Game review: Theatrhythm Final Fantasy

Published on 05/07/2012 14:16

OUT on 3DS tomorrow is Theatrhythm Final Fantasy (12+, 3DS, £22.99). Final Fantasy is such a popular brand in Japan that just about any related game is guaranteed to sell there.

A music rhythm game is possibly a stretch, though, and although the mechanics will probably be solid, the music used is a selection from Final Fantasy games since 1987. Great for Final Fantasy fans, then, but probably a bit obscure for others. It looks lovely, though.

You wouldn’t think zombies could look lovely, but from cutesy tower defence games on the iPad to expansion packs for Call of Duty, it’s been hard to avoid them in videogames in recent years.

Everyone, it seems, is keen to milk the Resident Evil cash cow. Dead Island Game of the Year Edition (18+, PS3, Xbox360, PC, £14.99), released tomorrow, managed to stand out in a saturated market. The original game was released with bugs and mixed reviews, but became a success because of its great atmosphere, loot-and-level-up style and seamless online co-op. With all patches and downloadable content included, it’s a bargain at this price.

Local games giant Rockstar North has pledged to support Sick Kids Save Point once again. This will be the third year the games giant, responsible for Grand Theft Auto among others, has supported Edinburgh’s charity gaming marathon by donating to the Sick Kids Friends Foundation, supplying prizes for top fundraisers, and even some of the staff taking part.

Finally, there are two big competitions to tell you about this week. Budding games entrepreneurs have until tomorrow to apply for a free month-long residential masterclass called Dare+. Run by games industry expert Brian McNicoll, Dare+ will guide individuals or teams through starting their own games business, finishing at the Dare ProtoPlay computer games festival in August. Apply at daretobedigital.com.

For younger readers, Edinburgh based Interface3 have lost one of the aliens from their forthcoming maths and vocabulary game Cosmic Reactor, and are asking children to draw and name their own unique alien to take its place. The winning design will actually appear in the game, and the artist will receive a free copy of the game for the iPad when it is released at the end of August. The competition ends on Sunday, details at interface3.com

Tom Freeman organises Sick Kids Save Point. Sign up for the charity gaming marathon at sickkidssavepoint.org