Kicking Off

Unbelievable Tekkers

Do so and you may find it easier to dance through defences that remain tight and difficult to penetrate if you bulldoze directly at them. Modern European football is about exploiting space - something that Arsenal's new midfielder Mesut Ozil is peerless at doing, for instance - and PES 2014 pushes the defensive line up the field and concentrates on close control so the emphasis is on creating and occupying space effectively. Team-mate AI is noticeably more intelligent as another component of this.
Shooting takes some practice. Controlled shots with the right shoulder button return this year but they are not as immediately effective, and like the good old PS2 PES games it's really important to create space for a shot before unleashing it or else you may find it bobbles or wafts peacefully into the keeper's arms. Glory goals from the halfway line shouldn't happen, although with that said, goalkeepers are a bit Joe Hart these days, flapping at crosses and parrying things to onrushing strikers.

Football Masters

The fabled Master League mode has seen some upgrades this year, with the option to change clubs at long last and even manage national teams, while Master League Online now includes various divisions with a budget cap that favour particular styles of play, as well as a Galactico league for truly superb players to graduate to, where there is no cap on spending. In Become a Legend, meanwhile, you can now play as a goalkeeper, which is novel if a bit weird.

The UEFA competitions - Champions League and Europa League - and South American equivalents remain the PES team's best licences, along with a few handfuls of clubs from around the world, but if it's superficial niceties and polish that you're after, then you've come to the wrong game: PES is always a bit rough and ready in this regard and 2014 is no exception - the way it resets your teams if you play a rematch, taking out any changes you've made pre-game, is a bit obvious and infuriating, for instance.
On the pitch, though, it's scintillating stuff once you adapt - easily the best PES game of this generation and a great opportunity to make the switch back from FIFA. It's hard not to see the renewed gameplay competitiveness as a win-win for consumers; if you choose to go down the PES 2014 road, though, you will find the greatest depth in systems and the most rewarding instalment in many a year. The only sad thing is that there's no next-gen version planned.

GAME's Verdict: 9/10

The Good

• FOX Engine introduces a brilliant sense of physicality.
• Skill system is deep and rich with potential.
• Tough to play, tougher to master, which makes a nice change.

The Bad

• Some of the likenesses are comical.
• Still pales next to FIFA in terms of licences.
• Goalkeepers are a bit of a liability.

For a big lad, he's good with his feet

Straight Shooting

More successful is the range of new shooting options, which allow you to unleash dipping volleys, scooped shots dug out of feet and all sorts of other variations. This is more of a cosmetic change than one that affects your tactics or requires new skills from players, but it's very welcome. Cosmetics is an area where FIFA is very comfortable, clearly.
It's also very good at game modes nowadays. Ultimate Team is the one everyone talks about and the changes here are solid - the removal of fiddly formation cards making space for the more interesting Chemistry Styles, which allow you to boost performance of players in key stats, while the option to search for players by name and compare prices quickly is useful.
Career mode has also been updated with a global scouting network, while Seasons mode can now be played co-operatively and Skill Games have been refreshed. I've played that shooting mini-game more than I've played some things I've spent £40 on this year and it really helps with your finishing. Other disciplines benefit, too, like goalkeeping.

Extra Time

Online play remains extremely solid, whatever mode you undertake, and local games are feverish, like the last five minutes of a tight FA Cup game where nobody wants a replay. FIFA has always has a bit of this harem scarem feel to it, but now that there are also fairly deep and expressive systems at work - like the trick system - it doesn't feel like a diss to say it. It's more of a stylistic choice on the part of the developers and it obviously works for millions of players worldwide who play it day in day out all year round.
This is a game they will continue to enjoy. It's not the most daring sequel in the series' incredibly long history - that honour goes either to FIFA 07, which began the reinvention, or FIFA 11, which introduced the Impact Engine - but it's a decent refinement that keeps things working smoothly. Simulation fans may want to give PES 2014 a look, but if you love FIFA then you won't find anything here to change your mind.

GAME's Verdict: 9/10

The Good

• Chemistry Styles are a nice addition to Ultimate Team.
• New shot types add more variety to goal-scoring.
• Animations are more interesting and contextual.

The Bad

• Extremely similar balance of gameplay after a few hours.
• Most changes are quite conservative.
• Feels like it's waiting for the next generation to hit before going big again.

I happened across an interesting article from Nintendo Enthusiast detailing a theoretical idea for a Legend of Zelda title; one where Zelda is the protagonist and player-controlled character rather than Link. The author was curious as to why it had not been done before, and was asking if Zelda was just an incapable character for leading a title of her own.

It isn't that Zelda is an incapable character on her own, far from it. Zelda's alter ego, Sheik, could definitely make for a rousing and interesting adventure. Even the princess herself is capable and has some interesting tricks up her sleeve, and of course as a member of royalty (supposedly) plays an important part in the politics and major events of the game world.

The problem is that this is a major Nintendo title.

People go to Nintendo the same way a child continues going to their grandparents house; for the sense of nostalgia and a place of loving stability away from the chaotic, noisy, and constantly changing world outside. It is a sort of slight reprieve from the "adult" world and allows for one to just kick back, relax and let grandma and grandpa tell their stories.

Imagine going to your grandparent's home one evening for a visit only to find out that grandpa got a sex change, and that grandma is hosting dog fights in the basement?

What? Don't look at me that way, it's original, isn't it?

Terrible analogies aside, this is a large part of Nintendo's appeal. People always know what to expect with Nintendo, and they go to them for that. If you want good old fashioned platforming, colors, some Mario, Zelda or Pokemon action, you go to Nintendo, who could be said to be the last big gaming company to be delivering a wholesomely unique "feel" and experience with their console.

Even worse is the fact that some of the best ideas that people can seem to come up with for such a game is at best a mild role-reversal between two or more of the main characters and at worst a mere fan-fiction-esque gender swap. No one wants to pay and play a $60 big budget title with nothing more than fan-fiction allure going for it. Unless it's a Super Smash Bros. title, in which case it's somewhat understandable.

They say that you can't teach an old dog new tricks. Many people misconstrue this idiom as meaning something along the lines of "you can't try new things" or "old dogs suck, adopt a puppy." This isn't the real meaning behind it though. What it is actually saying is that after doing something the same way for so long, it becomes difficult to do something truly new or different with it.

Part of the problem with any of Nintendo's main titles is that they have been doing nearly the same things for so long, and have such a strong and cemented foundation in both their execution and what their fans think of their games. Because of this, any attempts to do something new or creative with these old IP's risks becoming or seeming like an obvious parody. This may have been part of what caused the overall (at least in comparison to Nintendo's other Zelda titles) poor reception of Wind Waker. The pirates and sailing and talking boat, Zelda turning into a rough and tough runaway and the cell-shaded style, it all gave off a vibe of parody, or at least a sense that it can't be taken as seriously as the other games in the franchise.

This is a shame because The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker is probably my personal favorite title in the series so far.

Perhaps a better way to approach this would be to, as many, many, MANY people have been clamoring for, go for a more mature angle. A game featuring Zelda as the lead should primarily only have Zelda/Sheik as the playable characters, in order to maintain a consistent narrative similar to previous titles. It would also work best by utilizing both aspects of her persona; both the regal and politically involved Zelda, and the nimble and combat based Sheik.

Another good idea might be to go for a sort of day/night mechanic, with the overall gameplay split into two conjoining segments:

During the day (a.k.a. working hours) you would play as Zelda, ruling over the kingdom, partaking in political intrigue, exploring the castle and town to chat with various citizens, and basically governing your empire. This would be where most of the world building and characterization comes into play, news of current events plays out, etc. etc. Here you could talk to Link from time to time, or try to, considering he;s a mute. Actually instead you could just give Link orders and hope for the best, like everyone else does.

During the night (a.k.a. clubbing hours) you would play as Sheik, taking part in faster paced combat and even stealth sections. Here the player would be more free to explore the world's more dangerous and exciting sections, fighting enemies or sneaking past them. This would be the more investigative aspect of the game and involve perhaps the more dangerous and significant parts of the story and development. Perhaps you could even assist Link in his ventures, with what methods you use to help him actually affecting his progress and even the story's progression.

Again, these are just a few ideas that I believe would help make a serious game of this type work. Feel free to leave your own thoughts.

Everybody has a game or series that they just don't quite "get", something they have difficulty deciphering just what the fuss is all about. For me one of those franchises is the PlayStation exclusive first person shooter Killzone and, it seems I'm not alone in that view. I've always admired its universe, packed with striking World War 2 similarities and the powerful representation of a corrupt evil dictatorship lording over a civilization populated entirely by series antagonists the terrifying Helghast adorned in their instantly recognisable orange eyed uniforms. Regardless of my passion for the world developers Guerrilla Games had built the heavy trudging gameplay and somewhat stiff shooting mechanics failed to keep me invested for anything more than passing encounters with the series.

With that in mind it's unusual that like many PlayStation Vita owners I find myself eagerly anticipating the latest series entry Killzone: Mercenary. For the first time players will be able to take a full Killzone first person shooter experience on the go complete with a full deep competitive online mode. Killzone isn't the first FPS to come to Vita, the Sony owned Resistance series and Activision's colossal Call of Duty were both previously been released onto the hardware back in 2012 to a tepid response from fans and critics alike; both developed by the same company - Nihilistic Software. Owners of the powerhouse portable are hoping that it's Guerrilla Cambridge's first go at Killzone that will prove to be Vita's FPS saviour and buck the genres trend of disappointment on the portable. Sony seems confident in the game as PlayStation Plus subscribers were treated to an open beta of the online multiplayer earlier last week which I've spent some time with.

Allow me to start my impressions by saying how amazed I am that the 4v4 rounds run incredibly smoothly with little to no lag issues, through my time playing I've never seen a player disconnect once in play. The highest praise which I can impart upon Killzone Mercenary is how perfectly it emulates Killzone 3's gameplay; the engine has been ported to the Vita so sublimely it replicates the previous PS3 instalment to such a degree it's like playing a console quality game in the palm of your hand. Even with my qualms over previous entries gameplay I thoroughly enjoyed every round I played. Without a shadow of doubt if the beta is any indication Killzone could very easily be the FPS Vita has been waiting for.

Killzone Mercenary bears a stronger visual and gameplay resemblance to its predecessors than it does to upcoming PS4 launch title Killzone: Shadowfall. Locations accessible by players in the beta are awash with the series traditional war torn brown and grey palette. The controls are much tighter than expected considering the jump to a handheld; there's a slight adjustment period but players should acclimatise fairly quickly after which both aiming and movement feel responsive and precise. Mercenary controls undoubtedly and surprisingly better than any previous portable FPS thanks to the Vita's twin thumb sticks and happily feels as comfortable as playing on a home console like the PS3. Touch screen functionality is present but thankfully uninvasive - most touch inputs are also mapped to a button press allowing players to choose which they prefer. Only the intuitive knife kill inputs require swiping the touch screen, missing these touch QTE's allows enemies to counter or escape the attack adding extra level of skill to proceedings, whether this will simply become an annoyance however remains to be seen.

As previously stated all beta activity is restricted to one map named Shoreline that draws heavy inspiration from locales of Killzone past, it hasn't yet been announced how many maps will feature in the full retail release. Shoreline is well constructed with blend of sub terrain tunnels, open plan arenas and some strategic high ground for snipers - perfect for the 4v4 matches the multiplayer revolves around. Once the released the game will feature three competitive online modes: Mercenary Warfare, Guerrilla Warfare and Warzone - Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch and Objectives respectively. For the purpose of beta players are restricted to Warzone only. Within Warzone the two rival factions, ISA and Helghast, face off against one another attempting to fulfil alternating objectives before their rivals in order to score points.

Warzone matches consist of five rounds featuring four different types of alternating objective. The round kicks off with the first of the five objectives named bounty. In bounty players must face off against each other like a traditional deathmatch, though unlike a traditional deathmach players must also collect the bounty card rivals drop upon their defeat, meaning that sniping won't do much good unless you can swoop in to collect the reward. In addition to collecting defeated foes bounty card if team mates are quick enough they jump to the rescue and save a deceased ally's card before the opposing forces claim the kill. The objective is quick paced and engaging, it sets up the rest of the match perfectly guiding players to work as a team to ensure the successful collection of cards.

Next up on the playlist is hacker, this objective type pops up in list twice as both the second and fourth rounds. In this mode VAN-guard capsules are dropped onto the map, within these capsules are special temporary power ups, players who hack them are randomly assigned a boon, which include but aren't limited to air-to-surface missiles, a personal stealth generator and an arc launcher that zaps foes in close proximity into submission. Claiming the booty within these capsules takes a good amount of teamwork as hacking one requires the hacker to take part in a mini game of matching symbols, whilst doing so they become vulnerable to fire becoming reliant on allies to cover them. The mini game is simple enough to be an intuitive twist on the usual opening animation and timer without becoming a nuisance; additionally rewards skilled players who will be able to claim the prizes with more ease.

Smack in the middle at round three is interrogation. The goal in interrogation is to sneak up on rivals and dispatch them using Mercenary's violent knife attacks. These strikes use the previously mentioned touch screen QTE's making killing a group of foes in quick succession impossible, instead they need to be isolated; picked off one at a time. The round makes for an exciting diversion from the wonderful gun play forcing combatants to switch up tactics to get the drop on foes. This is the lowest scoring round in the stack of challenges as in many games I played combatants continued to simply shoot each other rather than attempting to interrogate with knife kills making point scoring difficult.

After a fourth round consisting of another go at hacker players are treated to a more traditional closing round - body count. With body count the teams are pitted against each other within normal team death match rules, points are awarded to each side whenever a rival combatant is slain by an ally. The mode doesn't take much more describing than that and is a delightful way to close the mayhem. Since most players seem to play this way 90% of the time it's where the points are made up and losing teams can make miraculous come backs. Overall the Warzone mode is a good laugh and strong indicator of the strength of Killzones gameplay. The final round body count simply makes me excited to play a standard team deathmatch.

Like most online shooting titles every "positive" action awards players with experience, actions like: kills, head shots, picking up ammo and completing objectives etc. Experience in Killzone also doubles as credits, the in game currency used to buy new weapons, armour and items that help tailor your character to your preferred play style. When the game launches actions from the single player will also allow the collection of credits adding a cross mode value to the currency giving player a choice of how they earn. Online the credit approach is a friendly system that allows players to advance along the paths they desire rather than a pre-determined system that locks players out of upgrades depending on their level. Speaking of which.

Although players are assigned ranks and levels in a traditional sense Killzone also features an additional indicator of skill. Remember the bounty cards that need to be collected in the first round of the Warzone? Well these are tailored to represent players skill level combined with their play style. Each card is represented by a card from a traditional deck, players earn a rank from 2 to Ace depending on how much money they earned the previous day, the more credits earned the higher the representation. The suit is awarded depending on which weapons players scored the most kills with the previous day. Collecting the cards earns players awards and gives them incentive to kill as many types of players to collect their cards as possible. Additionally the card is a better indicator of current skill than a level.

In the end the small slice on offer in Killzone Mercenary's beta exudes hope for the title, the fact Sony allowed the game to go to open beta a few weeks before launch should be a strong indicator that they feel confident; with good reason. What's available to play is a well-polished tightly controlled engrossing multiplayer experience littered with a good variety of exciting game modes. The unique bounty card system feels right at home on a portable system where players may not get a chance to play every single day. I wasn't a Killzone fan going to to Mercenary but it's slick fun gameplay won me over now I'm eagerly awaiting the release. Open Beta is now available for all Vita owners who want to check it out. Check back soon for a full review.

Daniel Collett
Http://www.gamerree.com/
Looking to increase notoriety of existing blog happy to come to an arrangement for work to be displayed elsewhere freely with my permission.

Taking Chop for a walk and playing with him is part of the 100% completion of the game. This is one task you won't have any problems achieving. Who can ignore Chop? After completing Lamar's mission "Chop", Lamar leaves Chop in your care.

A doghouse appears behind your safe-house. Chop's current location is shown by a bone icon. This is where you can find Chop. He also moves to the exterior lower floor of Franklin's second safe house in the hills. This is at the bottom of the stairs near the pool.

Without purchasing the Chop app, you can walk Chop and have him ride along with you in vehicles. While being walked by Franklin, Chop will not ride in helicopters, planes, or boats. Also, Chop will not swim. If you try to enter a building with Chop in your care, he is automatically dismissed and runs home. If you get into a bad enough accident while Chop is riding with you, he may jump out of the car when it stops and go home.

When Chop is with you, he attacks anyone that shows aggression towards Franklin, and may even kill them.
To play fetch with Chop, have him follow you and then select the ball from your weapon wheel. You can find it by scrolling through the projectile slot. Throw the ball as you would any projectile and Chop takes off running for it. If he can find the ball, he retrieves it and drops it at your feet. Walk over the ball to pick it up again. Be sure not to put Chop in any danger when throwing the ball (avoid throwing it into heavy traffic).

The Chop the Dog app (part of the iFruit application) can be downloaded for your personal smartphone device or tablet. This allows you to modify Chop's behavior and teach him tricks.

When you purchase the Chop app, a whole new partnership begins. With the app, you can make Chop sit, beg, and you can shake his paw. You can also pet Chop to reward him. One of the most useful Chop commands allows him to find nearby collectibles for Franklin. When near a Spaceship Part or Letter Scrap, Chop starts barking, and does so more frequently as he gets closer.

If you set him loose and command him to hunt for pick-ups, he runs directly to the nearby hidden collectible. If you lose sight of him, follow the bone icon (Chop's blip on the radar and map). You'll find Chop sitting at the location of the nearby collectible. If there are no collectibles in the area when this command is given, a message is displayed explaining there are no pick-ups in range.

This game offers many other interactive options that can be enjoyed by anyone at any age, the guide that helped me is here: http://playstationgameplay.com/

There's only one move left, hastily skimming the field I discover there is no path to victory on the board - painfully then with a singular swipe across the screen I take the final step towards the inescapable loss of my final life. As the input is complete the newly aligned brightly coloured trio of candy exuberantly bursts against the backdrop of defeat as the stage expectedly fails to clear - immediately a window splays itself across my phones display. Chirpily full of itself the box informs me for a small price I can buy a few more lives and have another go; alternately I can gloomily spend 20 minutes moping whilst I wait for them to replenish themselves. If you haven't guessed yet I'm of course referencing the mobile free to play phenomena, Bejewelled inspired, Candy Crush Saga.

Even a short few years ago the idea of downloading a game like Candy Crush for completely free was a mostly unheard of practice. Today a plethora of titles particularly Massively Multiplayer Online games and those released on to mobile platforms offer themselves up for free electing to sell players optional extra's later via micro transactions - a sort of extended demo, the so called Freemium pay model. Freemium's growing usage is thanks in no small part to the rise in popularity of social networks like Facebook and smartphone platforms where they thrive. Even monolithic publishers like EA have begun experimenting with free to play mechanics applying them into home console releases; recent titles including Dead Space 3 and Mass Effect 3 have included optional micro transactions. Despite its success the movement has found itself the victim of harsh critical backlash from traditional gamers, the group that is least partial to straying from traditional onetime payment models.

To understand the success of free to play models and their current upward trajectory you must first realise that gamers; therefore the market, are split primarily into two very distinct audiences - the so called core and casual. The core are traditional gamers, typically opting for devoted gaming hardware like PC's and consoles as their preferred platforms; they rarely have more than a fleeting interest in either MMO or mobile. Regularly buying numerous games a year ranging from blockbusters to smaller indie titles they are the market whom publishers traditionally target. On the other hand are the casual, they're pretty much everyone else, those who don't devote tens of hours to exploring Skyrim. They primarily game on devices they own for other purposes, like smartphones, tablets or Facebook. This audience rarely buys devoted gaming machines unless they can offer something unique - like Wii's motion control, PS2's DVD player or Xbox360's Kinect. The two groups are polarised on almost every front: including free to play.

Free to play's rise in prominence is easily attributed to the increasing number of casual gamers - the relation is distinct. Years ago there was no casual audience, gaming was something only the enthusiastic core did - no one's mom bought a NES (*ahem* apart from mine). The advent of the internet and mobile phones changed that, suddenly games were accessible; anyone could play them as a mere side effect of owning another device. Even the ancient, by today standards, Nokia phones foretold this eventuality, after all who didn't play snake? Later still Facebook started offering up games, in unprecedented volumes people who'd never bought a console in their lives started playing Bejewelled against their friends online. What did these games have in common? They were all free as part of a device bought for other reasons.

They were free for an obvious reason too, because they had to be. Think about it, imagine trying to sell the average person a £40/ $60 retail game on top of a devoted video game console, it's a hard sell- yet, for core gamers that's fine. Now imagine they've already bought a smartphone for another purpose, following the traditional model selling them Candy Crush for £10/$15 would still be very hard. You could perhaps get them to buy it if you utilized a Trojan horse, say like offering it for free. Trojan horse tactics are powerful tools, just look at Nintendo Wii. Initially Nintendo targeted the core who showed the system to their casual friends and family, effectively allowing them to demo the Wii's capabilities for free. Afterwards if they wanted it they could buy it, which they did in millions. Nintendo effectively Trojan horsed their way into casual's lives selling them something they didn't know they wanted until they played it. Sound familiar? It should, free to play utilizes that same tactic, put it in their hands for free; they'll pay later.

Sadly Wii was doomed to the life of a fad, despite it's incredible hardware sales software sales began to slouch as disillusioned core gamers departed from the system and the casual failed to move a significant amount of software in their stead. Another similar story and, more relevant to the free to play experiences of today is that of one time immensely popular Facebook game Farmville. Farmville as you probably know was a farming simulator. Players grew their crops and harvested them on a real time clock. The game could be played 100% for free but players who didn't pay would start finding themselves at a disadvantage as their friends who did pony up cash farms expanded much quicker - exemplifying the worrying "pay to win" problem whereby those who pay are tactically better off resulting in free players being treat as second class citizens. Over the course of a year vast numbers paid for micro transactions earning billions for publisher Zynga - like Wii though the fad burnt out as quick as it lit and Farmville is largely forgotten.

Farmville pioneered the freemium model that is now widely used and, like all fads it raked in a phenomenal amount of money during its brief time in the spot light. Now that everyone owns a smartphone, iPad, tablet, android or has a Facebook account, getting an audience to pick up a free to play game is easier than ever and therefore the chances of being lucrative are increased. Saying free to play fads only last for finite amount of time is something of a null argument anyway. Traditional full retail games have a shelf life as well - a less prolonged one too, whereby on average approximately 80% of a games sales is done in the first week. Both free to play and the traditional onetime payment methods can only be sustained for so long - each just works better on one audience.

Unfortunately we live in a world where people need to be paid; games aren't made out of the kindness in developer's hearts. It's integral that both they and their publishers make back their investment and turn a profit so they can carry on producing the games we love. The decision to release a title using a freemium model or including micro transactions is a business one and when targeting a casual audience it's a wise choice. If only one in ten players pay the bite size amounts for optional content then you'll still be turning a profit thanks to the astronomical size of the market - in theory that's very appealing. Everybody wins right? Free games for players more money for the publishers. However, whilst entirely possible to complete a game like Candy Crush without ever spending a penny it's incredibly hard and time consuming to achieve.

It's not traditionally difficult mind, no rather free games tend to set up pay walls that players need to pay to overcome. In Candy Crush's case it limits the number of lives players have, after a couple of failures - a relatively small period of time - they're presented with a choice: buy some boosters or more lives for a small price or wait it out twenty minutes for them to replenish. To that end the game sells time and convince but, logically to sell convenience one must first accept inconvenience is a core pillar of gameplay design. How can you save the player time without first wasting it? The game appears to actively step in your way forcing you to break down and spend money. It's not irregular either in free games for it cost more to buy all the content than it would to purchase a one payment comparative retail version.

For casual gamers who'd never pay for a full game that's fine. For the core though this is a bit concerning, generally intelligent and notoriously difficult to trick they click on rather quickly realising the game is simply trying to make more money in small instalments than it could in one big lump up front. At best that's a deal breaker, like many core gamers feeling on Plants Vs Zombies 2, at worst it's an insult. Mostly the core would simply rather buy the game upfront never hitting pay walls or paying as they go, core games are a form of escapism; who wants to escape to a world where they have to think about real life money?

Free to play is a deceptively tricky beast though; although it can be done terribly it can also be done positively in a way the core can support. Planetside 2 is a great example a massively multiplayer PC FPS that puts players at no disadvantages for playing for free choosing to sell customisation options. Sure they're other options available but none feel like they're trying to steal money from you, rather they sell permanent content at a fair price. Valve's Team Fortress 2 is another example of free to play done right, once a full retail game it can now be played for free and players pay for customisation options - nothing more.

I started this article asking is free to play a fad or the future. The truth is it's a combination of both. During the time that publishers have tinkered with the model it has become crystal clear that whilst it benefits the casual audience it's less friendly to the savvy core that are more than aware of its Trojan horse ways and actively oppose the model. Regardless of the core's feelings free to play is a lucrative payment model that is inevitably part of the future - in fact I'd wager it will become the primary mechanism for making money on smartphones, tablet PC's and social networks - home of the casual - in a the very close future. Even with some good examples of free to play systems in core games it seems like it'll be a while longer before they'll be a force within the core market - as long as it takes for the core to get routinely good deals. Ultimately the core's uncanny ability to avoid being ripped off means they shouldn't feel threatened by free to play's success in the casual market affecting them. So is free to play the future? Casually, definitely. For the core? Expect to see free to play and traditional titles co-exist in the future, just not today.

Dan Collett
http://www.gamerree.com/
Please visit Gamerree.com if you wish to display this work elsewhere. Thank you.

It's easy to see why 2013 is Luigi's year when it brings games like Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon for the Nintendo 3DS. I was certainly excited to finally get my hands on the game and play through it. Poor Luigi has always ridden on the coattails of his more successful older brother Mario, but with this title we almost forget that Mario even exists at all. With a great and entertaining single player portion and a more than adequate multiplayer, Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon is a must-own for any 3DS owner.

The last time we had a Luigi's Mansion game, it was way back at the launch of the Nintendo Gamecube in late 2001. It was incredibly unique to have a Mario brother not running and smashing on goombas for a change. The setting took place in a very spooky haunted mansion and it was Luigi's task to get rid of all the ghouls. It's one of my favorite games of all time and I'm happy they made a sequel.

The main story begins when pieces of the Dark Moon are scattered around Evershade Valley and it's poor Luigi's mission to retrieve them. He's promptly teleported by the appropriately named Professor E. Gadd. The professor will digitize Luigi to various parts of the map and give him quests to find the pieces to restore order to the area. As you progress Luigi will have to encounter 5 different areas with increasingly dangerous spectral beings and there are various Mario franchise character cameos along the way. It's definitely not a Cohen brother's plot but it does have a few twists and turns.

Those who played the original Gamecube smash hit will feel right at home with the gameplay. In the very first mission you'll receive the now famous Poltergeist 5000, aka a weird vacuum cleaner. With this device you'll capture ghosts, sort of like in the movie Ghostbusters. By simply holding down the R button on the 3DS you can suck up the spectral beings along with various items in the rooms you explore.

That's one of the main features in Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon: exploration and discovery. The game rewards those who take the time to suck everything up with the Poltergeist 5000. You can discover various things like coins, or even the special ghosts types well known as Boos. They're hidden throughout the campaign and surprisingly all have varied personalities.

You won't just have the vacuum cleaner at your disposal, you'll also get a flashlight very early on. This acts almost like a flash bang, where you can stun the ghosts making them easier to capture. There's also a special light you'll receive in the first couple of hours of the game called the Dark-Light device, that you can point at the world discovering hidden secrets like important puzzle solutions. I just wish Luigi had access to more tools and maybe a little bit more customization on what he would carry into missions. After a while the tools felt bland, especially since you acquire them so early in the game.

That being said, the majority of gameplay centers on catching ghosts, and solving puzzles. It doesn't really veer off from the main aspects of the Gamecube hit. Which in some ways is respectful to the original but also doesn't add anything to make the game its own as a sequel. At the end of most of the five areas, you'll of course square off against bosses. These fights test your reflexes along with all your skills as a ghost hunter. They were extremely fun but also uneven. Some of the bosses were incredibly easy and some were rather difficult.

There's a lot that stayed the same between the two Luigi's Mansions but what they did add was a multiplayer segment. Like most Nintendo games, the online modes aren't anything to replay over and over again. You'll team up with other Luigis as you fight ghosts while progressing through the mansion floors. It was an added feature but I grew bored after just a few runs. You won't be spending a whole lot of time here.

Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon is a great game. Even though it doesn't really add anything other than a new single player portion and a tacked-on multiplayer I'm still glad I experienced it. After this year, Luigi is slowly becoming one of my favorite video game characters. They added so much to his personality and the game was genuinely funny. Luigi doesn't want to be there but with this great Nintendo game, you most definitely will want to extend your stay at the mansion. Fulfill all of your various Luigi and Nintendo-related needs at your local Slackers: Luigi plushies and collectible figures, wallets and lanyards, and of course, Luigi's Mansion:Dark Moon and New Super Luigi U for the Wii U!

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