Undead Nightmare

An add-on game for the brilliant Rockstar game Red Dead Redemption, but this time, instead of chasing villains, you are shooting zombies!

You continue the game as John Marston, the same character used in most of RDR, and the storyline picks up after he has been reunited with his wife and son. They live back on the ranch, and spend their days farming. But one night, a man they know as “Uncle” comes to the house looking like a creature from the grave, and begins to attack the Marston family. The man manages to infect John’s boy by biting him, who then bites his mother, turning them both into zombies. John quickly ties them up so that they wont go on a bloodthirsty rampage across the land, and instead, goes off himself, in search of answers for this deadly curse.

It is a rudimentary plotline, and one that does not get much more complex as you play the game. John has a few run-ins with some of his old acquaintances across the nearby towns, and a few of them give him suggestions as to what is causing the uprising. Your job, alongside finding an end to the nightmare, is to protect as many of the towns as you can from the zombies, aiding the survivors in whatever way you can - either by fighting with them, or giving them your precious ammo.

Cleansing churches is also a large part of this game, going around burning coffins and then taking out the remaining blood-demons, which can be a tough task. They have to either be shot in the head, or burnt.

Initially my experience with this game was quite negative. I found the hordes of zombies quite difficult to handle, and was often just running away from them. It was not until I gathered an extensive arsenal of awesome weapons that the real fun began. Some of the instruments of death you collect along the way are brilliant, such as the explosive rifle, or Holy Water.

Riding across the landscape, at first can seem ethereal, but soon gets tiresome. I recommend using the “travel to location” option at any of you home bases, which allows you to emerge in many of the different towns and locations across the map. It saves bucket loads of time.

Another tip, there is a quest to find the “mythical creatures” at random points as you travel. I urge you to follow them, it will make your experience of the game twice as good when you find them.

Overall this was a fun game, but one not worth the still high price tag attached to it. It is quite short, tedious in some places, but manages bring another “life” to what is an already amazing game (RDR).

Mass Effect 2

The continuation of the legendary science fiction action game, it combines everything that is great about gaming, storytelling and breathtaking visuals.

Mass Effect is a futuristic world where humans exist alongside countless other alien races, some of which are friendly others which are not so much. In the first game the objective was to stop an evil Spector named Saren from destroying the universe with a Reaper. The second game picks up where it left off, but now Shepard must solve the mysterious colonial abductions which are taking place randomly across the galaxy, whereby humans are being wiped out from planets leaving no trace.

Having completed the first Mass Effect, I was urged by my gaming-brothers-in-arms to carry straight on into the sequel, and I am extremely glad I did. Many of the career choices you make in the first game have dramatic consequences in the second, if you choose to continue with your saved game. Everything from the way your character looked, to the background of his character, as well as important decisions from the storyline can all be carried over, enriching the experience greatly. I thoroughly recommend, also, to play the first game before getting started with the second, you will find the experience far more rewarding.

Many improvements have been made in this sequel; the fighting aspects have been made far more fluid, the guns are better, the powers are less confusing, and once you get used to it, they are far more entertaining. The storyline is very compelling, Shepard travelling to different planets trying to establish a mammoth team of extraordinary fighters from difference species, in order to fight this looming evil presence that is stealing humans. The whole game has been enlarged, spreading over two discs, and the vast quantities of unexplored planets and systems can offer hours of entertainment.

If you are unwilling to immerse yourself into such a demanding game, spend the time that it requires to enjoy it fully, you may find this game repetitive and even boring. But for those who enjoy not just playing games, but experiencing them, this is a game that has so much to offer, and the whole Mass Effect series is likely to be one the greatest achievements in modern gaming. By combining games, allowing you to make choices and decisions that will have a knock-on effect in the next game, the creators have made an absolutely addictive gaming experience, one that I urge any serious game player to embark upon.

Bring on Mass Effect 3!