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
	Tecmo's Deception: Invitation to Darkness review (PSX) Reviewed on October 28, 2009 This is the story of Henry the merchant, a loveless miser who nonetheless ventures to the darkest depths of distant Zemekia in search of the fabled Castle of the Damned and handsome profits. After all, even the sadistic blackguard reputed to dwell there must surely appreciate those little niceties like silken bat wings, eyes of newt, and the carefully bottled tears of heartbroken virgins. Unfortunately this portly peddler's greed comes to an ignoble end when he finds himself impaled upon poisoned steel spikes that suddenly shriek forth from a nearby wall.
	Obscure: The Aftermath review (PSP) Reviewed on October 27, 2009 Another scene that comes to mind is one where you are trying to get an elevator moving while a monster charges at the open doors. These scenes kept me on my toes for the whole experience and make me feel obliged to recommend Obscure: The Aftermath to Survival Horror fans. But it’s a recommendation that comes with baggage.
	Castlevania II: Simon's Quest review (NES) Reviewed on October 27, 2009 This is either the crappiest translation in 8-bit history or a fiendishly clever plot to foist subscriptions to NINTENDO POWER upon precocious vampire-hating youths who were subsequently scarred for life by that awesome cover in which our hero clutches Dracula's severed but eternally undying head for all to see.
	The Colonel's Bequest review (PC) Reviewed on October 26, 2009 Greed. Sex. Murder. Yes, The Colonel's Bequest has all the good things in life. It's even set in the heart of the Roaring Twenties, but unfortunately for the lovely Laura Bow there won't be any time for bootleg hooch or the devil's jazz. Our spunky flame haired sleuth instead finds herself surrounded by an ever dwindling cast of shifty suspects on Colonel Henri Dijon's crumbling bayou plantation, because nothing livens up a creepy old house quite like death.
	Splatterhouse 3 review (GEN) Reviewed on October 25, 2009 From the day it first oozed forth into unsuspecting arcades, the SplatterHouse franchise has been synonymous with outrageous violence, undying horrors from beyond the grave . . . and equally musty gameplay. Yet where its predecessors may have been stiff, simplistic side-scrollers, this third installment chucks out the old formula like so many decapitated heads in favor of brutal beat 'em up action featuring a few novel twists.
	Adam's Venture: The Search for the Lost Garden review (PC) Reviewed on October 24, 2009 There’s not many locations you can squeeze into two hours, so they’ve all been gussied up accordingly. It’s only when the slightly subtle motifs of beating back darkness with your light are replaced by silver-tongued snakes and comments about how disaster befell the last woman to eat an apple in the Garden of Eden that you start forgetting it’s meant to be a game and start to wonder when you’re going to be told that when the Rapture comes, you’re going to be the first to die.
	NHL 10 review (PS3) Reviewed on October 23, 2009 NHL 10 is inarguably the epitome of EA’s drive to make the ideal hockey game and at this point, there really is no looking back. My only gripe is that after 09 we had so much more to look forward to.
	Final Fantasy VII review (PS3) Reviewed on October 22, 2009 Those who write Final Fantasy VII off as "emo" forget that it isn’t a game about a whiny group of teenagers. Cloud starts off as a cocky dick. The gamer is given the rare opportunity to witness the fall of this character. By the end, perhaps Cloud is a little depressing. But it takes him 40 hours of psychological and emotional abuse to get there.
	Gemini Lost review (PC) Reviewed on October 21, 2009 With infinite resources you might think that this game is a builder’s paradise, but unfortunately it’s not. Surprisingly, while the game gives you the freedom to collect as many resources as you want, it does not give you the freedom to build as much as you want. Aside from multiple houses, the game only allows one building of each type in predetermined spaces on the map, which usually means that you will accumulate wood and stone in your stockpile by the hundreds with no use for them.
	Madballs in... BABO: Invasion review (PC) Reviewed on October 20, 2009 Overall, Madballs is an enjoyable game for a while, especially at the $10 price point. However, it is not greater than the sum of its individual parts. If you want to play either a great shooter or a great platformer, there are other games that do it better at the same price range (have a look at Geometry Wars and Marble Blast Ultra). That being said, if you really want to do both at the same time, you could certainly be worse off, as the cartoony approach and style is charming enough to entertain, if only for a short while.
	Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 review (PS3) Reviewed on October 20, 2009 Tough guy fulfillment has all but gone up in purple smoke. That the game’s infamous obstinacy has mellowed only serves to make matters worse. Areas crawling with menace that had you sweating your way through, barely able to come up for air, now smack of bland formula and the perfunctory: run, beat up a few guys, run, beat up a few more, earn a new skill, endure long loading times at the pause screen, start running again…
	Heavy Weapon: Atomic Tank review (PS3) Reviewed on October 20, 2009 Heavy Weapon is yet another downloadable game that debuted on XBLA long before PSN, giving PS3 owners pretty much the same game that Xboxers have been able to buy and play for a long time. This isn’t always a bad thing, and it’s still a title of worth so long as you’ve not already got the previous copy snuggled away on your 360’s hard drive and you’re a fan of a screen full of explosions.
	Zeno Clash review (PC) Reviewed on October 20, 2009 In a lot of ways, it feels like an evolved Double Dragon comfortably shoehorned into the first perspective then bottle fed LSD by the gallon.
	CustomPlay Golf 2010 review (PC) Reviewed on October 20, 2009 It’s by no means perfect, but by catering to the ground planners at home and making their efforts freely available, it offers something commendable and, perhaps more importantly, recommendable.
	Naruto Shippuden: Ninja Destiny 2 review (DS) Reviewed on October 19, 2009 There's a nice amount of variety and nuance for those who seek it out, and an accessible button-masher for everyone else. Ninja Destiny 2 does just enough to put it at the top of the Naruto DS mountain for now, though the franchise certainly has room for improvement. Expect it to do so, same time next year.
	Rockin' Pretty review (DS) Reviewed on October 19, 2009 Rhythm games are defined by their music and mechanics. Rockin' Pretty misses on the first count by featuring instrumental-only pop tunes. Without vocals, the whole experience should have been be very forgettable. That is, if RP hadn't nailed the second requirement. The gameplay here is ingenious.
	Raven Squad: Operation Hidden Dagger review (X360) Reviewed on October 19, 2009 It’s a shame in many ways, because the idea the entire game heavily relies upon is so simplistically brilliant that I’ve no idea how no one’s made a killer video game from it before. Imagine your average RTS, then imagine that, instead of watching your controllable troops duke it out in static battles via a camera fitted high up in the sky, you could instead jump into their very heads and take the fight on yourself. That’s the big idea behind Atomic Motion’s new multi-talented squad based shooter but, unfortunately, all the brave idea has given rise to is the ability to drop the ball on two separate fronts.
	Uncharted 2: Among Thieves review (PS3) Reviewed on October 17, 2009 Much ado has been made of Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, and for good reason. It's entirely possible that no other video game has ever come this close to replicating the motion picture feeling. Perhaps I should clarify: it's entirely possible that no other video game has ever come this close to replicating the summer action blockbuster feeling.
	Ion Assault review (X360) Reviewed on October 16, 2009 It's a good thing Ion Assault gives players unlimited continues, as a good deal of the difficulty in this game comes from simply learning when and where enemies will warp into the screen. During my first trip through the first zone, I died a few times on every level, but the first. During the second trip, the boss was the only thing I found challenging.
	Cursed Mountain review (WII) Reviewed on October 12, 2009 When you hear the inconsolable sobbing of a woman – like her head is resting right on your shoulder – it begs for attention. There are also frequent wisps of ghosts seen just trailing off the screen or creeping around a corner, inviting you to follow. These eerie elements both repel and attract, a perfect quality for any horror-driven game.

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