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
	Mass Effect review (X360) Reviewed on March 21, 2008 I completed Mass Effect in little more than twenty hours, which may seem like a travesty when compared with many other successful RPGs. But Mass Effect’s amazingly involving methods of storytelling are truly unmatched, and with rarely a moment that isn’t spectacular, BioWare has (regardless of length) skillfully crafted one of the most compelling RPGs ever made.
	Napoleon's Campaigns review (PC) Reviewed on March 21, 2008 There is a demographic that demands historically accurate war games, and Napoleon’s Campaigns is aimed to those people so hard that to be more realistic it only needs to reach out and stab you in the gut.
	Hard to Be a God review (PC) Reviewed on March 21, 2008 In essence, the game's opening moments establish the framework for many a glorious battle to come, while apparently forsaking plot entirely. And the ensuing horse ride to meet your informant are filled with thoughts of future glory. But then, something strange happens. Glimmers of a plot start to surface. Clandestine maneuvers are made. Backstabbing occurs, and it's presented in a way that compels one to care.
	Puchi Puchi Virus review (DS) Reviewed on March 20, 2008 Of course, let's also not forget the fact that swiping the stylus around the screen in a flurry of quick pokes is likely to lead to some moments where you can't see much because your hand or wrist is briefly in the way. You'd think the developers would account for the natural phenomenon of non-transparent limbs, but they didn't. Indeed, they did quite the opposite; not only do viruses soon congeal too quickly, but they also move.
	El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera review (PS2) Reviewed on March 20, 2008 I say that because there's simply not much reason to play through the adventure multiple times. There aren't any hidden items to scrounge up, there aren't any alternate routes and there aren't even any particularly memorable moments throughout the whole affair. You can choose to play through as either Frida or Black Cuervo, as mentioned on the back of the box, but they both control identically and the option doesn't add anything to the experience.
	Hot Shots Golf: Out of Bounds review (PS3) Reviewed on March 19, 2008 Quite simply, you stand a better chance of knocking the ball out of the sand trap and managing an unlikely chip-in than you do engineering a successful putt from more than 4 feet (and yes, almost every putt you ever have cause to attempt will exceed that 4-foot distance). For starters, the on-screen indicators are wretched. The grid that you've become accustomed to in similar games is present, but its elements are too small to be of use.
	Pinball Hall of Fame: The Williams Collection review (WII) Reviewed on March 19, 2008 The control scheme is pure perfection. Controlling the flippers means holding the Nunchuck device in your left hand and squeezing the 'Z' trigger to move that paddle, while holding the Wii Remote in your right hand and squeezing the trigger. The effect is that you almost feel as if you're hunched over an actual pinball table.
	One Piece: Unlimited Adventure review (WII) Reviewed on March 14, 2008 As you wander throughout the island, you'll come across all sorts of 'ingredients' that can be taken back to camp and turned into useful items. For example, you might hack down some scraggly trees to acquire lumber, or slash at low-hanging vines to obtain a vine rope. That's neat, except that you must backtrack to camp to do anything with your goodies except convert them to magical energy. This requirement gets old quickly, especially if in the process you forget where you were on your to-do list.
	Turok review (X360) Reviewed on March 13, 2008 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.
	Destroy All Humans!: Big Willy Unleashed review (WII) Reviewed on March 12, 2008 It might not have occurred to you, but 'Big Willy' can be used to refer to, well... a penis. This gag is used repeatedly throughout the game, as Pox complains that the competition wants to milk his Big Willy dry, as he talks about covering the world with his Big Willy and so forth. Just when you think that surely the writers ran out of silly puns involving alien genitalia, something else pops up and suddenly Pox is talking about his 500 erections (of restaurants, naturally).
	Turning Point: Fall of Liberty review (X360) Reviewed on March 10, 2008 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 fedoras and Brooklyn accents on the scene and called it a day.
	Ultimate Ghosts 'N Goblins review (PSP) Reviewed on March 07, 2008 Ultimate’s thesis is a simple one: all things conspire to kill and frustrate, all roads lead to death – which, admittedly, seems in keeping with the spirit of the series.
	Imperium Romanum review (PC) Reviewed on March 06, 2008 This very entertaining RTS gives you the chance to manage one of the many cities that prospered under the Roman Empire, or even Rome itself, with the added advantage that nobody even tries to assassinate you.
	Rainbow Islands Evolution review (PSP) Reviewed on March 04, 2008 For starters, the new-and-improved premise is really, really stupid. In action-puzzle games that should not matter. But it does, because controlling a sombrero-wearing, hurdy gurdy-wielding imp against the evil forces of the despotic recording industry (Million Records Company) is as ridiculous as it gets – so dumb that it offends.
	The Club review (PS3) Reviewed on February 29, 2008 From the opening cinema to the final curtain, The Club is designed to disturb you. Soldiers shower you with bullets and profanity. Men sag against the architecture as crimson stains spatter dreary concrete barricades and crumbling stone walls. Through it all, a monotone voice growls “Head Shot” every time a bullet turns a brain to mush, or “Fight!” whenever the carnage begins anew. The dreariness is relentless, even emotionally draining.
	Shadowgate review (NES) Reviewed on February 29, 2008 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.
	Mega Brain Boost review (DS) Reviewed on February 28, 2008 I suggest passing on Mega Brain Boost since it offers less content than the Brain Age games it imitates.
	Fantasy Wars review (PC) Reviewed on February 27, 2008 What's refreshing is that the word 'strategy' isn't just in the genre's name out of some long-forgotten tradition: it must become the lynchpin of your game should you ever dream of progression.
	Speedball 2 - Tournament review (PC) Reviewed on February 26, 2008 But underneath all the machismo and violence, Speedball is actually a rather complex game that can best be described as a cross between soccer and pinball. The goal of the players is to score points by injuring the other team, or getting the ball into the goal. You can boost the number of points you score by throwing a ball through a loop-de-loop built into the wall. Each time you do so, you get a x2 multiplayer added to any points you score, which can be reduced by the opposing team doing the same thing.
	AGON: The Lost Sword Of Toledo review (PC) Reviewed on February 25, 2008 If you’ve been playing the earlier Agon games this is probably a natural purchase, but don’t let lack of experience with the previous games put you off. It stands up just fine by itself, and there is a detailed codex that outlines the professor’s adventures in the past episodes if you’re so inclined. It isn’t as extravagant or exciting as many of the new-school adventures that have been hitting our shops in recent months, but The Lost Sword of Toledo is a solid package that does the important things right.

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