Game review: London 2012

It would be easy to write off a game based on the Olympics as a blatant cash-in, doomed to be riddled with dodgy gameplay mechanics and horrible collision issues. But with London 2012, Sega has made a genuine effort to produce a fun Olympic experience that harks back to the button-mashing days of old while providing a good range of events to compete in.

As you might expect, some of the events get things just right and others are a bit of a mess.

The running races are a prime example of how much fun button-mashing can be. You can compete in the 100m, 200m, 400m and 110m hurdles - all of which require rapid pressing of a button to keep a gauge in the green zone. The 400m race also has a stamina gauge which needs to be used wisely.

Javelin, shot-put, triple jump, high jump and long jump are all playable events and if you want to venture out of the main stadium then swimming, diving, cycling, gymnastics, shooting, archery, rowing, canoeing, beach volleyball and even trampolining are included.

No matter what event you're competing in, the game looks fantastic and gives a genuine feeling of being in front of thousands of people. However, the commentary does leave a lot to be desired as it repeats a lot and often bears no relevance to what's going on.

There is also Kinect compatibility but it's clearly been an afterthought, as the game is much better without it.

The frustrations are many, but there's a heap of fun to be had in London 2012 - especially if you're versing friends rather than AI opponents.

London 2012

From: Sega

For: Xbox 360