Dirt 2
This is the sequel to Codemasters highly successful rally game Dirt. As stated, this is an ultra-realistic rally game that will have you competing against the best the rally world has to offer. The demo is made up of two races, the first being a circuit race which will have you competing with seven other drivers in a two lap race. The second is more similar to what you think of when you hear the world “rally”, and will simply have you drive from point A to point B. Each driver has a staggered start of a few seconds. There is no co-driver, so this can be quite difficult, and even though you have a staggered start you still can occasionally catch up to the other drivers. There is also an online section which will have you racing the rally course, and is pretty identical to what’s in the single player mode. You can play either of the tracks both offline and online as many times as you want, which is a nice feature.
This game was already on my must-buy list, but those on the staff who weren’t originally interested actually liked the demo quite a bit. The game has some beautiful graphics, the sounds of the cars are spot on, and each car handles wonderfully. They have seemingly improved on every aspect of the first one. Our one complaint about the game would have to be the menu system, though. You have to go through what seems like 10 menus until you get the chance to race. Every menu does add something, but it seems like there could have been a more streamlined approach. Most of the staff feels like this is a for sure buy, and at the very least a definite rent. Everyone needs to play this demo.
Mini Ninjas
Mini Ninjas follows a group of orphaned kids who landed on a Ninja Master’s doorstep. They are trained in the way of the ninjas, but when they get a little older they are forced to battle evil samurai in order to save their land. You play as Hiro, but you can switch between him and his friends with the L1 button. This works rather seamlessly, but you’ll do fine playing strictly as Hiro. The demo lasts about 30 minutes, and is essentially just a tutorial. You will learn how to fight, sneak through the grass, and use Hiro’s magic. One magic spell lets you take over animals’ bodies in order to get past guards. Another spell allows you to call down lightning to attack your enemies. The demo ends way too soon, but seems to be a good interpretation of the final game.
This demo was the biggest surprise out of all four games. Admittedly, most of the staff could have cared less about this game prior to the demo, yet now we’re compelled to buy it. The game is a refreshing take on platforming games. There are collectibles galore, and tons of different options for attacking. The graphics are very well suited for this type of game, and the controls are very easy to get the hang of. This type of game may not be for everyone, but this is definitely on most of our buy and/or must-rent lists. So if you’re tight on bandwidth and can only play one demo this week, you should make it Mini Ninjas.
That wraps up the debut week for our Down-lo on What to Download. To recap, IL 2 Sturmovik: Birds of Prey seems to be an okay flight sim, but it just wasn’t very compelling. Wet seems to be a very unique 3rd person shooter with fluid controls. It has moved onto our ‘maybe’ list, and we believe it will make a very solid rental. Dirt 2 is a good racer with sleek visuals and amazing sound. The menu left something to be desired, but the staff agrees that this will make a very solid buy or rent. And our favorite demo of the week goes to Mini Ninjas. This platforming title combines cute graphics with a deep control scheme that should entertain kids and adults alike. This is one to definitely watch out for, and needs to be rented or bought; no questions asked.
