Reviews & Articles

The dark and colorless world of Limbo is void of everything but life and adventure. The game has a relatively short playtime, which is countered by endless frustrations and riddled with deaths. However, it is fun and rich.

Every now and then something comes along that shines brightly and separates itself from the rest of the pack. Whether it be a Blockbuster movie, New York Times bestseller or Twisted Pixel’s ’Splosion Man. This game is something that should not be missed.

Zombie games seem to be everywhere this day and age, and I literally do mean everywhere. There is not a place you can turn to that does not in some way, shape or form reference zombies, or has you killing zombies. That is not a bad thing, as most of us have those post-apocalyptic fantasies that have an urge to be taken care of. I would hope that my post-apocalyptic fight would be to that of the Frank West — one of the most awesome guys in the zombie-slaying world. Dead Rising 2: Off the Record takes you away from the original story of Dead Rising 2, and puts you in the shoes of the first hero Frank West.

There’s a reason in the game review community that the phrase “what can be said that hasn’t been said before” is both exceedingly accurate and cliché. Certain games reviewed are so popular that the same themes are reiterated in almost the same voice and phrases. So it brings up the point: Why review an over-reviewed game? Keep that in mind as we retread one of the most popular games of the last decade: Resident Evil 4.

The demo released for Need for Speed Hot Pursuit, and my first thought was that I needed to go and download it for my Xbox 360 and see if it lives up to my standards of Need for Speed.

If you have been a gamer since the mid ’90s, you know who and what Rayman is all about. However, Rayman has been on a bit of a sabbatical of late. We have seen somewhat recent titles such as Rayman Raving Rabbids, but the game is as far from being a Rayman game as it possibly can be. Rayman Raving Rabbids is a good game in its own right, but this isn’t what I intend to review. For now at least.

Every other year is special time for Call of Duty fans as the giant known as Infinity Ward struts its proverbial stuff. Activision/Infinity Ward’s latest installment in the Call of Duty franchise is proof that they are not losing their firm grasp on the game’s success.

Revenge is one of the oldest reasons in the book to respond to anything. Don’t believe me? Watch a bunch of children and see how long it takes for them not to hit each other over some misdemeanor. It also makes for a great plot. Also, I am aware of the Kill Bill movie series. However, I never really got into the films whenever I saw them on TV as it was just too grisly for me. So why in the world do I enjoy Shank so much?

I think if we were to sit down and watch the cartoons we watched as a kid, we would see that violence was a common bedfellow with the comedy of the likes of Wile E. Coyote and so forth. This really doesn’t mean those cartoons were bad and they created violent children; we were just enlightened by the comical chase. The game Naughty Bear takes this idea and makes it into a modern-day game that feels very reminiscent of those Saturday cartoons ... with a tad bit more emphasis on the violent atmosphere.

There is a pretty well-known formula in the works these days. A superhero movie comes out, and a game follows. Now, there are a couple outcomes. First, you have the Movie is Good/Game is Terrible outcome, and there is the Movie is Good/Game is OK outcome or you even have the dreaded Movie is Terrible/Game is Terrible. However, very rarely, if at all, do you see the Movie is Terrible/Game is Awesome outcome. Until now. X-Men Origins: Wolverine, based on the movie of the same name, tells the story of Wolverine. The game, however, delves deeper into the story of his life, which some people might not know. But, is this game worth shelling out the $60 for, or is it too dull compared to the claws everyone’s favorite claw-wielding kickass member of the X-Men?

I will be upfront with you; I have never really been a fan of any Spider-Man game. When I think of comics, it is not Spider-Man I think of. The only reason I reviewed this game was for my 4-year-old son, who absolutely loves Spider-Man. However, I will say I was actually quite impressed by Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions.

Although video games aren't exactly accepted as part of mainstream culture, some gaming icons are instantly recognisable to gamers and non-gamers alike. Venerable falling-block game Tetris is one of these icons, and rightfully so. It's been around since 1985, ported to more platform than I can count, cloned, adapted and parodied; yet new versions are still showing up today. Even my text editor sports a Tetris clone. So, what does newcomer Tetris Splash bring to the table?

It’s pretty hard to get away from shooters on the Xbox 360. I quit them for awhile because of the oversaturation I faced. There were so many to choose from and so little time. Having to pick from several at any given moment, I felt spread too thin with ample amounts of repetition along the way. Long before the shooter flood on the Xbox, I was a big fan of the original Halo, had an awkward relationship with Halo 2 and had a stinted love affair with Halo 3. Having spent a long break from the series, I decided to give Halo 3: ODST a try. I was looking for a chance at an enjoyable experience for old time’s sake ... and ended up getting even more.

Mega Man makes his second 8-bit debut of the decade, bringing back all the best from the original games in the series. A terrible virus, Roboenza, has spread across the world, infecting robots and leaving humanity unable to perform even basic tasks because of it. What’s worse, the robots are threatening to take over the world! Enter Mega Man.

I had the privilege of getting an invitation to the Dead Space 2 multiplayer beta in October (it has taken me this long to put it into words), and I was excited. I was excited for EA and for Visceral Games, because this is a great attribute to an already fantastic franchise. I am going to make an insanely bold (yet true) claim and say the Dead Space franchise is scary as hell.

What can I add to the discussion about Dragon Age II that hasn’t been said before? Over this past year, it has been one of the most publicized games of this year. And of course, it should be: Bioware is the mastermind behind the game and have earned a reputation for being masters of narrative. However, great narrative does not make a game great. It is one of those pieces of the proverbial gaming puzzle that tends to make a “great game” even cooler. So as much as this game is worth it for the narrative alone, does it succeed on all the other important levels as well?

I’m a big fan of survival horror. I like testing my survival instincts against all sorts of hideous enemies. It can, however, get fairly repetitive as a genre. Zombies are always the No. 1 enemy, and everybody knows that against zombies, headshots are the best way to go. It’s exciting, but I can’t help but feel like I’ve done it plenty of times before. Dead Space manages to give me all the horror I can handle in a brand new way.

Silent Hill ... the mere mention of the forbidden hamlet is enough to send shivers down most horror gamers’ spines. The creepily thick fog, the empty yet rundown streets and the well-done music create an atmosphere thick enough to get lost in. Over the years, the horrific hamlet has had two different sides: a place that calls out for people to purge their souls and a town that is perverted by its inhabitants vile violations. One of the more recent additions to the series is Silent Hill: Homecoming.

If you have played videogames within the past 10 years, chances are you have at least heard about the Resident Evil series. This is the series that essentially put survival horror games on the map. Although not the originator of the genre, it certainly perfected it. The Resident Evil series made you afraid to see what was on the other side of doors or what was lurking just beyond a hallway. Original Resident Evil zombies were similar to those in George Romero zombie movies; they were slow and just lumber place to place. A couple years ago, Capcom decided to change its long-loved series; no longer did you have slow-moving zombies, but smart intelligent enemies. Resident Evil 5 continues that new trend in the series, but does it still hold the same freshness Resident Evil 4 once held?

I despise Halloween. I blame it on being 3 years old and having the heebies jeebies scared out of me by two teens dressed as a werewolf and a commando. Ever since, I have hated the holiday. Would I care to dress up as anyone or anything? Forget it! But I have gotten my hands on a game that everyone can probably get behind. That game is Costume Quest on Xbox Live Arcade.

I feel like reviewing L.A. Noire is going to be hard, because there is so much I want to say about it, and by now, I think it is very clear that this game will become one of those timeless titles that define where gaming technology is headed. I will try to keep this fairly short and still tell you as much as I can, but just know there is hardly anything negative I have to say about this game.

In no other game will you find such a variety of utter nonsense as that in DeathSpank. One moment you are provoking unicorns to poop as you’re attacked by evil gingerbread men, and the next second you could be getting “felt by Freen.” The minds behind DeathSpank have brought more than a bountiful supply of humor through outstanding writing. It is a classic hack-’n’-slash adventure that mishmashes the action with a role-playing game twist.

Back in my senior year of high school, I was obsessed with a few games. Two of the big ones were Diablo II and The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind. The former I loved for its loot and heroic plot; the latter I loved for its open world. Almost every single place is open to you from the get-go. Both games allowed for highly customizable characters, though Morrowind takes the cake on that topic. So let’s fast-forward several years later and take a look at Morrowind’s successor: The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion: Game of the Year Edition.

The Dark Knight, the Caped Crusader, and a myriad of other names call forth images of Batman, a pop-culture icon that’s existed since May 1939, and his battle against crime, corruption and evil is well-showcased in the game Batman: Arkham Asylum. With the current release date of the fall set for the sequel Batman: Arkham City, I felt it worth looking into Arkham City’s predecessor to see how it measured up. I have to say that Batman: Arkham Asylum floored me. It’s a fantastic game; there’s a lot to it that’s enjoyable, fun and just great.

As far as classic marketing tools go, “The Demo” is near the top. Whether or not I am in the market for a new game, I download and try just about every demo that exists, just to see what is out there. Fairly recently, I downloaded the demo for the most recent iteration of Pac-Man, and to be honest, I was expecting little more than a bit of fun nostalgia; I ended up completely floored at the results. The full version of Pac-Man Championship Edition DX is amazingly fun — and a terrifyingly addictive re-vamp quickly added to my permanent collection — and after several hours, I can tell you this game is going to be on my playlist for quite some time.