It is a strange beast, this new game from THQ and their new development studio, Virgil Games, because part of me wants to say it is not particularly original (because initially that is what you will think) and that the essential game has been done far better elsewhere (again at first that is what you will think) and yet it is also an incredibly addictive game that is a new IP and not a sequel and in many ways is a reinvention of the genre. Actually if the first couple of months is anything to go by then 2010 could well go down as the year of the Hack ‘N’ Slash genre. As well as this title we have already had Bayonetta and Dante’s Inferno and later this year the granddaddy of them all God Of War returns with the first next gen version of the franchise. At first glance of the box you would be forgiven for thinking that out of all the recent releases that this title is the most like GOW but actually once you start playing it that it does have its similarities – Giant opponents, brightly colour orbs and the way you hit things but it also has far much more than that as well. The story concerns WAR who is one of the four fabled Horsemen of the Apocalypse. He descends to Earth believing he has heard the call for the final battle which is to determine the fate of the three kingdoms – Heaven, Hell and Man. However when he gets there he quickly realises something is wrong – the other horsemen are no-where to be found and he is weaker than he should be. The charred council who are the guardians of the pack between Heaven and Hell reel him back in and charged for attempting to bring about the final days of man before the seventh seal was broken and the call went out. War of course claims he heard the call and demands to be allowed to go back to Earth and find out the true cause of everything or die trying. He is allowed too but only in a weakened state and providing he is accompanied by one of their own – a watcher who is crazed (and played by Mark Hamill who played The Joker in Arkham Asylum). As soon as you load the game and start playing one thing is quickly apparent. This game has been designed with some of the best love and care put into a game in a long time. The character design is fantastic and the details that has gone into the various locations you find yourself in is quite frankly on par if not better than anything you will have played for a long time. At first the game feels quite linear but actually eventually the game actually opens up and you are allowed to revisit areas of the game that you have already been too. This makes the game feel very “open world” not perhaps in the sense of GTA but certainly more so than other games of the genre. The other impressive element is in the tasks you are asked to do. For example the first thing you have to do is deliver enough souls to Vulgrim to obtain the Earthcaller. This is a fabled horn that you can use to wake the dead and is essential for you to complete the major task at hand. As with all games of the genre the controls are deeply important and great care appears to have been taken to make sure the ones used for this game are quick to learn and easy to operate. You have one button for interacting with the gameworld, one to jump and another for primary attacks with your sword known as the Chaos Eater. When you first start playing, as usual with this genre you will probably find yourself just hitting the attack button as often as you can as fast as you can however you will quickly find out that timing is of the essence and the length of time you keep the button pressed and when you press it is key to the success you will have within the game. On top of the spectacular (at times) graphics the sound used throughout the game is excellent in places, with some of the best vocal acting you are likely to hear and also some suitably atmospheric music used especially in the battle scenes. Overall this is one of the most impressive games from THQ in a very long time. As I said in the opening paragraph to start off with you think, it is a rip off of previous games, but although it does borrow elements from GOW and actually Zelda as well in terms of puzzles etc, it is actually a fantastic new IP and if, as has been suggested, it is actually the first game in a series, then I for one cannot wait for what comes next. If you own a 360 or a PS3 then you really should own this one in your collection. | 
XBox 360 
