But as true as that is, it’s not absolutely true. Sure, this is almost a rule in and of itself, but there are exceptions to every rule, and sure enough, there have been a few movie tie-in games over the years that have turned out to be far better than they had any right to be. 2009’s X-Men Origins: Wolverine is one such game- a solid action title that actually did some interesting things with its license, respected its source material, and delivered brutal and engaging hack and slash combat that any fan of the Wolverine property would enjoy. And in a medium where a decent movie tie-in – let alone a good one – is such a rarity, one can’t help but look at X-Men Origins and wonder- how exactly did it do what it did?

Before we get into that, it’s important to clarify a few things. This was no masterpiece- as good as X-Men Origins: Wolverine was, the consensus (very rightly) was that it was a diamond in the rough, a game with plenty of issues of its own, but one that ultimately overcame those hurdles on the back of its core strengths to deliver a solid and entertaining gaming experience that could stand on its own two legs. It wasn’t an amazing game, no, but it was a solid one- and not just “for a movie tie-in”. It also helps that the movie the game is tied to is kind of atrocious (to say the least).

The game’s biggest strength lies in the one area that a Wolverine game pretty much has to nail- the combat. Like a great many games releasing in that era, X-Men Origins: Wolverine was inspired heavily by the older God of War games, with a hack and slash combat system relying on brutal attacks, combos, and more. But where many pretenders of the time chose to imitate those mechanics without bothering to have much depth or variety present, Wolverine ensured to make its combat feel like it had more than just button mashing going through it.

Ripping through enemies with barbaric attacks was the bread and butter of the experience, obviously – that was sort of unavoidable given the sort of game it was – but it tried to mix things up with a decent bit of enemy variety, combos, mechanics like grabbing enemies and air juggling, and, every so often, allowing players to make use of the environment and objects and elements in their surroundings to their advantage, all of which could be chained together in consistently fun ways- such as juggling an enemy with a combo in the air before then thrashing it down into the ground and impaling it on a spike sticking out of the spot. There were moves like the vicious claw spin, a lunge attack that never got boring, and a rage mode that fit within the framework of the game and, more importantly, the source material perfectly. Add to that a simplistic yet effective progression system, and what you had was a combat system that was perfectly capable of holding itself up throughout the entirety of the experience.

Another huge win for the game was the fact that it was absolutely brutal- or at least one version of it was. The Uncaged Version for PS3, Xbox 360, and PC, and that was very much the flagship version of the game, with full-on violence, language that didn’t hold back, and all around, a complete license to be as true to the Wolverine license and its dark, mature tone as it needed to be. On PS2, Wii, PSP, and DS, the game was incredibly compromised on those fronts (especially on the DS, as you may have expected), but on PC and what were, at the time, current-gen consoles, it felt and played the way a Wolverine game should.

Limbs would be dismembered, blood and gore and viscera would spatter everywhere during particularly bloody fights, and during the course of combat, you’d see the damage sustained by Logan getting visibly worse on his body, at times even with cuts right down to visible bones (the healing animations were just as gleefully grotesque). On top of all that, what made the game’s adherence and faithfulness to its source material stand out even more was the fact that the actual movie that had spawned the game released with a PG-13 rating- which was just one of many things that proved to be its downfall… but that’s another discussion.

Again, the game wasn’t perfect. It was a little too short, and even within that short runtime, it could get a little repetitive, not least because the things that broke up the combat – namely the boss fights and a few puzzles here and there – were bland and forgettable at best and downright boring at worst. Meanwhile, the story, while fun and engaging enough to hold attention, was flawed in some very blatant ways, while the visuals weren’t anything to write home about either. But the parts that the game was good at, it was so good at that it became much easier to tolerate its flaws, even though those flaws were not easy to ignore quite often. Oh, and Hugh Jackman voicing Logan and doing a damn fine job at that was yet another highlight.

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call X-Men Origins: Wolverine one of the best movie tie-ins ever made, even though that’s not a high bar. In fact, it wouldn’t even be all that outrageous to say that it might even be one of the better superhero games, at least of its time- though the bar for that, at least, was raised to unprecedented levels merely within months of the game’s launch when Batman: Arkham Asylum came out later that same year. It’s a real shame that getting your hands on a copy of X-Men Origins: Wolverine is not too easy these days – Activision’s Marvel license expired in 2014, following which Wolverine, along with a bunch of other games, was taken off-sale both digitally and physically – but it’s a game that’s well worth your time.

All of this is doubly relevant, of course, because there is another Wolverine game that’s now in development that no few people are keenly anticipating. Insomniac Games is currently at work on Marvel’s Wolverine, and as an original story and a AAA game (and coming from the makers of the excellent Spider-Man games, no less), expectations from it are obviously going to be high- significantly higher than they were for the 2009 Activision title. But while we’re certainly hoping that Marvel’s Wolverine will be a far bigger, better, and more polished game than the property’s previous outings in the video gaming medium, we’re also hoping that it will take a look at the things that X-Men Origins: Wolverine did well and try to take some valuable lessons from that.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.

5th Cell lead animator Tim Borrelli has tweeted that the layoffs are happening at Shinobi developer Griptonite Games.

Here is the official statement from Glu Mobile CEO Niccolo de Masi:

“We believe concentrating resources on fewer titles, with a greater centralized support infrastructure will accelerate revenue growth in Q4 2013 and beyond. We made over 20 new ‘games-as-a-service’ (GaaS) hires in Q1 and anticipate hiring at a similar rate throughout the year. Our goal is to shift headcount investment out of raw studio team volume and into our centralized GaaS functions.

This rebalancing is expected to leave R&D costs approximately flat year over year. A reduction in force was commenced today to promote talent density throughout the studio, as well as fund over 80 new GaaS colleagues. This reduction is equivalent to circa 12% of the year’s starting headcount of 564 employees. Adding back forecast hiring we anticipate finishing 2013 with 582 Gluers worldwide.”

Good luck to all the people that have lost their job recently and hopefully they will find a new place to work at.

Stay tuned on GamingBolt for more gaming news and leave any comments you have down below.

Source – IGN

Following my usually abstract introduction, this would normally be the part of the review where I briefly summarise the game’s story. This isn’t to be the case though with Shinobi as, in making itself very obviously part of an old gaming tradition, the story is arbitrary and minimal at best. For those who are interested, it serves as a prequel that tasks long time protagonist Joe Musashi’s father, Jiro, with defeating the evil Neo Zeed crime syndicate. The story exposition doesn’t give away a lot though, with merely static scenes being accompanied by clichéd platitudes on inner tranquillity, and all those other fun abstract concepts and one-liners that have been handed down through generations of kung fu movies.

The textures are pleasant, but they tend to seem a bit cut and pasted as the game goes on

The plot isn’t really the focus here though, as Shinobi is all about the gameplay. Though 2002’s Shinobi on PS2 introduced the series to 3D environments, Shinobi on 3DS decides to take the series back a step, instead going for 2D gameplay with an isometric twist. This keeps things simple, and the 2.5D perspective helps bring the stereoscopic 3D capabilities of the system to the fore. This is, surprisingly, one of the better games for the 3DS’ trademark visual capabilities, with the already pleasant backdrops coming to life with a flick of the 3D slider. Graphically speaking, the game is quite arresting and, though the textures can often repeat and feel oppressively monotone, there is something oddly captivating about the way some of the game has been aesthetically designed.

Indeed, this simplicity is part of Shinobi’s overall charm, with classic 2D platforming awaiting within. This simplicity is only superficial though, as the game itself is anything but. In returning the series to its routes, Griptonite Games have brought in the usually absurd difficulty that has always been associated with the series and retro gaming in general. Shinobi is tough, very tough. The game does have an easy mode for those who want a smoother ride, but this is still much more challenging than the majority of games of this generation. Instant death upon falling, the inability to hold a block for more than a second and a whole load of cheap enemy spawns and attacks are just some of the techniques Griptonite Games employ to break your spirit in Shinobi. This is one of the those titles that, if you think you’re at all skilled at games, will quickly show you how meagre your skills truly are. Though I may be somewhat bemoaning of this intensity, it’s initially a great source of excitement in Shinobi. With so many contemporary titles holding your hand and drip feeding you gameplay segments ever so slowly, Shinobi just gives you a text help file and tells you to man up. It starts off as refreshing and quite endearing if you grew up with games that offered a similar challenge.

I hope you like the look of that enemy, because you’ll be seeing a lot of him. And he’s a dick

This masochistic pleasure begins to fade after some time though, if mainly due to the game’s repetition. The problem in games with such simple mechanics is the need to keep things fresh with engaging level and enemy designs, an accolade which Shinobi fails to achieve. It also makes the difficulty seem cheap as, in other tricky games you are faced with a specific boss enemy or location that seems like it will be challenging, Shinobi just spams the same peons at you consistently, with you dying eventually on account of losing your nerve. If it had been paced better, and included a greater variety of enemies, Shinobi’s difficulty may have kept the experience fresher for longer.

If you’re the type who’s looking for the brand of challenge on offer in Shinobi, you’ll probably find a lot to enjoy on the cartridge. The game itself, though not especially long, is significantly lengthened by the game’s difficulty. Though there aren’t a huge amount of levels, it will take the average gamer a surprisingly long time to get through them all. There are also various unlockables and the oddly alluring promise of an ever higher score for those who want to further test their abilities. Though the game offers a fair amount of content, its price tag remains a point of issue. The game definitely looks like a contemporary retail title, but it feels like the kind of retro throwback you’d pay much less for on a DLC service. I’m not saying this to criticise the game’s quality in any way, but Shinobi’s retro charms do not endear it to a full RRP particularly well.

Horseback and car chase sequences are fun diversions, but they don’t offer the variety you’d expect

Shinobi is a game from an older guard in the guise of a modern hand-held title. It’s not entirely out of place in our current generation of gaming, but its retro charms are a double-edged sword. If you can withstand some archaic design choices and want to revel in a time when games let you do stuff without a lengthy tutorial, then you should put Shinobi somewhere on your to do list. If you’re a bit strapped for cash and aren’t looking for a brutal lashing from your games any time soon, then look elsewhere for your thrills.

This game was reviewed on the Nintendo 3DS.

SEGA today announced Captain America : Super Soldier for Nintendo 3DS  has been shipped to retail.

Become Captain America, the ultimate Super-Soldier, in the darkest days of World War II as you face the Red Skull and his army in this epic action adventure. Wield Captain America’s legendary shield to take out multiple enemies at once, deflect incoming fire back at your enemies, solve puzzles and scale walls. Above all, hurl yourself shield-first into the fray with the superior force of the world’s first Super-Soldier at your fingertips. Engage in free-flowing combat and acrobatic platforming to infiltrate Hydra’s massive and mysterious castle complex and battle the infamous Iron Cross, the forces of Hydra and a host of nefarious enemies serving the Red Skull in an all-new Captain America story and adventure.

Suddenly the thought occurs to you that maybe Spider-Man games are only going to get worse. Maybe they’re only going further downhill. Is this true? Is the once mighty and highly entertaining franchise in gaming finally throwing in the towel with quality, like Sonic The Hedgehog has? Then, Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions is announced, to the skepticism of many fans. As things progress further and further, it’s unveiled that the game doesn’t bring back the free roaming environment and realistic web swinging mechanics that made Spider-Man 2 so great – it’s back to linear levels and swinging through thin air for you, buddy. You think, “What the hell?!? They removed the only good parts of the last games!!!” But does this ruin things, or not?

Like any good game should, Shattered Dimensions (developed by Beenox/Griptonite Games & published by Activision) makes sure that it’s fun to play. Truth be told this is probably the strongest part of the game, but that’s not a bad thing. Some people may view it as mindlessly simple or too straightforward, but Shattered Dimensions makes it work. You’re basically progressing through levels fighting waves of enemies the same way you would playing X-Men Origins: Wolverine or Ghost Rider. There’s occasionally a puzzle, an obstacle course, or civilians needing rescuing, but aside from that there’s little else. The exception to this, is the Noir Dimension – which is primarily based on stealth.

Basically this game puts you in the shoes of four different versions of Spider-Man. They all feel unique while sharing the same basic Spider-Man abilities. Each has their own special perks that the others can’t duplicate and their own strengths and weaknesses. The default Amazing Spider-Man that we’re all so used to would be the bare bones template for the others, but to keep him from feeling like “Spider-Man Beta” in comparison Beenox have used his many years of superhero experience (compared to the others) to give him the use of his webbing in combat. Along with highly acrobatic maneuvers, Amazing Spider-Man will use his webbing to tear apart the environment and smack foes silly with it, and even create weapons out of his webbing.

Noir Spider-Man, as previously mentioned, is more focused on stealth. His incarnation isn’t nearly as durable as the others, so he is vulnerable to being mowed down by gunfire much more easily. He haunts his levels like a phantom, picking off foes one by one in the dark with brutal takedowns. Beenox have said, “[they] tried to make this portion of the game feel a little bit like Frank Miller’s Sin City”. I found the use of a newer, well-received incarnation of Spider-Man refreshing, and the effort Beenox have put into the game really shows. This was my favorite part of the game.

Spider-Man 2099 is focused on speed: he has quick, savage attacks using close combat claws; his accelerated vision (a technological spider-sense that appears to slow down time around him), and the free-fall gameplay mechanism where he controls his own speed in order to manoeuvre around obstacles and chase down the bad guy. Unfortunately 2099’s segments seem to be the least entertaining parts of the game, but that doesn’t mean they’re not worth playing.

Ultimate Spider-Man brings back the fan-favorite black suit, and all the powers that come with it. The black suit acts as an extension of Ultimate’s own body, forming lashing tendrils and striking out at enemies from a distance, with some great crowd-control attacks (especially when used in Rage Mode) which will wipe the floor with waves of foes in seconds and make you feel tremendously powerful.

What I found interesting is that the game goes out of its way to take the player out of familiar areas that gamers have gotten so used to in the past 4 or 5 Spider-Man games. Noir and 2099 are strictly set in New York, but are vastly different from the version fans may be accustomed to. This is due to the time periods’ effect on the famous city. Amazing and Ultimate opt for more exotic locations, including a jungle, a desert, and a construction yard, to a power plant, a reality TV show gauntlet, and a parasite-infested S.H.I.E.L.D. base, respectively. The game possesses 13 levels (14 if you count the tutorial). This may sound short, but each level is extensive, and gives you room to explore to beat more challenges and help you  progress further. Each Spider-Man has 3 of their own levels, which are all set in their own reality. You are given a tutorial in the beginning to get you somewhat accustomed to each Spider-Man’s unique abilities, and then dropped into Amazing Spider-Man’s first level. Following that, you progress through three arcs. In each arc, you can complete one of every Spider-Man’s level in the order that you choose (with the exception of the first level, which isn’t even a big deal, really). This is a real refreshing change from being forced to jump between Spider-Man and Venom during parts of the game like Ultimate Spider-Man.

As much as I thought i’d miss free-roam and linear swinging, this game does okay. The swinging is a little bit different this time around, hearkening to a slightly more complicated version of the “swinging in thin air” last seen in Spider-Man (2002) for the GC/PS2/Xbox, but it doesn’t take long to get used to. Crawling is something else that takes some time getting used to, but isn’t too bad either. While the swinging and crawling may feel weird for some, it surprisingly doesn’t take away from the game too much. A feature completely new to Spider-Man games in this installment is a sequence during most of the boss battles that allows you to exchange fisticuffs with the villain in first person. I personally found this really enjoyable; it added a new thrilling element to the already well done boss fights and allowed you to better vent your loathing for the boss. The boss fights are probably the strongest part of the gameplay as a whole, and the lineup of villains is sure not to disappoint.

Sadly, the story fails to deliver in this game. Okay, I’ll be fair: superhero games in general are known for having plots as engaging as their comic book counterparts, but I really think they could have done a little better if they tried hard. It starts off with Amazing Spider-Man fighting Mysterio in a museum, where he accidentally shatters the Tablet of Order and Chaos: a mystical tablet that holds the threads of reality together. The fragments scatter across the dimensions, and the villains who find them gain more power just by holding it. Madame Web contacts each Spider-Man to explain the predicament, and they set off to get the fragments back and restore the tablet. That’s pretty much it. I was excited to see what the story for this game was going to do, since it’s the first time the whole alternate reality scenario so notoriously present in Marvel comics was toyed with in video game media, but it was pretty bland. I was hoping that they would at least show the four Spider-Men interacting with each other more often, but we barely see this at all. That would have made for some interesting conversations. Then again, this could have been difficult to execute, because many casual fans are unfamiliar with the alternate comics. To be fair to Beenox, they do make efforts to get you attached to the individual Spider-Men, with continuous character-driven story-lines for Noir and 2099; whereas Amazing and Ultimate’s stories are more sporadic and focusing solely on finding the tablet fragments.

One thing I did think was  cool is that the developers collaborated with Marvel to create new incarnations of Spidey ‘sopponents that have never previously appeared in certain continuities. Some of the earliest you see are Noir Hammerhead and 2099 Hobgoblin. While the game is mostly Spidey-centered, we do get some nice boss cameos from Juggernaut and Deadpool of Weapon-X fame. Seriously, who doesn’t love Deadpool?

Beenox went out of their way to put together four different teams for each Spider-Man’s dimension, giving each a completely unique graphics style. No universe looks the same. Noir melts between monochrome and dull colors, establishing a gritty tone and mood; whereas 2099 pulses with life, illuminated by endless neon. Amazing hearkens back to the art style found in older Spidey comics; whereas Ultimate Spider-Man mixes the distinct detail in Alex Ross’s work with the bold lines of manga.

The voice acting in Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions really shines. Actors from recent adaptations going back to the 80’s have been brought in to reprise their roles as Spider-Man in his four incarnations, and other voices from the various tv shows have returned too. As for our hero(es), Neil Patrick Harris from MTV’s Spider-Man (~2000) returns to don the red and blues once again. In my opinion, he is good enough to be passable, but doesn’t give the best performance in the game. Christopher Daniel Barnes from the 90’s Spider-Man: The Animated Series returns to play Spider-Man Noir, letting his aging since the show add to the bitterness of his character, and it’s really awesome. He truly sounds menacing and jaded, but still like Spider-Man. Dan Gizelvan, from the 80’s Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends, plays Spider-Man 2099. Harsh as it sounds, he gave probably the weakest performance in the game, but I respect the man for giving Spider-Man another shot after 30 years. Josh Keaton, from the only recently canceled Spectacular Spider-Man (best Spider-Man show ever – go check it out!) returns to play the teenage Ultimate Spider-Man. I think he has the best voice in the game, and the funniest lines; I never get tired of hearing him.

There is plenty of other awesome voice acting too; Jim Cummings (VA veteran), John DiMaggio (returning as Hammerhead from “Spectacular Spider-Man”), and Nolan North (returning as Deadpool from Hulk VS) just to name a few. The music is orchestral and dramatic, and the sound effects are fitting for the game. All around pretty decent, and tremendous fanservice in this department among other things. This game is not very long. It took me around 6-8 hours to beat, and that’s only because I sped through all the levels as fast as I could without doing much of the extra stuff. The challenges offer extended gameplay, and there’s some cool stuff to unlock – most of all the alternate costumes. They are really sweet this time around. All the levels are good enough to want to experience multiple times but can sometimes be confusing.

If you’re a Spider-Man fan, buy. This is the best Spider-Man game to come out in a long time, and as I said it’s worth full price. Other people may want to try it first to see if it’s their cup of tea – this game is made for serious Spider-Man fans, not casual gamers, and might turn them off. But I still really enjoyed it and found it a lot of fun.

This game was reviewed on the Xbox 360.

As in the movie, Shrek has signed a contract with the crafty Rumpelstiltskin which had unforeseen consequences (the best kind). The game centres on his efforts to void the contract via a handy exit clause and by doing so set the world to rights. However in this alternate world nothing is as it seems and fulfilling the terms of the exit clause is harder than it sounds.

Find the Magic Mirror in each level to switch between worlds.

The game is played as four characters: Shrek, Alternate Fiona, Alternate Puss-in-boots and Donkey. The player controls one avatar to represent the party (think Final Fantasy) and can switch between characters at will. Each has their own signature move which will help the player overcome obstacles: Shrek can move and carry large objects, Fiona can set things on fire with her lantern, Puss can climb and Donkey can kick open locked gates. Each skill can also be upgraded to a ‘Super’ version which allows the characters to access previously locked areas to collect treasure and secret items for bonus coins. The characters also have their own special attacks: Shrek yells, Puss Purrs, Donkey Sings and Fiona blows her nose (yes, really) – all of which stun enemies in the immediate area so you can combo them until they fall over and disappear.

However, the upgrades are introduced at arbitrary points in the game, just in time for them to be used to overcome new barriers that would stop you completing a level, and are acquired simply by talking to an NPC. Furthermore the large amount of easily-available treasure will not prompt most gamers to go back and replay completed levels just to increase their hoard. This approach left me feeling cheated by the lack of challenge, but should suit the games target demographic – that is to say young fans of the Shrek franchise. Coins can be exchanged for upgraded power-ups back at the hub, which will help you during combat; or used to buy help with the larger puzzles in each level from the Three Blind Mice.

Catapults are often a component of puzzles in each level.

Each level consists of a mixture of puzzles and combat stages.  An interesting game mechanic is the ability to switch between the Alternate world and the normal Shrek continuity. This is accomplished by toggling the Magic Mirror in set locations in each level. Can’t cross a gap? Switch to the other world and cross the bridge which appears, or take the new path which has now appeared. This use of dimension-swapping is inspired for a tie-in game and reminded me of a similar mechanic in Zelda Four Swords.

Combat stages take place in an arena in the level, where progressive waves of enemies are thrown at you to die screaming under your blade… I may be wishing for a Gritty reboot here, but the waves of enemies remain. They are easily defeated by mashing the attack button and by use of the powerups they drop. Interestingly for a tie-in game, there is a combo-meter included in the interface which bestows more power-up drops the fuller it becomes. Interestingly, there is a puzzle in each level which requires two players to complete. This is a nice feature which is often completely missing from tie-in games.

Fiona is a good character for combat, as her attacks are fastest.

The controls are very simple, which again suits the target demographic. Left stick controls movement and rotation, X uses power-ups, A is a standard attack, B is the character’s special attack, and Y switches to the character with the most health. The D-pad controls switching to specific characters, with each assigned to a direction and available to play as from the beginning. Chaining standard attacks together is the only way to fight in this game, but there are no combos to unlock. Spamming A with the occasional use of B and X (when available) will win every fight with little effort.

Graphically, the game is very mediocre by Xbox standards. As with most tie-in games, the graphic quality is usually determined by the performance of the poorest console it is ported to: in this case, the Wii. Jagged lines abound in every level and the use of ‘painted’ backgrounds to simulate depth will be immediately noticeable to experienced gamers. That said, even though the graphics will not cause any problems for PS3 or Xbox owners, they are pleasing to the eye and retain the charm & colour palette from the films. There are pre-rendered cut-scenes to advance the game’s plot (although as I haven’t seen the film I can’t say if they have been directly lifted or created solely for the game).

A face only a mother could love… and probably not even then.

Shrek Forever After has a satisfactory soundtrack with nice ambient music and some surprisingly well-known songs in the combat stages. My personal favourite is the 30 second loop which starts “Do you like Pancakes? (Yeah we like pancakes) Do you like French toast? (Yeah we like French toast)” and continues in a similar vein. What I found annoying was the voice-acting for the playable characters. Rather than use the cast of the film, which is usually one of the few positives found in tie-in games, Activision have decided to save on the budget and have the characters impersonated (poorly) instead. This is very noticeable when Shrek occasionally drops his accent mid-sentence.

I mentioned earlier that much of the intentional grown-up humour is missing, but the voiceover for the NPC Cooky (the vendor in the hub) is the most blatant I have ever encountered.

The fact that the player can get puzzle help, as well as the low difficulty curve, and simple levels indicate that this is a game aimed at a younger audience. It will probably not be remotely challenging (verging on boring) for anyone over the age of 13. That said, Shrek Forever After is not a bad little game. Definitely one for your kid brother or sister, or buy it if your children are Shrek fans.

This game was reviewed on the Xbox 360.