strong replayability and a stunning presentation, Star Ocean: Second Evolution is a competent remake that offers a great opportunity for experiencing this PlayStation classic.

It's hard not to notice Afro Samurai, the game in which the main character of the same name sticks out like a sore thumb in feudal Japan with his enormous hair and tattered clothes. Even harder to miss are the well-choreographed moves, copious amounts of blood, colorful commentary by Samuel L. Jackson, and never-ending number of enemies to slice through. We had the opportunity to play through several levels of a preview build and are impressed by the beautiful visuals, hilarious dialogue, and over-the-top limb-chopping violence.

If you haven't been following our coverage, we've been able to see and play through several demos, so for more details you can check out our other previews here. This is the first time we've been able to spend some quality time with Afro, the tortured samurai out to avenge his father's death. The titular character is actually rather quiet and stoic, and it's Ninja Ninja--Afro's imaginary antithesis, a perfect embodiment of Jackson--that livens up this bloodfest with expletives that flow naturally. Not only does Ninja Ninja provide humor with his obscenities, but he also acts as your guide if you're not sure where you need to go next. He talks a great deal, so consider yourself warned. When you press down on the D pad, he'll appear in the direction you need to head and then vanish in a puff of brown smoke. If you call on him often, he'll say things like "I ain't your GPS b****!" or find other delightful ways of expressing himself.

Afro Samurai is a button masher--a very elegant one in which you can pull off sweeping flourishes and acrobatic flips. Combos unlock as you progress through the game so that you don't grow tired of mashing the same combination of buttons over and over again. There are some moves you'll learn that are aptly named: Where's My Money, Pimp Hand, Hardwood Thrust, Oh That Hurt, and Dayam That Really Hurt. Using the R1 button, you can briefly enter a focus mode where Afro can charge up his katana and dismember with deadly precision. A line will appear so you can determine if you want to take off a particular limb, cut the person clean in half through the midsection, or perhaps just slice straight down the middle between the eyes. You'll eventually get a feel for how long you can stay in this mode and use it to optimize your attacks. In the early stages, you'll be able to instantly kill opponents by neatly slicing them in two in this mode. Against tougher enemies and bosses, the focused move will do additional damage, but it won't be a one-slice kill. Because the game is visually stunning and the moves are fluid and graceful, it's always a blast to watch your character do his deadly ballet routine. What wasn't so smooth, however, was the camera, which we hope will be fixed by the time the game ships. There were a few instances when we'd get a close-up of a wall or the side of a cliff face and couldn't see Afro unless we went into our focus mode.

In between the slicing and dicing, there is some light platforming. Running wall jumps can be performed with ease, and even if you slip and fall, you won't be bumped back very far. Afro generally won't fall off a cliff unless it's part of the platforming sequence, so you don't have to worry about tumbling over in the heat of battle. The game consistently provides you with hints on where to go, even though it's already straightforward and linear. In addition to Ninja Ninja's friendly guidance, points of interest will sparkle and the cutscene focuses on what you need to do next. Afro Samurai is relatively easy and accessible by anyone, though the profanity and gore will probably mean that only an age-appropriate audience will be able to enjoy the game.

One noticeable change from what we saw at Namco Bandai's pre-Tokyo Game Show event is that your health is no longer indicated by the dark tunnel-vision lines on the screen. The amount of blood on your clothes will indicate how much damage you have taken. Your opponent's health is also measured this way, and after you deal the finishing blow, the sound of gushing liquid also indicates whether or not you did a good job. Hint: The more blood the better. Statistics from the main menu will tally how many gallons of blood you've spilled if you want to get really specific--which is rather morbid. Achievement junkies should note that as long as you continue to brandish your sword and lay waste to your enemies in style, points will be earned.

The cel-shaded art style is gorgeous, and there's nothing like slashing through bodies like they're tofu, with the glow of the setting sun at your back and the deep blue ocean that bleeds out into the horizon. One of the new environments that we got to play through included a lush bamboo grove with cascading waterfalls, which was very different from the village rooftops that we originally started off in. The score is inspired by Wu-Tang Clan member, The RZA, which includes hip-hop mixed with some authentic-sounding Asian instruments. This interesting combination works well and complements the action and story.

Afro Samurai is not all blood and violence; it's about loss, revenge, betrayal, and even love. The game's events unfold as though you're watching a movie--from the cinematic opening to the cutscenes, gameplay, and voice-overs. Be prepared to wield Afro's blade with finesse, because the game is set to be released on January 27, 2009, on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

The volatile and expendable penguins with peg legs who are frequently abused in the Disgaea series finally get their own video game. In Prinny: Can I Really Be the Hero? you are the star, except that you still report to Etna, the evil and abusive leader of the Prinny Squad. In this side-scrolling action platformer, you must cater to Etna's whims by collecting ingredients to make the ultimate dessert. Someone from the team must have eaten it, but she's furious and wants her cake right now.

If you haven't been following the series, Prinnies are slaves in the Netherworld who were once humans leading a life of crime and now must pay their dues. Since Prinnies tend to explode on impact when thrown, Etna has set it up so that you can take a few beatings before blowing up. You begin with 1,000 lives, and if that seems like a lot, trust us, you'll need them. The game doesn't even hide the fact that it's hard. There are two levels of difficulty, so if you're playing on standard, you can get hit three times before losing a life. Hell's Finest mode lets you get hit only once, so proceed with caution. As one of the hard-working Prinnies, you must explore and conquer the various areas of the mysterious Netherworld, defeat its demons, and "borrow" their ingredients. There are six stages when you begin, but four more will be revealed after you've completed the first six. Time also passes in the game, and the difficulty increases depending on whether it's morning, evening, or night.

As a Prinny, you can use the square button to slash wildly at oncoming foes, jump and double jump with the X button, and unleash a stunning butt stomp by jumping and holding down on the D pad. The butt move is key if you want to stun bosses (or other enemies) because it allows you to just wave your dual swords like mad for several seconds. You can also do a ranged attack by hitting the square button while you're in the air. You don't get to throw other Prinnies around, but you can pick up items, like bombs, and toss them onto unsuspecting enemies. You'll also come across random vehicles that you can hop into and use to fire lasers. Other than all the wacky and random features, Prinny plays very much like an old-school platformer in the sense that it's all about memorizing patterns of movement and timing your jumps precisely to survive. There isn't a lot of maneuverability once you've left the ground because the controls feel stiff. Directing your Prinny in a midair jump is tricky, making it difficult to land those rump stomps if the enemy moves quickly. If you enjoy tough platforming challenges, though, this would be it.

Visually, Prinny looks fantastic with its detailed backdrops in all of the stages. Each level has a different theme, and it looks like a lot of care was put into the design as well as the characters. Like in the Disgaea series, the humor is silly and offbeat and the storyline is completely ridiculous. The music is catchy, and throughout the game you'll be able to find music tracks and set them as background music. The ability to record your gameplay session to share with other PlayStation Portable owners is also available if you want to show off your skills. We were told that both English and Japanese language tracks should be available by launch.

Prinny: Can I Really Be the Hero? is shaping up to be a crazy platformer, full of eccentric characters, quirky humor, grueling levels, and plenty of tasty goodies to find. You don't need to have played any of the Disgaea games to know what's going on; it's fairly straightforward, and it even provides an excellent in-game tutorial to get you started. Help the Prinnies in their never-ending life of servitude when Prinny: Can I Really Be the Hero? is released on February 17, 2009.

Ar tonelico 2: Melody of Metafalica, like its predecessor, primarily follows the traditional Japanese role-playing game formula but incorporates a dating simulation and an extensive customizing system to keep you busy for hours. Not only that, but the way the story is presented is even more bizarre than what you'd expect. Its tantalizing opening sequence with colorful anime characters--more specifically, cute girls about to lock lips--will leave you puzzled, or perhaps thirsty for more. We were only able to scratch the surface of this peculiar RPG that is riddled with innuendo, but from what we've seen, there's a lot of content to go through, and dedicated fans will appreciate the new additions.

The story of Melody of Metaflica follows the rookie knight from the Grand Bell Hall, Croix, who is called upon to contain the spreading epidemic called Infel Phira Dependency (IPD). IPD only affects Reyvateils, a race of girls who can use magic by singing songs. The first one we met was Cloche, a bossy princess of the region of Metafalss. Her songs are powerful on their own, but when you eventually meet more of these magical maidens, you can cast song magic with two Reyvateils.

As in the previous game, you have your fighters lined up in front and the Reyvateils in the back. The battle is in phases, in which you take turns with the enemy. During the attack phase, you have a limited amount of time to fight the enemy by pushing corresponding face buttons until the meter runs out. When the enemy attacks, you enter a defend phase in which you need to protect the Reyvateil in your party. A gauge will appear to indicate when you need to hit square to best protect your party member. It's all about timing, and you'll receive feedback (angry feedback from Cloche) if you're not doing it correctly. At the bottom of the screen there is an emotion indicator that shows how the Reyvateil is feeling. Her emotions will affect how the battle will flow and can increase her song magic gauge. A happy Reyvateil is a more powerful one.

To customize your characters, you'll need to "dive" into a Reyvateil's subconscious, which is also known as the Cosmosphere. This is the only way for Reyvateils to learn new magic, so you'll want to build that trust in battle and then go to a dive shop to dive into a Reyvateil's mind. Not only is this a chance to gain new powers by helping her solve her inner struggles, but you'll also get to know the girl better through conversation and explore a strange virtual world. There are 100 hidden Reyvateils in the game, so that's a lot of minds you could be jumping into. Another way to get to know them better is when you rest at a save point. At that time you can choose to speak with one of the Reyvateils in your party to get some juicy information from her.

The visuals are decent, especially if you enjoy that classic look. The in-game characters do kind of blend together, and you'll see a lot of knights and Reyvateils that look exactly the same. The environments aren't particularly detailed either, but you'll travel to locations through a menu so you're not wandering through a large overworld. There are some lovely songs sung in Hymmnos, a language created specifically for the series. For purists who like their voice acting in the original language, there is the option to turn on the English or Japanese voices.

Ar tonelico 2: Melody of Metaflica will have more than 100 hours of gameplay with four different endings to experience. You'll be able to dive into the darkest corners of these ladies' minds when Ar tonelico 2 is released on January 20, 2009.

Cheat :

Completion bonuses

Successfully complete the game, and save when prompted. The "Extras" option will now be unlocked at the main menu. Load the cleared saved game file to access all information in the Database, Reyvatail information, Event Viewer, Picture Gallery, Music, and more.

While licensed video games have a dubious history, those targeting the younger set have been particularly uninspired. It is a pleasant surprise, then, that Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa not only makes excellent use of its license, but presents a worthwhile game experience as well. Despite using different voice actors than the movie, the cutscenes capture the essence of the characters quite well, providing a continual string of well-constructed and downright funny moments. The simple gameplay may turn off experienced players, but the sheer variety of enjoyable activities will more than satisfy those looking for a fun romp through Africa.

The story in Madagascar 2 follows the path laid out by the movie it's based on. Julien, king of not only his fellow lemurs but apparently every other species as well, thinks it is cruel to stay hidden away in Madagascar when the whole world should be lucky enough to make his acquaintance. The penguin-piloted plane carrying Julien and the rest of the animals crashes in Africa, though, far short of their New York City goal. The story is consistently goofy and the frequent cutscenes are pretty amusing. Julien is the star here, spouting jokes fueled by his kingly ego, often at the expense of his meek servant Mort. The other characters play off their own quirks, from Melman's lack of confidence to Claire's search for love, with humorous results. Some of the voice acting, most notably Melman's, feels jarring and out of place, but the new cast is generally quite good. This is a silly game, and the tone stays true throughout the adventure.

Though this is primarily a platformer, you'll be doing a lot more than jumping from one precarious platform to another. Through most of the game, you'll be quickly shuttled from activity to activity. The tasks you'll be asked to perform aren't particularly deep, but they're fun in short bursts. For instance, as Alex, you'll attempt to join a herd of wild lions. To prove you're worthy of such a prestigious position, you'll be asked to perform in a variety of seemingly random competitions. Within the span of a half hour, you'll compete in a game of musical chairs, play a variation of Hot Potato that uses the dreaded durian (a type of fruit with gooey, smelly insides), climb walls, avoid vultures, play dodgeball with mangoes, and ride on zip lines. The pacing is fast and furious--just before you tire of tossing around a durian, you'll be whisked off to another event. Because of this, the game is never boring, despite the simplicity of many of these actions.

The breakneck pacing continues throughout most of the game. As Melman, you can ride atop boulders and whack moles intent on stealing suitcases; Marty plays a mean game of soccer and tests his speed in a series of races; the penguins drive around in a truck and build a flying contraption for Julien to ride in; and, of course, there is the quest to cure a herd of giraffes from a nasty outbreak of belly fish. Despite the many twists this game takes, the controls are tight and responsive no matter which ridiculous activity you're competing in. And the punishment for failure is little more than a slap on the wrist, so younger gamers who have never experienced stealth in a game can get through the spy photography mission without worrying about unforgiving failure.

Later in the adventure, you'll come across some longer, more varied quests as well. These are much closer to traditional platforming experiences, with the world opened up for free exploration and a few instances of combat thrown in for good measure. There are monkeys and coins hidden all over the land, and you'll have to use each character's specific abilities to navigate across every inch of the environment. As Gloria, you'll have to get rid of a float of crocodiles by whipping mangoes at them. Once they're banished, you're free to explore the murky depths of the river for hidden chili peppers and fancy pearls. Alex is the most agile, able to double-jump to higher places and balance across narrow walkways. Melman can spin in the air, allowing him to float to faraway platforms. Once again, the variety keeps things interesting, constantly tossing new challenges at you.

There is replay value when you finish the five- to seven-hour main quest. Though some of the events, like musical chairs, are fun only once, there are enough interesting activities to make going back a second time worth it. There are lots of hidden monkeys scattered about and optional side quests to check out. If you feel like decorating, you can buy furniture and other gear for your monkey friends, which provides a quick joke and funny animation. The multiplayer offers some surprising thrills. Most of the activities are plucked straight out of the single-player adventure, which means you can play soccer or hot durian with a few pals. The real draw here is the mini golf. The physics are a little wonky, but the courses are huge and varied, creating a vivid atmosphere for healthy competition. One fancy quirk is being able to put some arc on your shot; if you're daring, you can soar clear over obstacles. When you get three of your friends involved, it makes the games chaotically satisfying.

Madagascar 2 is a surprisingly fun game. The gameplay may be simple, but the variety of your objectives keeps the game flowing at a brisk pace. The cutscenes are really well done, with the oddball idiosyncrasies of the characters providing a consistent stream of enjoyable humor. And when you're done with the main quest, there is plenty of reason to escape to Africa for a few more hours of entertainment. It's a shame all licensed games aren’t of this level of quality, but Madagascar 2 is certainly something younger gamers or those just looking for silly fun can enjoy.

Every new Sonic release carries a hope that Sega's blue hedgehog will be able to regain the form that made him a star in the early '90s. And most every venture into the third dimension has resulted in various degrees of failure. Sonic Unleashed was supposed to provide the unrelenting speed fans have been clamoring for, and it does finally offer a healthy dose of turbo-charged levels to burn through. Unfortunately, even with Sonic's trademark speed finally on full display, Unleashed lacks one very important element: fun. The imprecise platforming, absentminded camera, and poor level design make Sonic's levels an unplayable mess, while his baffling transformation into lumbering werehog comes with a whole new slew of problems. Put simply, there is no reason to play Sonic Unleashed.

The story begins with Dr. Eggman shooting the world with a giant ray gun. Predictably, the planet breaks apart, but there is an unexpected side effect as well. Innocuous Sonic gets transformed into a giant, mean-looking creature called a werehog. This abomination emerges only when the sun goes down, and the game allows you to play stages during the day and at night to make full use of your dual personalities. Even though there are an equal number of hedgehog and werehog stages, most of your time in Sonic Unleashed will be spent at night, since the arduous combat levels take far longer to complete than the sprint-to-the-finish-line hedgehog races.

The werehog levels are extremely tedious. The levels are evenly divided between platforming and fighting, but both elements offer more frustration than excitement. Even though you can unlock more combos as you progress through the journey, your combat strategy never evolves beyond mindlessly tapping two attack buttons with an occasional jump thrown in for good measure. You're given a shield for when things get too hectic, but it's hardly ever necessary. The enemies are stupid, blithely standing around until you take the fight to them, and their lack of variety becomes oppressively obvious after just a few hours. You’ll be given a few checkpoints in each level, but these are awkwardly placed, so you'll have to repeatedly mash through the same battalion of enemies if you can't properly navigate the woeful platforming sections.

As a werehog you're equipped with stretchable arms and the ability to grab onto ledges. This should come in handy when venturing around these stages, but a few arbitrary restrictions have been tossed in to make even simple navigation annoying. First of all, you can only grab onto certain surfaces. If you mistime a jump, you often won't be able to grab a nearby ledge to save yourself, resulting in a quick death. Second, your arms' stretchiness varies at random, so while it may be possible to grab a ledge from a certain distance at one point, from that same distance later on in the level, you'll find your reach stunted. The camera also hinders your progress. You are given free control over your view when standing in the middle of a large plot of land. But when placed on a precarious walkway where a perfect line of sight is necessary, your camera control will be severely restricted, allowing only slight shifts to either side of your character. Because the punishment system is so immediate and severe (falling in water results in instant death), these miscues will quickly steal away your precious lives, leaving only frustration in their wake.

The Sonic levels don't fare any better than the lousy werehog parts. Your goal is to run as quickly as possible to the finish line, but the camera is rarely able to give you an optimal view and the controls are far too loose to provide the pinpoint accuracy you'll need. These technical problems mean you'll have to memorize stages before you can breeze through them. The game is not responsive enough to allow you to consistently avoid obstacles the first time you encounter them, so you'll find yourself repeatedly plowing headfirst into spikes and falling down countless bottomless pits before you finally know where each obstacle lays ahead of time. Extra lives--something you’re usually happy to see in a game--actually serve as a warning in Sonic Unleashed. Particularly cheap sections are often adorned by these markers, ensuring you can play them repeatedly to memorize their cruel layout and hope luck is on your side.

Even after you commit these stages to memory, though, you'll still die over and over again because of the unresponsive controls. A few levels take place on the water, making you sprint at top speeds to keep from sinking below the surface. Moving laterally while blazing through waves is sluggish, but you'll still have to swerve to and fro to complete the missions. In other stages, you'll have to perform wall jumps to succeed. This ability only works on certain surfaces, but even when you find an ideal place to ricochet from, the finicky timing means you'll try and fail until you do it perfectly. Certain sections require you to slow down and perform precise jumps across tiny platforms. The controls are built for speed, though, so a slight push on the analog stick will send Sonic sprinting to his death. The game also tosses in quicktime events at random moments. Some of these will catapult you to different parts of the level, but other times you'll be hit with an instant death if you can't meet their strict deadlines.

Even the between-stage hub is a total drag. Though the professor is supposed to guide you to the next goal, he does little more than point you in a general direction and send you on your way. You'll have to talk to specific citizens to open some levels, and trying to track down the one person with pertinent information is an out-of-place burden. The level entrances are often hidden in random locations and hunting them down can be maddening. Worse, when you finally find one of these entrances, you'll often be kept from entering it until you collect a certain number of moon and sun pieces from previous levels. Collecting items in platformers is expected, but the loose controls and obstinate camera make searching for missing pieces grueling.

The boss fights follow the theme of the other elements in Sonic Unleashed. These battles are long and tedious, forcing you to play the waiting game for minutes on end until the giant beasts open themselves up for attack. The sheer length of these ordeals makes the fights far more aggravating than they would otherwise be. The attack patterns are easy to learn, so you'll spend more time standing around waiting for them to let their guard down than actually attacking them. Even worse, their attack patterns don't drastically change through the fight, so you'll be repeating the same basic dodge maneuvers until you can finally vanquish these oversized annoyances.

The lone bright spot in this otherwise painful mess are some cheery, bright visuals. The graphics are far from cutting-edge, but aside from some frame rate hitches, the game runs smoothly and the levels are pleasantly colorful. The game is at its best when your interaction with it is minimal and you're able to simply admire the view. The camera adjusts for cinematic impact while you tear through loops and grind rails as Sonic, and though you're doing little more than pushing right on the analog stick during these sections, it is entertaining to watch Sonic swoop by. It's sad that Sonic Unleashed is only enjoyable during the moments when you're hardly in control of it.

Pretty pictures aren't enough to make up for the miserable gameplay. Almost nothing else in this game even reaches the level of mediocrity. The Sonic levels are poorly laid out and have unresponsive controls, the werehog portions have monotonous combat and a wonky camera, and even the hub world is so difficult to navigate, you'll spend way too much time searching for the next level. There just isn't any fun to be had in Sonic Unleashed.

Cheat :

Eggmanland Hub World

Successfully complete the game to unlock Eggmanland Hub World.

Trophies

Successfully complete one of the following tasks to get a trophy:

Still Broken (Bronze): Restored the first continent.
Looking Better (Bronze): Restored the second continent.
Still a Jigsaw Puzzle (Bronze): Restored the third continent.
Picking Up the Pieces (Bronze): Restored the fourth continent.
Almost There (Bronze): Restored the fifth continent.
One More to Go (Bronze): Restored the sixth continent.
Getting the Hang of Things (Bronze): Achieved an S Rank with Sonic the Hedgehog for the first time.
Creature of the Night (Bronze): Achieved an S Rank with Sonic the Werehog for the first time.
Helping Hand (Bronze): Completed all missions for a townsperson.
Lay the Smackdown (Bronze): Have mastered the Stomp technique.
Wall Crawler (Bronze): Have mastered the Wall Jump technique.
Airdevil (Bronze): Have mastered the Air Boost technique.
Hyperdrive (Bronze): Have mastered the Lightspeed Dash technique.
Basher (Bronze): Have attained Combat Level 5.
Smasher (Bronze): Have attained Combat Level 10.
Crasher (Bronze): Have attained Combat Level 15.
Thrasher (Bronze): Have attained Combat Level 20.
Day Tripper (Bronze): Cleared all Sonic the Hedgehog stages.
Hard Day’s Night (Bronze): Cleared all Sonic the Werehog stages.
Get on the Exorcise Bandwagon (Bronze): Exorcised everyone.
Gyro with Relish (Bronze): Cleared all hot dog stand missions in Apotos.
Pig in a Blanket (Bronze): Cleared all hot dog stand missions in Spagonia.
Exotic Toppings (Bronze): Cleared all hot dog stand missions in Mazuri.
Sausage Fried Rice (Bronze): Cleared all hot dog stand missions in Chun-nan.
Iced Hotdog (Bronze): Cleared all hot dog stand missions in Holoska.
Kebab on a Bun (Bronze): Cleared all hot dog stand missions in Shamar.
Ketchup and Mustard (Bronze): Cleared all hot dog stand missions in Empire City.
Fried Clam Roll (Bronze): Cleared all hot dog stand missions in Adabat.
Hard Boiled (Bronze): Cleared all hot dog stand missions in Eggmanland.
First Time Customer (Bronze): Bought a product from Wentos.
Oh, You Shouldn't Have! (Bronze): Gave a souvenir to the Professor.
That's Enough, Seriously (Bronze): Gave all souvenirs to the Professor.
Hedgehunk (Bronze): Cleared the Louie Montaine missions in Empire City and the Ana missions in Mazuri.
I Ain't Afraid of No Ghost (Bronze): Cleared the Marcantonio missions in Spagonia.
Blue Meteor (Bronze): Dash through the white walls at top speed.
Partly Cloudy (Silver): Collected half of the Sun Medals.
Sunny (Silver): Collected all Sun Medals.
Half Moon (Silver): Collected half of the Moon Medals.
Full Moon (Silver): Collected all Moon Medals.
Blue Streak (Silver): Upgraded all of Sonic the Hedgehog's stats to their maximum levels.
Power Overwhelming (Silver): Upgraded all of Sonic the Werehog's stats to their maximum levels.
Social Butterfly (Silver): Talked to all townspeople.
Hungry Hungry Hedgehog (Silver): Got every type of food.
Ace Pilot (Silver): Cleared Act 1 of Tornado Defense without taking damage.
BFFs (Silver): Became best friends with Chip.
Speeding Ticket (Silver): Achieved 10,000 total combos.
Combo King (Silver): Collected 5,000 total rings.
Ring Leader (Silver): Defeated 1,000 enemies.
Knockout Brawler (Silver): Smash, smash, and smash some more.
World Savior (Gold): Cleared the game.
100% Clear (Platinum): This is the platinum trophy and is unlocked automatically when all the trophies have been unlocked.

Dynasty Warriors 6 serves up more of the series' signature boring, repetitive action, with a heaping side of severe graphical issues.

When it was released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 earlier this year, Dynasty Warriors 6 did little to distinguish itself from its predecessors, but it did at least benefit visually from being the first game in the series designed for the most current generation of consoles. Now it has been ported to the console on which the series has made its name, but this PlayStation 2 game is a complete disappointment. Dynasty Warriors 6 not only delivers more of the same extremely tired gameplay the series has relied on with little change for many years, but it also suffers from the severe graphical problems that have long plagued the Dynasty Warriors games.

In excruciatingly typical Dynasty Warriors fashion, you choose one character from among a large number of warriors who all share tremendous combat prowess and a distinctive taste in fashion. You're then set free on large open battlefields, where you mow down enemy soldiers by the hundreds, by doing nothing more than running around and pressing the attack button over and over. For their part, the enemy soldiers seem all too happy to accommodate you, standing around idly as you slaughter them along with 15 or 20 of their identical comrades. Once in a while you'll encounter an enemy officer who may require you to charge up a more powerful attack to break through their guard, and when you grow tired of tapping the square button, for a thrilling change of pace you can push the circle button instead to perform a special attack that lets you annihilate your enemies even more efficiently than usual.

To win battles, it's not enough to just kill hundreds of enemy solders. Each battle has certain conditions that must be met for victory, such as defeating a specific enemy officer or escorting a character to safety. You're constantly receiving status updates on clashes happening elsewhere on the battlefield, units being broken up, and allies meeting victory or defeat. All of this should contribute to a sense that you are fighting in a large-scale battle, but what you see around you undermines this feeling. It's hard to get caught up in any sense of intense battlefield excitement when you're likely to be surrounded by enemy soldiers just standing around looking confused instead of soldiers desperately fighting for their lives.

There are 15 playable characters available from the get-go, with many more to be unlocked as you meet certain conditions, but all the playable characters in the world make little difference when the gameplay is as shallow as it is here. For the first time ever in a Dynasty Warriors game, you can now climb ladders, just like Mario did in 1981's Donkey Kong. And the new renbu system makes the already simple combat system even simpler, allowing you to use just one attack button to perform lengthy combos that previously would have required two buttons. The one addition that feels significant is a skill tree that lets you spend points you earn on specific upgrades to your character's health, attack power, defense, speed, and so on. Letting you customize the development of your character to suit your style of play is definitely a step in the right direction, but it's still in the service of some mind-numbingly repetitive gameplay.

Dynasty Warriors 6 looks positively awful in action. Character models for the flamboyantly attired playable officers are colorful and animate gracefully, and the attacks they perform look suitably devastating, but the same can't be said of the grunts who populate the battlefield. They're entirely generic, and when they decide to move at all, their animations are stiff and awkward. There's also frequent slowdown that occurs when a lot is happening onscreen, and while you can play through most of the modes in split-screen co-op with a friend, whatever additional enjoyment you may get from having someone to share the tediousness with is tempered by frequent instances of slowdown. Worst of all the severe pop-in that happens anytime there are lots of people onscreen (which is most of the time) is a never-ending distraction. Friendly and enemy soldiers alike constantly appear out of nowhere and vanish into thin air all around you. Pop-in and pop-out are nothing new to the Dynasty Warriors series, but they seem worse here, and they happen with a frequency that makes them impossible to ignore. The audio presentation isn't much better. The sounds of battle have an exaggerated quality not unlike what you might hear in a low-budget kung-fu movie, which actually suits the action pretty well. But the cheesy electric-guitar-heavy music gets old fast, and the horrible voice acting is either stiff and emotionless or completely over the top, with nothing falling in between, and you'll hear the same boasts and taunts repeated constantly.

There's no shortage of stuff to keep you busy in Dynasty Warriors 6, with plenty of playable characters and a Free mode that lets you play any unlocked scenario with any character. And for those who just can't get enough of the action, there's a Challenge mode that sets specific goals, like killing as many enemies as possible in a limited amount of time. But the gameplay doesn't stay interesting for even half an hour, much less the days and weeks it would take to play through every character's story and complete every challenge. And then there are the ladders. Even though you can climb higher than ever before in Dynasty Warriors 6, the series as a whole seems stuck on the same wrung.

Step onto the pitch and play professional football your way in EA SPORTS™ FIFA 09. Experience the most authentic football simulation EA SPORTS has delivered on the PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system as you live the fantasy of playing as a professional football player.

Powered by an overhauled animation system and all-new collision system—representing the biggest innovations to the game engine in four years—FIFA 09 delivers more responsive, intelligent and realistic physical action.

Hundreds of new animation sequences and a new collision detection system with 360 degree coverage enable players to behave according to their physical attributes. Player speed, direction and strength now determine everything from the severity of the collision to the outcome of possession. Plus, contact occurs with shoulders, arms and legs. Stronger players possess the strength to knock down smaller players or use their body and arms to shield the ball in challenges.

Changes to the animation system reward the skillful gamer during one-on-one situations between attackers and defenders. Tuned acceleration attributes enable swifter players to possess quicker first steps and gain advantage in sprints. Plus, four new skill moves -- scoop turns, rainbow flicks, heel-to-heel knocks and ball rolls – give you a total of 32 tricks in your arsenal to perform just like Ronaldinho.

From the moment you step onto the pitch, FIFA 09 challenges you to think and react like a real football player through the popular feature innovation Be A Pro -- now expanded to multiple seasons and featuring the unique Be A Pro camera that tracks your player, re-creating the excitement and rush of racing in on goal. In Be A Pro: Seasons you choose a professional player and then develop his skills at a single outfield position. Complete individual challenges to develop your player attributes and win glory for the squad.

Find out what a selection of games industry figures nominated as their PlayStation highlights of 2008.

"The highlight of 2008 for me has been watching PLAYSTATION 3 grow. 2008 has been the first full year in PS3's lifecycle in Europe and the improvements and rapid growth that we have experienced have been phenomenal. This year has seen a fantastic software line-up, which we call our landing lights, key titles from both our first party studios as well as our third party partners. We started the year with the launch of GT5: Prologue, then we had GTA IV, closely followed by Metal Gear Solid. Since then we have released Motorstorm Pacific Rift, Resistance 2 and of course LittleBigPlanet. All these titles and many more, alongside new services and hardware, such as Home and PlayTV has seen PS3 really take hold of the European market and move from strength to strength. This year has shown what PS3 is capable of, but knowing what we still have to come, I can assure you that it only gets better."
David Reeves, President, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe

"2008 turned out to be a great year for PlayStation. PS3 has seen release of many excellent exclusives, and the release of LittleBigPlanet will be remembered by gamers in the future as the beginning of an era of user generated content. PS3 has also been given a lot of great network platform upgrades, including in-game XMB support, Trophies, and PlayStation Home Open Beta.

“On PSP, we've released the new PSP-3000 with cutting-edge new LCD technology for ultra vibrant colours and microphone support out of the box. We've also seen the release of great exclusives such as God of War: Chains of Olympus, Buzz!: Master Quiz and Secret Agent Clank."
Shuhei Yoshida, President, SCEE Worldwide Studios

"Metal Gear Solid 4! I'm a massive fan of the series and it was the main reason for me getting a PLAYSTATION 3. It was such an epic game and was a fantastic finale for the series overall. You really get a sense that you've been on a journey with Snake and the guys. I'm praying that Kojima-san will change his mind and decide to do one more Metal Gear game."
Ron Festejo, Creative Director, SCE London Studio

"Obviously Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe was a big game for us, so for this year that's my number one title. It's a great game. Also this year what's been interesting is the advancement made by PLAYSTATION 3 - we've seen a lot of good titles come out on PS3."
Ron Ashianti, Art Director, Midway

"Playing the finished boxed version of MotorStorm Pacific Rift. It's hard when you're working on a game for nearly two years to be objective about it, but I probably finished up on that title in late September, and I didn't touch it again until a couple of weeks after it was released in November. Seeing it with fresh eyes after that time, and seeing it with the intros, background videos, and full soundtrack in place, all the final tweaks, it really blew me away. I don't think I've ever felt prouder of anything I've worked on, and I don't think there's been a game that's had more play on my PS3 at home than this. I just adore the game. Simple as that really."
Jed Ashforth, Game Director, Download Content, Evolution Studios

"It has to be the launch of WipEout HD because of what it stands for today: an incredibly high quality game running at 1080p, retailing at an amazingly low price. It really raises the bar for everyone on PSN, and is a game you just have to own."
Phil Gaskell, Senior Producer, PlayStation Network

“LittleBigPlanet because of its fantastic, appealing tone and presentation; it’s a fun game that gives children a chance to be creative.”
Jason Wilson, Creative Director, Concept Team, SCE Cambridge Studio

"If I was going to pick a personal favourite, it's got to be LittleBigPlanet. That's something we've had running here at the studio, many of us participated in the beta trials. It's such a crazy, creative game. We've been contributing feedback to Media Molecule about it. We all love it here."
Hermen Hulst, Managing Director, Guerrilla Games

"My 2008 highlight has to be seeing my non-gamer wife in hysterics within minutes of us sitting down to play LittleBigPlanet together. It’s just the most charming, social, fun filled game I’ve played in a long time."
Jonathan Alpine, Lead Designer, EyePet, SCE London Studio

"Grand Theft Auto 4: such scope, ambition and sheer quality deserves the critical and commercial success it has had. Niko Bellic is one of the most accomplished character designs our medium has ever seen, and the supporting cast were brilliant too. Being much tighter than previous versions was a welcome refocus."
Matt Southern, Game Director, Evolution Studios

"Without a doubt it's got to be LittleBigPlanet. It's such a fresh game experience, the integration of online modes is seamless and the user generated content creation is instantly accessible. It really delivered all that it had promised and should be a PS3 classic."
Mark Lintott, Technical Manager on EyePet, SCE London Studio

"Call of Duty: World at War is my highlight of 2008, I'm really pleased they decided to revisit the Second World War."
Phil McDonnell, Head of Console Division, Konami

"This year I've really enjoyed playing Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots and Grand Theft Auto 4, one of my favourite games."
Simon Woodroffe, Creative Director, Midway

"I’ve spent over a year working hard on MotorStorm Pacific Rift and so I’ve really not had a chance to play anything else...which is OK as I love action racing games and so it has been a blast to make. The real highlight for me though, was just sitting on my sofa playing split screen head to head with my mates and realising just how much fun the game I helped create has turned out. The downside is that I’ve had a couple of online races and I’ve been battered and can’t get on the high score leaderboards!"
Paul Hollywood, Creative Director, Evolution

"LittleBigPlanet – an industry landmark and genre-defining product that innovates on so many levels. It will be a reference standard for many community features and business model innovations in future games."
Phil Harrison, President, Infogrames

"The highlight of my year was Metal Gear Solid 4. Everyone will agree that the gameplay, art and storytelling brought out what really makes Metal Gear Solid special, for better or for worse. The gameplay was the best in the series and my fanboy inside was both happy and sad to see it end. On PSN, I was giddy over Bionic Commando: Reamed. Beautiful, fun, and old-school."
Tim Ernst, Producer, Alpha Protocol, Sega

"The release of WipEout HD on PlayStation Network, bringing the original PlayStation flagship title up to date with 1080p graphics, 60hz frame rate and excellent game modes that matched up to my nostalgic memories of the title."
Simon O'Brien, Art Director, Evolution Studios

"The thing that I've really enjoyed over the last year is the number of brand new franchises that have appeared. This year I've spent a lot of time playing Dead Space, Guitar Hero and LittleBigPlanet and they're all filled to the brim with imagination and innovation. I've also been really impressed at how established franchises are benefiting from appearing on PS3. Games such as FIFA, Ratchet & Clank and especially GTA have just been tremendous, so as a gamer I think 2008 has been hugely enjoyable.

"As the lead designer of SingStar, I've really enjoyed being able to see the SingStar community in the videos that they've uploaded to My SingStar Online. It's been amazing to see how creative people have been with just a short section of video and it's also very heart-warming to see families playing together with people of all ages."
Kevin Mason, Principal Designer, SingStar, SCE London Studio

“LittleBigPlanet without a doubt. In my eyes the first console defining game we've seen yet. Not only is it incredibly creative, immersive and visually stunning, but my wife even likes it as well!”
Tom Jones, Lead Artist, Killzone 2, SCE Cambridge Studio

Find out what features are included in PS3 system software update 2.53.

An update to the PS3 system software was released on December 2, 2008. If you update your PS3 system, the system software version will be 2.53 and the following features will be updated. In order to download PS3 system software version 2.53, you will need a minimum 140Mb of free space on either the PS3 Hard Disk Drive (System Update) or on removable storage media (PC Update).

Main features in system software update version 2.53

• Network

The full-screen mode setting in Adobe® Flash® Player is now supported in the Internet Browser.*
* "Adobe" and "Flash" are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated in the United States and/or other countries.

Note:

• This system software update includes all features contained in previous versions.
• The new system software will preserve any settings previously made to the PLAYSTATION 3.
• Depending on the software title, you may not be able to play without first updating the PS3 system software.
• Do not perform updates using any data other than the official update data provided by Sony Computer Entertainment over a network or on disc media, and do not perform updates by methods other than those described in the product documentation or in this site. If an update is performed using data from another source, by another method, or with a PS3 system that has been altered or modified in any way, the PS3 system may not operate properly and may not be able to install the official update data. Any of these actions may void the PS3 system warranty and affect your ability to obtain warranty services and repair services from Sony Computer Entertainment.

A look at some of the best titles released on PS2 in 2008.

WALL-E
Released: July 2008

One of the most popular movies of the year inspired one of the best PS2 games, telling the story of the little robot that everyone forgot to turn off. Not only does it capture the look and charm of the movie and its adorable protagonist, each stage features a different style of gameplay, keeping the fun flowing from start to finish.

LEGO Batman: The Videogame
Released: October 2008

Following the success of LEGO Star Wars and LEGO Indiana Jones, the Caped Crusader received the construction block treatment in 2008. A horde of familiar super villains has escaped from Arkham Asylum, leaving Batman and Robin to clean up Gotham City. This game is excellent in co-operative mode, where two friends can control any combination of hero and villain.

Guitar Hero World Tour
Released: November 2008

The Guitar Hero phenomenon got bigger in 2008, as the new instruments included with Guitar Hero World Tour allowed aspiring drummers, bass players and singers to get in on the action. The result is one of the best social games available; it's a wonderful feeling to have a group of friends all in synch and rocking out to one of the many tracks included on the DVD.

SingStar Singalong with Disney
Released: November 2008

Anyone with a voice can play SingStar and everyone will want to with this game, thanks to the universal appeal of Disney movies and their iconic music. SingStar Singalong with Disney features 20 songs from such classics as The Lion King, Cinderella and The Jungle Book, along with videos featuring all of your favourite characters.

EyeToy Play: Hero
Released: November 2008

One of the most original games released in 2008, EyeToy Play: Hero makes innovative use of the EyeToy USB Camera to put you in the shoes of a medieval hero trying to defeat a mischievous warlord. Included with the game is a green toy sword which, thanks to some clever technology, appears on screen when held on front of the EyeToy USB Camera. Any movement you make is detected, putting you directly into the game as you swing and slash your way through varied environments. The bright, colourful graphics make for a title that young children will love and adults will be amazed by.

These are just five of the great PS2 games released in 2008, also worth checking out are: EyeToy Play: PomPom Party, Buzz! Junior: Ace Racers, Yakuza 2, SingStar Boybands vs Girlbands, Dancing Stage SuperNOVA 2, Alone in the Dark, Luxor: Pharaoh's Challenge and Sega Superstars Tennis.