Reviews by Brian Rowe

Turok review

Dinosaurs don’t need help to be scary. They’re stronger, faster, more resilient, and better hunters than you’ll ever be. That leaves one, powerful weapon that many FPSs frequently ignore – wits.

Brian Rowe · March 13, 2008

Staff Xbox 360 HG exclusive

Turning Point: Fall of Liberty review

What makes the invasion of the U.S. different from that of France? Who would fight back, and who would manipulate the situation for personal gain? Instead of seizing the opportunity to dissect the American experience, Spark slapped some…

Brian Rowe · March 10, 2008

Staff NES HG exclusive

Shadowgate review

How are you supposed to know that a ladder has no bottom end, or that a passage will suddenly collapse upon your skull? You do it, say hello to the reaper, and try again until you get it right.

Brian Rowe · February 29, 2008

Staff Xbox 360 HG exclusive

TimeShift review

I would like to know why giant robots roam the streets of 1939, why the rebellious Occupants are battling the empire of Dr. Krone, and most of all, why those rebels trust me without so much as a “hello.” If a stranger popped into my house…

Brian Rowe · February 11, 2008

Staff DS HG exclusive

MX vs. ATV Untamed review

I wasn’t prepared for such a devastating trip through the portable chop-shop. I only managed to squeeze about four minutes of reckless fun before Untamed and its constricted tracks morphed into an exercise in repetition. There’s a fine…

Brian Rowe · January 15, 2008

Staff Xbox 360 HG exclusive

Skate review

Like the hard pavement of reality, skate. can be mercilessly unforgiving. My first 30 minutes of bailed grinds incited a vocal rampage that would have made the halls of Def Jam blush. Where some might have seen all the joy of…

Brian Rowe · January 7, 2008

Staff DS HG exclusive

Warhammer 40,000: Squad Command review

Plasma cannons were so utterly devastating to an area that I didn’t have to bother hitting the target. Walls and barricades became momentary nuisances as my squad razed the battlefield. With the plasma cannon’s range I avoided Overwatch…

Brian Rowe · January 1, 2008

Staff Xbox 360 HG exclusive

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare review

COD4 is epic in scope and short on time, but brevity can be a powerful tool in capable hands. Over the course of two days, I stormed terrorist bunkers, marched a tank through city streets, and held an entire militia at bay. I was…

Brian Rowe · December 11, 2007

Staff PC HG exclusive

The 80's Game With Martha Quinn review

I was a little scared by the box’s blatant abuse of the word “gnarly,” but let all be forgiven by the image of one woman – Martha Quinn. If you grew up with cable TV, you shouldn’t need an introduction to this illustrious VJ.

Brian Rowe · December 4, 2007

Staff DS HG exclusive

Cooking Mama 2: Dinner with Friends review

Sit back, let the timer run out, and you will still end up with a perfectly presentable dish and one of 68 new recipes for your lack of effort. Doing well gets a good score, but I’m not really the kind of guy who calls up friends to brag…

Brian Rowe · December 1, 2007

Staff Xbox 360 HG exclusive

Screwjumper! review

The best way to keep the score rising is to keep your jet-boots burning. As you charge through columns of pads, avoiding a circle of mines, the walls vibrate with a cacophony of multiplier-inducing explosions. You ignore the searing flames…

Brian Rowe · November 19, 2007

Staff DS HG exclusive

Dementium: The Ward review

After a scant 15 minutes, Dementium: The Ward withered like an elderly man with erectile dysfunction. What began as a hardcore 1st-person shooter regressed into an atmospheric jaunt through a continual series of empty rooms and hallways.

Brian Rowe · November 9, 2007

Staff Wii HG exclusive

Victorious Boxers: Revolution review

After 23 years of technological and gameplay advancements, it seems like we finally got a three-dimensional version of Punch-Out! Then again, you can always charge in like a schoolyard runt trying to fend off the bully with a torrent of…

Brian Rowe · October 29, 2007

Staff Wii HG exclusive

Spider-Man: Friend or Foe review

The mysterious villain of Friend or Foe is harvesting symbiote-tainted meteors, the same type of alien symbiote that created Venom, and housing them inside an army of holographic enemies. Laws of physics be damned, you get to fight…

Brian Rowe · October 22, 2007

Staff PlayStation 2 HG exclusive

Red Faction II review

Without a doubt, Red Faction II is one of the PS2’s most prized first-person shooters, and the plot is only one piece of a memorable experience. The pursuit of the fleeing Sopot will take Alias through government high-rises, into the…

Brian Rowe · September 7, 2007

Staff PlayStation 2 HG exclusive

Marvel: Ultimate Alliance review

You might think that tossing 23 playable heroes, dozens of villains, and countless recognizable characters into the same game would be fan-service enough, but some people don’t know when to quit.

Brian Rowe · August 29, 2007

Staff PlayStation HG exclusive

Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee review

With a forebodingly somber score and intricately detailed, pre-rendered backgrounds, Abe’s Oddysee is a sensual luxury, but the gameplay is straight from Out of This World, and just as hard.

Brian Rowe · July 25, 2007

Staff PlayStation 2 HG exclusive

Lifeline review

Lifeline’s notorious gimmick is the near-complete neglect of the controller. Instead, it relies upon voice recognition through the PS2 headset. Since you are stuck in the monitor room and Rio has the analytical mentality of a first-grader…

Brian Rowe · July 18, 2007

Staff DS HG exclusive

Touch the Dead review

Zombies have had quite the resurgence in popularity lately. And why not? You can beat them mercilessly, chop off their limbs, set them on fire, and generally vent all your frustrations about humanity without feeling a shred of guilt.

Brian Rowe · June 25, 2007

Staff DS HG exclusive

Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords review

Winning and losing should be based on skill and strategy, not a roll of the dice. Although it’s their first venture into the RPG genre, 1st Playable Productions found an intriguing way around this problem, through puzzles and a rich…

Brian Rowe · June 20, 2007