Video Game Reviews by Jeb Haught

DEVELOPER: Just Add Water

PUBLISHER: Just Add Water

SYSTEM: Sony PSN download

PRICE: $14.99

ESRB RATING: Teen

REVIEW RATING: 4.5 stars (out of 5)

With the HD remake of EA's Wild West-inspired action title, "Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath," the popular but quirky series has not only changed publishers, but it's also taken on a completely new genre. Amid all the changes, this version retains the same offbeat humor and addictive game-play as previous incarnations.

This time around, players get to take on the role of the mysterious, catlike bounty hunter known only as the Stranger. He's sick with an unknown affliction, and his mission is to earn as much money as possible for the antidote. Cash is acquired by capturing evildoers, and bonus cash is available by turning in live bounties.

Perhaps the funniest aspect of this hilarious title is the fact that the Stranger uses live ammunition in his "double-barreled" crossbow. Don't be surprised to find yourself blasting chipmunks, skunks, flies and wasps at your enemies! Each type of ammunition sports a different characteristic, such as the Bolamite bug that wraps bad guys in a sticky web or the Stingbees that can be fired in rapid succession like a machine-gun. Instead of finding ammo laying around, the Stranger must hunt down his ammunition in the wild.

While the shooting action is presented from a first-person viewpoint, hand-to-hand combat, such as spinning attacks and head-butts, are performed in a third-person view. Watching the Stranger perform these cool attacks helps to immerse players in his surreal world.

The new developers have managed to vastly improve the visuals and make this game look fantastic! Every single character sports higher polygon counts and high-res textures, and the framerate has been upgraded to a silky-smooth 60 fps. Too bad the HD upgrade didn't include any multiplayer modes. Imagine how fun it would be to blast your friends with the vomit-inducing skunk!

"Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath HD" manages to make the best game in the series even better and is a must-buy for any action fan.

'Choplifter HD' Rewards Patience as Much as Skill

DEVELOPER: inXile Entertainment

PUBLISHER: Konami

SYSTEM: Microsoft XBL download (PC, PSN)

PRICE: $14.99

ESRB RATING: Teen

REVIEW RATING: 3.0 stars (out of 5)

"Yo-ho-yo-ho, a pilot's life for me." Konami hopes to lure players into flying the unfriendly skies with their HD remake of the classic game, "Choplifter." Although it still retains the classic 2-D side-scrolling game play set against 3-D backgrounds, "Choplifter HD" adds vastly improved visuals, as well as new enemies and helicopters, to the latest version.

This title doesn't have much of a story to tie it together; in nearly every mission, players are tasked with flying military helicopters to rescue soldiers and civilians while avoiding deranged gunmen, armed vehicles and hazardous obstacles.

Some missions even force players to eradicate hordes of zombies!

Each level contains pockets of civilians to rescue, and it's up to the player to save them all without getting shot down. However, some civilians are injured and have a time limit in which to be airlifted to safety, so prioritizing rescues becomes imperative. Most levels also have a secret mission to save TV reporters, and it's cool to hear them report on your endeavors while they're being rescued.

The life of a rescue pilot isn't all fun and games though, as players must also keep an eye on their fuel gauge and refill their fuel tank when it gets low. Later levels become very challenging as players must work out strategies in their head to eliminate enemies, prioritize targets and also ensure they have enough fuel to make it back to base.

This is challenging enough without having to worry about the many ways in which passengers can be killed during rescues. I can understand if they fall out of the helicopter when it hits objects, but do they have to occasionally get hacked to pieces by my chopper blades or die due to a slightly rough landing?

Sketchy A.I. for survivors and constantly-re-spawning enemies also make "Choplifter HD" frustrating, but fans of the series will still enjoy playing it.

REVIEW SCORING SYSTEM

5 stars = Must-Have

4 stars = Very Good

3 stars = Above Average

2 stars = Bargain Bin

1 star = Don't Bother

RATINGS KEY

Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB)

E: Everyone

E10-plus: (Everyone 10 and older)

T: Teen (13 and older)

M: Mature (17 and older)

To find out more about Jeb Haught and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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