Multi-Tasking

I know I mentioned in the last post that I was going to take a step back from gaming for a bit, but what the heck. With a dearth of new releases at the moment, I've taken an opportunity to look back and sample some missed treasures on the creaky old PS2. Foremost among these is something which, to my great shame, I've never picked up, that being ICO. I've played and been entranced by its 'spiritual sequel' Shadow of the Colossus. But I've never played the original game which so many became attached to, so I went to the trouble of sourcing a brand new copy. First impressions are interesting. I'll hold off on any sort of review until I've completed it, but let me just say that it's not short on atmosphere.
I don't need any time at all to make up my mind about Burnout 3:Takedown which is some of the most wacked out fun I've had in a long time. This is pretty amazing considering driving games are among my most hated of genres, but Burnout isn't really a driving game. I think of it more as Smash Bros. at 150mph. Racing is a lot more fun when you have to smash your opponent off the road while avoiding him trying to do the same.
Tomb Raider:Anniversary is the third of the titles I picked up. Again, I'm not going to talk too much about it until I'm finished, but the most astonishing thing is how amazing the level design is considering it's largely based on a ten year old game built on previous generation technology. It's rather refreshing to revisit a more non-linear acrobatic adventure after the (still excellent) Legend.
Finally, there's God Hand, something of an ace in the pack. The last game from Capcom's tragically short lived Clover Studios, who produced one of my favourite games ever, Okami. it was largely on the strength of their reputation that I picked up the game, and it fits the stereotype entirely, being funny, interesting and totally off the wall. Graphics are rudimentary, stage design basic and difficulty infuriating. Balanced against this is a terrific fighting system that often leaps into cartoon style zaniness while retaining a fine balance. I'm going to keep plugging away at it, but I can foresee controller-smashing levels ahead.
I tend to focus on one game quite a lot, so trying to keep four on the boil at the same time is a new experience for me. Nevertheless, although Burnout has taken the lions share of my time, all four are proving very entertaining. Still, I'm pretty stoked for a few new upcoming releases, such as No More Heroes and Apollo Justice:Ace Attorney. Better speed up then.