Not fitted an awful lot of gaming in recently, but I have been playing what will probably turn out to be a few of my favourite games of the year. I managed to polish off Batman Arkham Asylum a couple of days ago and I must say I was thoroughly impressed with the game as a whole. Everything about the game is just very solid, all the gameplay works brilliantly, the voice acting is superb and while the plot is not revolutionary for a video game it is entertaining enough to make you persevere. The stealth sections of the game were my personal favourite, sloping around atop gargoyles and under floors picking off guards one by one provided ample opportunity for improvisation and nail-biting tension. Whether or not the game is a solid purchase though is a different matter, I'm yet to attempt the challenges, scout out the hidden extras or tackle hard mode but I'm also not really encouraged to. I would however say its one of the few next gen games that everyone should at least rent. You'll struggle to find a campaign with the diversity to keep you on your toes the whole time.
Its somewhat strange that the two games I happen to complete within a couple of days of each other also happen to be the best I've played (and most likely will play) all year. I am of course referring to Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. With a single player campaign rather short in comparison to Batman (I completed it within one day) it may not have the same depth of single player. But the immersion, and again fantastic gameplay more than alleviate these detractors. With plot so ridiculous even Steven Segal would wince the game plays with its mind closer to the latter Bronsan James Bond films more than Generation Kill. This however does stand at odds with the now infamous "airport" level, which I personally found rather horrible to play. The pace you're forced to walk at encourages you to stare at the screaming, bleeding civilians on the floor. This level of course also stands in very close proximity to one in which you escape from an air base in a hectic snow-mobile chase. Hmmmm. Well the campaign is enjoyable enough, with more twists than a Cheesestring a fair bit of variation as well to keep you interesting. Spec Ops is also a welcome addition, letting you (and a friend if you wish) tackle a few challenges based on both Modern Warfare games. A friend and I spent a good few hours powering through a couple of them and I was very impressed. Great fun and a welcome bit of extra gameplay when you're fed up of feeling depressed in the airport. Its going to be everyone's game of the year, so why not mine as well.
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