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Reviews
Alpha Protocol Review: Not Quite The Omega
Sega and developer Obsidian Entertainment conspire to bring you Alpha Protocol, the espionage role-playing game. Is it Mass Effect meets modern-day spy thriller? After stumbling upon a global conspiracy during a failed mission, agent Michael Thorton finds himself on the run from the very country he vowed to serve. Betrayed by his superiors, Thorton’s only…
By Mike Fahey Published June 1, 2010 -
Reviews
UFC Undisputed 2010 Review: A Light Heavyweight Rematch
No game took an emerging sport to the mainstream in its first edition like UFC 2009 Undisputed did last year. But once you join sports gaming’s A-list, even in your rookie year, you have to start making sequels. THQ, known for delivering annually on the WWE Smackdown series, poured development into UFC Undisputed 2010 to…
By Owen Good Published May 28, 2010 -
Reviews
Prince Of Persia: The Sands of Time Review
As the most high-profile video game movie since 1993’s Super Mario Bros., Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time has a lot riding on it. Which for a movie like this, is a little unfair. See, being a Disney movie, with a big budget, big stars and big names behind the scenes, I think people…
By Luke Plunkett Published May 28, 2010 -
Reviews
Metal Torrent Micro-Review: Not As Good As A Coinstar
The minute you start playing Metal Torrent, you’re almost done. But the brevity of Nintendo’s first DS shoot-em-up isn’t the worst of it. My local bank offers more entertaining ways to press buttons and hear jangling sounds. Metal Torrent is a $5 vertical shoot-em-up for the DSi from publisher Nintendo and development studio Arika, the…
By Stephen Totilo Published May 27, 2010 -
Reviews
ModNation Racers Review: Where The Vinyl Meets The Road
The PlayStation 3 Play Create Share initiative takes to the streets with ModNation Racers, the urban vinyl-fueled kart racer from United Front Games. Let’s take it for a spin. ModNation Racer takes the same creative spirit found in the PlayStation 3’s LittleBigPlanet and applies it to the kart racing genre, providing players with the tools…
By Mike Fahey Published May 26, 2010 -
Reviews
The Art Of Uncharted 2 Review: Glossy, Glossy
There are video game art books, then there are video game art books. Most fall into the first category. Uncharted 2’s is a proud member of the latter See, most things that call themselves “art books” are nothing of the sort. They’re cheap collections of in-game renders and promo art, slapped together in a poor-quality…
By Luke Plunkett Published May 26, 2010 -
Reviews
Red Dead Redemption Review: Feel Good Outlaws
The makers of Grand Theft Auto open up the world of the wild west with Red Dead Redemption, the story of reformed outlaw John Marston, farmer, government lackey, career criminal and family man. The visibly scarred John Marston is charged with hunting down the leaders of his former gang, Bill Williamson and Javier Escuela, and…
By Michael McWhertor Published May 25, 2010 -
Reviews
Bit.Trip Runner Micro-Review: Running Down A Dream
Tired of rhythm games filled with glitz and glam, high-priced plastic instruments, and licensed music you may or may not enjoy? Commander Video comes to the rescue with Gaijin Games’ latest WiiWare title, Bit.Trip Runner. With its simple graphics and rhythm-based game play, Gaijin Games’ Bit.Trip series has charmed the pants off of countless Nintendo…
By Mike Fahey Published May 21, 2010 -
Reviews
Super Mario Galaxy 2 Review: In Praise Of Superfluous Mario
Super Mario Galaxy 2 is the most unnecessary Mario game of all time. That might be why it is one of the best. Galaxy 2 has an easy mission, because, for once, it is a Mario game without a big mission. It is not launching a new gaming console, as did Super Mario Bros., Super…
By Stephen Totilo Published May 21, 2010 -
Reviews
Skate It Micro-Review: Skate…Or Die?!
Sometimes video games make the leap from consoles to the iPhone/iPod Touch brilliantly. Sometimes the landing isn’t as smooth, but still satisfying. And sometimes the end result is simply horrible. EA brings its Wii and DS title Skate It to the iPhone/iPod touch. Featuring robust customization and a bevy of levels, the game has players…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 20, 2010 -
Reviews
Rocket Knight Micro-Review: High As A Kite
For a game that had awesome as one of its defining traits, Konami’s Rocket Knight Adventures isn’t exactly one of the Genesis’ most well-remembered games. Shame. Maybe you’ll remember this modern-day successor in its stead. Rocket Knight, a game that serves as more of a spiritual remake than a true sequel to the 1993 original,…
By Luke Plunkett Published May 19, 2010 -
Reviews
Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands Review: Help Yourself
In the month of the first Prince of Persia feature film we also have a new Prince of Persia. This isn’t your standard movie game nor your standard sequel. It’s a successor to a fractured lineage, an often-enjoyabe product of a sandstorm of decisions that couldn’t please everyone. The Forgotten Sands is a swashbuckling adventure,…
By Stephen Totilo Published May 18, 2010 -
Reviews
Looksley’s Line Up Micro-Review: Broken Promise
When we first saw the pseudo-3D wonder of Nintendo’s hidden object game Looksley’s Line Up in action, we wondered why we’d ever need a Nintendo 3DS. Now we know. Looksley’s Line Up is a hidden object puzzle game that works by showing you various scenes presented in a perspective-altering sort of pseudo 3D. While looking…
By Mike Fahey Published May 17, 2010 -
Reviews
Split/Second Review: A Blue Shell Game
Not many racing games feature exploding silos that violently alter track layouts and redirect traffic onto an airstrip, requiring you to play chicken with a cargo plane apparently transporting fireballs. But Split/Second does. Why all the explosive destruction? Split/Second is pitched as a “dynamic new TV show” in which contestants compete in high-speed races made…
By Michael McWhertor Published May 17, 2010 -
Reviews
Stick Skater Micro-Review: Gleaming the Cube
Stick Skater has been grinding its way to the top of the iTunes App charts. Surely, there must be a reason for it. Let’s see if there is! Stick Skater is a barebones skating game. Its stick man skater grinds on rails and hops over obstacles like lights, sand, staircases and trash cans. In its…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 14, 2010 -
Reviews
Photo Dojo Micro-Review: This Game Is A Joke
Not since my Mii arm-wrestled the Mii of television’s own Geoff Keighley has Nintendo technology allowed me to witness such a titanic virtual battle of video game journalists as it did the day Photo Dojo allowed me to battle… me. The image you see attached to this Photo Dojo review is of me, the guy…
By Stephen Totilo Published May 13, 2010 -
Reviews
Lost Planet 2 Review: Bigger, Not Better
Lost Planet squared. That’s what Capcom want us to call their latest dip into the universe of E.D.N. III, snow pirates and giant bugs. Taking place ten years after the original third-person action shooter Lost Planet, the frozen planet of E.D.N. III has thawed. Warring factions are fighting each other and the supersized Akrid bugs…
By Brian Crecente Published May 12, 2010 -
Reviews
Iron Man 2 Review: A Rusted Development
Sega’s movie tie-in for Iron Man 2 can’t possibly be worse than its movie tie-in for the first Iron Man film, can it? After the Iron Man video game that accompanied the first entry in Marvel’s film franchise failed to impress, Sega went back to the drawing board. Bringing in award-winning Marvel scribe Matt Fraction…
By Mike Fahey Published May 10, 2010 -
Reviews
Real Racing HD Micro-Review: Relief For The Driving Impaired
After watching Firemint’s Real Racing HD idle at the top end of the iPad gaming charts every week since the device’s early April release, we put the racer through its paces to see why it’s getting so much love. I hate racing games. It’s not because I hate driving, or a racing video game killed…
By Mike Fahey Published May 7, 2010 -
Reviews
Dante’s Inferno: The Trials of St. Lucia Review: Totilo’s Inferno
The new expansion to Dante’s Inferno was partially developed by me. And one of you — one of you how can’t appreciate sublime game design — gave my contribution one out of five stars. Dante’s Inferno: The Trials of St. Lucia is a downloadable expansion of the EA Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 Dante’s Inferno…
By Stephen Totilo Published May 6, 2010