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Most Recent: Reviews
Shift 2: Unleashed Review: Getting the NFS Out
It might be difficult to believe, but Need For Speed began as a racing sim. While the franchise might be known for high-speed police chases, loose physics, cheesy stories, and the immortal Razor Callahan, the original game (for the 3DO, no less) was a realistic take on driving a car at high speeds. While EA attempted to return NFS to its roots once before – 2007’s Need For Speed: Pro Street was something that could be described as a racing sim – 2009’s Need For Speed: Shift was the first time they’d really tackled the genre in such a forceful manner. The result was a game that couldn’t quite hang with Gran Turismo or Forza Motorsport, but managed to carve a niche that wasn’t really around – a realistic racer that wasn’t bogged down in endless menus and needless complexities. It was something to build upon, and with Shift 2: Unleashed, they’re doing just that. (more…)
Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together Review: Sing to Me of an Age of Classic RPGs
Square Enix has caught a lot of flak over the last few years for milking Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest dry, but they’ve lately begun to revisit their rarer classics, much to the elation of fans. One such title is Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together. Originally developed at Quest, it is the spiritual predecessor to Final Fantasy Tactics and its progeny. This version of the game has re-imagined nearly every aspect of the original to produce the best possible presentation of a masterpiece. With its superbly delicious cornucopia of content, Tactics Ogre is like Thanksgiving for gamers. (more…)
Posted in PSP, Reviews, Top Story
Tagged Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together
Gods Eater Burst Review: Devouring All Your Free Time and Leaving You Hungry For More
Gods Eater Burst is an action-adventure video game for the PSP, developed by Namco Bandai and published in the United States by D3 Publisher. It was released in 2010 in Japan and re-released later that year with improvements before being brought here. In a post-apocalyptic world, only the Gods Eaters and their weapons, the God Arcs, can destroy the Aragami, massive and quickly adaptive monsters that are devouring the entire world. With addictive gameplay, incredibly customizable equipment, unforgettable music, and a thrilling story, this game is almost gluttonous in how satisfying it can be. Add in a multiplayer mode and the experience becomes unbeatable. (more…)
Posted in PSP, Reviews, Top Story
Tagged Gods Eater Burst
Dragon Quest VI: Realms of Revelation Review: Using a Phoenix Down on Nostalgia
With a little help from Nintendo, Square Enix has resurrected a fallen soldier from a popular franchise, enlisting the help of the DS along the way. Dragon Quest VI: Realms of Revelation is a breath of fresh air from their old, musty library; a remake that is both nostalgic and refreshing, incorporating new elements of gameplay, and boasting a visual makeover for the American premiere. Though it’s been 15 years since its initial release, Realms of Revelation plays like it was made yesterday. (more…)
Posted in DS, Reviews, Top Story
Tagged Dragon Quest VI: Realms of Revelation
Dragon Age II Review: Defending Kirkwall Like a Hawke
Though it was greatly overshadowed by Mass Effect 2, Dragon Age: Origins was a high-quality return to BioWare’s days as purveyors of epic fantasy RPGs. It had all the qualities that one expects from the company: an epic plot, great characters & dialog, a huge quest that could be solved in numerous ways, and of course, awkward romances. Dragon Age II brings most of this back – just in a far more intimate, narrow setting. While many things about the game are basic refinements of the Dragon Age: Origins formula, the ultimate result is a game that seems like a reinvention of the franchise, similar to the changes from Mass Effect to Mass Effect 2. The question, of course, is whether the risks taken in Dragon Age II have made for a great game… and hey, that’s what we’re here for. (more…)
Crysis 2 Review: Not All It’s Cried Up to Be
“Can it run Crysis?” For years, this question was the hallmark of determining the mettle of a PC’s prospects as a gaming machine and the bar was so high that the Xbox 360 and even the PlayStation 3 were said to be incapable of running it. Looking to broaden their audience (and possibly clients who license game engines), Crytek unveiled the CryEngine 3, the escort that would bring Crysis to consoles. It’s actually been done; Crysis 2 runs and runs well, but despite its astounding emphasis on visuals, the game fails to stack up well against the FPS heavy hitters of today. (more…)
Full House Poker Review: Avatars Playing Poker
Full House Poker isn’t Microsoft’s first try at creating a card-playing franchise on the Xbox Live Arcade. That distinction actually goes to the Tik Games-developed Texas Hold ‘Em, which was released way back in 2006. It seems that Microsoft has learned something in the ensuing five years, as Full House Poker is a superior game in almost every way; but is it a must-have XBLA release? I wouldn’t go “All In” on that bet. (more…)
Posted in Reviews, Top Story, Xbox 360
Tagged Full House Poker
PixelJunk Shooter 2 Review: Delve Deeper with this Sequel
PixelJunk Shooter 2 is the latest downloadable PlayStation Network game from Q-Games. This multidirectional shooter is a sequel to the first game, which was one of my favorites of 2009. Shooter 2 was promising, touting new game mechanics and a continuation of the simple storyline they’d started in the first game. But could it live up to the long wait, and fill the shoes as the first official PixelJunk sequel? (more…)
Posted in PS3, Reviews, Top Story
Tagged PixelJunk Shooter 2