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