VideoGamer.com Plays

What we've been playing this week.

Neon Kelly, Deputy Editor - Fallout New Vegas, PC, PS3 and Xbox 360

I got spurs that jingle, jangle, jingle (jingle, jangle). I've also got several excellent-but-impossible-to-shift tunes stuck in my head, and what feels like an absolute mountain of quests that I have yet to solve in Fallout New Vegas. I suspect that this is one of those games where the appeal seems to be a bit of a mystery if you're simply watching someone else play: The graphics look dated, and the whole thing can seem like a buggy mess (because that's what it is, sometimes). But lordy lordy, if you're the one playing it's really quite wonderful. There's a near-endless amount to see and do, people to meet (and execute), and two years on from the release of Fallout 3, there's still no other franchise that lets you drink from the toilet on a regular basis. Hell, if you're playing on Hardcore, it's practically mandatory!

Emily Gera, Staff Writer - King's Bounty: Armoured Princess, PC

King's Bounty was originally released back in 1990. The little turn-based fantasy title was a predecessor to the brilliant (and better known) Heroes of Might and Magic series and influenced its design pretty thoroughly. Fast forward two decades, and Bounty's still alive and kicking. Armoured Princess is the sequel to a KB title that came out in the early Noughties. And while it's not much different to the game it sprouted from, it's also just as immensely compulsive. Roam through a fantasy world, find and collect newer and better units, pit them against harder and harder enemies. And Christ can it get difficult. For anyone clamouring for a good Might and Magic alternative, then run don't walk to Armoured Princess.

Martin Gaston, Staff Writer - Sonic 4: Episode I, PSN, XBLA, WiiWare

While I'm almost entirely certain Jamin and I don't share a brain, I found myself completely agreeing with his assessment of Sonic 4: Episode 1. I bought Sonic 4, of course, because I'm an absolute tool and I had some points in my account. It's not bad, I suppose - in the same way a common cold isn't really fatal. Much like a common cold, Sonic 4 is also something everyone will probably find themselves suffering through over the course of a few days. But I still made sure to get all the Chaos Emeralds, didn't I?

Jamin Smith, Staff Writer - Fable III, Xbox 360

Real life is crap. Nobody cheers or whoops when I walk down the street, bigamy is frowned upon, and burping in the faces of small children whilst wearing a chicken suit is deemed 'socially unacceptable'. I can do all three of these things in Fable 3 - I'm the king, after all, and regardless of the strange acts I perform in public, my citizens consider me a God. Yes, I'd take Albion over England any day of the week. Incidentally, did you know that the word 'Albion' is actually the oldest known name for Great Britain? It's true. I'm padding out this paragraph with useless (but relevant) facts because I'm not actually allowed to voice an opinion on Fable III just yet, and I need to fill space. Check back on Tuesday, when I'll have my thoughts cobbled together in review form for your reading pleasure.

Tom Pearson, Staff Writer - Alpha Chimp: Episode 1, XBLA

Here's an indie game that gives me far more enjoyment than any real life ape could. If you've played this game, you'll know that your tribe is only two or three strong. Your leader - Don Chimpy as I like to call him - can't be bothered to get his hands dirty, and asks you to take on some key tasks. So why on Earth am I taking orders from this lazy ass? Simple: To wipe out everyone who stands in my way. You'd think this would mean wiping every chimp from existence. However, after much talk and gesticulation from the lethargic monkey, he convinces you to take on humans and eventually aliens. No one is safe from your crushing monkey paws. Now, I don't usually have a problem with this sort of thing, but how exactly does slapping human shins make them have man-periods? Still, the loss of blood via this method bodes well for me, so on with the revolution!