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Games reviews ; What's hot in the games world? By Dan Sharp [Lincolnshire Echo (England)](Lincolnshire Echo (England) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Journey Collector's Edition. PS3. Publisher: Sony. Rating: 10/10 Journey is one of the best games ever made for the PS3 and here it's joined by two other ground-breaking titles - Flower and flOw - all produced by the multi-award-winning thatgamecompany. Each was previously available as a download-only title on PSN but here they are collected on one disc with three bonus minigames plus soundtracks, concept art and a host of other extras. The main attraction is obviously Journey itself. You control a pilgrim of sorts who is clad head to foot in concealing robes with a long scarf that flashes out behind you. Wandering a ruined desert- claimed city you use magic to unlock its secrets. You surf down walls of sand, dodge a fierce guardian and ultimately make your way towards a distant light at the top of a mountain. The graphics are otherworldly in their beauty and although it's short it really does feel like a journey of discovery. In Flower you control nothing but the wind, blowing across soothingly empty fields of greenery and filling them with colourful flowers. flOw has you controlling a microbe moving about in water, eating other mini-creatures and gradually growing larger. It too is incredibly calming and absorbing. Getting all three games together for a budget price makes this a very attractive package. Grid 2. PS3 (reviewed), Xbox 360, PC. Publisher: Codemasters. Rating: 7/10 You're a rookie racer who's plucked from obscurity to begin a new career in World Series Racing, businessman Patrick Callaghan's pet project. This involves a series of full-on street and circuit races, one-on-one challenges and other trials in a succession of ever flashier cars. You can splatter your lovingly painted car with sponsor logos and you're on a mission to build up a fan following as you move on from one race to the next. This isn't rocket science but the sports cars you drive look stunning, as does the scenery as it whips past - or as you careen into it at a highly inadvisable speed. Grid 2 has a damage modelling system that allows you to comprehensively trash your ride and the rides of those around you during the course of an event. In fact, it's sometimes actively encouraged. Not only that, even in 'easy' mode your opponents will give you a hard time. Luckily, Grid 1's flashback system makes a welcome reappearance so when you've taken one knock too many you can always go back to well before it happened and have another go. Grid 2 looks good and aside from the somewhat challenging difficulty level it drives splendidly too. (c) 2013 ProQuest Information and Learning Company; All Rights Reserved. |