Dead Space:

Dead Space:

Gameplay:

The player takes the role of Isaac Clarke, an engineer who must fight his way through a stricken mining ship infested by the Corruption, a hostile, virus-like, free-roaming alien DNA with the ability to reanimate the bodies of the dead, turning them into grotesque monstrosities called Necromorphs. The game features an 'over the shoulder' third-person perspective, similar to games Resident Evil 4, Dark Sector and Gears of war. The interface does not feature a traditional head-up display. Instead, information is relayed to the player via holographic projection, which hover over or in front of Isaac's weapons and armor and can even be part of his armor; much like the 'health meter' which is integrated into his spinal armor. An in-game store can be accessed where items can be bought and sold. The only menu in which the game is not still in progress is the pause menu and the save console menu.

Zero gravity and decompressed environments also appear in Dead Space, and Isaac can navigate through them using his pressurized suit and magnetic boots. Some levels even lead out onto the surface of the ship's hull. Floating debris presents a hazard, however, and Isaac can lose his footing and simply float off into space. Isaac's suit also has a limited amount of air while in airless environments, which can cause him to suffocate, forcing the player to move faster when in these situations. In keeping with Isaac's profession as an engineer rather than a soldier, weapons in the game are mostly improvised from mining tools, such as a plasma cutter, a hydrazine torch used as a flamethrower, and a force cannon emitting powerful shock waves, although a triple-barreled automatic military rifle is also available. Stasis can be used in the game to slow down enemies and objects temporarily, and a kinesis module allows Isaac to pick up and throw items. Text, audio and video logs can be found throughout the game which serve to explain some of the game's plot, and detail the crew's plight as the ship is attacked and overrun by Necromorphs.

The game's themes pay heavy homage to director Andrei Tarkovsky's famous science fiction film Solaris, and appear to have been especially included by the game producers. The player is constantly pestered by visions of his girlfriend, in exact parallel to the film, and all the inhabitants on the ship are similarly haunted and controlled by visions of loved ones, raising the theme of mind control based on emotional attachments in outer space. Furthermore, like Solaris, the alien planet the ship orbits is later discovered to ultimately be the source of the mind control and devastation onboard. Free will, the limits of human mind versus the heart, and how far the mind persists in hallucinations to recover the memory of loved ones are explored in this game.

Midnight Club Los Angeles on Xbox 360,PS3:

Midnight Club Los Angeles:

Rockstar's street-racing franchise has always lived in the considerable shadow of Grand Theft Auto, but Los Angeles, its fourth iteration, is the best game in the series. As the name suggests, it takes place in a lovingly crafted and thrillingly recognisable virtual LA. Races are generally point-to-point or around a circuit, with checkpoints marked by plumes of yellow smoke; in some, you can win your opponent's car, and cash and reputation points are always on offer. A certain amount of influence from Burnout Paradise is evident — notably the cars' arcade-style handling and resistance to damage, plus the Google Earth-style map. But Midnight Club Los Angeles differentiates itself cleverly, by offering real cars with vast customisation options and some interesting gameplay mechanics: slipstream an opponent and you will accrue a nitrous boost, and when you progress, you can earn special abilities, such as a brief burst of invulnerability or time slowdown. Graphically, it is simply stunning and in every respect it is vastly superior to the heavily marketed Need For Speed Undercover. The aficionado's choice of street-racer.