Before you start playing, you’ll need to configure the game. This is very simple – the Kinect will ‘scan’ your body and place you in the game, before asking you to complete a number of motions to correctly calibrate the unit. You can repeat this again to add friends for multiplayer, or let your friends use a pre-set character.

You’ll start the game in Pixar Park, which is based on five famous films, namely Ratatouille, Cars, Up, Toy Story and The Incredibles. This zone is mainly used for choosing games and activities, although it is packed with fun facts you can discover if you feel like exploring. Kinect Rush: A Disney Pixar Adventure has changed the standard Kinect controls, making them much more intuitive and less annoying. You’ll be taught a range of motions to complete an action, allowing you to choose the one which feels most natural.

The game is split into three episodes, which are designed for co-operative play. If you don’t have a friend playing along an AI will jump in to help you out. You can unlock characters such as Lightning McQueen and Buzz Lightyear as you work through each episode to aid in on your journey. There is a variety of mini games, from chasing the Up house down a South American river to racing cars or hunting down Toy Story characters. The levels are large, with plenty of unlockables to discover, and a surprisingly interactive environment. Jumping down zip lines or swinging on vines is exciting and fun, just like any Disney and Pixar movie!

The lack of a death screen will also boost its popularity with children.
While some of the games are challenging, you’ll only wander off course, there is no ‘game over’ screen. You simply restart the mission to try again, or carry on exploring regardless.

The multiplayer mode allows friends and family members to jump into the game and play along. They can create a personalised character or use a pre-set character. As described before, the game was designed as a co-op adventure, your friend or family member will use his character to journey with you. Some of the games are designed to be a work out, such as The Incredibles, and you’ll need plenty of space and encouragement to get them right. Others are puzzle games or continuations of the movie theme.

The episodes unravel in a series of activities, which allow any character to take the lead. Successful completion will allow you to move on to another event, or you can retry to boost your score or let everyone have a go.

Despite being very child-orientated, with a Disney soundtrack and cartoon-like graphics, this is a game even adults will enjoy. The mini games are fun and engaging, the story line is realistic and the fun endless. The lack of anything too challenging may be an obstacle for some, but most Disney lovers will adore this Kinect sequel and keep coming back for more.

- ElleBelle

The Gunnar Advanced 3D Eyewear is the very latest in 3D viewing technology. Made with the professional in mind, Gunnar Advanced 3D Eyewear is the perfect solution for the avid cinema fan as well. In a choice of two frames you can experience the ultimate in 3D technology as the Gunnar Advanced 3D Eyewear provide a brighter and thus better 3D viewing experience.

The Gunnar Advanced 3D Eyewear focus on being a clearer lens than those found at your local cinema which is why (unlike with the glasses in the cinema) the 3D and colours of 3D movies really pop into life. This is really evident when you are watching a 3D movie as you can see the very annoying tint of black in your 3D glasses, which makes the whole movie darker and can make it hard to concentrate as you can barely see anything. But with the Gunnar Advanced 3D Eyewear the black tint you see in the standard 3D cinema glasses is virtually removed. And even though there is a small amount of black tint in the Gunnar Advanced 3D Eyewear you will not notice it at all.

The Gunnar Advanced 3D Eyewear has a host of features will give you picture perfect 3D every time. Lens technologies such as i-AMP, diAMIX (the special lens material) and fRACTYL (helps in greatly venting the eye wear) help in making your 3D experience the best possible. And along with the benefit of outstanding 3D viewing the Gunnar Advanced 3D Eyewear are perfect glasses for those of us who have issues watching 3D movies. In some 3D movies the 3D can strain your eyes greatly in the short 1 hour 30 minutes or so. But with the Gunnar Advanced 3D Eyewear you will not have any of these issues as the Gunnar Advanced 3D Eyewear is especially made to help prevent eyestrain. So no matter your previous experience with watching 3D movies, with the Gunnar Advanced 3D Eyewear you will have no reason not to go watch a movie in 3D.

I was honestly not expecting much form the Gunnar Advanced 3D glasses when I first got them. Then I went into the cinema with both my Gunnar Advanced 3D glasses and the standard cinema 3D glasses. I was amazed at the sizable difference between the two glasses! It truly is something you need to experience yourself to understand (much like 3D itself). But if you think 3D cannot get much better then I highly recommend that you try the Gunnar Advanced 3D glasses to experience 3D how it’s supposed to be.

A must buy for all the cinema buffs who love 3D and a great recommendation for those who suffer from eye strains during 3D movies. You won’t be able to go back to standard cinema glasses again!

Whilst Blades of Time isn’t an awful looking game, you can’t help but feel disappointed with its visuals. There is so much potential, especially in terms of the surroundings, yet the final product fails to shine. Although the game features some nice use of colour, you only have to look at other games in the genre to see what could have been. Blood is horribly over exaggerated, so much so that it’s hard to distinguish between your clone and the splatter from your enemies. That said, the enemies (especially bosses) look very good and end up being the game’s visual highlight.

Unfortunately, the audio is another part of the game that could have done with more attention; although this is more of a graphical issue, lip syncing doesn’t quite match up to what a character is saying on-screen. Voice acting, especially from Ayumi, is incredibly suspect and is likely to annoy more than anything else as you progress through the game. Sound effects are decent though, fitting the hack-and-slash action on-screen well.

Moving away from the negatives, the hack-and-slash gameplay on offer in Blades of Time is actually decent. Although simple, the combat mechanics can prove to be a real joy, especially when you get new powers from the Altars. Each time you are given a new power, you are transported to an arena where you can try out your attack without the worry of losing any life. You can’t just spam magical attacks though; as they are only available to use once a skull on the bar lights up, done by successfully showing enemies who the boss is. Some attacks require one skull to be lit up, whereas other more fatal powers will require two skulls to be lit up.

As mentioned earlier, slashing your way through hordes of enemies can be a fun, but it can also end up frustrating you too, depending on the enemy you are facing. All of the enemies you come across throughout the game are stored in a book that Ayumi carries with her, giving you some insight into their abilities. However, even reading up on certain enemies doesn’t stop them being ever so slightly annoying. You do have a special ability (available when your target is weakened) that makes dealing with these enemies a little easier, dealing an incredible amount of damage in the process. It doesn’t always completely take enemies out, but it provides a nice distraction that breaks up the hack-and-slash gameplay. Staying on the topic of enemies, the boss battles in Blades of Time are a lot of fun, ranging from massive robots to a worm with three heads!

One of the main features of the game, as the title suggests, is Ayumi’s ability to rewind time. By using this ability, you are able to clone yourself and get to areas of the game that wouldn’t be possible otherwise. For instance, if you come across two pressure sensitive pads that activate a gate leading to the next area, you can make use of the ability and progress to the next section of the game. You can also rewind time to help Ayumi take down groups of enemies quicker; so it has its advantages during combat too. On the whole, it’s a welcome addition, introducing a tactical and puzzle element to the gameplay.

Experienced gamers and fans of the genre will more than likely fly through Blades of Time with ease in 8-10 hours. If you are a newcomer to the genre, add a couple of hours to that figure, as it might take you a while to get used to certain mechanics and beat a few of the bosses. You can always tackle the game again on hard, but that depends entirely on how much you enjoyed your first playthrough.

- Synonymous

This is a hard game! You will find yourself flying in three types of scenarios: Simulator, Simplified and Realistic. Every shot that hits its intended target is a small victory. It is important to concentrate in order to avoid the dreaded fall-spin. Newbies, you will have to play on Simplified mode, it is the easiest mode of them all. It is really hard to lose control in this mode. However, your satisfaction will be limited due to the tasks growing old, fast.

Birds of Steel is about the conflict between Japan and the U.S. during the 2^nd World War. The two campaigns that you can choose from are the Japan perspective and the American Army. Some of the online modes are Death Match, Domination and co-op. The Dynamic Campaign mode will allow you to change history to your liking. It is possible to win battles that were lost or lose the battles that were won. The left control stick determines your flight path and the right stick your acceleration.

Even on the hardest difficulty, you will find that coasting around is easy, some of our heavy-handed brethren may find it a bit difficult as the controls are quite sensitive. The slightest touch could send you into a fall-spin. A deft touch is required for banking and barrel rolls. This game for Xbox 360 is not an easy game to play. You will have to be patient and practice a lot. However, if you become an experienced aviator, you will be able to outmaneuver your enemies with a quick flick while shooting them down, bringing their flight to a dramatic, watery end.

Being able to use new planes every time you level up is one of the coolest things about Birds of Steel. You will gain experience for every enemy killed. Every plain in this looks awesome and there are more than 100 planes to choose from! Even if you use in-cockpit view or third person, you will be amazed at the amazing graphical detail presented in Birds of Steel. Every single detail on the plains look authentic, every cloud, even every crash in the ocean will leave you drooling.

Those who are willing to put in the effort required to learn the ropes of the game will have a blast! Those who prefer sticking to the simplest control mode might be left wanting more of a challenge.

- laredipe2556

“We are perfecting the best sports game in the world with innovations that capture all the drama and unpredictability of real-world football,” said David Rutter, Executive Producer for FIFA 13. “These are game-changing innovations that will revolutionize our artificial intelligence, dribbling, ball control and collisions to create a true battle for possession across the entire pitch, and deliver freedom and creativity in attack.”

The most sophisticated artificial intelligence ever achieved for the FIFA franchise will drive FIFA 13 on HD consoles and PC. All-new Attacking Intelligence enables players to analyse space, work harder and smarter to break down defenses, and think two plays ahead. Players now possess the intelligence to create, curve, or alter runs to capitalize on openings as they occur, make runs that pull defenders out of position to open passing channels for teammates, and better position themselves for new attacking opportunities.

In FIFA 13 every touch matters with the most comprehensive and intuitive dribbling system ever developed. Inspired by the world’s best footballer, Lionel Messi, Complete Dribbling enables players to face their opponent and use precise dribble touches combined with true 360° mobility with the ball, so it’s easier to be more creative and dangerous in 1v1 opportunities. Players change direction quicker, are more explosive accelerating with the ball, and are more effective shielding defenders for longer stretches. FIFA 13 1st Touch Control transforms the way players control the ball, eliminating near-perfect touch for every player on the pitch, and creating variety and uncertainty around ball control. Factors such as defensive pressure, trajectory of the ball, and velocity of the pass now impact a player’s first touch, creating more opportunities for defenders to win back possession.

The second generation of the Player Impact Engine expands physical play from just collisions to off-the-ball battles between players. Defenders push and pull for position, and use their size and strength to win possession or force opponents into poor touches and decisions before the ball arrives. FIFA 13 Tactical Free Kicks provides the tools to create dangerous and unpredictable free kicks utilising the most skillful players on the pitch. Position up to three attacking players over the ball and utilise dummy runs and more passing options to create elaborate free kicks. Opponents can counter by adding or subtracting players to the wall, creeping the wall forward, or sending a bullet man to intercept the pass or block the shot.

FIFA 13 will also feature:

- Improved Career Mode with major changes developed in response to requests from the most passionate fans of the franchise.

- New features to enhance the massive EA SPORTS FIFA online offering, including improvements to the wildly popular Head-To-Head Seasons mode

- Multiple new features and benefits to EA SPORTS Football Club, the live service that is the heartbeat of FIFA

- Complete authenticity with more than 500 officially licensed clubs.

Additional new modes and features will be announced in the months ahead.

FIFA 13 will be available in stores throughout South Africa this spring on the PS3 (with Move Support), Xbox360 (with Kinect Support) and PC.

LinkedIn spills the beans again as the profile of lead prop and weapon artist, David Payne, shows development on both Saint’s Row 4 and an XBLA game “current.”

Saint’s Row The Third has done very well for publisher THQ and is probably the only reason the company avoided bankruptcy earlier this year.

THQ confirmed that the franchise has sold approximately 11million units.

What do you think? Could we be getting Grand Theft Auto V and Saint’s Row 4 in the same year?

Game director Bruce Straley told IGN that Naughty Dog will have “something ready at E3 that will please our fans.”

Creative director said that the remodelling of Elli was to “better reflect actress Ashley Johnson’s personality, and also resemble a slightly younger teen more fitting to the story.” We all know it was to make sure she won’t be confused with Ellen Page anymore.

“The first episode, Snow’s Story: Perpetual Battlefield, will see Snow engaged in battles at the Coliseum after being separated from his fiancée, Serah. The episode also features a battle against the “Arbiter of Time” and will ultimately unlock Snow as a party member.”

“The second, Lightning’s Story: Requiem of the Goddess, will reveal the battle between Lightning and Caius not shown in the main game. Players will also be able to unlock the Final Fantasy XIII-2 version of Lightning as a party member.”

He wrote: “We would like to assure you that we have been listening to your comments and as such have begun the process of re-evaluating how such additional game content is delivered in the future.”

“As this process has only just commenced in the past month or so, there will be some titles, where development began some time ago and that are scheduled for release in the coming months, for which we are unable to make changes to the way some of their post release content is delivered.”

Dragon’s Dogma is confirmed as being the latest /victim/ game with some, not all, of the DLC locked in on the disc. If players choose not to acquire this DLC, Svensson promises that they can still expect to be occupied for around 100 hours.

He concluded by saying, “Just wanted people to know in advance the whys, wherefores and where we’re going in the future. You are being heard. Thanks.”

Responding to internal and external criticism of the Japanese industry, Epic’s infamous Cliff Bleszinski told Gamasutra: “My advice to Japan is that ina disc-based market right now, you cannot [ignore multiplayer].”

“I’m not saying tack multiplayer onto every game,” he continued, before referring Shadows of the Damned and Vanquish as examples that could have greatly benefitted from a multiplayer component.

When asked about Shadows of the Damned, he said: “It was a beautifully crazy game with really fun gameplay, but no multiplayer co-op experience in there. I’m not saying tack on versus; there’s a billion different ways you can do some sort of ‘players interacting with other players.’ ”

“And if you’re going to make a third-person shooter… the fact that Vanquish didn’t have a multiplayer suite was a crime. That IP, it was pretty good as far as being Western, but the gameplay was great, the vibe… and I’ve often said on record that if Gears is the kind of Wild, Wild West coal train chugging along, that Vanquish is the Japanese bullet train, with style and everything. And there is absolutely no reason I shouldn’t have been zipping around, doing the mega slides, diving up in the air in an arena with other players.”