No DLC for Skate.

Yeah, you read that right. Perhaps the one game that EA has released that may benefit from some decent DLC, is getting none. Now, I'm not saying the game needs it, in my eyes it was just about perfect and still continues to be, but playing it so much, I would have been the kind of sucker to pay for new stuff. Producer Scott Blackwood does make a good point though:

"[We're] not planning any new content for Skate 1 ... We didn't want to go back and ask [people] for more money to get more shoes and shirts" from 1UP. As much as I want new content, I won't be paying for new clothes etc.

I guess all the ideas that I have about what could be added to the game are too ambitious for DLC. Female skaters, a free-roaming skate reel camera are amongst a handful of additions that in my eyes would easily justify a sequel. Bare in mind, that this is EA that we are talking about, so sequels seem imminent. I for one welcome it, just so long as they keep their heads and just polish the first game. As a potential series, Skate has one of the strongest frameworks already in place, I just hope they don't screw with that.

While I'm a bit disappointed to hear that I will have to wait for a proper sequel, the fact that they aren't devoting time to what may very well be pointless DLC makes me all the more optimistic for Skate 2 being a genuine prospect. Go BlackBox!

The Faux-Bot

Finally....

Here they are. After weeks of posting off-screen pics, artwork mock-ups and shaky mobile phone vids, we finally have some REAL screens of Street Fighter 2 Turbo HD Remix. They look lovely, except maybe for the generic rounded biceps. It's like they've really managed to westernize the game. Should play well though and it does look rather nice. I just really, really need to get a decent d-pad to be able to play this. Any suggestions for good 360 pads? Thought not....Anyway, enjoy and follow the links to MAKE BIG! Woop.


http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2220/1716786365_2bfe7a1255_o.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2025/1716786655_c635503dd1_o.jpg

And yes, Ken's level does guest-star Matt Dillon (2nd from the right) Got paid mad dollaz for that cameo!

Read more at: http://blogs.capcomusa.com/blogs/digital.php/2007/10/23/sfhd_w_i_p_screenshots

The Faux-Bot

Me to my love-life: "Bye!"

Now, put aside your sexist assumptions for a second, you may be in for a shock. You see, usually, such a headline would be followed by a story about how I would become so obsessed with a game, that I would begin to neglect my girlfriend. However, what I am about to tell you is surely to produce the opposite situation, whereby it is my girlfriend who is neglecting me. Shocking, I know....

It would seem that Nintendo have an MMO version of Animal Crossing in the works, set to come out on the Wii, obviously. As if offline domination wasn't enough for the big N, it seems that this new iteration of Animal Crossing could be the one to help them capture a big slice of that online market pie.

Anyone lucky enough to play Animal Crossing will either tell you that it is the biggest pile of directionless crap they've ever played, or the best thing since sticking a spoonful of Nutella in your hot chocolate. My girlfriend falls into the latter category and I fear that she will become totally absorbed in a fully online Animal Crossing, much like the movie, the Lawnmower Man, except without all the weird sex stuff, or lawnmowers for that matter.

Still, apart from the prospect of home-wrecking, it sounds like a cool idea.

The Faux-Bot

What could have been....

A rare video, courtesy of the Playstation Museum, shows us the first proper look at what was meant to be Resident Evil 2. This build has since become known as Resident Evil 1.5 and basically, has some different settings and a different lady. If your a Resi fan, you'll no doubt enjoy this, if not, more posts about other stuff coming up right now! I spoil you...

The Faux-Bot

Gimmie more!!...You mean i gotta pay, ok, how much?......yeah right!.......oh your serious.......WHAT!?!

For all the great things about Xbox Live there's always one thing that has to go and spoil things. I am refering to the price of game extras. If your like me and you really get into a game then the possiblity of said game becoming bigger/gaining new things is a very exciting prospect....however, somtimes companies can get a little too greedy with the asking price of said extra, and thats when i get miffed. Ive found that generally the asking price for items on Xbox Live is resonable, other times its a little over the mark, and other times its taking the piss. One game which i happen to love a little too much is Elder Scrolls: Oblivion. I feel proud to proclaim that i have clocked up over 120 hours of gamplay and could quite happliy clock up another 120 more, but when the asking price for expansion packs works out to more than what i paid for the game..........it's a fucking crime!

I paid £17 for Oblivion, and they recently released the Elder Scrolls: Oblivion Game of the Year Edition which includes the two big expansions (Knights of the Nine/Shivering Isles) at no extra cost. Sure the game has gone back up to its origional price of £35 now, but Xbox Live still has the Shivering Isles expansion at 2400 points....thats around £20!!! I feel that the price should now be reduced to around 1400 because of the new version of the game. Now i know the Shivering Isles is a big expansion, adding around 30-40 hours of gameplay, but when you look at the pricing.....i cant help but feel like im getting big Oblivion dong stuffed right up my batty?!

Will they ever lower the price.....maybe.....but there's more too it than that, people who are dedicated to games should be given a fair deal, after all, without people like me and you, the games industry would be fucked.





Prof Membrain

Guitar Hero 3 Demo 4 3 (free)

...they just keep on comin'

Want to play a demo of Guitar Hero 3?

Yeh

Well, get a copy of Tony Hawk's Proving Ground! It comes bundled with it!

WTF, dat game iz gay

Ok, then go here cheapskate: http://www.megaupload.com/?d=5OX44D2U , or here if you have torrent software: http://www.mininova.org/tor/944718

Y? It beta not b like gay porn cos dat iz gay

No fool, it's a ripped demo that will work on a burned DVD/CD with no chips or mods or anything. Just download, burn and pop it in your 360. You get 5 songs to play through: Hit Me With Your Best Shot - Pat Benatar, Lay Down - Priestess, Even Flow - Pearl Jam, Rock You Like A Hurricane - Scorpions and The Metal - Tenacious D

Dat iz awsum, I is got it for free, LOLZ!! PWNED NEVASOFT!



More obscure imaginary conversation posts coming soon. Not really. Cuz it wuz whack.

Seriously though, this works, probably, so get on it and read here for more info. http://www.xboxlivetheguide.co.uk/News/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=1653&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0

If this turns out to be some sort of virus, you read it on Joystiq, ok?


The Faux-Bot

Super Shaky Cam SD REMIX Championship Edition II: First Strike

Wow, sometimes, when I just bust out witty headlines like that, I manage to astound myself. Anyway......

Talking with Prof. Membrain last night, we couldn't quite figure out why we hadn't seen any footage of the upcoming Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix. After all, I had read that the game was playable at the Capcom Gamers Day, so surely, someone must have taken a cheeky recording. It didn't seem so, and what with all the fuss about them announcing Street Fighter IV, it seemed as if HD Remix had possibly been sidelined.

Well, thank the lord for this resourceful little bugger:




Now, I know that this footage may be so crappy that you could be forgiven for thinking that this is just regular SFII, but I have to admit, that I get a little excited just seeing people play this. This proves to me that it is definitely on its way, and right now that's all I need.

We should see this around the beginning of next year, so get saving those MS Points, 360 owners, because this, along with REZ and Castle Crashers is looking to be part of the strongest Live Arcade line-up to date.

*************************************UPDATE***********************************

So, umm, I should read all the better blogs BEFORE I post on here. Anyway, this little gem just revealed itself.

Make it big, yo: http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=200468

Looks awesome, no?

Doing rhymes, solving crimes. Worrrrd.

The Faux-Bot

OooOOOooh, why you wanna break my heart?

I was beginning to think that maybe I had made this story up, how I wish that was the case. It seems that the details of the amazing online multiplayer for Kane & Lynch were released as if to soften a certain kick in the nuts. That kick is that we get no online co-op. There will of course, still be offline co-op, but if like me, you have a crappy 21-inch SD, not even widescreen, TV, then the prospect of playing it split-screen (heh) isn't too appealing. What makes this worse is that the co-op sounds incredible. Details are scarce at the moment, but the term "Lynch's Psycho Mode" hopefully confirms some rumours I heard earlier in the year. Apparently, this will be you seeing the game through Lynch's eyes, with his schizophrenia warping his perception of events. Take that how you will, I like to imagine that we will see innocent civilians coming across as threatening and aggressive, for example. Jens Peter Kurup of IO had this to say on the matter:

"It's a matter of focus, choosing what you want to deliver at what time. We looked at it and decided it was too much of a risk to change our code to be very very good at that, and we're not going to be very very good at other elements. I'll miss the online co-op, but not terribly."

Looking at the Kotaku user comments, it seems like he may be taking the wrong attitude to all this. In my opinion though, I think they quite simply ran out of time. This game has been in development for quite a while now and I'm sure the pressure was mounting to actually get it finished. It's a shame that it won't be included, but if you were buying K&L for online co-op, then you were buying it for the wrong reasons. I feel compelled to defend this decision, simply because of the kind of idiotic comments people pull out their ass in response to it. Things like "Well, I won't be buying it now!" Good, you sound like a fucking idiot anyway, just dismiss all the game's other merits because of one flaw, how intelligent. I'd rather the game come out on time and give me an excuse to spend time in the same room as my friends more often. For all the bitter fanboys that don't have real friends, tough break, buy Army of Two instead.

Check Kotaku for confirmation that I didn't make this up after all, some more details and some truly retarded user comments. http://kotaku.com/gaming/brats/kane--lynch-no-online-co+op-good-times-308528.php

The Faux-Bot

HYPE-PIPE: The Club

'The Club' by Bizarre Creations/XBOX360, PS3/Expected: January 2008

There's no denying that only a decade ago, we lived in a much simpler era for games. You could be forgiven for thinking that those days of getting your initials in the number 1 spot of you local chippy's Street Fighter 2 cabinet are long gone. Whilst it may not manifest itself in the style that we remember, the old-school thirst for such one-upmanship still exists. Online leaderboards and XBOX 360's achievements system are more that testament to this fact. So, why is it that Bizarre Creation's upcoming shooter, The Club, seems so refreshingly nostalgic?

Our new-generation leaderboards come simply as by-products of otherwise entertaining games, but it seems that The Club has this breed of high-scoring, 'be the best' gameplay at its very core.

On the surface it looks like simply another 3rd-Person shooter, but the gameplay details reveal what Bizarre hopes will define it amongst the likes of Gears of War, Kane & Lynch and Army of Two. Perhaps the best way to understand what this game entails is to look at what came before it. Imagine, the old-school stock of SEGA, head-to-head with the minds behind Project Gotham and Metropolis Street Racer. Much like with their racing past, Bizarre are keen to point out that The Club is very much about style. Style in PGR and MSR was directly awarded with 'Kudos'. Drafting, drifting and overtaking, amongst other manoeuvres, helped you build your high score, forcing you not just to simply win, but win with the most style and panache. In the case of The Club, drifts are replaced with headshots and barrel-explosion kills take the place of crafty overtaking.

The highest scores can be attained by linking together your stylish kills in chain combos. You have a combo counter similar to the one present in Skate, where you have to quite simply, keep the combo alive by piling on the stylish attacks one after the other. Expect to memorise the position of each and every enemy, much like you would memorise each and every corner in PGR. This is old-school gaming with a modern twist, you might even say, that it is a distinctly post-modern game.

It seems inevitable that The Club will have a niche audience, but we can hope that solid battle mechanics and a distinct character will set it apart from the competition. As it stands, the Fight Club-esque, killing-for-sport storyline seems very interesting, but the combat looks slightly repetitive and underwhelming. On the surface, it seems the guns lack that satisfying chugging that makes Gears of War so pleasing to play. However, a distinct aesthetic, some nice-looking character design and a refreshing concept should see The Club become, at the very least, a firm fan favourite.

The Faux-Bot

My Apologies

I'm guessing, and hoping, that we've got one or two regular readers by now and its to you that I owe an apology. For various reasons, I've not managed to write anything this week, for now, lets just chalk it up to a busy schedule and 'sleep difficulties'. Anyway, I'm back today, thanks for your continued support, whoever you are.

Now, on with the mind-food.


The Faux-Bot

Round-Up

I seem to have had a lot to say for myself today. I don't know why, a touch of verbal diarrhea, or whatever the typing equivalent of that is. There were a few more things I wanted to say, so I thought I'd just condense them here.

1. Sony announces 40gb PS3 at €399. What's the catch? Well...two less USB ports, no multi-card reader and, wait for it.......NO backwards compatibility. Make of that what you will, everyone and their mother is going to have an opinion on this one, so I'll keep it short. Sony really seems to like reaming the collective ass of its customers, doesn't it? Less money, less product, doesn't really seem like the deal that so many reluctant buyers were looking for.

2. Bungie and Microsoft part ways. Not as dramatic as it first seemed, but it is indeed true. "the studio will retain a long-term publishing agreement with Microsoft Game Studios for Halo titles. Other titles? All they're saying is that they 'will continue to develop with [their] primary focus on Microsoft's platforms.' With Microsoft holding a minority equity interest in the company" (http://www.joystiq.com/) Future seems bright for both parties then, right? Time will tell on this one.

3. Halo 3, or at least its users redeem themselves to me. This is genius use of H-triple's Forge mode, and the kind of thing that may persuade me to give the game another shot. Enjoy!



The Faux-Bot

This Just In: Pot calls Kettle 'Black'!

It would seem that the kings of gaming controversy can dish it out but can't take it back. Rockstar have kicked up a fuss in response to one of the many parodies featured in the upcoming EA-Published Simpsons game. The game-in-game parodies have been heavily publicised to date and include 'Medal of Homer' and 'Neverquest'. Whilst these seem to remain untouched, changes had to be made to 'Grand Theft Scratchy: Blood Island' in order to keep the Rockstar wolves (lawyers) at the door.



The Grand Theft Auto games are heavily laden with parodies and intertextual references to all manner of other media and they are well known for it, making the hypocrisy of their behaviour all the clearer to see. Rockstar, a company fuelled by its image of infallible cool, seems to not be so cool after all. Thankfully, the game section will remain intact, with only certain changes having to be made, but there are no specific details as to what they are exactly. Whether Rockstar were afraid of EA muscling in on their patch, or they really can't handle a simple and affectionate homage, it still remains that this behaviour is nothing but childish.

Still.......GTAIV..... 'nuff said.

The Faux-Bot

CRAZY (DISTURBING) FOREIGN GAMES

BATTLE RAPER (Illusion, Japan, 2002)

I consider myself very lucky to have grown up in an environment with no irrational fears concerning my media intake. I was always allowed to gauge for myself, what was appropriate and what was not, and games were no exception. I still remember every joke that I didn't understand from Rock Star Ate My Hamster and Leisure Suit Larry. I've never had to defend the medium that I care so much for, at least not in the sense that it is an inherently bad and morally depraved one. However, certain idiots cannot be avoided, especially with the media voicing them, Jack Thompson to name just one. So, it is with some relief that I can say that Battle Raper was never released outside of Japan, because if the opposition ever got hold of this one, they would have a field day.

Battle Raper is a 3D Fighter which sees you battling through scores of females who are 'willing to put up a fight'. Your melee attacks allow you to strip, grope and sexually attack your opponents. The game is punctuated by pre-rendered rape cutscenes and the ability to simply have virtual sex with them- a la hot coffee, I presume - once the game is complete. I understand Hentai and its place within Japanese popular culture. I have no problem with it at all, and really I have no objection to this game, living under the notion of 'different strokes for different folks' - if I don't want to play it, I don't have to.

I consider myself to be very open-minded and accepting of different tastes, and usually I would just bypass something like Battle Raper. However, something about this game identified just how different games tastes are between the East and the West, or at least how different tastes are considered to be more acceptable in the East. As well as being the starting point for this hopefully ongoing feature, Battle Raper struck a chord with me for another reason. One particularly disturbing feature of the game made it worth sharing and puts Manhunt and co. firmly in the 'tame' category. Fighting against the game's final Boss, and only male character, Zenon, you will be subjected to a particularly off-putting special move. Zenon grabs the female character by the head and rams her straight into his crotch, forcing her to give him oral sex. The worst part is the tears, which are added for effect, coupled with a zoomed camera, firmly upon the distressed look on your character's face. Its important for me to point out, that the 'wang' is most definitely blurred out, but it still has the same effect.

I want to make it clear, that the intention for this is not some sort of expose' on the worst of what video games has to offer, but is simply to provide a window into a very different world from our own. I hope that we can bring you some more 'crazy' and less 'distubring' games in the future.

The Faux-Bot

I'm not alone....

It'd be fair to describe my experience with Halo 3 as being nothing short of a debacle. It is without doubt one of the dullest, most average games I have ever played and one that was completely damaged by its own hype. Now as millions upon millions of you play whatever randomly assigned match Bungie sees fit to give you into the wee hours of the morning, and sycophantic reviewers continue to dole out 9/10's left right and centre, remember that there are some people who think its just a bit of a crap game. The problem is that so few people seem to be aware of just how average Halo 3 is. As a 'hater' I feel isolated to the point of questioning my own sanity. GamesTM and Destructoid, two of my most respected sources, both lauded over the game's brilliance, is it possible that I am just somehow missing the point? Maybe I'm mental, or so painfully cynical that I instantly dislike anything considered brilliant by the masses.

Now I can begin the road to recovery as I have stumbled across the first publicised view that I actually agree with. Thank God - assuming that he hasn't been replaced by Master Chief as the West's favourite deity- for Zero Punctuation:




The Faux-Bot

Sony gets a shafting....again

Its seems that the mega giant Sony just cant seem to cut a break, the PS3 is delayed by a year, then delayed some more due to BlueRay lasers. The PS3 doesn't sell well due to a high asking price and a totally shite advertising campaign. Their launch games arn't as amazing as they want you to believe. Their 2 supposedly BIG games titles have fallen flat on there arses (Heavenly Sword/Lair), and now comes another kick up the old batty. Epic Games has seen fit to delay Unreal Tournament 3 on PS3 to next year, but still release it on time on the PC in Nov, the reasons.....unknown? I was starting to feel gutted that i would have to wait longer for the 360 release but i bet my low dole income that PS3 owners are fucking hating Sony/Epic right now. Unreal 3 has been a looming tower of a game waiting to come out for what seems like forever, and PS3 owners finally got 1 up on 360 owners by getting it first........not any more. Epic released Gears of War on the 360 over Xmas last year using the Unreal Graphics Engine and blew away all other games by looks alone, leaving Sony up a certain creek without a certain paddle. Now ill be the first to tell you that im a 100% 360 boy and im happy that Sony have lost out, but i like competition and this seemed like the start of some real jealousy coming from the Microsoft camp, but alas no more. Whether Sony will get its shit together and give the gaming industry a trouncing is yet to be seen, but it aint happening with this baby.




Prof Membrain

Continuing on a Co-Op tip

New Army of Two trailer explains 'Aggro' mechanic.

Its pleasing to see EA's recent commitment to more interesting and diverse games, this along with Skate and the upcoming Spore, seems to represent a change in direction for the company, one that most will welcome, unless you fear change, like a crusty old conservative. No disrespect guys. Basically, shooting guns makes noise and causes enemies to shoot back at you. The more attention you draw to yourself, results in your aggrometer filling up, allowing your partner to move about relatively unnoticed. As great as this sounds, I am far more excited about the fact that this game is so unashamedly about guns, money and kicking bad guys in the teeth. Now if only they were to add some 'bitchez' to the mix. Oh yeah, and I instantly love any game that has a generic shouty army commander as a mentor.



Sarcasm aside though, this game continues to impress me. The combat looks solid and satisfying and the team mechanics simple and effective enough to be very workable and diverse, opening up lots of opportunities for emergent gameplay. Ahhhh, its like the 'summer lul' never existed.

The Faux-Bot

Best of Friends/Worst of Enemies

New Kane & Lynch multiplayer details emerge.

Story nicked from IGN.

I wasn't even expecting this game to have a multiplayer, I was creaming over the single player and co-op modes alone, and then they go a drop this- BAM! Right in the kisser! Good times. The multiplayer mode they have announced is called "Fragile Alliance" and is essentially a team deathmatch,with a cheeky twist. "The basic theory behind Fragile Alliance is that you begin working as a team against the cops, but as your members are taken out one-by-one, they'll turn to the other side and work against you" Now, I can happily say, with no amount of journalistic refrain, that THIS....SOUNDS....AWESOME!! It's like Cops and Robbers, Fox and Hounds. Childhood memories!

Its so refreshing to see such an original idea injected into a multiplayer mode, not to mention that it seems to compliment the single player campaign so well. "We wanted the multi-player to compliment the single-player game which is essentially a R-rated crime drama. The two lead characters, Kane and Lynch, are professional criminals who hate each other. The action is brutal. And no one trusts anyone." We are told that this mode will require you to use deception and skill reaching far beyond simply just holding ground. This mode will encourage you to not only outgun, but also outwit and double cross your teammates/enemies.

As if I needed more reasons to be excited about this game.

Read the full interview here: http://uk.xbox360.ign.com/articles/824/824468p1.html

you judith!

The Faux-Bot

HEY STUPID! MAKE LEARN GOOD NOW.

It seems that just about all violent crime and moral panic can be blamed upon videogames these days, especially with lunatics like Jack Thompson spouting their 'cop killer training program' bullshit. So, thank god for the BBFC, for at least trying to take a step in the right direction. Its a shame that we live in a society where parents can't be bothered to monitor their children's entertainment intake anymore, to the extent that the BBFC has to step in. For parents wishing to take a more active role, the BBFC are trying to help by providing extended game information and guidelines on their new website - http://www.pbbfc.co.uk/.

Parents can search for specific games or films in order to assess whether or not they are suitable for their child, provided that the big red 18 on the front isn't quite clear enough. I'm slightly torn over this one, because on the one hand, its a positive thing that a service is being provided outside of the industry, rather than simply demonizing games. On the other hand, I find it a little upsetting that people genuinely seem to not understand the ratings system. I guess we're all just retarded...or lazy. Essentially, what the BBFC seem to be saying is either A) You dumb, read our site, we smart. Or B) If you plan on disregarding our classification system, at least you can know to what specific content is unsuitable for your child. But then, isn't that what this is for? http://www.pegi.info/en/index/id/176

Now I feel dumb.....

The Faux-Bot

SPLIT-SCREEN REVIEW: Skate.

I could talk for days of the impact this game will have and already has had on the Tony Hawk’s series, but I’ve already gotten on that bandwagon once, so I’ll spare you this time. Skate is a game of such unquestionable quality, that it deserves to be viewed upon its own merits and not just those which separate from the genre’s leading man.

Skate, as a name, is by far the most effective and representative for this game. In it, you quite simply, skate. Whilst this may not come as a shock to you, bare this in mind, it is skateboarding and nothing but; no free-running, no graffiti, no BMX, no grinding Ferris wheels, just pure uncut skateboarding.
For someone such as myself, with a lifelong interest in skateboarding, this game is about the most vicarious thrill you will ever have the pleasure of spending time with. This is achieved masterfully through the game’s unique ‘Flickit’ control system, which is slightly reminiscent of EA’s Fight Night Round 3. There are three base tricks; the ollie, kickflips/heelflips and pop shuv-its, all performed through specific movements of the right analogue stick. Once you master these tricks, you can begin to branch out with variations of the stick movements to produce more complex tricks such as Hardflips and 360 Inward heelflips. All of these can then be reversed for extra tech points by performing them in Nollie (popping off the front of the board rather than the back). Each trigger represents the adjacent hand and the left stick controls the movement of your body. Throw in a multitude of grabs, spins, manuals and grinds and you have an incredibly comprehensive trick system, with only a few absentees. Darkslides in Skate 2 Black Box? Please?

Anyway, enough of the boring stuff, there are a million websites that will recite the entire game to you, lets continue with the massively biased opinion shall we?

As a gamer, Skate suits me perfectly, there is so much going on, that I cannot ever imagine myself getting board of it (hahaha, geddit?………….*loads shotgun*). Perfecting the trick roster is one thing, but there is also exploring the huge city of San Vanelona to find the best spots (10 hours in and I’ve barely scratched the surface) and not forgetting the skate reel video editor that will complement both. Whilst there is a career mode in the game, much of my time is spent finding those perfect spots, maybe now and again skating with friends or doing a film task. In terms of options afforded to the gamer, Skate has them in abundance. In my opinion, the free skate mode would be worth the money alone, well, so long as they threw in the video editor too. Finding lines, spots, customising your character and sharpening your skills will eat up such a massive amount of your time that the career mode will seem huge. To be fair, there are quite an impressive number of tasks, ranging from the challenges set by pros, and the specific film tasks or races that require completion to boost your coverage in the two featured magazines; Thrasher and The Skateboard Mag.

As you may have already gathered, from my pretty erratic writing style, I have quite a lot of trouble reviewing Skate. This is simply because I have so much to say about it, that I find it nearly impossible to refine into a readable and coherent article. For that I am sorry, and I also apologise for this bout of impromptu self-reflexivity, if that isn’t your cup of tea. Just know that my uncontrollable enthusiasm is a good thing and believe me when I say that Skate is one of the best games I have ever played.

Skate is a game that has such incredible potential. The community that is built around it seems to be growing and redefining itself every day. The user-generated content in the form of Skate. Reel ranges from the hilarious glitch exposés, to some of the cleanest and complex lines I have ever seen. This individuality and ability to develop personal style is what will separate Skate from any competition. People will continue to play it for years to come, because the only thing they can get bored with is themselves. If you feel like you have cleaned this game out, or indeed feel that you ever could, then you just aren’t looking hard enough.

My two favourite games since becoming a 360 owner have undoubtedly been Viva Piñata and Crackdown, I can now safely add Skate to this list. All three games reward the gamer for their curiosity, devotion and enthusiasm. If you enjoy freedom, expression and individuality in gaming, then Skate will more than satisfy you. That said, it also helps if you have at least a passing interest in Skateboarding. And if any of you were wondering: yes, I do skate in real life, and I suck.

The Faux-Bot