arts / 8 Steven's Man-Cave: Who said there were no female assassins? ack in 2012, the Assassin’s Creed series broke new ground with Assassin’s Creed HT. Ubisoft also released a PS Vita version with a story that ties in called Assassin’s Creed IT: Liberation. Finally, after just over a year, Ubisoft has re- released Liberation on the PS3 in beautiful HD. This game takes place in Louisiana between 1760 and 1777 and is about a French- African woman named Aveline de Grandpre. Her mother abandons her when she’s very young and she ends up with a rich white family in New Orleans. Fast forward 15 years and she is now an assassin of the brotherhood, mentored by a guy named Agate. She is then tasked with killing the French Governor Jean-Jacques Blaise d’Abbadie. In his mansion, Aveline uncovers a sinister plot from the Templars, the main antagonist in the Assassin’s Creed series who takes her ona journey that will change her life forever. I like that this is the only Assassin's Creed game that has a female protagonist. ar ay Screenshot from Ubisoft's Assassin’s Creed Ill: Liberation By www.eurogamer.net Unfortunately, the story is : the only good thing about this : game. Because it’s been ported : from the PS Vita, the graphics : are bad, the voice acting is : atrocious, and the combat is the : same but watered down to fit : the Vita. There are still a lot of : collectibles, all of them easy to : find. To be honest, I only played : this game because I’m a big : fan of the entire series. If you : have enjoyed every game in : this series, think of Liberation ? as a watered-down version of : Assassin’s Creed III. theotherpress.ca ———— a ee Tee 2 K . fy i. Screenshot from Hotline Miami // By Ryan Volkman Indie Analysis: ‘80s-inspired graphics make shoot-em-up video game a hit Ryan Volkman Contributor OOS otline Miami isa two-dimensional action video game that lets you play as an unnamed hit man who shoots his way through 22 levels full of blood- soaked mobster killing and boss battles. For those of you who are looking to remember the simpler days of video games, then this ’80s-inspired game is for you. The game is available to download through Steam and GOG.com (formerly Good Old Games) for Windows and Mac. It begins with a phone call from an unknown client to “eliminate” Russian gangsters. Next thing you Science gets scary In new SyTy series » ‘Helix’ review Cheryl Minns . Arts Editor Marts @theotherpress.ca for scientifically accurate productions (Sharknado, anyone?), has taken ona production that looks at the science behind just how dangerous it is to mess with human genetics. Set at a science base in the Arctic, Helix follows the story of a team of doctors from the Center for Disease Control who race against time to find a cure for a disease that’s turning the infected people at the base into decaying zombies with superhuman strength and : speed. The team eventually : discovers the virus is the result : of experiments in human : genetics. Each episode follows : a day in the life at the base, . : covering almost two weeks yfy, while not usually known : of the virus’s impact in the : season’s 13 episodes. While the show may : appear like a horror movie at : first, it quickly shifts into a : science-procedural storyline : that focusses on the doctors : explaining their procedures and : preparing tests for the virus and : possible cures. This is a show : that clearly has a lot of thought : and scientific knowledge put : into it. Produced by Battlestar Galactica’s Ronald D Moore, the : show has a distinct emphasis : on human relationships and : how the characters interact with : : each other after the discovery of : : the disease: some put ona brave : : front, others break down, and : some go to great lengths to keep : : the virus a secret by turning : into killers overnight. Helix stars Billy Campbell : (from Syfy’s The 4400) as Alan : Farragut, the lead doctor; : Hiroyuki Sanada (from The : Wolverine) as Hiroshi Hatake, : the scientist in charge of the : base; and Montreal native : Jordan Hayes (from House at : the End of the Street) as Sarah : Jordan, a 26-year-old scientist : with a secret. One of the best : parts of the show is Catherine : Lemieux’s character, the : plain-looking scientist Doreen know you're off hunting down your new targets to the tune of an ’80s soundtrack. There are no life bars or health meters in Hotline Miami, so if you take a bullet you're going to get killed in a very gory, messy way. Conveniently, the mobsters are also killed in a single hit. Checkpoints are relatively common, so your character instantly re-spawns after a failed attempt. The game features simple, intuitive controls: the left mouse button is for an attack and the right mouse button is for picking weapons off the floor or throwing them away if they aren't needed. You can even fling guns at unsuspecting enemies, rendering them unconscious. However, there are cumbersome boss battles that slow down the game : Boyle, who shows that not all scientists have to be pretty on TV—especially since real-life scientists usually aren't tall, : skinny ladies with perfect hair. But don’t get too attached : to any favourite characters. : To mirror what would really : happen if a deadly unknown : disease broke out, Helix doesn’t : show any consideration to its : main characters and any of : them could die in any episode. : To avoid spoilers on who lives : and dies, try to steer clear : of websites like the show’s : : Wikipedia page or IMDB listing, : : which show how many episodes : : anactor stars in. The one downside to the : show is it has a few too many : clichés, such as Farragut’s play considerably. They are like puzzles that need to be solved rather than heart- pounding action. But the rest is pure adrenaline in those levels and makes it all worth it. Unfortunately, the game ends too soon with only 22 levels. If you were hoping for a level editor to give you more to do, there isn’t one of any kind in Hotline Miami. Instead, you can replay the same levels repeatedly to gain a higher score. Hotline Miami has received a lot of praise since its release—including a Metacritic rating of 87/100—and it’s easy to see why: it’s just fun to play! I'd recommend this game to anyone who's looking for a chill time with some laid- back graphics, great music, and an entertaining break from reality. : brother being the infected : patient and the reason he has : to go on the mission, or the love : triangles between Farragut, : his ex-wife, his brother, his : assistant, and Hatake. However, : the one cliché the show’s : creator, Cameron Porsandeh, : promised wouldn't happen : was using flashbacks to tell the : character’s backstories. Instead : the show makes use of the : hallucinations that the disease : causes to make characters : reveal their pasts. Helix airs Fridays on Showcase in Canada. Episode five airs on January 31, which : means the stakes are getting : higher, the body count is rising, : and some really intense action : is just about to start.