The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion is a great mix of swordplay, magic and monsters, but too violent for the young ones.
The Elder Scrolls IV:Oblivion
Publisher: Bethesda Softworks
Platforms: PlayStation 3
Rating: M — Mature 17+
Game type: Role-playing
****½(out of 5)
What’s the premise?
The epic role-playing adventure that was many critics’ 2006 game of the year for the Xbox 360 and PC finally makes the move to PlayStation 3 with the same mix of swordplay, magic, monsters and much, much more.
This game is most similar to…?
The Elder Scrolls III (but much cooler).
Can I let my kid/kid brother play it?
Oblivion features too much violence and scary imagery for the younger crowd.
One player or more?
It’s just you and your sword (or axe, or dagger, or bow, or… well, you get the point).
What’s missing?
The 100-plus hours of free time it will take you to complete this game.
The (not-so) secret to success is…?
Don’t get sidetracked (at least not for too long). There’s an incredibly detailed and sprawling world for you to explore and scores of small challenges, but if you don’t at least make an attempt to follow the plot of the game, you can change that 100-hour figure to 200.
And in the end?
If you’re going to buy one RPG for the PlayStation 3, Oblivion should be it.
Offering tons of variation, GRAW 2 is one of the most engrossing multiplayer games ever created.
Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Advanced Warfare 2
Publisher: Ubisoft
Platforms: Xbox 360 (coming soon for PlayStation 3, PSP and PC)
Rating: T — Teen
Game type: Tactical shooter
****(out of 5)
What’s the premise?
Captain Scott Mitchell and his elite special forces team are back in this sequel to 2006’s highly popular GRAW with a mission to help quell a Mexican civil war and to prevent a nuclear detonation on U.S. soil.
This game is most similar to…?
GRAW, Rainbow Six.
Can I let my kid/kid brother play it?
With guns, tanks and nuclear bombs? Nope.
One player or more?
GRAW 2 is one of deepest, most engrossing multiplayer games ever created with tons of variations. It is also one of the best reasons to bite the bullet and get an Xbox Live Gold Membership (if you haven’t already got one).
What’s missing?
The only thing that lingers in almost all tactical shooters is the AI of your team members, who still need a fair bit of handholding.
The (not-so) secret to success is…?
Take advantage of your squad and make sure they have the best situations possible before you give the order to attack.
And in the end?
You should buy GRAW 2 for the great one-player mission and keep it for the multiplayer.
JONATHAN P. KUEHLEIN/metro toronto
