The Latest UK Video Games Chart

Welcome back to the Latest UK Video Games Chart, below is a list of last week’s most popular games.

January 22nd – 28th

Review: Quarrel (XBLA)

Quarrel is a word orientated strategy game developed by Denki, and is by far one of the best word games to date on any system. The best way to describe Quarrel would be to say that it plays something along the lines of a strategic battle game of Scrabble, where everybody is gunning for your territory and words are the best defence in your arsenal. If you weren’t already aware, Quarrel was originally an iOS title and, having played both versions, it’s safe to say that a game like Quarrel is more suited to a touch screen. However, the Xbox Live Arcade version of Quarrel is by no means less enjoyable, if you’re a fan of word games in general this is a must have. But let’s break Quarrel down shall we?

The way in which Quarrel is played is simple enough. To win, a player must capture all enemy territories by changing them to their colour. To take over a territory you must create a high scoring word from an anagram, or be able to spell the whole jumbled up word. Each letter is given a numerical value, for example the letter “J” is the highest and worth 15 points. The capture of any territory is shown through the use of your own personal minions, though sadly said minions are not customisable. The player is assigned a minion design for the game; Ninjas, Ginger Scotsmen in kilts, Robots, Pirates and many more are up for the choosing. If your attack prevails, your little minions bombard enemy minions with the words tiles, resulting in little ghostly angel figures ascending to heaven. If you earn enough points during a game you’ll be awarded with the ability to call in extra minions to back-up your forces when attacking or defending a territory. One thing worth mentioning is that when backup is called for, it’s signaled by a cavalry-esc fan-fare. When the fanfare is initiated the sound quality drops, arguably something small but it’s also something a little bit annoying.

There are many aspects that set the Xbox Live Arcade port apart from its iOS sibling. For one, Quarrel incorporates the use of Xbox Live Avatars. This adds a sense of personalisation to the game and increases the level of competitiveness through the emotive responses provided when winning or losing a quarrel. Despite having similar art styles, Quarrel on the Arcade is simply nice to look at. Yes, looks aren’t everything but it sure helps. The art style in question is very child friendly and emanates an inviting vibe. The visuals aren’t childish enough to deter the older generation of gamer however, it is a game to be enjoyed by all if word games are your thing.

For the solo gamers, the Single Player aspect of Quarrel offers a variety of game modes to choose from. First off, you have the bog standard Quick Match, no real explanation needed there. As with most games, a tutorial is also made available for those who need a better grasp of the game. The Domination mode gives you the chance to “conquer all 12 islands to dominate the Known Quarrel World”, with each individual island offering a different theme or setting. If a head-to-head play style is more your cup of tea then you’ll want the Showdown mode, beat all nine AI opponents to be crowned Quarrel Master. Prefer objective based play? The Challenge mode offers twelve unique challenges to be completed by only the best Quarrel players. Regardless of what you decide to play, all of Quarrel’s game modes were very enjoyable. If you play enough of them you will even receive a Word IQ level, practice makes perfect and speed can often be the key.

For those with a more competitive streak, Quarrel’s multiplayer aspect is nothing to be sniffed at. The benefit of Xbox Live Arcade over iOS is that the Xbox Live service provides a much better online experience. Like most games, you’re given the choice to play either a more competitive Ranked Match or a friendlier Player Match. You have the choice to play with a maximum of three friends online or simply hop into a random game; it’s a fun experience whichever way you decide to play and for 400 Microsoft Points you really can’t go wrong.

In short, Quarrel is a great game. If you like word based games or you’re simply looking for a game to relax with then this is the game for you, hats  off to Denki!

Overall score: 9/10

The Witcher 2, Coming to a 360 Near You – Release date Confirmed

Warner Bros. has finally announced the official launch date for the Xbox 360 port of the highly anticipated CD Projekt Red sequel, The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings. That’s right, it’ll be coming to an Xbox 360 near you on April 17^th. Excited? You should be!

Originally announced last summer, the title was originally planned to launch on Xbox 360 in 2011, but had to be pushed back to early 2012 before Warner Bros. signed on to publish. I think it’s safe to say that we’ve waited long enough.

Ghost Recon: Future Soldier – New Screenshots

With the latest addition to the Tom Clancy series slowly approaching it’s always refreshing to see some new screenshots. By now you should know what to expect from the game, with regards to visuals, but if you’ve yet to have a nose around check out the images below. Ghost Recon: Future Soldier will be available in the UK May 24th and in the US 22nd May.

SoulCalibur V Preps A Number Of Launch Month DLC Packs

While we all prepare ourselves for the next few days in wait for the onslaught to begin, Namco Bandai has also prepared itself with a set of three premium DLC packs scheduled in the first month of SoulCalibur V‘s release. How’s that for a Kick in the crotch?

It seems Namco Bandai took a creative turn this month with music and customization on their minds for the DLC. Each of the three packs feature music tracks from two previous games in the series, alongside special customization gear to enhance the power of the game’s character creation tool.

The first pack  will emerge in time for the game’s launch. It comes with music from Soul Blade and the original SoulCalibur, plus nine “exotic” costume options: Wings, face paints, bikinis, etc.

Pack two makes its appearance on Valentine’s Day, February 14. This time the music is from SoulCaliburs II and III, and the nine customization items include a breast plate, a kimono, and a number of animal heads.

Towards the end of the month we’ll get our third helping of DLC with masks, more face paint, skulls, and camouflage, all the while listening to the sweet sounds of SoulCalibur IV and SoulCalibur: Broken Destiny.

Prices for each pack are set at €1.99 or 160 MS points in Europe.

Fifa Street to Kick Off March 13th

Previously slated for a vague March release, Fifa Street has finally received a solid release date. EA’s next entry into the series will be hitting on March 13th, 2012. The series reboot will take to the streets with 35 locations, street challenges, tournaments and new dribble controls. Gracing Fifa Street’s cover will be Lionel Messi.

Rumour: Microsoft to Rid Themselves of MS Points for Real World Moneys

A rumour has surfaced that, sometime this year, Microsoft plan on scrapping their traditional Microsoft Points for real world currency. If the rumour is true, is it a step in the right direction? For the more wary, purchasing content from the Xbox Live Marketplace has always been a real pain. The need for spending physical money on a little bit of plastic that somehow contains Microsoft Points is probably a system that should have died out a long time ago. So the time for change could be nigh (apparently). If the rumour is true, is this more convenient method for you? Many will have had a credit card attached to their account since the beginning and probably won’t be all that bothered, but let us know what you think.

I Am Alive Release Date Confirmed

Today, Ubisoft announced that I Am Alive, an upcoming post-apocalyptic action-adventure game, is coming to Xbox LIVE Arcade House Party for the Xbox 360 on March 7, 2012.

I Am Alive follows an everyman’s journey to find his wife and daughter, who were lost during the “Event.” A year later, he finds Haventon, his hometown, in shambles. Buildings are destroyed, toxic ash fills the streets and society has been torn, causing inhabitants to take all necessary actions to survive.

In I Am Alive, players will be challenged by both the environment and the enemies. Stamina and resource management are key when being exposed to deadly atmospheres and scaling enormous buildings in search of supplies. The unique combat system requires players to utilize intimidation – cowards are easily swayed with an empty gun, while other enemies will put players to the test.

The Latest UK Video Games Chart

Well I’m back again with the Latest UK Video Games Chart and I’m still tweaking that pesky layout, below is last week’s list.

January 15th - 21th

Minecraft for XBLA to get Frequent Updates

Microsoft may be about to end its limit on content distribution and speeding up its approval process, with the XBLA version of Minecraft, the first ever title to get such treatment. In a recent interview, the developers behind the port say the plan is to catch the Xbox version up to the 1.0 build.

It is clear that Microsoft understands that a big part of Minecraft’s appeal is its ever-evolving nature and long list of Mods. While the constant updates of the PC version aren’t feasible at this time, the developers do say Microsoft is “keen to move towards that – they do see it as the future.”

However, it has been confirmed that Microsoft won’t be stepping out of the way completely. The plan is to just speeding up the notoriously slow testing and approval process. “I think that there will always be Microsoft testing involved… But the whole turnaround of that testing they’re hoping to speed up, so we can maybe roll out very two months.”

It is a possibility that Microsoft may be using Minecraft as a test case. There are certainly other games on the Xbox 360 that could benefit from frequent updates; Valve’s Team Fortress 2 comes to mind. Hopefully the XBLA version of Minecraft will usher in a new era of updates when it releases this spring.