Tech Analysis: Alan Wake

I will warn you now, that this tech analysis for Alan Wake is an incredibly long and in-depth affair. With Remedy’s latest there is so much going on, and individual parts which make up the overall look and feel of the game, that after you’ve covered one thing, you’ve also just discovered another.

So, rather than skimp over the little details which might actually have a pretty large impact in he overall scheme of things, what we’ve done, is to try and deliver the most comprehensive look at the tech present in making up the world of Bright Falls, one of this years most defining visual achievements.

Usually it’s Sony’s PS3 exclusives that garner such attention and technical praise, often delving deep into the hardware to deliver an visual experience that on so many technical levels is almost unmatched by most other titles on competing platforms – PC of course excluded, but that’s a given really. Microsoft on the other hand, have a machine with a comprehensive set of development tools that are so much more traditional and easier to get to grips with what Sony have provided for the PS3, that in most cases developers are quite happy to think inside the established box when it comes to crafting that show-stopping visual showcase expected for current-generation games.

However, some developers such are beginning to break out of that cycle, creating a graphical experience which rivals that of Uncharted 2, Killzone 2 and God Of War 3. Both Bungie with Halo Reach, and Remedy with Alan Wake, are pushing the envelope of what is possible on MS’s machine, showing gamers and developers that what is possible in a PS3 custom-made approach title is also possible on the 360.

Last week we took an in-depth look at Halo Reach, casting our critical eye over the overall workings of the tech. Today IQGamer looks closely at Remedy’s Alan Wake, a game no stranger to controversy or our very own tech analysis, in which for this feature, we will be finally evaluating the tile whilst also attempting to fully uncover the truth behind that 540p rendering resolution.

Alan Wake, to cut away any lingering doubts or speculation does indeed render in 960x540 resolution, which is then upscaled by the 360 to form a final 720p image. Not all aspects of the game are rendered in this sub-HD resolution – with some effects actually being closer towards 720p – and the game does use an impressive 4x multi-sampling anti-aliasing at all times, a side effect of which is not only a clear reduction of jagged lines but also a much cleaner upscale.

The result of rendering in 540p isn’t quite as bad as what you might expect, with fine detail still being present, and the soft look of the game actually appearing quite clean and clear compared to some other sub-HD games. No doubt that the use of 4xMSAA actually helps in reducing any upscaling artefacts, whilst keeping the image relatively clean in the process. Softness, as obvious as it is, is the by-product of this, but its inclusion actually helps in creating the creepy atmosphere found in the game, along with the shadowy and foggy night time visuals all feeding a real sense of immersion.


It’s pretty clear from the screenshot above just how good Alan Wake looks for a game that is decidedly more sub-HD than many others on the market. But why did Remedy opt for using such a low resolution so late in the development cycle? And what happened to claims of rendering in 720p with 4xMSAA?

Well, you only have to look at last years gameplay footage in order to find out, which does indeed render in full 720p whilst sporting 4x multi-sampling anti-aliasing. Before this, Alan Wake was rendering at the standard 720p with 2xMSAA, in addition to having full resolution particle and transparency (framebuffer) effects. However the game suffered from constant screen-tearing and drops in framerate, no doubt as the engine struggle to cope with the game’s intense bandwidth requirements

It is pretty obvious that Alan Wake as a game is extremely bandwidth heavy, rendering all those fog, mist, smoke, and transparent particle effects. Transparencies are littered all over the game’s fictional town of Bright Falls, and the engine unsurprisingly was struggling to cope.

Originally Remedy simply decided to change from rendering full resolution effects to instead using half-res alpha-to-coverage effects (A2C), thus saving some bandwidth needed to keep performance up. However, A2C has the unfortunate side effect of giving all transparencies that use it an unsightly screen door effect. The only solution is to effectively up the level of anti-aliasing to 4xMSAA in order to blend away the A2C into the rest of the scene.

Despite these changes it’s clear that the game still suffered from severe performance issues, with tearing once again being at the forefront of those. In an interview the developers stated that the screen tear would be part and parcel of the experience, a sign that maybe they where having trouble in keeping things running smoothly. In light of all this, it seems that in order to claw back performance they finally opted to render in a sub-HD resolution to give them a smooth 30fps update and very little screen tear, whilst still having all the benefits of 4xMSAA improving the overall image quality (IQ).

In the end the use of A2C does very little to damage the overall look of the game. Alan’s hair for example (see below screenshot), is using it with very little in the way of noticeable side effects, though if you look closely you can indeed see some of the dithered nature of the A2C at work. The 4xMSAA manages to prevent any noticeable upscaling effects from being visible, and the soft look provided by the lower resolution isn’t particularly intrusive.


There’s not doubt that the game would look much sharper as a result of rendering at 720p over the current 540p framebuffer, however it is likely that many of the outstanding graphical effects and small visual touches would have to have been sacrificed in order to keep performance levels up. With this in mind it’s much better to have a smoother, graphically more impressive game as a whole, than to have a clearer albeit simpler one instead.

Resolution and framebuffer issues out of the way, the rest of Alan Wake’s engine is just as interesting, and serves as a clear technical benchmark for many 360 developers to follow.

The stable framerate for one is a pretty exceptional achievement. Alan Wake maintains a rock solid 30fps ninety-nine percent of the time, with the game instead opting for screen tearing in situations where the engine is struggling to keep a steady hold on things. As a result the game basically never drops frames at all, and when it does, the drop is so insignificant that it is barely even noticeable at all. The downside is that the tearing can get pretty messy at times, covering the image right in the centre of the screen where it is most noticeable.

Thankfully, these situations aren’t too common place, with most of the tearing smoothly appearing for a split second or so, before vanishing as quickly as it came. It should be pointed out though, that the game does tear regularly, although it isn’t at all intrusive in these smaller amounts.

Adding to the stable framerate is the games use of camera-based motion blur, which helps to create that smooth look and feel that the game has throughout. The motion blur is very subtle, never at all intrusive, instead being an organic part of the camera movement. Its implementation is just another part of the artistic flair that is running through every aspect of the game’s visual make up. The screenshot below shows the effect in action, though it seldom has that much of a dramatic impact on the game in motion.


What is surprising, is that the engine in Alan Wake is running at a almost constantly solid 30fps with a high level of dynamic visual effects - from fog, smoke, and particles - whilst also capable of delivering incredible draw distances without dramatically paring back the visual through the use of an aggressive LOD system. The game is full of sprawling vistas, from dense forests to towering mountains, and all of it is largely reachable, with the player travelling between these iconic places many times.

Perhaps, it is for this reason that the game engine has had sacrifices in other areas. Both the framebuffer, alpha effects, and textures have been downgraded by using a lower resolution, as to has parts of the game’s lighting and shadow system.

Originally Alan Wake was going to be a fully-fledged open world action horror, in which the player would be investigating the various paranormal and supernatural occurrences whist trying to find wife Alice and fend off scores of ‘The Taken’. In much of the final game you can clearly see the original open world nature of its design, with large organic multiple paths to take, long draw distances, and the ability to backtrack, go off the beaten path, before heading to you next destination.

The engine used in the final game is still highly optimised for such an experience, so despite the change to a more linear and controlled affair, the engine still has to draw vast distances in high quality, whilst also having to render all those alpha effects, shaders and textures, and keep up framerate at the same time. It’s like having a version of GTA or Just Cause with Uncharted 2 levels of graphical polish, something which is beyond any of the current gen consoles.

A good example can be seen below, in which the game renders detailed scenery for miles for many miles away from the player, with no additional visual effects hiding the incredible draw distances that the engine is capable of.


Texture detail is reasonably high, although the actual textures themselves appear to be of very low resolution. Up close any detail begins to break up, and from a distance they look clean, but at the same time a little blurry. The quality overall is very good, given the game’s 540p framebuffer and various effects that the engine is pushing around on screen, it’s just a shame that much to the intricate details get so broken up in close range, or blended away when at a distance. Nevertheless there are times in which the combination of artistic flair and attention to detail really show of the textute work.

In term s of filtering it’s not entirely clear what is going on in Alan Wake. Assessing levels of texture filtering by eye is always a difficult proposition, however it is possible to make so well placed judgements as to what is happening.

At times texture detail is visible for a good 16 feet or so into the distance before becoming blurry, whilst in other scenarios texture fidelity is lost just a few feet away from Alan himself. In these later scenes, it would appear that the game is perhaps using bilinear filtering (BF) at best, although that would fail to explain the clarity in other scenes. Instead, my best guess is that Remedy are actually using a combination of anisotropic (AF) and bilinear filtering for the textures, alternating between large amounts of AF and BF combined, to very little AF with no BF at all.

You could call this a ‘filtering bias’ with some scenes getting more filtering that others. But at the same time witn all the fog, mist and other effects going on at night, it is hard to make a solid judgement call on this. At the very least TF is definitely present, with small levels of AF in parts.


Unmistakably though, the use of high levels of visual effects such as volumetric fog, smoke, particles, and the impressively accurate dynamic lighting and shadowing system, is what puts Alan Wake above so many other titles available on either the 360 or the PS3. It’s these effects that work so well with the A2C and 4xMSAA that any hit in pure sharpness taken away by the 540p resolution isn’t on many occasions all that apparent. Especially in night time scenes in which all the visual effects come together, with loads of moving elements on screen pretty much most of the time.

The fog, shadows, light, foliage and physics based objects are cast their own shadows, some simply being pre-baked shadow maps, other being fully dynamic reacting to a multitude of light sources and environmental objects. The fog for example, interacts with the game’s lighting, with light shining through it, moving over the trees and the foliage, casting shadows for most objects in its path.

A hazy mist is also present during the environments at dusk and at night, which both reacts with light along with blending into the black fog which appears as ‘The Taken’ arrives, creating an ambience that adds to the tension felt throughout the experience.

Some of these effects do appear to be rendering at a lower resolution than the rest of the game. The fog in particular is pretty low res, which tends to blur everything in its path, obscuring detail and almost warping the game world. The blur doesn’t impact too much on the overall graphical feel that Remedy is going for, and at times actually benefits it. Sadly when the fog makes its way to cleaner areas, such as town buildings or remote gas stations, the blur effect is more noticeable, and less impressive.


For shadowing the game uses a combination of high and low resolution shadows, both static (pre-baked) and dynamic. The ones used in doors are most noticeably low res, as are some of the dynamic shadows cast by the players touch as they explore Bright Falls. However in outside areas, in which there is so many other effects going on, it’s incredibly hard to notice the odd poor quality shadow.

The games lighting also helps to back the mixture of shadow quality and various other visual effects. Light given off by the players touch casts shadows from objects all around the environment, as do flares and flashbangs, which dynamically change the surrounding shadows. This is perhaps the most impressive thing in Alan Wake’s graphics engine, the uniformity between light and shadow, the dynamic interaction between both, and how this helps create a beautifully organic look to the visuals on offer.

It is safe to say that the quality of these effects on offer in Alan Wake is perhaps some of the best we’ve seen in any console or PC title to date. Resolution issues aside, the consistency and quality seen here is a pretty impressive feat, given the constraints the developers have had to work with and the many issues faced along the way.


Overall the tech behind Alan Wake is extremely impressive. The game is at times combining several different transparency heavy effects together, along with a fully dynamic lighting and shadowing system, whilst maintaining incredibly high draw distances at a near perfect 30fps.

Certainly, things have been sacrificed in order to achieve this level of visual performance, but those sacrifices haven’t damaged the game in any significant way. In fact, most of the issues caused by the low resolution effects and 540p rendering resolution are barely noticeable during most of your time spent in Bright Falls, which is spent in a surreal world of darkness. This darkness helps hide much of the game’s graphical shortcomings, blending them in, and actually increasing the level of immersion to be found all through Mr Wake’s adventure.

Remedy, like with all the most highly talented developers, have shown just how to work in and around any limitations of the current platform they are developing for, making concessions in certain areas, whilst scaling back in others to ensure that the whole visual make up is as polished as it is balanced.

Alan Wake in this regard, represents exactly the right design choices made for the game at hand. Generating atmosphere to completely embody the player is paramount to the experience, and is something that the developers have achieved with the underlying engine behind the game. It isn’t always about getting all the elements together in the most technically advanced way possible. But instead, about making sure that each of the individual pieces fit together succinctly, and not just as separate visual standpoints in which to admire.

In conclusion, there’s no doubt that Remedy have achieved exactly what they have set out to do with Alan Wake, creating a game which is as gripping as it is visually alluring. For all the use of high-end tech that is powering the game, it is the carefully and often cleverly crafted nature of the art design which makes the package such a success. And whilst it may not have all the high definition goodness of Sony’s Uncharted 2, it more than matches it in sheer technical brilliance and pure artistic direction.

3DS Development / Test Hardware Revealed?

It seems that Nintendo have been testing out parts of their new 3DS handheld with the US Federal Communications Commission, reportedly aiming to get the system’s new Wi-Fi card approved for use in the United States.

Some images from the testing appeared on the FCC Filing website late last month before being quickly removed. However a single image was posted at WirelessGoodness before the entire batch disappeared, showing something being referred to as a "Nintendo CTR Target Board". Most likely this image is that of Nintendo’s NDS Successor, the tentatively titled 3DS.

The image below shows what looks like a 3DS test kit or early development system, with the Wi-Fi card and related parts being highlighted due to being involved in the FCC’s testing process. WirelessGoodness initially assumed that it could be a custom board to test out a new built-in Wi-Fi card for either the existing DS or an upgraded model. However this is very unlikely as the board on display has some very different defining characteristics compared to any of the existing NDS designs.


The test board clearly has two screens situated one above the other like the current DS, although the top screen is clearly in a widescreen format and the bottom is in the standard 4:3, whereas the existing DS’s feature a dual 4:3 set up. The new 3DS, if that indeed is what this board is based on, shows that only one of the two screens will be 3D compatible. It’s clear from the image that the top screen features Sharp's new auto-stereoscopic 3D tech, whilst the bottom screen is just a standard LCD display.

From the image it is also possible to point out the inclusion of both a DS cartridge slot, and a SD card port too. Both of these are currently standard in the DSi and DsiXL systems, but are also likely to be included in the new 3DS when that launches, as Nintendo have previously confirmed full compatibility with all DS and DSi software. There is no sign of any new type of cartridge slot or card port, meaning that games for the new 3DS are likely to appear on the same carts as current DS software, leaving the SD card support for something along the lines of multimedia application.

More interestingly, the board on show is listed with a three-letter codename, something that Nintendo has used for all versions of its NDS hardware. The DSi was referred to as TWL, and the DSi XL as UTL, much in the same way as the GameCube, which was internally referred to as the GCN (GameCube Nintendo) rather than the publicly abbreviated NGC. The codename CTR hasn’t been used by Nintendo before, so most likely refers to a brand new generation of handheld, which is also backed up by the images showing a completely different design to the one found in the current range of DS systems.

All evidence clearly points to this being a form of 3DS development hardware, or at least a testing kit for the new machine. With the system likely to be on show at E3 in some capacity, or at some point later in the year, it isn’t a stretch to assume that development kits are in first party hands at least. This test / dev kit shows that the design is being finalised, with some features being tested out for a final inclusion, and others yet to be put in or decided upon.

With only a few months to go until this new handheld makes its debut, it’s only likely that more information and leaks begin to surface. Maybe some prototype images of the new hardware will appear a little later down the line, or that Nintendo will have its hand forced once again into an early reveal? Either way today’s images clearly show that the DS’s successor is almost in sight, and that we probably shouldn’t have long to wait for more concrete information to arrive.

Review: Lost Planet 2 (360)

A giant insectoid-like beast busts up from the snowy ground with an almighty roar. Immediately it catches me in its sights and begins to charge. Armed with only a simple machine gun and a few paltry grenades, I engage the enemy, dodging its first attack before turning around and plugging it full of lead. Some of my shots bounce off its hardened shell but others directly hit its yellowy fleshy tail instead, resulting in another hollowed roar from the creature. At this point I make a hesitant dash for a nearby semi-destroyed building, hoping to gain at least momentary cover.

Inside awaits more of the vile Akrid parasites. It turns out that I’ve just entered this creature’s makeshift nest. Immediately, without fail, I begin to blast my way through swarms of smaller spider-like Akrid, and into the pulsating eggsacks, safe for a short while from the chaos outside – my team are busy getting slaughtered by the huge beast outside. After clearing out the half-standing structure of all its living inhabitants, I take my beef back outside with me. Guns in full blaze I throw everything at my disposal against the giant beast whilst its intently distracted – shooting mercilessly at its now red little tail - and after another roar, plus the obligatory pool of blood and puss, it finally comes crashing to the ground.

Looking around, there are wide-open spaces for miles, the view of snowy particles being blown throughout the air, and the sheen of the glistering white environment reflecting back the light given off by a obscured sun. The Akrid beast is dead, oozing puss and drenched in its own blood, before shattering into a thousand frozen pieces. It was remarkably beautiful and ugly at the same time. The hard exterior shell revealed its intricate markings, while its fleshy body is both soft, and solid at the same time, covered in sheen and detail. Everywhere you look there are wondrous sights full of character, all contained in and around some lovely white vistas.


Welcome to Lost Planet 2! An experience that starts off unsurprisingly like the first game. The stunning visuals, quite possibly some of the best seen on any console to date, along with the tried and testing third-person gameplay mechanics, are every bit as polished as they were the last time around, although now feeling a tad dated. In fact, for the first few minutes or so, Lost Planet 2 is nothing but a solidly made and pretty entertaining action game. Insanely large creatures, huge guns, and lovely environments combine to form a familiar but fun element of shooting action. Much of what was so good about LP1 is also still reasonably good here, and while many of the little niggles are still present too, there are larger issues that you’ll be complaining about.

However, shortly after things take a turn for the worst, as parts of this sequel’s poor design begin to break through the solid foundations built up by the original game. It’s pretty clear that Capcom were keen to have a different gimmick driving how LP2 works, and to this end two distinct elements have been shoehorned into the experience.

One being the multiplayer focused single player campaign, in which you are merely part of a four-man team. And the other, a revised continue and checkpoint system which bares more than a passing resemblance to the hardcore games of old, ill-suited for the gameplay on offer here. These two elements are inexplicably linked together in a way, in which on there own wouldn’t pose so much of a problem, but together they conspire to break the game on so many occasions, leading to numerous bouts of frustration and fist clenching anger.


Keeping things together is the return of the thermal energy meter from the first game. Unlike in LP1, your thermal energy (TE) gauge isn’t constantly depleting. Instead it continuously accumulates more TE as you kill and collect it from fallen foes and various data points scattered around your environment. When you take damage, and as your health bar begins to runs dangerously low, you have the option of using this TE to restore lost health, thus preventing you from loosing a precious life. You’ll certainly be needing this boost, as in LP2 most large enemies have almost ‘instant kill’ attacks which leave you very little time to escape for cover, or simply in many cases, regenerate your health.

To make matters worse, the game is always pushing you towards an offensive solution. Done mostly in order to recoup lost TE as you battle it out amongst the native wildlife and nomadic Snow Pirates, putting yourself in harms way during times in which a more carefully thought out approach would be preferable. TE however, is the least of your concerns later on in the game, with the lack of save points and temporary checkpoints making this part of the experience a frustrating and sometimes an unplayable one.

The checkpoint, life, progression, whatever you want to call it system in the game, centres on something called the Battle Gauge. You start off with 500 battle points, and receive 500 more for every checkpoint you reach (data points that you activate), or 1000 if you happen to be piloting a VS suit. Every time you die, you loose a certain amount of battle points, and are respawned from the nearest data point. Loosing all of your battle points however, means that you loose all of your checkpoints and instead have to replay the entire chapter all over gain.

Chapters can range from anything from 20 to 50 minutes to complete, depending on both their length and player skill level. Either way, it means that if you get stuck on a particular boss, or mission, and end up constantly dying, then you are gonna be replaying a vast amount of content again and again before you get it right.


It doesn’t help that the game isn’t exactly signposted when it comes to telling what to do. Especially I have to say, with regards to some of the boss battles, which not only require you to work out the correct solution of dealing with them, but also working as a team to bring them down. Unfortunately, the complete lack of CPU controlled AI makes this task an infuriating one. It’s all too common in LP2 to have certain parts of the game in which working as a team is essential to score a solid victory, without the frustration and hopelessness which occurs during solo play.

The boss battle at the end of chapter 3 is a good example of this. Set upon a speeding train, you are tasked with battling a giant sandworm whilst attempting to prevent the train from being obliterated. Right at the front of the carriage you are presented with a handful of giant ammunition shells lying around, and a huge gun-turret to load them into. Aiding you in this task, is a small, rather illegible diagram showing you where on the train to load these shells, and the also the position of the engineering room, required for fixing up the train as it sustains damage.

It is clear that the game wants one person to load in the shells, another to distract the boss, another to look after the engine room, and someone to take control of the gun turret. This is great if you’re playing with four other people, but by yourself, it’s a hopeless mess. The key here is teamwork, something that your AI buddies don’t have a clue about. They’ll simply stand around getting killed and leaving you to do all the work, making the challenge so much harder. And as you are running back and forth trying to load the shells you’ll be frequently attacked, being thrown off the train and forced to restart the whole encounter all over again.


With two or more people playing this doesn’t become so much of an issue, making finding a solution for dealing with a boss easier to find, and coordination almost second nature. Of course playing with friends is likely to yield better results. But either way, the multiplayer sessions allow the game to be far more playable than going it alone. It’s just a shame that the single player campaign seems to be completely tacked-on the end of the game, like LP2 was designed to be an online only experience.

During online play the battle points system still gets in the way, which is unfortunate. With all four players sharing the same battle gauge, each player can only afford to die two or three times at the most before the gauge runs out and everyone starts the entire chapter again. On your own you could afford to take a more few chances and die a handful – or two - of times before exhausting your battle gauge, even though the overall fight is made much harder without a coordinated team behind you.

That said Lost Planet 2 isn’t a bad game by any means, it’s actually pretty good at times. A potentially great experience, let down massively by Capcom’s insistence on shoehorning in new and unwanted gameplay mechanics to a system which didn’t require radical change. The return of the TE meter works in the game’s favour, and the core gameplay on offer is almost fun as it was in the first game. However, it’s just that the new elements that have been added really threaten to break apart the game, and on many occasions they do so almost effortlessly. When this happens, all of the hard work and solid gameplay mechanics built up by the original LP is completely overshadowed, leaving an experience which is an excise in frustration.

Visually the game can’t be faulted. It looks stunning! LP2 delivers some of the most detailed texture work seen in a videogame so far, along with splashes of intensely delivered particle and smoke effects. Again, being some of the best we’ve seen. The Arkrid creatures are all incredibly detailed; lots of impressive shader effects, bump mapping, sheen and reflections. The environments, like with the first game, are filled with wide-open sprawling vistas, packed full of personality and intricately crafted characteristics. Most of all, the entire game looks and feels distinctly organic, never looking like a fake plasticky resemblance of reality.


It’s rather unfortunate then, that the gameplay fails to live up to the technical heritage on offer, with the solid core experience broken down and compromised by the developer’s need on including new and gimmicky features. All Capcom had to do was to take what worked in the first Lost Planet, and then up the ante with this sequel. Being bigger and more bad-ass, doesn’t mean better, and although it is clear that Capcom wanted to have a scale that was so much wider than in the first game, they have failed to provide suitable gameplay and progression system to really back this up.

In the end, Lost Planet 2 is one of 2010’s biggest disappointments, failing to live up to the standards set by the original game, and placing too much emphasis on the multiplayer aspect. Not enough thought has being put into solo play, and it shows. That, along with the ridiculously outdated (for this style of game) save and continue system, makes this sequel a rather substandard experience for all those concerned.

The original Lost Planet, as it stands, is a much better choice if you want to experience some of the delights of E.D.N III, and although this sequel does still deliver some (very brief) flashes of brilliance, it also completely misses the mark most of the time.

VERDICT: 6/10

OnLive Gaming Service Comes To The UK

Last September OnLive began beta testing its brand new streaming video gaming service in the US, called unsurprisingly OnLive. The technology represented a whole new way of bringing videogames into the home. Rather than requiring a hardware box with specific processing components for rendering graphics, gameplay, etc, it acted more like a router or Internet connection device, instead delivering its content through the use of real-time streaming video.

Games aren’t downloaded onto a hard drive for play later on, instead they are instantly streamed on the fly, ready for the user as soon as the OnLive MicroConsole has started its download. During the beta controls were found to be fairly responsive, with some lag - much like the delayed responses to be found in many motion control titles on the Wii. The video stream was, at best, relatively serviceable, with evidence of macro blocking and a fare share of image break up. Detail had also been compromised as a result of the video compression scheme, lacking the same kind of intricacy found in a direct uncompressed HD source.

However, it did seem like a perfect compromise for the quality oblivious masses, in which around 50% still play their HD consoles in SD – some on a HDTV no less. I can see OnLive featuring as almost a games-on-demand rental service for most consumers, with the more serious of gamer types opting to buy a traditional console for maximum quality. Either way, the technology and idea represents a very different way of thinking when it comes to giving us a definitive gaming experience. There are upsides to the use of streaming video, mainly in the form of users not needing to have powerful hardware at their end, in a separate box powering the games. Instead, all the processing is done on high-end PC’s at OnLive and them streamed out through their array of data servers.

In ten years time, with broadband rapidly increasing in speed and reliability, we could be seeing a service such as this become the new face of traditional gaming. OnLive is in effect, in its current state, a big trial, a test to see not just how well the technology could work, but also if people are ready for such a business model so soon after the initial breakthrough.


For the United Kingdom OnLive are partnering with BT in rolling out a beta trial for sometime this summer, just after the final service goes live in the United States. Whilst no date has been set for the trial as of yet, we do know that it will be available through both a PC and MAC alongside the OnLive MicroConsole. Helping OnLive to pick up much needed market share in the territory is BT, who has purchased a 2.6 percent share in the company. This basically gives BT rights to bundle in the OnLive with its broadband packages increasing overall uptake compared to individual subscriptions.

Anyone not using BT will still be able to order the service directly through OnLive for use with their existing ISP. Users from all around Europe and the UK will be able to play against each other in online matches, along with community-based features such as Chat options, brag chips and profiles. Online play will be restricted between European and UK users only, although the community features will work regardless of region. So gamers can at least talk and compare profiles with their US counterparts.

So far various publishing companies, including the likes of Electronic Arts, Ubisoft, Take-Two, Warner Bros. Interactive, THQ, Epic Games, Eidos, Atari Interactive, and Codemasters have already signed up to have their games available on the service. That’s a pretty large show of support and should allow most of the high-profile AAA release PC titles to make an appearance on the service, with other titles and publishers joining later down the line if it proves to be successful.


OnLive certainly looks promising, on paper at least. There is still some issues that need to be sorted out with control lag – which is pretty bad at this point – and with regards to the amount of compression used in the video stream, which at present is said to be somewhat blocky and unsuitable for fast motion. However, the service looks to provide the next step in videogame rentals at the very least, with a solid replacement for traditional retail games likely to come further in the future when high-end broadband speeds are available to most of the general public.

Either way, it will be interesting to see how well OnLive performs in the UK both technically, and from a consumer’s point of view, with the financials and quality of the tech being paramount to its success. The public must also be happy with how the service performs, along with having enough new content released each week to justify the entry fee each moth.

Nevertheless, what OnLive hopes to achieve could well revolutionise how the games playing public actually takes delivery of their gaming experiences. If done right, it could eventually replace the traditional consoles as the main source of gaming in the next ten to twenty years.

Review: Sin & Punishment 2 - SotS (Wii)

Ten years ago Treasure unleashed their little known but highly praised N64 classic, Sin & Punishment. It was a game that brought high-octane on-rails shooting to Nintendo’s failing 64bit system in a way not seen since the likes of Alien Solider on the Megadrive. Giant battles, continuous action, and challenging gameplay were all part and parcel of the experience, an experience though very well received, never made it anywhere outside of it’s native Japan.

Since the release of S&P Treasure has had only a few hits to their name. Outside the GameCube smash Ikaruga, and the commendable Astro Boy for GBA, there hasn’t been anything as iconic or sublimely brilliant at Radiant Silvergun, or even the original Sin & Punishment. Perhaps that’s because Treasure work best when investing in fresh new ideas, and not pandering around to its own rabid fanbase. It’s the main reason why, as a studio, they tend not to create sequels and only focus on new IP.

With this Wii sequel to the original S&P however, Treasure have delivered an experience that is in every way superior to the N64 original, featuring some of the most intensely fast-paced hardcore shooting action to be found on any console to date. If you like games that send wave upon wave of beautifully choreographed enemies your way, with some absolutely huge boss battles continuously emerging from the chaos, then you’ll love Sin & Punishment: Successor of the Skies (S&P2).


Like its predecessor S&P2 is an on-rails shooter. Guiding you along a fixed path, the game has you aiming and blasting your way through anything that stands in your way. Frequently your progress will be hampered by some show stopping gigantic creatures, in which the game mechanics and the on-rails nature briefly expands into something more free roaming, though still as tightly restrictive. In fact, right from the beginning it is clear that you have more control over your characters than in the original game, if only restricted to the view on screen. At the most, you can on occasion move inwards and outwards in addition to the standard left and right, giving you a brief moment of extra manoeuvrability.

The Nunchuck controls character movement, whilst the Wii Remote points and shoots at enemies across the screen. Camera movement is fixed, and your path is largely pre-determined, though you can move around the limited space given at any time. Two different characters are playable throughout the game, each with subtle differences adding some extra strategy to the game, and another excuse to play through the whole thing again once it’s finished.


Isa, the main one of the two and usual lead male protagonist, commands control of a jetpack and has the ability to unleash a charging shot of sorts, which explodes in a grenade-like fashion when it connects with enemies or the environment. Kachi, on the other hand, is a little different. The female of the bunch, she uses a hoverboard instead of a jetpack - yes, proper Back To The Future stylie - and features a lock-on charge shot that can target multiple enemies at once. Both characters can dodge, and also fight back with a standard melee attack, which can repel projectile attacks while still being the first choice for close-range combat.

Throughout most of S&P2 you will definitely need to use your entire arsenal, dodging and shooting your way past a multitude of foes, whilst making sure to keep that chain gauge going up. Later on in the game you’ll be faced with having to dodge through laser beams and constantly melee back projectile attacks, whilst at the same time trying to counter a gigantic boss creature’s main method of attack by firing off a well timed charged shot, disabling it for few seconds before repeating the whole process again. It’s pretty intense, and utterly exhilarating at the same time, being the most fun I’ve had with an arcade shooter in a long time.


It’s also a pretty tough ride all round. Though never unfair, the game requires you to simply learn enemy attack patterns and counter them effectively with the right set of moves. Most of the time, a well-planned dodge or some accurately positioned charge shots are all that is required. Whereas later on, you will need to mix it up using melee strikes and rapid gunfire in order to survive. That said there are a plentiful amount of checkpoints on offer, not least of all before every gigantic boss creature and end of level encounter, so you’re never far away from where you last died. Unlike Lost Planet 2, Sin & Punishment 2 absolutely nails down how old school progression should work, keeping things fair but challenging at all times.

The best part is that the entire game is filled with imaginative ideas, from the huge bosses and the smaller cannon fodder, to the level design and overall aesthetics. Sin & Punishment 2 is overflowing with an art style that is as original as it is bizarre, packed with a level of stylised beauty that could only have come from the minds at Treasure. Much of the game bares more than just a passing resemblance to Ikaruga, and at times it feels like this could almost be a spiritual successor to both Treasures much loved GCN shump and the Saturn classic Radiant Silvergun, though obviously unrelated to either.


Along with the unique art style and imaginative designs, the game also looks very pretty impressive from a graphical point of view. Visually, S&P2 is one of the best-looking Wii games, and doesn’t take its time to showcase its abilities. For one, the game runs at a buttery smooth sixty frames per-second almost constantly, with only minor drops in framerate. Bosses and the larger enemies are packed with detailed textures, bump mapping, and feature a liberal use of that next-generation sheen lacking in so many Wii games.

However, if there is one downside is that the game tends to look a little blocky, lacking consistantly high polygon counts, a result of having so much going on at any given time and keeping a smooth framerate. Also, despite featuring some of the sharpest, cleanest edges for a Wii game, S&P2 suffers from plenty of jagged edges, which means that playing this upscaled on a good flat panel HDTV is a painfully ugly process. Thankfully, any CRT owning folks out there can experience this in all its clear 480i/p glory, which really, is the best way to be playing S&P2.


With Sin & Punishment: Successor of the Skies there’s very little to complain about. Treasure have easily delivered one of their finest games of recent years, and one of the best arcade shooters to come out of any Japanese development studio in a long time. With it’s unique blend of imaginative ideas and art design, filled with unmistakably addictive on-rails action, S&P2 is not only an essential purchase, but also the best thing to come from the minds at Treasure since 2002’s Ikaruga. In many ways this deserves to be remembered as fondly as Radiant Silvergun, and maybe even some of their older 16bit hits as well.

What we have here is quite simply a modern classic, and perfect for anyone out there wanting some old-school action - something that you can dive in for a couple of minutes before getting lost into for several hours. Despite being a little short, it perfectly demonstrates what is missing in so many of today’s high profile titles, and shows that a tried and test formula can be equally refreshing as anything that attempts to push forward the boundaries of gaming.

VERDICT: 9/10

EA Locks Out Features From Used Games...

The battle against preowned games may have well and truly begun, as today EA announced the first title that would require an activation code to enable online play.

Maybe retailers should have thought about handing over some of those profits from used game sales back when they had the chance to make amends? Instead, they are now faced with potential reduction in preowned sales and a fall in the trade in price on certain titles due to the removal of multiplayer features.


Beginning with the release of Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11 on both PS3 and 360, EA will introduce a new ‘feature’ known as the Online Pass. This is a code which grants the user access to all the game’s online functionality along with any of the bonus features included. It is a one-time only registration option which allows the unlocked modes and extras to be available to just a single user, mostly likely being tied to their PSN or XBL accounts.

For people who purchased a used copy of the game, they will have to plunk down $10 for the Online Pass, or sign up for a 7-day free trial. Currently, there are plans to include the Online Pass in the company’s future sports line-up, which so far consists of NHL 11, Madden NFL 11, NCAA Football 11, NBA 11, FIFA 11, and EA Sports MMA. Each title will have different features unlocked when registering the Online Pass, although all titles will require the Pass to unlock any online functionality.

"This is an important inflection point in our business because it allows us to accelerate our commitment to enhance premium online services to the entire robust EA SPORTS online community," stated Peter Moore, President of EA SPORTS.

Though he failed to mention any link to retailers profiteering on used game sales and the fact that the publisher makes nothing on each used game sold, it is clear that this introduction of a registration code to unlock ‘standard game features’ is a direct reaction to that particular problem. The Online Pass it seems appears to be another main component in the company’s Project Ten Tollar plan, aiming to give gamers another reason to buy new.

US retailer GameStop looks to have welcomed the change, highlighting that it is inline with their newly directed focus towards expanding their operations in digital game sales and downloadable content.

"GameStop is excited to partner with such a forward-thinking publisher as Electronic Arts," said Dan DeMatteo, Chief Executive Officer of GameStop Corp. "This relationship allows us to capitalize on our investments to market and sell downloadable content online, as well as through our network of stores worldwide."

It is likely that EA’s Online Pass will be sold on the retailer’s website, and that the user will receive the code via an email much like how Amazon’s PSN downloads work. Either way, not all retailers are positioning this as a doom and gloom situation, instead opening up new opportunities for future profitability.

You can read our report about EA’s Project Ten Dollar here, and about the new face of videogame trade-ins here.