Bank Holiday Gaming

You won’t often hear us say this, but it’s the general concensus on X360 is that there are too many new games to play at the moment. Luckily for many of us we’ve a whole extra day off this weekend to play Red Dead Redemption, Blur, UFC Undisputed 2010, Split/Second, Prince Of Persia: The Forgotten Sands, Lost Planet 2, Splinter Cell: Conviction, Super Street Fighter IV and even more. Unfortunately, that’s still nowhere near enough time, so the solution, of course, is a time-honoured X360 rumble to decide which AAA is the hardest and thus, most deserving of our attention.

Group Stage

Blur versus Lost Planet 2: Lost Planet 2′s two-player co-op is popular with the crowd, but new kid on the block Blur’s split-screen multiplayer and competitive online game is overwhelming.

Result: Third-round TKO to Blur

Prince Of Persia: The Forgotten Sands versus Red Dead: Redemption: PoP was a huge underdog going into this fight and what with the hype Rockstar’s monster challenger has in its corner, there really is no contest.

Result: First-round KO to Red Dead: Redemption

Splinter Cell: Conviction versus Split/Second: As tightly contested a bout as PoP versus Red Dead was a forgone conclusion. Split/Second has the adrenaline-fired multiplayer, but on the strength of completing an acclaimed title in the series, Splinter Cell clinches victory.

Result: Decision to Splinter Cell: Conviction

Super Street Fighter IV versus UFC Undisputed 2010: One fighter with a string of big titles behind its name and a relative newcomer that surprised everyone with its debut last year. It’s as fiercly fought a battle as we’ve seen yet, but UFC takes the win just for being so bloody realisitic.

Winner: Third-round TKO to UFC Undisputed 2010

Semi-Final

Blur versus Red Dead Redemption: Blur puts up a tenacious defence, but the opportunity to posse-up with eleven others and explore a beautifully-realised and ruthless western landscape pounds any notion of vehicular carnage into the canvas.

Result: Second-round KO to Red Dead: Redemption

Splinter Cell: Conviction versus UFC Undisputed 2010: Another one-sided fight: being a secret agent with nine lives on the run sounds cool, but training and fighting as a titaniam-tough UFC fighter, with all the glory, the women and the money is that much more appealing.

Result: Second-round TKO to UFC Undisputed 2010

Final

Red Dead: Redemption versus UFC Undisputed 2010: This is anyone’s call. Both games have their own, polarised assets: UFC’s visceral realism versus Red Dead’s beguiling open world fantasy. Ultimately this is about what we can do in a weekend, and for the opportunity to get a head-start on other Undisputed online players over the next three days, the judges give the decision to UFC.

Bank Holiday Gaming winner: Decision to UFC Undisputed 2010