Reviews by Jason Venter
947 reviews · showing 421–440
-
Staff DS HG exclusive
Let's Draw! review
Let's Draw! includes a variety of fun shapes, too, things that kids would actually care to draw. You can start out simple just by drawing a few lines—and the game will congratulate you on your artistic prowess—then move up to something…
Jason Venter · April 24, 2010
-
Staff Xbox 360 HG exclusive
How To Train Your Dragon review
As you spend time outside of the arena with your dragon, whether that be training in the cave or playing mini-games that you have unlocked at a distant cave, your over-sized pet will grow weary. That can quickly impact its performance, so…
Jason Venter · April 23, 2010
-
Staff PlayStation 3 HG exclusive
Battlefield: Bad Company 2 review
The game's limited scope comes with a pleasing silver lining, however: destructible environments. Games have made attempts along those lines in the past, but Bad Company 2 takes the beautiful chaos to an unusually involving level. For…
Jason Venter · April 23, 2010
-
Staff PlayStation 3 HG exclusive
Resonance of Fate review
For the most part, this battle system works wonders and it lends Resonance of Fate a fair portion of its charm. When you're able to stop thinking about all of the strategy that goes into perfectly executing a massive assault on powerful…
Jason Venter · April 21, 2010
-
Staff Wii HG exclusive
Fragile Dreams: Farewell Ruins of the Moon review
Given time, you will eventually adapt to all of those quirks. Even when you've grown accustomed to the overly simplistic and repetitive combat, the awkward flashlight and camera controls and the ridiculous inventory system, however…
Jason Venter · March 27, 2010
-
Staff Wii HG exclusive
Red Steel 2 review
When the swordplay comes together as intended, there's no feeling better. You'll face a lot of thugs as you seek your resolution. They come at you from all sides wielding swords of their own, or guns or hammers or protective shields…
Jason Venter · March 23, 2010
-
Staff PlayStation 3 HG exclusive
Final Fantasy XIII review
The multi-faceted nature of combat means that in Final Fantasy XIII, nearly every battle is a fresh adventure. That's not evident in the first few hours, where you're still learning new techniques and simply mashing the 'X' button allows…
Jason Venter · March 20, 2010
-
Staff Wii HG exclusive
Data East Arcade Classics review
Menu and presentation issues don't end with ridiculous button configurations, either. You'll see a lot of menus as you decide what game to play, both when the game first starts up and then when you select the one that you actually want to…
Jason Venter · March 9, 2010
-
Staff PlayStation 3 HG exclusive
Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing review
Tracks are more than eye candy. You'll find compelling venues that accommodate an absolutely essential drift system. Your opponents will generally spend more time drifting and boosting than they do driving in a straight line. When you try…
Jason Venter · March 4, 2010
-
Staff Wii HG exclusive
Endless Ocean: Blue World review
Naturally, diving is what prevents Blue World from feeling much like "just another game." The waters of the world's most memorable bodies of water teem with life and play host to everything from seals to gray whales to eels to jellyfish…
Jason Venter · February 26, 2010
-
Staff PlayStation 3 HG exclusive
Heavy Rain review
Most of the scenes make good sense and do a nice job of either building tension or adding depth to the characters, but there are instances where something will happen and it feels like the developers are just pandering to my testosterone…
Jason Venter · February 17, 2010
-
Staff Wii HG exclusive
Our House: Party! review
What makes things even worse is that they are sandwiched between several load screens that are disguised to trick you into believing that they contain useful or exciting information. You'll soon learn better. Pre-game tutorials explain how…
Jason Venter · February 7, 2010
-
Staff PC HG exclusive
Nancy Drew: Warnings at Waverly Academy review
Perhaps the biggest problem isn't the limited nature of the building, though; it's the backtracking. When you first arrive, you'll make the rounds as you get acquainted with your new classmates. That takes a lot of time, since at first it…
Jason Venter · February 5, 2010
-
Staff PlayStation 3 HG exclusive
NBA Live 10 review
The characters in this year's game move with more faithfulness to their real-life counterparts. The difference isn't huge, but it's there and it's just one of many tweaks that I absolutely appreciate. Other upgrades have also been made to…
Jason Venter · February 3, 2010
-
Staff Wii HG exclusive
Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles - The Crystal Bearers review
The biggest flaw facing those who give The Crystal Bearers a chance is the way that the game requires so much tedious backtracking. Though the world that you'll explore throughout your adventure is beautiful, it's relatively small. That…
Jason Venter · February 1, 2010
-
Staff PSP HG exclusive
Half-Minute Hero review
Told in a generational sort of manner that's reminiscent of a more expanded Dragon Quest V, the plot in Half-Minute Hero won't win any awards for narrative originality. It obviously isn't trying to, either. Instead, it has fun rushing…
Jason Venter · January 29, 2010
-
Staff Xbox 360 HG exclusive
Death By Cube review
You might call it a post-apocalyptic battlefield simulator, or a Geometry Wars clone or perhaps you'd even call it art. Certainly, the minimalist approach makes a case for that last descriptor. There's something beautiful about the simple…
Jason Venter · January 24, 2010
-
Staff PC HG exclusive
The Treasures of Montezuma 2 review
You'll likely spend most of your time in said Adventure mode, both because you're initially compelled to do so and because the developers were wise enough to include rewards for working your way through its individual stages. Each success…
Jason Venter · January 21, 2010
-
Staff Wii HG exclusive
Castlevania: The Adventure ReBirth review
Here you'll find Death with his sickles and blades whirling madly around him, possessing a visage rendered more menacing than ever before by redrawn artwork. Here you'll find the Colossus with a hulking frame that fills the entire screen…
Jason Venter · January 14, 2010
-
Staff DS HG exclusive
Atelier Annie: Alchemists of Sera Island review
Nearly every action costs precious time, in fact, and there are no do-overs (though you can play through the whole adventure again after the credits roll and keep any of the items that you gathered on your first run). The setup works…
Jason Venter · January 14, 2010
