HANDS ON GUIDE

Games

Judging the games available on all consoles in a single subsection of one article is a tall order. We've already touched on the issues that we feel affect the games in general - online, controls and graphics - so we'll focus on two areas here. Firstly, games that are unique to each system, and secondly, whether the PC can handle the social, arcade-style games at which consoles excel.

The Wii has the most distinctive games, although this isn't entirely due to the controller. More influential is the iron-will with which Nintendo has released games based on its two key franchises, Mario and Zelda. Indeed, if there's any criticism of the Wii, it's the fact that despite the innovative controller, its library of games still largely focuses on Mario platformer games, Zelda adventure titles and mini-game compilations - just like every Nintendo console has for the last 25 years. This may be too cynical though. We all laughed when playing the Wii, and it's the only console that caused Clive to yell as advice, 'You've got to move your hands or the watermelons will hit you in the face!'

The PS3 has been criticised for lacking games, and while there's some truth to this, Sony offers a couple of high-profile games such as Motorstorm and Drake's Fortune, which are good-looking, addictive and even somewhat innovative. The 360's strength is the number of games available, particularly online; its weakness, especially for CPC readers, is the fact that many of its big titles, such as BioShock and Oblivion, are better on the PC both graphically and in terms of controls. Halo 3 never impressed us - why it's so critically lauded is a mystery, as the plot is clichéd, the action and atmosphere inferior to both Crysis and Call of Duty 4 and, worst of all, the aliens jabber like Ewoks. The 360's two big racing games, Project Gotham 4 and Forza 2, are excellent, though, and outclass the Gran Turismo: HD Concept download on the PS3.

PC gaming certainly has areas of outright weakness. If there's ever been a good PC fighting game, feel free to let us know, and PC driving games have never been quite as good as their console counterparts since the demise of Geoff Crammond's Grand Prix series. Thanks to its graphics and controls, however, the PC is superior choice for FPS, strategy and RPG games.

The common heritage of the 360 and PC's hardware is both a blessing and a curse. The console's impaired control system means game design has to change to accommodate 360 users. Whatever you thought of BioShock overall, there's no denying that its slow, stiff combat was the product of a good Xboxing, so that console players could stand a chance of hitting their enemies. On the other hand, the only reason that Guitar Hero 3 is on the PC is the 360 version - even the guitar with which it's bundled is the same. How enjoyable it is on the PC, of course, depends on your PC. If it's buried under crisp packets and coursework in your bedroom, shoved in a small corner and connected to a tiny screen, then the power of rock will be somewhat constrained. If you have a reasonably large TFT, some chairs for a few friends as an audience and decent speakers, Guitar Hero 3 on the PC is just as good as it is on a console. This, of course, is the beauty of the PC: you can build it yourself and change the hardware to suit a variety of uses, and the limits are your own imagination and/or fiscal liquidity. With a console, the limits are those set down by the machine's designers years ago, when they finished their work. The fact that consoles can now go online allows them some room to manoeuvre, but they're still boxes of hardware and software run by one company.

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