Atari in five-star shocker! Yes the company formerly known as Infogrames came up trumps in this week's reviews, with Atari Anthology scoring full marks. And after a dreadful year - did any major publisher have a worse line-up than Atari in 2004? - the company has seemingly come good with its latest release. But don't get too excited - this isn't sparkling new IP. Atari Anthology contains 85 "lovingly recreated" versions of classics like Asteroids and Battlezone. Of course, 83 of these games usually entertain only as it long it takes to say, "Brilliant! I remember bunking off school to play this...ok, bored now, what's next". But Mike Anderiesz was smitten by nostalgia enough to offer 5 stars. "With so many titles to choose from, you really can't go wrong" he said.
Bounty-hunting romp Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath looks pleasingly different, and Steve Boxer was certainly impressed. "Stunningly good graphics, a smattering of humour and a high level of attention to detail generate a gameplay experience that is fresh, immersive and, at times, challenging" he said. And lets face it, it's good to see EA publishing a game without a numeric suffix.
Last up was my review - Star Wars Republic Commando, the second in what is likely to be a lengthy list of Force-related games this year. But this is a decent first-person blaster that will keep fans at least partially busy until the new film in May. Gritty, dark and visceral are three words that describe Republic Commando. Equally useful are "not" "quite" and "Halo". Nonetheless, it comes recommended.
