Ramiro Cruz does a lot of killing and looks cool doing it in Chili Con Carnage, a good old-fashioned revenge story.
Chili Con Carnage
Publisher: Eidos
Platforms: PSP
Rating: M – Mature 17+
Game type: Action
**** (out of 5)
What’s the premise?
Ramiro Cruz is out for blood after his dad (and a bunch of kittens) gets run over by a combine-harvester in a tongue-in-cheek Mexican mob hit. It’s a good old-fashioned revenge story where you’ve got to kill ’em all — but make sure to look cool while doing it.
This game is most similar to…?
Total Overdose: A Gunslinger’s Tale In Mexico (CCC is a semi-sequel).
Can I let my kid/kid brother play it?
A game that rewards stylish kills is probably not great family fare.
One player or more?
The well-conceived Hangman mode allows players to pass a PSP back and forth trying to outscore their friends.
What’s missing?
The slightly limited controls of the PSP can make looking, walking and aiming simultaneously a little challenging, but not much can be done about it.
The (not-so) secret to success is…?
If you don’t mix it up and try new moves, CCC could get boring. Try blasting everything in sight just to see what happens (how long can you keep a chicken in the air with an Uzi?).
And in the end?
It’s nice to see an action/shooter that doesn’t take itself so seriously. Sure, there’s lots of death and mayhem, but overall CCC is about cutting loose and trying the kind of gravity-defying John Woo-esque action we often don’t see enough of in these types of games.
Fans of the film will love the gore level in 300: March To Glory, but its overall repetitive gameplay of hack, slash and defend does get tiresome.
300: March to Glory
Publisher: Warner Bros. Games
Platforms: PSP
Rating: M – Mature 17+
Game type: Action
***
What’s the premise?
Grab your sword, spear and shield and get ready to beat the odds as you take control of King Leonidas and lead your 300 Spartans against the massive Persian forces in the video game version of the new blockbuster film.
This game is most similar to…?
Dynasty Warriors.
Can I let my kid/kid brother play it?
There’s Persian heads, limbs and blood flying all over the place and you probably don’t want any of that to get all over the little ones.
One player or more?
It’s just you and the Spartans.
What’s missing?
An end to the tirelessly repetitive gameplay.
The (not-so) secret to success is…?
Hack, slash, defend. Hack, slash, defend. Form a Phalanx. Hack, slash, defend. Hack, slash, defend. Go on a stealth mission. Hack, slash, defend. Hack, slash, defend.
And in the end?
March To Glory has a few challenging asides and the gore level is good for fans of the film, but overall it’s just too much of the same thing to endorse.
JONATHAN P. KUEHLEIN/metro toronto
