Three years after Microsoft paid £200m for the British games developer Rare, it still has only two games to show for it. Odder still, this is far from a conventional blockbuster.
A curious mixture of old and new, it is the sort of game the South Park team and the Jim Henson Creature Shop might make if they joined forces.
The “something old” is the single-player portion: an update of the Nintendo 64 hit Conker’s Bad Fur Day. A potty-mouthed, sick-minded, platform-jumping 3-D shoot-’em-up, Live and Reloaded is the perfect antidote to the squeaky-keen, fluffy nonsense that dominates the genre, and even if the lavatorial humour can be embarrassingly puerile, it wins points for entertaining movie parodies and barbed commentary on gaming clichés. The large levels and varied tasks make this a cut above anything similar on the Xbox. That goes double for the graphics — lush scenery, gorgeous lighting and extravagantly detailed critters make Conker the nearest thing yet to an interactive 3-D ’toon, and while it is hard to call a game that puts you knee-deep in blood, vomit and excrement beautiful, this gets awfully close.
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What’s new is Conker’s online multiplayer element. We expect something special from the Rare team, but they deliver team-based combat with a difference. Pitting battle-hardened squirrels against bloodthirsty “Tediz”, the 16-player action develops over eight huge maps, each with different objectives. With vehicles, heavy arms and a choice of character classes, this is as sophisticated as Halo 2, but the mischievous pairing of cuddly mammals and explosive weaponry gives it a frantic, live-wire feel of its own. Either component would make a decent game, but as a package, Live and Reloaded is superb. Five stars
Stuart Andrews
Worms 4: Mayhem
PS2, £39.99, Xbox, £29.99, PC, £19.99; ages 3+
It’s more than a decade since this veritable vermiculture industry spawned itself on our computers, and this version brings the combative scrolling adventure right up to date. The series has moved from a fixed two-dimensional view to a fully rotational 3-D perspective that puts you in the action, and the graphics and weapons have been given thoroughly modern makeovers (although they retain their cartoon feel). This is a formula that works: it’s simple to pick up, so anyone can play. It’s also one of the rare games that crosses the gender divide, and there is enough childish humour to keep everyone entertained. However, despite its 3+ rating, the violence — even depicted in a humorous, cartoon form — might not be something you would want your toddler to see. Four stars
Daniel Emery
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Rising Kingdoms
PC, £19.99; ages 12+
As video games seek original directions, we’re seeing more blending of genres than ever before — and Rising Kingdoms mixes strategy gaming and role-playing to riveting effect. Set in the pretty-looking fantasy world of Equiada, it focuses on three main races, humans, Foresters and Darklings, as they vie for power. Each side has its own heroes, with cleverly designed powers, and there are unique buildings and units for each race. The missions for your chosen people are varied and require serious thought: it’s certainly not a case of “ build up an army and charge”. And focusing on the special powers of your heroes and small groups is just as important as maintaining a thriving economy, which creates a feeling of strategic omnipotence. Four stars
Rhianna Pratchett