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
	The Great Waldo Search review (NES) Reviewed on April 10, 2009 I understand the NES wasn't the most powerful system out there, but only five puzzles? Give me a break! A game of The Great Waldo Search is destined to end in mere minutes because there's so little to do. And after that? Well, you could play again on the exact same screens looking for the exact same things in different locations. Perhaps you could try the "expert" difficulty where the only noticeable different is that you can't collect clocks to give yourself more time on ANY of the puzzles. Or you can follow my lead and vow NEVER to play this horrible excuse for entertainment again.
	Hammerin' Hero review (PSP) Reviewed on April 07, 2009 As proven by their cult classic Gekisha Boy, Irem knows how to make an amusing action game. The artwork is presented in a cartoony, colorful style sure to attract the bright eyes of children and nostalgic adults. The wide PSP screen is put to excellent use, providing plenty of room to maneuver while admiring the elaborate boss's antics.
	Crazy Machines: Complete review (PC) Reviewed on April 07, 2009 More than a year's passed since its sequel, meaning all that's really relevant now is the price. For £20, you get the original game, a training pack and an adequate yet uninspiring expansion. These days, you can get Crazy Machines 2 for a tenner in most places. Something does not compute.
	Star Ocean: The Last Hope review (X360) Reviewed on April 06, 2009 Star Ocean: The Last Hope is the type of game that can have you reaching to play it again even though you just beat it a half-hour before, just for the opportunity to rough up some more monsters. The number of RPGs that have that kind of instant gratification is extremely limited, a true testament to the kind of fun you can have only with the likes of Star Ocean: The Last Hope.
	Geneforge 5: Overthrow review (PC) Reviewed on April 06, 2009 Overthrow is the final instalment in the Geneforge saga, which has delivered an average of almost a game a year since its inception in 2002. While the gaming world has radically changed during this time, Geneforge's internal climate has remained consistent. It's still isometric and visually primitive - though the presentation in Overthrow is vastly improved - but such matters lay outside Spiderweb's focus. This is about interactive, non-linear storytelling of the finest quality. And while its approach may be somewhat familiar to those who obsessed for weeks over the likes of Planescape: Torment, it's hugely refreshing to play something with a similar feel all these years on.
	Mushroom Men: The Spore Wars review (WII) Reviewed on April 05, 2009 It’s kooky and competent, making exploring the well realised settings enjoyable and, though Pax doesn’t bring anything new to the plate, he’s still a fun addition to anyone‘s library.
	The Legend of Kyrandia review (PC) Reviewed on April 04, 2009 With The Legend of Kyrandia RTS-kingpin Westwood Studios aptly demonstrate this principle in action – despite pretty graphics and outstanding music, it plays like a blueprint on how NOT to design an adventure game.
	Mana Khemia: Student Alliance review (PSP) Reviewed on April 04, 2009 As Vayne arrives at the academy for the first time, the first thing you may notice is that the graphics are blurry, low-res 3D that look like someone popped a PS1 game in their PS2 and turned on texture smoothing. You may also notice just how long the game had to load said images. Nearly everything you do in Mana Khemia causes the game to stop and load something. Even simplistic tasks like jumping from one ledge to another will cause the PSP to halt everything for a moment to load the jumping animation. This has the unfortunate side-effect of disorienting your jump and often (at least in my case) leads to Vayne landing squarely on a monster's head. There's another battle that could have been avoided!
	SNK Arcade Classics: Vol. 1 review (WII) Reviewed on April 04, 2009 Just like a bag of pick n’ mix or a greatest hits compilation CD, you’re not going to like everything on SNK Arcade Classics Volume 1.
	Stoked review (X360) Reviewed on April 01, 2009 At only $40, Stoked manages to offer solid mechanics, huge mountains to explore, well-integrated online play, and hundreds of challenges to conquer, but the complete lack of mission variety keeps this from being an easy recommendation.
	Cryostasis: Sleep of Reason review (PC) Reviewed on April 01, 2009
	Peggle: Dual Shot review (DS) Reviewed on March 31, 2009 Peggle: Dual Shot is a simple, casual activity that won't take much out of you, and is perfect for morning commute when your brain is still mush and doesn't want to heavily invest in anything.
	Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars review (DS) Reviewed on March 31, 2009 Nearly everything you use the stylus for in Chinatown Wars – rummaging through trash, diffusing bombs, assembling weapons – sounds like a gimmick on its own. It’s the collaboration of all of these individual elements that makes Chinatown Wars work. As you explore this retooled Liberty City, you’ll notice that Rockstar Leeds poured detail into every facet of the design, fleshing out areas that most developers would simply shrug off. Obtaining Molotov cocktails, for example, is no longer simply a matter of picking them up off a designated location on the streets. You’ve literally got to find a gas station and play a mini-game in which you must “aim” the nozzle in response to the fluctuating flow of the gasoline, so as to get as many cocktails for your money’s worth as possible. It’s a wonderful way to make the most of the DS hardware.
	Mevo & The Grooveriders review (PC) Reviewed on March 31, 2009 Mevo & The Grooveriders is a gloriously silly, ridiculously charming little game, as accessible as it is beautiful, and for the ludicrously small admission fee of £5.99 (Steam still refuses to show international prices), it's hard to imagine anyone being disappointed. But the lack of precision is problematic, and does hold Mevo back from the highest accolades. With a bit more polish, and with the addition of a solid community hub, this promising debut from Red Rocket Games could deliver something very jazzy indeed.
	SpongeBob vs. The Big One: Beach Party Cook-Off review (DS) Reviewed on March 30, 2009 Each of SpongeBob's techniques is linked to a specific touch screen mini-game. They're all routine stylus activities, even if the ingredients are a little weird. Trace a line to slice up some kelp. Tap quickly to pound out a Krabby Patty. Rotate frantically to mix up some seaweed pasta. Slingshot deep fried flotsam out of hot oil. Okay, maybe they're not all ordinary culinary arts...
	Blue Dragon review (X360) Reviewed on March 27, 2009 Just by going through the game and experimenting with the class system enough to give all five of my characters (Shu and pals find two more allies before the end of the first disc) a decent amount of versatility, I was trouncing every storyline encounter in my path to the point where the game's final bosses wound up being exercises in me tapping buttons while being more interested in the college basketball game I was watching on my other television.
	Cross Fire review (PC) Reviewed on March 27, 2009 CrossFire is a grain of sand in a desert full of free, online first-person shooters. The majority of these are played and maintained by fanatic Koreans with glazed eyes and twitchy fingers, going to any lengths to improve their skill. At first glance, this particular title fails to stand out from its peers; sporting low-grade graphics, two factions that are constantly at war for no real reason and a promotion system that will be uncannily familiar to the fans of Battlefield or Call of Duty. The gameplay, whilst repetitive, is oddly addictive and never really gets frustrating, despite having to fight alongside some rather incompetent people.
	Pass Your Driving Theory Test: 2010 Edition review (DS) Reviewed on March 27, 2009 Fact is, Pass your Driving Theory Test is never going to be the top of anyone’s wish list unless they actually want to pass their driving theory test, but, should this be the case, it’s a well-made and competent study guide that will vastly enhance your chances to pass a fiddly exam.
	SNK Arcade Classics: Vol. 1 review (PSP) Reviewed on March 27, 2009 I’m happy enough burning though another game of Shock Troopers while on the move. Afterwards, perhaps I’ll surprise myself with another round of golf. Odds are, there’s something on here you’ll enjoy.
	Resident Evil 5 review (PS3) Reviewed on March 25, 2009 I like games that make me think. When trying to break through a barricade of machine gunners and vicious packs of dogs, I want the answer not to be “use a better rifle” but to be something more involved. For instance, sending a partner along a catwalk to draw the gun fire while I sneak closer and blow out the fox holes with a close up grenade or two. Resident Evil 5 should’ve been littered with these kind of situations, but more often than not it opts for straight shoot outs. And they get old.

Additional Results (20 per page)

[001] [002] [003] [004] [005] [006] [007] [008] [009] [010] [011] [012] [013] [014] [015] [016] [017] [018] [019] [020] [021] [022] [023] [024] [025] [026] [027] [028] [029] [030] [031] [032] [033] [034] [035] [036] [037] [038] [039] [040] [041] [042] [043] [044] [045] [046] [047] [048] [049] [050] [051] [052] [053] [054] [055] [056] [057] [058] [059] [060] [061] [062] [063] [064] [065] [066] [067] [068] [069] [070] [071] [072] [073] [074] [075] [076] [077] [078] [079] [080] [081] [082] [083] [084] [085] [086] [087] [088] [089] [090] [091] [092] [093] [094] [095] [096] [097] [098] [099] [100] [101] [102] [103] [104] [105] [106] [107] [108] [109] [110] [111] [112] [113] [114] [115] [116] [117] [118] [119] [120] [121] [122] [123] [124] [125] [126] [127] [128] [129] [130] [131] [132] [133] [134] [135] [136] [137] [138] [139] [140] [141] [142] [143] [144] [145] [146] [147] [148] [149] [150] [151] [152] [153] [154] [155] [156] [157] [158] [159] [160] [161] [162] [163] [164] [165] [166] [167] [168] [169] [170] [171] [172] [173] [174] [175] [176] [177] [178] [179] [180] [181] [182] [183] [184] [185] [186] [187] [188] [189] [190] [191] [192] [193] [194] [195] [196] [197] [198] [199] [200] [201] [202] [203] [204] [205] [206] [207] [208] [209] [210] [211] [212] [213] [214] [215] [216] [217] [218] [219] [220] [221] [222] [223] [224] [225] [226] [227] [228] [229] [230] [231] [232]

User Help | Contact | Ethics | Sponsor Guide | Links