Review Archives (Staff Reviews)

You are currently looking through staff reviews for PC games. Below, you will find reviews written by all eligible authors and sorted according to date of submission, with the oldest 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.

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	SunAge review (PC) Reviewed on January 03, 2008 Whether through great AI programming, great mission design, or both, I very often find myself outmanned and outgunned, forced to fight an uphill battle and struggle for every scrap of ground I gain on my objectives. SunAge's singleplayer is challenging, in a way I haven't been challenged by an RTS since I first played StarCraft.
	Everquest II: Rise of Kunark review (PC) Reviewed on January 12, 2008 Even when you leave the lush vegetation of Timorous Deep it becomes clear that the aspect of soloing is especially strong within the Everquest II universe, meaning you don’t need to scourge for a party before you try to take on even the simplest task. It’s an option that a lot more MMOs could do with including.
	Pirates of the Burning Sea review (PC) Reviewed on January 26, 2008 One of the biggest problems with MMOs is repetition, not specifically the grind of gaining levels or earning money. Actually, one of the most abrasive elements of repetition is addressed in the little snippet above. With all the World of Warcrafts and Everquests and Lineages and the legions of similar games who only mix up the gameplay slightly, it's nice to see a game where with only one screenshot, you can see a big difference. Nowhere will you see dwarves with huge glowing axes, or spell casters, or half naked elf women dancing for money in town square.
	Sam & Max 202: Moai Better Blues review (PC) Reviewed on January 28, 2008 It even makes time to take sly shots at other games such as Portal’s teleport system, Duke Nukem’s inability to release a damn game on time and Metal Gear Solid’s over-dramatic death-scream. You know the one!
	Dream Day: First Home review (PC) Reviewed on February 18, 2008 Dream Day: First Home is actually quite simple in design. The bulk of the game plays like someone ripped a page out of an old issue of “Highlights for Children” magazine and made it interactive. Stages provide a series of pictures—lovingly rendered scenes taken from a 'first home' and local supply shops so that they fit the overall theme—and from there you have to find items from a list before the timer expires.
	Sam & Max 203: Night of the Raving Dead review (PC) Reviewed on February 19, 2008 Night of the Raving Dead brings all the good things the series has been steadily building upon and then some. It improves upon the lacklustre length of Moai Better Blues, keeps the quality of the script high, and, while the puzzles are still on the easy side, they’re still a step above those seen in the first season.
	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.
	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.
	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.
	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.
	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.
	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.
	Sam & Max 204: Chariots of the Dogs review (PC) Reviewed on April 14, 2008 We’re now at the point where the game even makes fun of itself for these limitations, and, while taking pot-shots at the forth wall is a Sam & Max staple, it’s a little hard to poke fun at crimes you commit yourself. Get ready for the jarring change of tone, though, folks, I’m about to tell you why I loved Chariots of the Dogs anyway.
	Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Soulstorm review (PC) Reviewed on April 14, 2008 Two more races, a rehashed Dark Crusade campaign, and new units that fill already occupied niches. The overall experience is...less than stellar, feeling less like a labour of love and devotion to a fanbase and more like one more attempt to squeeze money out of a product before the sequel is released.
	Sins of a Solar Empire review (PC) Reviewed on May 02, 2008 It’s not uncommon for a game to end with hundreds of ships on screen at once, engaged in constant combat while each player struggles for dominance. Frankly, the hours you’ve invested in this game only help to heighten the emotions brought about from this final conflict’s outcome. The disappointment can be overwhelming; that you could come this far and fail at the last second doesn’t seem possible. On the other hand, the sense of satisfaction gained from a narrow victory is one of the most gratifying I’ve yet to experience in a game. Either way, it’s an epic fight.
	Utawarerumono review (PC) Reviewed on May 03, 2008 Utawarerumono doesn’t start off particularly promising, and you’d be forgiven in thinking that, based upon its archetype-ridden beginnings, it would drown in a flood of clichés well before it hits endgame. But you would be largely mistaken.
	Sam & Max 205: What's New, Beelzebub? review (PC) Reviewed on May 09, 2008 Let's get the forewarning over with now: if you've not been playing Season 2, then the end chapter is not the place to start. In fact, you shouldn't really be reading this: I just spoiled the ending of 203 by revealing the death of the villain.
	Jack Keane review (PC) Reviewed on May 10, 2008 "This is Monkey Island done right, at last," the box proudly proclaims. It's somewhat appropriate that the first comparison to the iconic adventure series would be made before you even start the game, given the parallels. Still, it's high praise indeed, and appropriate to boot. While some might argue that Monkey Island was done right a long time ago, Jack Keane is certainly a fitting reminder of times long past.
	Golden Horde review (PC) Reviewed on May 19, 2008 The Golden Horde is an entertaining RTS that may not revolutionise the genre, but certainly enriches it a bit with experience and equipment systems.
	TrackMania United Forever review (PC) Reviewed on May 21, 2008 Last month, the TrackMania franchise premiered on Steam with their title ‘TrackMania Nations’; a freeware game that has been often described as a joy filled, causal experience that everyone should try at least once.

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