Reviews by viridian_moon

Avernum 5 review

But maybe even more than that, the Avernum series sets itself apart from the legions of other fantasy CRPGs with its phenomenal milieu; an Empire soldier might not want to trudge through miles of winding underground caverns, with their…

Julia Stein · July 27, 2008

Staff PC HG exclusive

Defcon review

In this game, there is only one winner. Cooperation disintegrates, and the game devolves into a savage contest of every man for himself. LAUNCH DETECTED flashes across the map again and again as enemies open fire and allies backstab each…

Julia Stein · June 6, 2007

Reader PC Review of the Week HG exclusive

NetHack review

There’s a saying in the NetHack community that the DevTeam thinks of everything, and it’s true. The game is so deep and fully realized that it’s impossible to put down. Once you’re hooked, you keep coming back no matter how frustrating it…

viridian_moon · May 6, 2007

Reader PlayStation 2

Xenosaga Episode III: Also sprach Zarathustra review

We’ve come to expect three things from the Xenosaga RPGs: a deep, epic plot, an insane number of amazingly well-done cutscenes, and terrible gameplay. Xenosaga Episode III: Also sprach Zarathustra (Thus Spoke Zarathustra, for those…

viridian_moon · January 16, 2007

Reader PlayStation 2

Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel review

Among the desert weeds and radiation of post-apocalyptic California live the last remnants of humanity. Jaded and cynical, they wallow in poverty, their run-down settlements small outposts of civilization in the midst of the…

viridian_moon · August 17, 2006

Reader PC

Planescape: Torment review

Sigil is the City of Doors. It lies at the nexus of the multiverse; its portals touch countless worlds, and those with the correct keys can reach anywhere from Sigil. To the rest, it’s a prison. It floats above the infinitely tall Spire in…

viridian_moon · August 10, 2006

Reader PlayStation HG exclusive

Star Ocean: The Second Story review

The first time I played Star Ocean: The Second Story, I was duly impressed by the large number of spaceships (I quite like them) in the title screen cinematic. Intrigued, I started a game. Select your character. What was this? Two heroes?…

viridian_moon · July 21, 2006

Reader PlayStation 2 Review of the Week HG exclusive

Disgaea: Hour of Darkness review

At a glance, Disgaea: Hour of Darkness looks like your standard strategy RPG: turn-based battles on a grid, a variety of weapons and classes, a small amount of customization. But from the first time you meet the main character, you know…

viridian_moon · July 6, 2006

Reader PC Review of the Week HG exclusive

Fallout 2 review

World War III nearly destroyed all life on Earth. No one bothers to remember the specifics now; they’re trivialities, unimportant details. What is remembered is that lances of nuclear fire descended from the sky and boiled the oceans…

viridian_moon · January 20, 2006

Reader PC Review of the Week HG exclusive

Castle of the Winds review

Castle of the Winds is an archetypal Rogue-like dungeon-crawler, a forgotten relic of the bygone shareware days. Charmingly straightforward like other games of its ilk, it dispenses with trivialities like a convoluted plot, rich milieu…

viridian_moon · December 30, 2005

Reader PlayStation

Chrono Cross review

Chrono Cross is a terrible game. I mean, it starts off well enough. You’re thrown right into the action: Serge, your run-of-the-mill silent protagonist, and Kid, the obligatory female lead who dresses like a cheap prostitute, engage in a…

viridian_moon · October 7, 2005

Reader PC

Exile II: Crystal Souls review

The Exile trilogy made something of a name for itself when it hit the shareware market in the mid-90’s, claiming a handful of mildly impressive awards and thrilling loads of people in magazines I’ve never heard of. Then, a few years later…

viridian_moon · August 5, 2005

Reader PlayStation 2

Xenosaga Episode I: Der Wille zur Macht review

Every now and then a title comes along that changes the way we think about video games – something so startlingly different, so revolutionary, so innovative that it redefines a genre or invents one entirely. Mario was one such; Final…

viridian_moon · June 8, 2005