Computer Games for Everyone- Volume II
Borderlands
Borderlands is a science fiction, role-playing, first-person shooter game developed for Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. It is set on the planet of Pandora, where fortune hunters seek the treasure in the “Vault”.
The four characters in the game are: Roland the Soldier, Mordecai the Hunter, Lilith the Siren, and Brick, each having a unique strength and proficiency with certain weapons. After the players pick a character each, they undertake quests, kill foes and acquire skills to earn points, money or other rewards.
Players may resell unused rewards and use the money to buy better ones.. The game can be played singly, through two-player cooperative play (through a split-screen on consoles), or up to four-player cooperative play (online or through a LAN).
Gran Turismo
Gran Turismo is a critically acclaimed series of racing simulation video games developed for Sony PlayStation, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable gaming systems. The quality of the game’s simulation has made it the preferred choice for demonstrating the PlayStation console's graphics capabilities.
There is a high degree of authenticity in game design, from the handling and turning of vehicles as executed in real life to engine sounds based on recordings of the actual vehicles being simulated.
Players start the game with a certain number of credits, using these to buy vehicles, and get them tuned for optimum performance. They then compete in events to win prize money.
Assassin's Creed II
Assassin’s Creed II is set in 2012.The player-controlled protagonist is Desmond Miles who enters a device that makes him relive the genetic memories of his ancestor, a 15th century Italian nobleman named Ezio Auditore da Firenze. As Ezio, he sets out to avenge the murders of his father and brothers.
The game uses nonlinear gameplay in an open world, allowing the player to travel freely through several regions in late 15th century Italy. Leonardo da Vinci makes an appearance and designs weapons for Ezio. One weapon is a flying machine based on da Vinci’s real design drawings.
The game features a notoriety system, with Ezio sometimes becoming more recognisable and easier to detect depending on his behaviour, location, or mission. The player can deal with this by removing “Wanted” posters and bribing or assassinating corrupt officials.
The Saboteur
The Saboteur is a third person action-adventure video game set during World War II in German occupied France. The game's protagonist Sean Devlin’s character is based on war hero William Grover-Williams.
The open world game allows the player to explore Nazi-occupied Paris and parts of Germany. Colour has a big role in gameplay, and embodies the “Will to Fight” (WtF) factor among the people, a measure of their morale and hope. Areas with low WtF are dark, dismal and grey except for the bright, prominently displayed German flags. German patrols exist in larger numbers in these areas, making gameplay more challenging.
The player helps the area regain its colour and morale again by weakening the occupying German forces. Areas with high WtF are awash in vibrant colour, and have the French people actively involved in the struggle and providing support and protection to the protagonist. Perks gained through actions such as sniping targets or demolishing German installations enable the players to upgrade their character, improving their lethality.
Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars
Developed for Nintendo DS, PlayStation Portable, and iPhone OS, Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars is the thirteenth of the Grand Theft Auto series. Intrigue and deception are rampant within the Triad in Liberty City, in addition to a power struggle to succeed the aging Triad boss, Hsin Jaoming.
The characters include Triad members, Korean mobs, the Mafia and an undercover cop. They indulge in drug peddling, acquire weapons illegally and have the cops on their heels.
DJ Hero
DJ Hero is a music video game similar to Guitar Hero. The game is based on turntablism, the art of manipulating sounds and creating music using phonograph or digital turntables and a DJ mixer. The word 'turntablist' describes one who actively manipulates the sound by touching and moving the records, using a stylus and mixer as against a DJ who just plays records.
The game features 94 remixes of two different songs from a huge selection across numerous genres. The player must perform for a virtual crowd like a DJ would, by pressing buttons to activate accented beats, adjusting their crossfade between the remixed songs, and scratching the turntable on the game's custom controller in time to indicators on the screen.
Many real life DJ and mix artists have contributed to the game's development and the creation of the song mixes, and by lending their images for the playable avatars.
ESRB has issued “Mature” ratings to Borderlands, Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars and Assassin’s Creed for violence, gore and strong language/ profanity. The Saboteur, also assigned an “M” rating, contains some nudity and sexual references apart from violence and strong language. DJ Hero has been rated T (Teen) referring to content that may be suitable for ages 13 and older. T ratings may contain some violence, crude humour and some strong language. Gran Turismo has a rating of “E” signifying universal suitability.