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STAR RATINGS EXPLAINED
5 Stars Classic
4 Stars Excellent
3 Stars Good
2 Stars Fair
1 Star Tragic

Packshot
Beowulf

Game Details
Released
16 November 2007
Format
PSP, PC, Xbox 360, PS3
Developer
Ubisoft


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Beowulf

Review
If Montaigne, Descartes or any of history’s most famous philosophers were alive today, on the subject of video games they might venture something along the lines of “graphics maketh not the game” – a perfect précis of this sumptuous yet frustrating shambles.

Essentially God Of War Lite, Ubisoft’s take on Robert Zemeckis’ epic mirrors the movie with style, assaulting players with towering monsters, snarling barbarians and swelling, tempestuous seas. The beautifully realised figure of Beowulf also conveys the weight and power of the Ray Winstone-voiced badass, making it tremendous fun to slaughter the first batch of enemies.

But while Beowulf looks the part, the game itself is crushingly dull, with players facing off against dozens of clichéd enemies that can be defeated with the simplest attack combos. Even worse, while dozens of button sequences must be completed to drive the game’s dramatic set pieces, during these sections you can’t appreciate the dazzling visuals as you’re too busy squinting at a series of tiny circles that must be pressed in order, or else risk having to start the whole tedious process over again.

Reviewer: David McComb

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