Video Game Review

ROCK BAND 3 Review (Xbox 360)

by CJ Simonson    Posted: November 15th, 2010 at 6:57 am

For roughly the past 5 years, the video game industry has seen the rise and rather immediate fall of music games. Over that time, the average gaming household has become cluttered with the various peripherals needed for the likes of Guitar Hero and Rock Band. Right now, hundreds of fake plastic Beatles instruments sit gathering dust for the 10 months of the year that they don’t get played. But now we have Rock Band 3, one of several music games being released this fall, the question has to be asked: Should I go into the cleaning supplies and dust off the five buttoned Gibson X-Plorer this year? For Rock Band 3, you should. The great formula created by Harmonix combined with a host of new features make for a very worthwhile play through.

For my full thoughts on Rock Band 3, hit the jump.

ALIENS VS. PREDATOR Xbox 360 Review

by Ray Carsillo    Posted: March 25th, 2010 at 6:45 am

Hunter. Survivor. Prey. Those three words sum up the entire premise behind Sega’s latest foray into the mature gaming world as they continue to try to distance themselves from a certain blue rodent. Aliens vs. Predator, the latest addition into a series that has been beaten to death with new iterations of the same name on nearly every system dating back over a decade, returns with what they are claiming is a brand new story, but is really just a rehashed version of the same old one Rebellion Developments and other developers have been pushing out for what seems like forever with this series.

BATTLEFIELD: BAD COMPANY 2 PS3 Review

by Paul Stuart    Posted: March 15th, 2010 at 6:33 am

The franchise famous for giving the middle finger to ‘Call of Duty‘ comes back for more. Do destructive environments and controllable vehicles a franchise killer make? More after the jump.

ARMY OF TWO: The 40th Day PS3 Review

by Paul Stuart    Posted: February 4th, 2010 at 11:04 pm

Throwing the tried and true formula of the first person shooter upside its head, Tyson Rios and Elliot Salem return for more middle finger induced mayhem and frat-boy, killing spree antics. Can robust attitude and customizable weapons by the dozens go toe-to-toe with juggernaut Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2? Let’s find out after the jump.

DARK VOID PS3 Review

by Brandon Bales    Posted: January 28th, 2010 at 9:07 am

We were promised jetpacks.  As a society.  It’s an idea as old as time, and you can read about it in old issues of Popular Mechanics.   There it is, clear as day.  And where’d they get their proof?  Well, the Bible, to be precise.  There it is at the beginning of the Book of Revelation: “Yet before the destruction of Man was to fall, the Lord said to Man, ‘Zoom around willy-nilly; childhood dreams now incarnate, packs of rockets on your backs.”  See?  So, then comes this company Airtight Games, who’s gonna make it all come true for us – at least, in the digital sense.  So, they team up with this mega-publisher called Capcom, and they set out to give us The Jetpack Game! Wait, ok: it’s called Dark Void.  Sigh; had it actually been called The Jetpack Game, I think it probably would have been ten times better.  As it stands, instead of giving everyone the game to make our deep-seated techno-fancies come true, Dark Void rockets its way into the low-slung ceiling of mediocrity.  More after the jump:

DJ HERO/BAND HERO Nintendo Wii Reviews

by Nico    Posted: November 28th, 2009 at 9:00 am

There’s a little record shop on Ventura Blvd in Sherman Oaks, California that advertises DJ lessons in their store front.  Every time I pass it, I pause and think about how cool it would be to learn the art of the wikka-wikka.  Just as Guitar Hero gives players the opportunity to get in touch with their inner rock star, DJ Hero connects you to your record spinning alter ego.  More after the jump.

TEKKEN 6 PS3 Review

by Paul Stuart    Posted: November 13th, 2009 at 8:48 pm

Big hair, big boobs, ridiculous revenge storylines, and endless juggling combos. And wait till we tell you about the females. Yes, boys and girls: Tekken 6 has finally arrived on next generation consoles. How does this brawling series legend fare in comparison to its ass kicking counterparts? Find out after the jump.

FORZA MOTORSPORT 3 Xbox 360 Review

by Ray Carsillo    Posted: October 23rd, 2009 at 10:02 am

It is the slogan for one of the most anticipated racing games to come out in a long time. The Forza series is the premiere racing game for the Xbox 360 and is constantly in the discussion for best racing game available, period. Two years since their last installment, the folks at Turn 10 and Microsoft have kicked this franchise into another gear now (pun admittedly intended) with Forza Motorsport 3.

GUITAR HERO 5 Nintendo Wii Review

by Monika Bartyzel    Posted: October 3rd, 2009 at 1:12 pm

Naturally, in all the wonder that is Beatles Rock Band, Guitar Hero 5 sort of slipped on by, looking like more of the same from the GH camp while the masses delighted in the most epic band to ever write music. The thing is, while Rock Band most definitely grabs the prize for tunes, Guitar Hero for the Wii has repositioned itself in the music gamer world and it is 100% worthy of your attention. More after the jump:

NEED FOR SPEED: SHIFT PS3 Review

by Clayton Stone    Posted: September 30th, 2009 at 9:55 am

The Need for Speed franchise has survived many low points over the last few years. Silly additions and subtle changes made to each iteration of the series have pushed the well-known brand further into mediocre and sometimes downright awful territory. For their latest release, Electronic Arts went back to the drawing board, and handed over the reigns to developer Slightly Mad Studios, which had experience crafting the award-winning racing franchise, GTR. What a smart move that was. Need for Speed SHIFT not only revitalizes the franchise’s name, it revolutionizes some aspects of the racing genre, providing gamers with a palpable sense of what it actually feels like to get behind the wheel of the fastest cars on the planet. Find out why, after the jump.

SOUL CALIBUR: BROKEN DESTINY Sony PSP Review

by Paul Stuart    Posted: September 18th, 2009 at 7:23 pm

When our favorite tortured Spartan with a bad case of laryngitis comes calling, no mere mortal can resist. Even more so once a solid fighting engine and enormous boobies serve as backdrops for Kratos’ latest appearance. Like ‘Tekken: Dark Resurrection’ before it, Namco-Bandai has another portable fighter winner on its hands in ‘Soul Calibur: Broken Destiny,’ a fairly robust version of the legendary series perfectly designed for solo, portable play. My review after the jump:

WOLFENSTEIN PS3 Review

by Paul Stuart    Posted: September 7th, 2009 at 6:20 pm

Akin to most ‘average gamers’ in their early-mid 30′s, I can point to a very select slew of titles that engendered a love of gaming over two decades old and counting.

Id Software’s original ‘Wolfenstein 3D’ is a proud member of this exceptional collection, a FPS that – despite its age – still stands strong as a testament to the best this genre has to offer. The game’s marriage of sharp graphics, solid AI, clever humor, and true surround sound (powered by Covox) combined to produce a gaming experience paid homage to by over 100 FPS titles in its wake. Unfortunately for ‘Wolfenstein 3D,’ the protagonist – B.J. Blazkowicz – was likely a naming victim of Apogee Software’s (of ‘Commander Keen’ fame) legacy of moronically titled heroes. Poor B.J. must’ve had a helluva time in High School. My full review after the jump:

THE KING OF FIGHTERS XII Xbox 360 Review

by Anne Tully    Posted: September 1st, 2009 at 7:23 am

The King of Fighters XII for the Xbox 360 from SNK Playmore is, despite being graphically appealing, disappointing to fans of King of Fighters and is merely an average fighting game. The game, which I ranked as a C game, has little to offer aside from the typical fighting experience, improved graphics and online play, which seems to be the highlight for this game. Online play, however, is slow at best- if you can get it to work at all. More after the jump.

GUITAR HERO: SMASH HITS Nintendo Wii Review

by Monika Bartyzel    Posted: July 30th, 2009 at 7:18 pm

It all boils down to the systems you’ve got, and what you want out of your favorite songs. Those who have a large pile of Guitar Hero games won’t find much new here, while those with newer systems (like the Wii) and want the old songs, and those who love playing as a band, should be quite content with this release. My full review after the jump:

X-MEN ORIGINS WOLVERINE Uncaged Edition Xbox 360 Review

by Brandon Bales    Posted: May 19th, 2009 at 7:20 am

If you’ve seen Fox’s recent film, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, or you’ve been talked out of seeing it by friends, or by this website, chances are you have a low opinion of the recent travails of one of Marvel Comics’ best-loved characters.  Well, let this reviewer tell you now that the game X-Men Origins: Wolverine (the Uncaged Edition for your Xbox 360 or PS3 ) is far more worthwhile than its cinematic counterpart.  Maybe its logic and methodology are the same, but the game is far more gleefully gruesome, and far, far more fun.

Started about two-and-a-half years ago by the competent Raven Software, XO:W (hereafter, “Wolverine” ) clearly shows an excellent amount of polish.  Raven, the makers of last generation’s X-Men Legends series and the more recent Marvel: Ultimate Alliance, got a hold of the Wolverine license, and were itching to “do it right.”

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