NO GUTS, NO GORE-Y! By Owen Anslow
Viking: Battle For Asgard
FORMAT: Xbox 360/PlayStation 3
GENRE: 3rd Person Action Adventure
RATING: 18 (lots of blood ’n’ guts)
OUT: Now
Verdict: EN-GROSS-ING
Score: 8/10
BLOODY hell – well, you kind of end up in one in this Norse little hack ’n’ slash. You are sword and axe-yielding Skarin, the last hope for the good folk off Midgard in the battle against Hel, an aptly-named evil goddess. To be honest, you’ll forget the story once you start button bashing. Sega have come up with a fun slasher that will have you perfecting your Viking war cry in front of the telly. Controls are simple enough and as time goes by you’ll learn more of the combos in which to chop up the bad guys (orc-like monsters). The good news is there’s always someone to fight and you won’t get tired of the superb slow-mo death move cut-aways. The bad news? Well, it’s only bad news if you’re a hardcore hack ‘n’ slash fan, in which case you might find Viking a tad easy. But it’s the quick loading, simple maps and arcade feel that makes the game successful. So what are you waiting for? Go out and get a slice of the action – chop, chop.


So what's changed? Well, not a lot actually, but that's not a bad thing. You still get all the great, tactical genius gameplay that made Vegas 1 so successful and with sharper graphics and a deeper plot, the experience is enhanced. One key change however are the bad guys - they've grown a brain since the last time we met. Improved AI means terrorists don't hang around in the line of fire like sitting ducks waiting to be picked off. In V2 they are tougher, somewhat organised and make YOU move from hiding with some deadly accurate frag grenades (oh, incendiary devices much improved too). For fans of Rainbow, a smile will creep across your face when you hear a familiar war cry from the bad guys of, "Who's with me?" Ubisoft have also introduced a system (similar to Call Of Duty 4 online) which tracks your style of gameplay and rewards you with experience points and weapons in all modes of play. And it's a nice touch to be rewarded after all that
hard work - getting your boys to stack up, target a couple a bad guys with your snake cam and then breach and clear the room to save the hostages. During all the madness, the new PEC system informs you of successful kills (headshots, frag etc) and in what category (marksman, close-quarters or assault) you'll gain points in. The game’s improved online too (new maps, better multiplayer) and sucks you in and doesn’t spit you out till the early hours of the morning. In fact, it's hard to find fault with V2 and be warned - just like poker, this is an addictive game! But, if you're hooked, then sit back, screw in a silencer and let rip a burst from your MP5 . . . it's Vegas, baby!






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