Brrrr! Feel that autumn chill? That distinct and bitter crisp in the air? No? Well for us, this period of time can only mean one thing – the games industry is about to shift up a gear. And we love it. From as far back as the 1990s, there was always a sense of familiarity with this quarter, with companies churning out the latest additions in their biggest franchises like a well-oiled machine, and nothing has changed in this respect. Over the years, this period has for us become synonymous with a myriad of big hitters, from the latest Tomb Raider (well, ok, nothing much has changed there, with Miss Croft invading PSN just this month), to modern day staples such as the ubiquitous Guitar Hero brand. From here on out, it’s a steady influx of quality games until Christmas.
Getting back on track, September proved a fairly meaty month overall, with the likes of Codemasters’ F1 2010, HAWX 2, not to mention Sony’s wand-waggling foray in to the motion control market with PlayStation Move all competing for your cash. Finally, we also had Capcom’s eagerly anticipated zombie slayer Dead Rising 2 show up at the tail end of the month alongside the delayed PSN release of Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light marking for one of most competitive line-ups in recent months. Even the mighty Halo: Reach couldn’t maintain its stronghold on the UK Charts for more than a week due to the heavy competition.
All things considered, however, the staff at PSU HQ ultimately plumped for the excellent Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light, proving yet again that good things can indeed come wrapped in small, digital bite-sized packages. For all its zombie-mashing fun, Croft’s nearest competitor – namely, Dead Rising 2 – ultimately proved a competent yet overly formulaic affair, while our nimble archaeologist’s latest outing offers an invigoratingly fresh take on an iconic franchise at a budget price. Plus, the forthcoming addition of online co-op only looks set to strengthen what is already a solid action/adventure romp. Check out a snippet from our review below, and don’t forget to have a butcher’s at the full article here.
“There’s no doubt about it: Lara Croft And The Guardian of Light is one of the top platformers on PSN. We’ve gone full circle on our thoughts on Lara in recent years. We were quite bored of doing the same old things in Tomb Raider Anniversary, but after completing The Guardian Of Light we’re already dying to see more from the video game legend. Lara has really changed, but it is all for the better.”
Likewise, here’s what a couple of our readers had to say on Miss Croft’s compelling outing:
Holy-Stars: “Absolutely love this game 🙂 very addictive, can’t wait for online co-op.”
Circles: “didn’t think i was going to like this game as much as i do, awesome game.”
Paranoimia: “They need to sort the co-op quickly, but it’s a brilliant game. A different point of view, but still unmistakeably a Tomb Raider game. Back to the roots, in many ways – decent puzzling, good action. I particularly like the Forgotten Gate level so far.”
Don’t agree with our choice for September’s Game of the Month? Be sure to post what you would have given the accolade to in the comments section below. Until next month, happy gaming.