MLB 08: The Show [Sony Computer Entertainment]
Platform: PS3, PS2, PSP
Ever since Sony took its long-running MLB series to the minors we’ve been as
happy as a kid at game seven of the World Series. Road to the Show mode
lets you lace up the cleats of a player that you create and work your way from
benchwarmer up to the Big Leagues. The highlight of this mode is the posi-
tion-specifi c game play; if you’re a shortstop, you play defense in your position
instead of controlling the entire team, which serves to put you in the game like
few other games have managed to do. Hitting mechanics have been overhauled
with the same performance-based system used for last year’s pitching: you’ll be
rewarded for taking it to the fence and dinged for batting like a 12-year-old.Army of Two [Electronic Arts]
Platform: PS3, Xbox 360
Like a buddy-cop movie gone ballistic, this shooter revolves around a pair of
armor-plated psychos and ape-shit gonzo fi refi ghts. Playing as Salem and
Rios, two Army Rangers gone mercenary, you’ll use a full arsenal to put the
hurt on a stream of baddies in two-player co-op battles. Aggro Mode makes
one player “invisible” while the other draws the enemy’s attention. That armor-
plating doesn’t equal invincibility though, so if your partner goes down it’s up to
you to drag him to safety and “revive” him by providing CPR through random,
God of War-type button taps or by using a tampon to plug up the wind-sucking
bullet wound. We’ll never look at feminine-hygiene products the same again.Rainbow Six Vegas 2 [Ubisoft]
Platform: PS3, Xbox 360, PC
So you hated the cliffhanger ending during your fi rst trip to Vegas with Team
Rainbow? So did we. Our trigger-fi nger has been itching to head back to Sin City
since. While this shooter sticks close to the original playbook—tango takedowns,
snakecam shenanigans, and blistering online play—you’ll notice a few changes.
First off, your teammates are back, but you aren’t, as main man Logan Keller has
been replaced by a customizable badass named Bishop. The missions parallel
the original’s and hit a variety of environments. Like us, you probably know the
multiplayer maps better than your apartment after hours of online play. Rejoice!
RSV2 includes over 11 new maps and two new game modes. —Casey LynchGAME ON
God of War: Chains of Olympus [Sony Computer Entertainment]
Platform: PSP
Sometimes we just feel sorry for Kratos, the ashy anti-hero of the God of War
series; the guy just can’t seem to get a break to enjoy being a Greek god. Called
to serve in the PS2 series’ fi rst appearance on the PSP, Kratos is waging war
during the 10-year period he spent in servitude to the gods of Olympus. Using
the Blades of Chaos, he slices and dices his way through monsters, soldiers,
and mythological beings. The controls transfer over to the PSP fairly well, and
the graphics look great. As always there are a ton of puzzles and treacherous
platforming sections, although the puzzles aren’t as head-scratchingly tough,
which will probably save us from swearing out loud on the subway.APRIL 2008 | 19!"#$%&'&()&&+&,-.///0!"#$%&'&()&&+&,-.///0 ,1,&1&(///0&2-324'/56,1,&1&(///0&2-324'/56