The Search Continues

Hidden Gem Hunting will accompany me as I search charity shops, car-boot sales & discount stores for cheap video games. I will report my findings back here, once a week. Please bear in mind that these are my first impressions on these games, and are definitely subject to change once I have played them. If it turns out that a hidden gem or a heap of shit is among these, you’ll see a review pop up in the near future and I’ll link it here.

Lost Odyssey (Xbox 360) £2.00

I have a feeling that Lost Odyssey is going to be a HUGE game. There are four discs in the box and I don’t think they’ll all be behind-the-scenes bonus content. I love a good RPG, so much so that the sounds of Cyrodiil forever follow me upon my daily quests and travels in the real world. I am desperate for a new immersive experience that can allow me to spend my summer hibernating away from the social gatherings and sun-burnt days out with my peers, and this could well be it. I have high hopes for this title and will no doubt be boating an invincible level infinite character by the end of the year. Lost Odyssey is my pick of the week.

X Squad (PS2) £0.50

Like many of you, I get a little apprehensive buying an EA title. Fortunately X Squad is from a time where EA were one of the best in the industry, not only pumping out yearly sports titles but also bringing us the likes of the original battlefront games and the burnout series. X Squad seems generic right down to the bone. A team of good guys, a corporation of bad guys (creatively called ‘The Soldiers’) and a story of betrayal. You’d have thought the action flicks of the 80’s would have covered every single plot-line like this, so there has to be a major twist in there somewhere. I’m hoping that X marks the spot for this third person shooter.

Dark Sector (PS3) £1.50

Full Review: www.gamerlaughs.com/gl-archive/26/5/2016/dark-sector-review-ps3

Heavily censored and released almost a year late in Australia, Dark Sector gives off a very violent first impression. A third person shooter with a big focus on melee, Dark Sector incorporates a weapon similar to the wing-stick in Bethesda’s RAGE. If all is what I expect, I should be witnessing decapitated heads and bloody limbs occupying just about every inch of my TV screen. I love a bit of blood and guts so I’m hoping this game will provide enough to keep me entertained. Dark Sector could be quite the sleeper this week.

MadWorld (Wii) £1.00

Another title that looks gloriously violent, MadWorld may just be the reason I now own a Wii. The game is focused on a TV show which premise is to eliminate all the other combatants before they eliminate you is a recipe for colossal amounts of fun. Twisted Metal had a similar idea and just look how great of a game that was. This doesn’t seem like it’ll be one to remember, but definitely one to enjoy as I hack n’ slash my way to victory in MadWorlds fighting pits.

Tenchu Z (Xbox 360) £2.50

‘Become the ultimate ninja assassin’ is a tagline that would sell me on just about any video game. I’ve never been very good at stealth based games but I think this one will at least convince me to try, unlike in Hitman where I just walk into a room with my balls out and hope for the best. I’m a big fan of martial arts movies and Asian cinema and Tenchu seems to be rowing the same boat as a lot of these. I sense some major difficulty in this game too as it was developed by the people responsible for Demon Souls, Dark Souls & Bloodborne.

Total Spent: £7.50

Pick of the Week: Lost Odyssey (Xbox 360)

Sleeper: Dark Sector(PS3)

Most likely to suck: X-Squad

Overall, I’m pretty optimistic with all of the weeks games, if only slightly doubtful of X Squad. As always, be sure to keep an eye out for reviews of these games to see if they were worth a second look, or worth retracting the first look everyone gave them. Check back next week for five more possibilities.