Memorable experience 4: SWAT 3: Close Quarters Battle

From a time when games were delightfully fresh and magical for me as a 12-year-old (1999, to be exact), I remember SWAT 3 as far and away the best tactical shooter of them all. In fact, the evening in which I spent hours replaying the demo's single mission (video below) is one of my most sacred gaming memories. Games seemed to last longer in those days, so I think I was still playing it in 2001, but have not returned since. SWAT 4 was brilliant, but didn't quite have the same charm. I certainly wouldn't be giggling nostalgically at YouTube videos of the 2005 sequel in the way that I do its predecessor's.

Another of my treasured memories from the game is when me and a friend spent every night of several weeks replaying one of the best missions on the hardest difficulty setting. The randomly placed AI, who when given the smallest of chances will down you, meant the player had to be meticulous tactically. Progress was always slow, tension was incredibly high and completion was hugely rewarding. There was a feeling that Sierra had simply nailed the tactical shooter experience, and I couldn't imagine it would ever be bettered. In my opinion, it hasn't.

Unfortunately, as a preteen I never possessed the tactical nous or patience to complete all of the missions, as they became frighteningly difficult. I'll always remember SWAT 3 as the first game that had me thinking tactically and sparked a worrying interest in weaponry. If there is a developer out there planning the fifth in the series, I beg you to get a move on. I promise your game won't be compared to SWAT 3, that would just be unfair.

The game's third mission



Music wise, try dark ambient for the slower missions or dark drum 'n' bass for the faster ones to ramp up the tension even further

Fallout 3

I now realise my unforgivable mistake in dismissing what I now consider the second best single-player game of all time (after Deus Ex, of course) from my Christmas recommendations. Fallout 3 was the glaring omission and my excuse is that I had not gotten round to playing it among the bounty of great games all coming out at the same time. 43 absorbing hours later (including eight on Christmas Day, stopping only for turkey and presents) and I'd reached the almost tearful climax. If you haven't already, play it to completion.

Music review: Mr Oizo - Lambs Anger

Quentin Dupieux's latest full-length album is a self-confessed mixed bag - the first track Hun admitting that of the collection of this recorded stuff, "some are good, some are bad and some are just OK." That track happens to be very good, impressively climaxing into the less-than-brilliant bare-bones raver Pourriture 2, which then leads into the phenomenal floor-shaker Z, and so on. Instead of continuing my review in this disjointed format, I might as well announce that I have come to a decision based on Quentin's honest statement - of the 17 tracks there are five good, eight OK and four bad. A disappointing realisation considering the consistent brilliance of his previous albums Analog Worms Attack and Moustache (Half A Scissor).

Nonetheless, any serious electronic music fan will have already scrutinised this release in its entirety and decided on which tracks belong in which of the three categories, the reason for this being that he remains one of the most popular, exciting and opinion-splitting musicians around.

As I mentioned, Hun and Z are highlights, as are Jo and Positif. Elsewhere, the shorter tracks such as Lambs Anger and Lars Von Sen are little more than filler, while tracks from the second half of the album like Erreur Jean and Gay Dentists lack the expected luminosity to match those from the first.

Sadly, the bad tracks really do reach some extremely low depths. I was disappointed to hear music so normal and mainstream in the form of Two Takes It. Bruce Willis Is Dead sounds like something from the bargain bin of a Cock Rock Disco sale and for me both of the Pourriture tracks provide little pleasure.

Integrating Lambs Anger into an Extreme Electronic Experience is an interesting experiment. You could do worse than add the tracks to your custom radio station on GTA IV or listen while playing a hectic game of Team Fortress 2, these combinations sparking feverishly high levels of quirkiness.

It's a real shame that Lambs Anger doesn't come close to Mr Oizo's first two albums, and the respect I have for the artist makes me feel dirty for having to give it such a mediocre score, when he is clearly anything but mediocre. So I'll shower now.

6/10