88 public written reviews
The views here are this user’s only and are not representative of Giant Bomb's thoughts and opinions on the discussed video game. GB's official reviews reside at giantbomb.com/reviews.
By - Richard J. This is not the Splinter Cell you've played before. Instead of staying in the dark, crawling towards enemies to pull of that perfect execution, you'll be running through gun battles taking out anyone in your site. This is Splinter Cell: Conviction, and its one hell of a ride! Story The basic plot of Splinter Cell: Conviction is that Sam Fischer, no longer working for Third Echilon, is trying to stop…
By - Richard J. It all started with the Gameboy, and a little Russian game that could. After selling nearly 33 million on the portable system alone, everyone across America in the early '90s was fitting tetrominoes together. Over the years, Tetris has made its mark on nearly every home and portable video game console. The latest Tetris game(s) to invade home and portable consoles is Tetris Party Deluxe. Tetris Party…
By - Kai S. I really cannot think of anyone who has never played with LEGO’s at some point in their life. Whether or not they actually owned them, I think every person has had the chance to build and play with LEGO’s at some point or another. Everyone seems to love LEGO’s and it is one of the few toys that have stood the test of time. Even as we grow older, the kid inside of us still sees LEGO’s and wants to start…
By - Richard J. Green Day has played a large role in the modern punk scene since they went mainstream in 1991. They've had a lot of ups and a lot of downs, but most famously their last "up" which produced to critically acclaimed albums American Idiot and 21st Century Breakdown . SinceAmerican Idiotwas released, Green Day has come back to the forefront of the music and overall entertainment industry. With Green Day…
By - Kai S. Seventeen years ago an opossum by the name of Sparkster invaded the homes of thousands of Sega Mega Drive and Genesis owners. He warmed the hearts of many as they followed him on his quest to save the day in Rocket Knight Adventures. Sparkster was later called back to duty in Sparkster: Rocket Knight Adventures 2 and later on the SNES in Sparkster. After years of adventure, Sparkster went into retirement…
By - Richard J. What do you get when you take a movie game that hasn't bothered to license any movies, and add gimmicky 3D that doesn't even work? You get one of the worst games this generation, other wise known as; Attack of the Movies 3D As you will see in this review, Attack of the Movies 3D is absolutely terrible and should only be used as a test of will power for aspiring video game journalists, such as myself.…
By - Richard J. Back in 2007, the geniuses at Nintendo released Super Mario Galaxy to the world. The game received high critical acclaim and praise. Many dubbed Super Mario Galaxy as the best Mario game ever released. Riding on the coat tails of such a great success, Nintendo set out to release a sort of "Super Mario Galaxy 1.5", using levels that had to be cut from the original game due to restrictions. What was…
By - Kai S. What do you get when you combine the mascot for a Japanese mobile phone company and a platform puzzle game for the DS? The incredibly fun, and unique game by the name of Boing! Docomodake DS. The adorable little mushroom mascots take you through a quirky and fun story that will have you hooked from start to finish. Addicting gameplay, a cute story and nice visuals all come together to make one great…
By - Craig H. ModNation Racers is the second installment in Sony’s “Play, Create, Share” game series. Trying to follow in the footsteps of LittleBigPlanet, ModNation Racers aims to put the players in control of the content in the game. If following in LittleBigPlanet's success was not enough it is also tasked with going after kart racing's juggernaut, Mario Kart. ModNation Racers gives both games a run for their…
By - Richard J. Take Mega-Man, remove his armour and give him Crystal Meth. The way he would see himself and the world around him; how he would be vulnerable after any attack, and the speed for which the world would seem to pass him by is exactly how I would describe Bit. Trip RUNNER. This game is one hell of a ride, but any slight pause in that ride will force you start it all over again. Trial-and-error is the…
By - Craig H. Triggering commercial airline crashes, blowing up train bridges and toppling buildings are not typically events that are used to describe a racing game but Split/Second aims to add a new layer to a stagnant gaming genre. Disney and Blackrock Studios give players the ability to control catastrophic events to help position themselves at the top of the podium. Split/Second is structured around a pulse…
By - Richard J. It has been a long time coming. Rumored to have been in the planning stages since as early as 2001; Alan Wake is finally here. This action, survival horror game has fought against numerous delays to finally make it's way to day light. A dark vs. light fight similar to what you will experience once you dive into Alan Wake. Despite the numerous delays, I can happily tell you that Alan Wake was…
By - Richard J. What the hell is Tatsunoko? That's what many of you reading this review are probably wondering. You're familiar with Marvel Vs. Capcom, but not Tatsunoko Vs. Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars. That's fine, as I was the same way until I went to the good 'ole internet to look it up. It turns out, Tatsunoko is an extremely popular Japanese animation company. However, that doesn't matter. What matters is that…
Read the full review Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Ultimate All Stars
By - Richard J. Puzzles, puzzles, and more puzzles; that is what can be found throughout Professor Layton and the Curious Village. With the game boasting more than 120, it has no shortage of puzzles to be solved. With a cute, but rewarding story to tie all of these puzzles together, Professor Layton and the Curious Village is a game that shouldn't disappoint. As mentioned, Professor Layton and the Curious Village…
Read the full review Professor Layton and the Curious Village
By - Craig H Almost 8 years have passed since the original Dead to Rights was released on the Xbox and Playstation 2. Developer Violate Games has promised to re-invent the series and push the game in a new direction. What was achieved was a run-of-the-mill third person shooter that will be forgettable shortly after completion (though is fun while it lasts). Dead to Rights: Retribution follows a Metro City cop Jack…
By - Richard J. After mindlessly indulging close to 10 hours into Monster Hunter Tri in only 2 and a half days, I've come to the conclusion that the Japanese are onto something with this Monster Hunter series. The Monster Hunter series takes basic hack-and-slash gameplay, mashes it with thralling adventures, and ties it all together with a nice muliplayer-focused bow. Being my first Monster Hunter game, I didn't…
By - Richard J. Remember back to 2006 and 2007 when everyone was so excited for 'Assassin's Creed', set to be released for the Xbox360 and PS3? Gamers around the world were so excited for a game that was set to change the way we thought of sandbox games. The hype coursed through the internet, and it coursed thorough our veins in anticipation, but something happened. Eager gamers rushed through Assassin's Creed and…
By - Richard J. When Capcom first announced Street Fighter 4 for iPhone, me and many other games were worried about how the game would control. I'm happy to report that fears about the game controlling poorly can be put to rest. Capcom made the best of a bad situation and can proudly state that they made an iPhone game with a virtual joystick and buttons that actually work. However, the controls are by no means…
By - Richard J. For the past week and a half, I've been slaving away at Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games for a review. I had high hopes for this game, but I of course was disappointed in the end. Although, to this games credit, it was only until I delved deep into the features that I started to dislike this game. At it's most basic layer, Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Winter games is actually quite…
Read the full review Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games
By - Richard J. I first heard about Bayonetta I didn't know anything about it. People had great things to say about this game and that of course made me interested in it. I waited and waited and I have finally played it. And as you'll see in my review, this game is great. Bayonetta is the kind of character that you want to win and kick everyone's ass. She's sexy, stylish and walks like a model on a catwalk when…
By - Richard J. In recent years, the Tony Hawk video games have seen a slow decline. Unfortunately, it seems like the games are getting worse each year. Last year's peripheral based Tony Hawk: Ride was no exception; being one of the worst reviewed games of the year. There was however, better days for the Tony Hawk series. One of the best of those good days was Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2. This game took the great…
By - Craig H. Nostalgia is what many companies are hanging their hats on these days when it comes to remaking arcade classics for release on present consoles. Many do little more than just make the game work on your system and that’s it. Final Fight: Double Impact tries to break that mold and expand on the arcade experience. Final Fight: Double Impact includes both the full arcade releases of Final Fight and Dragon…
By - Richard J. Wait, Bowser's Inside Story? Yes, that's right, a Mario game that actually features Bowser as the main character. You will still play as Mario and Luigi during parts, but instead of stealing Princess Toadstool, Bowser will be stealing the show. It seems like a bold move for Alpha Dream to create a game based around everyone's favourite enemy being the hero, but they do it well and create one of, if…
By - Craig H. Wakeboarding HD is the sixth game published by Creat Studios and TikGames. In Wakeboarding HD you are pulled behind a speedboat on a wakeboard where you perform crazy tricks, collect stars, evade sharks and mines, crash through roofs, knock over sunbathers and jump over giant rubber ducks. To say that Wakeboarding HD is to be taken lightly is an understatement. The game focuses on just being a fun…
By - Craig H. Almost 4 years have passed since we last saw Sam Fischer in action. The last entry, Splinter Cell: Double Agent, was met with solid reviews but did little to expand on the series. Splinter Cell: Conviction changes the formula completely and gives Sam Fischer more power than ever before. The game begins after the events of Splinter Cell: Double Agent and does a good job catching you up to the events…
By - Craig H. Almost 10 years has passed since Perfect Dark was originally released back on the Nintendo 64. During its time it was one of the premiere FPS games (along with Goldeneye 64) and paved the way for modern day console FPS’s. 4JStudios and Microsoft did an exceptional job at fan service and provide a reminder of where the modern day console FPS’s got their start. For those unfamiliar with Perfect Dark, the…
By - Craig H. Scrap Metal is a top-down racer that pits everyone against each other and throws in weapons, armor and upgrades to help with the destruction. Each vehicle is armed with a unique weapon (such as a machine gun, circular blade, etc) that is used to take out your competition in a race to the finish (or to the last man standing) There is a good amount of variety in terms of modes that keep the game fun and…
By Craig H. Toy Soldiers is a cleverly disguised tower defense game with a third person twist. This blend between the two styles is a fantastic mix and provides for a great hands-on strategy experience. The premise of Toy Soldiers is simple. Players must defeat waves of enemies and stop a pre-designated amount of enemies from entering their toy box. Artillery weapons can be bought and placed in specific locations on…
By - Craig H. In Lazy Raiders you play as Dr. Diggabone, a rather round archeologist who is looking for 16 different relics. As to not exert himself you will be in control of the environment rather than Dr. Diggabone himself. He will slide and fall wherever gravity takes him. The gameplay is easy to understand. Simply rotate the world to the left and right to move Dr. Diggabone around the puzzle. You can also press…
By - Craig H. For years fans of these franchises have clamored for a solid video game adaptation that makes them feel like their favorite character. Rebellion Games takes the reins again for another attempt at bringing the masses a great AVP game. The campaign is broken into three separate smaller campaigns. Through these campaigns you will play as an Alien, a Predator, and a Marine. The campaigns are separate but…
By - Craig H. Many publishers and developers have tried to copy Mario Karts gameplay (and success) but, for the most part, all have failed. Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing takes a stab at the Nintendo staple and comes out with a great racing game. Sonic & SEGA All-Star Racing does not have a story at all but most will not really see a need for one. There is neither back story to be had nor any reason why all these…
By - Craig H. After a lackluster first outing many have written off Matt Hazard: Blood Bath & Beyond (which I will refer to as BBB from now on) without giving it a fair chance. Luckily the franchise has received a fresh reboot and has done away with the full 3D gameplay instead opting for a 2.5D side-scrolling shooter. After finishing BBB I am pleased to say that I am looking forward to the next installment. Matt…
When the first Bioshock was released more than 2 years ago it was a welcome injection of originality into a bland first person shooter latent market. Finally, Bioshock 2 has been released to bring us back to rapture for a second helping. Andrew Ryan is now gone but rapture remains. A new antagonist, Sophia Lamb, is now in charge of rapture. In the first Bioshock you played as a regular human whose plane crash landed…
By - Craig H. Dante’s Inferno follows the first part of Dante Alighieri’s poem, The Divine Comedy. The source material for Dante’s Inferno was almost tailor made for a video game. The Divine Comedy is an amazing piece of literature and thankfully the developers did not try to change or add too much to it. The story for the game is fairly simple. Players take the role of Dante as he travels through Hell to save (and…
By - Craig H. Dark Void is a brand new IP from publisher, Capcom. This third person shooter adds new twists to the regular gameplay with a new combat feature called Vertical Combat and the use of jet packs throughout the campaign. Dark Void starts out with what seems to be a routine cargo flight that goes terrible wrong when the plane gets sucked into the Bermuda Triangle and the passengers are stuck in The Void.…
By - Craig H. Tyson Rios and Elliot Salem return in Army of Two: The 40 Day a third-person co-op focused experience. Rios and Salem are on a typical mercenary mission for their organization, TransWorld Operations, in Shanghai when chaos breaks out and the city is under attack. Immediately the duo find themselves stranded in the middle of the city and must fight their way out, killing anyone who stands in their way.…
By - Craig H. "What the...?" will be the first thought going through your head when you get started with Bayonetta. Bayonetta is insane and does not shy away from it. It is over-the-top from the main character having guns strapped to her feet and blowing kisses to open up doors to the bizarre creatures that you meet throughout the game you will be uttering under your breathe "What the...?" throughout the entire…
By - Craig H. The Saw franchise has 6 films under its belt and can now add a video game to its resume. Most may have assumed that the game would follow the new film or have some ties to the more recent outings but that is not the case. You will have to travel back 4.5 films to just after the events of Saw 1. Maybe this was a way for Konami and developer Zombie to add extra story between each film. This just seems…
By - Craig H. The DJ Hero peripheral seems overbearing at first with the crossfader, effects knob, buttons and platter but feels right once you play a few tracks and get the hang of it. The build quality is good and does not feel as though it will fall apart anytime soon. The concern that most buyers have is with the crossfader which will take the most abuse (the platter is next in line). The crossfader has held up…
By - Craig H. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves takes place roughly 2 years after the original Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune. Just like the original Uncharted Nathan Drake is after another treasure this time the hunt is for Marco Polo and the mystery behind his lost fleet. The game starts out with Drake wounded on a train that his hanging precariously off the edge of a snow covered mountain. It is up to the player to guide…
