Review Archives (Staff Reviews)

You are currently looking through staff reviews for games that are available on every platform the site currently covers. Below, you will find reviews written by all eligible authors and sorted according to date of submission, with the newest content displaying first. As many as 20 results will display per page. If you would like to try a search with different parameters, specify them below and submit a new search.

Available Reviews
	Light's End review (X360) Reviewed on April 02, 2010 This mechanic lends Light’s End a unique feel; there’s no battle engine to be found or any statistics to build; it’s purely a character-based puzzler where you need to jump from differing perspectives throughout the game to keep the story moving along.
	World Cup Of Pool review (DS) Reviewed on March 31, 2010 Unfortunately, the inclusion of sixty stellar pros boils down to displaying a still photo before each match, because the computer certainly doesn't play like any of those big names. It fails to execute smart safeties. It will ignore tailor-made combinations that would result in a win. Worst of all, it simply flubs easy, straight-in shots. I've never seen it come close to running a rack.
	The Red Star review (PSP) Reviewed on March 30, 2010 The Red Star stands on its own, with or without the name and skin based on the comics. It just doesn't stand very well.
	Fret Nice review (PS3) Reviewed on March 28, 2010 This exhausting ingenuity may be the most memorable piece of Fret Nice, but it doesn't make the game alone. It gets help from colorful landscapes that beg for exploration. Neither, though, is the gimmick what breaks it. That's left to control decisions that have nothing to do with the guitar.
	Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening review (PC) Reviewed on March 27, 2010 When you install Awakening and start a new game, you're presented with the choice of either playing the original Origins campaign or the new expansion. Unfortunately it's a pretty easy choice to make.
	Fragile Dreams: Farewell Ruins of the Moon review (WII) Reviewed on March 27, 2010 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, Fragile Dreams can surprise you with just how obtuse it can really be. As you progress through the game, you'll find yourself forced to backtrack to locations where you've already been (after finding the proper key, of course) or you'll have to chase a mischievous prankster around an amusement park or whatever else the game throws your way.
	Darwinia+ review (X360) Reviewed on March 26, 2010 With the introduction of spiders, things rapidly became more difficult. I had to rely on grenades to damage them, as they seemed immune to laser fire. Making that difficult was their habit of suddenly pouncing at my unit when within range. Until I'd really enhanced my grenade-throwing range and could blast them before they noticed my squad's presence, they were able to decimate squads with ease.
	Metro 2033 review (X360) Reviewed on March 25, 2010 Developed by 4A Games, a splinter of Ukranian studio GSC Game World, Metro 2033 is nothing like Stalker. That's one of the most important things to remember when entering its dismal tunnel network, or sprinting across its harsh, destroyed surface world. It may share some pretty heavy thematic elements with that series, and it might emerge from the same brains, but Metro 2033 is its own game: more bombastic shoot-'em-up than slow-burning, open-world survival.
	Chronicles of Mystery: The Tree of Life review (PC) Reviewed on March 23, 2010 The Tree of Life lays the groundwork for an interesting revelation, keeps you busy with roundabout nonsense, and then glosses over the juiciest part. When the time comes to reveal true identities and lay motivations bare, the conspirators drone on with obtuse conversations that fail to explain the whole truth of the matter.
	Red Steel 2 review (WII) Reviewed on March 23, 2010 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. Routing the evil gang members feels satisfying because you're not simply swinging the Wii Remote around in place of furious 'A' button mashing. The speed and actual motion of each swing is reflected on-screen with surprising precision and with in-game consequences.
	Thexder Neo HD review (PS3) Reviewed on March 22, 2010 Enemies come at you fast, but luckily your laser beam has homing capabilities, so you needn’t even aim to bring them down. Being successful is more a function of edging forward gradually enough to bring the enemies onto the screen slowly enough for the beam to melt the bad guys before they reach your face.
	Final Fantasy XIII review (PS3) Reviewed on March 20, 2010 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 you to slaughter most enemies that you encounter. The dynamic changes abruptly once you've been playing for a few hours, however, and you're suddenly going up against monsters so powerful that they can smash tanks, or you're fighting so many at once that they can overwhelm you almost before the fight begins unless you truly understand how to get the most out of your party members.
	Greed Corp review (X360) Reviewed on March 20, 2010 Once you have mastered the basics of the game and can minimise the number of wrong button presses, Greed Corp is a solid, if unspectacular, strategy title at 800MSP.
	God of War III review (PS3) Reviewed on March 18, 2010 With grandiose symphony and fiery passion, Sony's declaration is clear: this is an epic the likes of which the world may never see again. The game's opening moments plunge this brazen ambition into the hearts of those who've forgotten such fanciful dreams. A host of titans wage war against the gods of Olympus, and the chaotic path along which players guide Kratos is truly unnerving. The ground itself shakes, for that ground is the back of the titan Gaia. Parasitic serpents burst from Gaia's flesh to bar the Spartan's path; when the titan of Earth stumbles from the pain, Kratos hangs precariously with one hand but still must fight. His soul is only at peace during battle.
	Tales of Monkey Island: Chapter 5 - Rise of the Pirate God review (PC) Reviewed on March 17, 2010 It's not a classic. It's still a game whose intricacies are likely to be forgotten within months. It's probably not even the best of the series, all considered. What it does have, though, is Tales' strongest moment, across all of the games.
	Valhalla Knights: Eldar Saga review (WII) Reviewed on March 16, 2010 It's unfortunate, too, because underneath all the crap lies the framework for what could be a very good game. You have your typical classes such as fighter, mage, and priest, who each have their own experience levels. You're free to change your class whenever you wish by heading to the guild and paying a fee. Each time your chosen class gains a level, you get skill points that you can distribute among different abilities that class posseses. Once you know a skill, you're able to set it in one of several slots, regardless of class. It goes without saying that this system allows you to customize your character in a variety of ways, and once you begin to unlock some of the more advanced classes like samurai and godhand, your ability to customize will only increase.
	The Legend of Vraz review (PC) Reviewed on March 15, 2010 In its present form, the game merely comes across as an unnecessary mess of well-intentioned ideas made only slightly more amusing by the vague cultural undertones from India.
	Data East Arcade Classics review (WII) Reviewed on March 09, 2010 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 play. Load times are surprisingly lengthy, especially given the size that some of the included games surely occupy on the disc or anywhere else. The whole experience is surprisingly awkward every step of the way. That prevents the collection from being the joy that it might have been.
	Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing review (PS3) Reviewed on March 04, 2010 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 to mimic their vehicular wizardry, you'll realize just how ingeniously the environments were developed. Ramps, fences, wide bends and hairpin turns mean that the fastest way through nearly any situation is to slide into an expert drift, then use the resulting energy to boost through a curve or over a ramp... where it's possible to launch into acrobatics that charge you up for a new boost once your wheels touch the ground.
	Metal Slug XX review (PSP) Reviewed on February 28, 2010 Metal Slug XX is a remake of the DS's Metal Slug 7. After playing the new version, I don't think I can go back. The cartoony visuals have been expanded to a proper resolution, showing off the same zany antics we've watched for 14 years. Two-player simultaneous action has been added, creating a cooperative experience we've enjoyed since 1996. And it's still impossible to aim diagonally.

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