136 public 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.
The Darkness II continues the story of Jackie Estacado, a man who currently possesses the evil entity that is the Darkness, and takes place years after the events of the first game. Now the Don of his Uncle's crime family, Jackie slowly begins to adjust to life after he suppresses the Darkness when he is ambushed at dinner by armed men, who were under the orders of a mysterious group called the Brotherhood. While…
Soul Calibur V encompasses every positive element from the previous games, and does a great job of catering to new and regular players. Many familiar characters return, as well as new faces and more options for creating your own fighter. Online play has been revamped, as well as the more focused story mode, even though it focuses on fewer characters this time. There’s only one special character this time, but it’s…
War in the North is a co-op hack-and-slash action game, and features some decent RPG elements, Great visuals, and an original story woven into the LOTR trilogy. Rather than play as known characters of the LOTR lore, you'll play as three new characters who had a hand in the quest to destroy the One ring. When Sauron's right hand commander starts causing trouble and attempts to recruit Dragons to aid in the impending…
Read the full review The Lord of the Rings: War in the North
The Warhammer 40,000K series has been around for quite some time, expanding it's universe into different game genres. First were the popular strategy titles, then came the arcade twin-stick shooter, and now here is Space Marine, an 3rd person action title released in September of last year. I've recently had a chance to play the game, and glad I'm did as it contains some intense action as well as an established…
Renegade Ops is a top-down arcade twin-stick shooter in which you control one of four characters, or six if you purchase the two additional characters. Created by the developers of the Just Cause franchise, this game features lush visuals and explosive gameplay to accompany the late 80’s-90’s style action story. Avalanche Studios make great explosive games. After attacks in Paris and other areas of the world by the…
28 hours. That's my current time spent the amazing world of Skyrim. In those 28 hours, I've ventured out, done many side-quests, and got to join the Dark Brotherhood, my favorite of the groups to join. I'm about level 26 with my Nord, and I mostly fend off foes using two-handed weapons and my various shouts. There's so much to see and do in Skyrim, and the fact that you can venture anywhere and play how you want…
Platformers have been on a rise as of late, but none look and play as good as Rayman Origins. That's my personal opinion, of course, but once you play the game you'll know why. The demo really impressed me and the game has been amazing so far. The controls are tight, the game slowly ramps up in difficulty, and you can play with friends. Sadly, the co-op is not online, but it's still a ton of fun. Hilarity ensues…
Dead Rising 2 was a big success for Capcom. It introduced a new lead character in the awesome Chuck Greene, who was motivated to survive in order to keep his infected daughter Katie alive. Adding to the time-restraints, survivors and psychopaths, you also had to worry about getting Katie Zombrex, the official infection suppressor which only works for 24 hours at a time. It was fun, but many wondered why they chose…
Saints Row: The Third doesn't take itself seriously, but it does contains some serious amount of fun. Whether you're playing through missions to progress the story, running around the city messing with pedestrians, or completing one of the many activities in the game, you're bound to have a blast with this over-the-top open world game. Saints Row 2 introduced more of the crazy gameplay elements to the series, and…
Modern Warfare 3 offers up some intense action in all of its modes. Whether you’re continuing the story to stop World War III and take down Makarov, taking on the many Spec Ops or survival missions, or just ranking up in multiplayer, Modern Warfare 3 proves to be the complete package for fans. From the main menu, you have three different options to choose from, so I thought I would separate my review into three…
Batman Arkham Asylum really surprised people with it's quality, including myself. It was a critical and commercial success, and people were wondering if Rocksteady could strike magic again. Two years later, and here we are with Arkham City. The game not only surpasses Arkham Asylum in almost every aspect, it raises the bar for action games in general. Batman's back, and he's ready to dish out some justice. Arkham…
Dungeon Defenders combines elements from RPG and Tower-Defense games to craft a unique experience that is simple to play, but can be very deep and rewarding. Whether you're going solo to defend the Etheria crystals, playing with friends over Xbox Live or enjoying some 4-player split-screen action, Dungeon Defenders provides an engaging experience and really raises the bar for the Tower Defense genre. Dungeon…
Crysis brought PC gaming rigs to it's knees in 2007, with it's high-quality visuals and Nano-suit gameplay, while console players were mostly likely finishing the fight in Halo 3 if they were playing games on the 360. Since that time, Crysis 2 was made available on both PC and consoles, and now the original game has made it's way to the Xbox 360 & PlayStation 3 as a digital download. Crysis has some intense…
Lonesome Road is probably the last of the story expansions for New Vegas, and it’s one that delivers some answers. Remember the beginning where you get ambushed trying to deliver a package? And then you find out what it is and what it can do? There was originally someone else who was supposed to deliver the package, but refused, and did nothing to warn you, the Courier. That guy is Courier 6, and you’ll make your…
Read the full review The answers you seek are in the Divide. To get there you must wal
First arriving in 2005, Resident Evil 4 has made it’s way from the Gamecube, to the PS2, and Wii across the years, and is now stopping on the 360 & PS3 in the form of Resident Evil 4: HD. The most notable change you’ll find here are the touch-ups in the visual department alongside all the features of the PS2 & Wii versions including Separate Ways and the added weapons and costumes from those versions. Leon was…
What began in 2006 as a fight for humanity, ends in 2011 as a fight to survive. Marcus Fenix and the rest of Delta Squad find themselves in the middle of a free-for-all between the Locust and the new mutating Lambent as they begin attacking anything in their way. The few remaining Gears are scattered throughout the land, and are losing soldiers every day. Marcus receives news from a surprising source on a way to…
Dead Island breaths a bit of new life into the popular Zombie-game franchise by offering up plenty of exploration, intense combat, and seamless co-op that will keep you engaged for hours on end. The vacation from hell may be scary, but boy is it a lot of fun! If Dead Island first caught your attention with it's reversing trailer a few months back, then we're in the same boat. As the months up to launch passed,…
Deus Ex is one of the most acclaimed gaming series around, and the time between each one is so sparse that expectations become increasingly high as we wait for the new entry to be released. Developer Eidos Montreal with the backing of Square Enix has not only crafted a respectable sequel, but has made one of the best games around. Deus Ex: HR is a prequel to the original Deus Ex game. Human Revolution takes place in…
It's been 10 years since the original Alice game was introduced to players on the PC, and now it is finally time to help Alice discover the truth about her family's deaths. American Mcgee returns to create a new game for Alice fans, and using the technology of today, he and his team have done a great job of presenting Alice to a new group of players. Wonderland can be a very dark place, indeed. In the start of…
Bastion was the start of the 2011 Summer of Arcade, and is one of the finest Arcade games out there. With a great story and excellent visuals, the premier game from Supergiant Games really delivered on everything it promised. Kid's got a nice arsenal to use. He loves mixing and matching. Gotta find the right combo to thump the baddies. What makes Bastion stand out is the Audio. Throughout your adventure, your…
Call of Juarez: The Cartel has changed from it's previous counterparts. No longer taking place in the Wild West, The Cartel puts you in the shoes of three law enforcement agents as they battle against the players in the drug trade, while also dealing with their partners and attempting to determine their own intentions. Ubisoft has changed Call of Juarez. Developers have done this in the past where they breakdown…
The Fear games have always included some nice weaponry, bizarre creatures, spooky moments, and random Alma encounters, and Fear 3 follows this formula as well. This time around you control Point Man and Fettel, Alma's offspring, as they set out to find their mother and decide on what to do when they reach her since she's ready to give birth to her new baby. Point Man and Fettel: Alma's pride and joy. Things are a…
Mortal Kombat fans had to stand by as Capcom unleashed Street Fighter IV in 2009. That long running franchise which garnered critical acclaim from fans re-lit the fighting game flame when it was released. Fast forward to now, Street Fighter IV has had some digital and retail updates, and Mortal Kombat has begun releasing it's add-on characters. As with Street Fighter IV, Mortal Kombat has returned and gotten back to…
A game years in the making, L.A. Noire features an engaging adventure taking place in 1947 Los Angeles where player control Cole Phelps through his rise in the LAPD. Team Bondi & Rockstar games have created a crime epic that plays like no other game thanks to their experience and new technology to bring an actor's performance into a game like never before. Examining Bodies is just one part of the job After serving…
Crysis 2 is a visual treat to the eyes. Crysis 2 is a visually pleasing game. OK it is a REALLY visually appealing game, but as you know that is only a portion of what makes a game great. Crytek has utilized their CryENGINE 3 to create a game that looks, feels, and plays very differently from the slew of first person games out there. PC players can still max out the settings and enjoy the benefits of a mouse &…
The 2007 collection of Valve hits that made up the Orange Box was an amazing deal for gamers. Whether you were new to Half-Life or not, there was plenty of gaming to be had. With Half-Life 2 and it's two episodes, and the multiplayer phenom Team Fortress 2, you had plenty of things to shoot and kill. Then there was Portal. This puzzle game was full of innovative gameplay, memorable characters and a new antagonist…
Imagine waking up one to find that your countries defenses are down and that former enemies unify in order take over your home and push it's Agenda. Sure there would be resistance, but how could you fight back? Would you even try? In Homefront you get to experience North America in a time of desperation as North & South Korea come together to take over. The beginning of the game shows some horrible images and give…
Pigsy was a great character in Enslaved. His wise cracking remarks and conversations with Monkey were pretty hilarious and showed what kind of guy he was. Always ready to help out a friend in need, Pigsy's was a critical character towards the end of Enslaved. With Pigsy's Perfect 10, He gets a chance to shine once again. It's a bit lonely in the wasteland, so Pigsy decides to use his skills with scraps to seek out…
Most Post-Apocalyptic games feature a war torn world with a cast of vulnerable humans battling one another while holding back various types of radiated creatures. In Enslaved, the end of the world comes from Mechs taking over, but the world is lush and vibrant albeit still full of danger. Monkey is a man who can handle danger, but still managed to find himself captured by a slave ship. It seems his luck is about to…
I first picked up Fallout: New Vegas like many of you might have back in October. About a week later, I took it back. Somehow when I fired a weapon, I would receive a message that my controller was disconnected. When I hot-keyed apparel, the game would freeze. Even worse was key quests would not be completed even though the requirements were met. I really wanted to play this game at launch, but it just would not let…
Bulletstorm is all about killing people in crazy ways to rack up a nice score no matter what mode you're playing through. Thanks to the strength of Grayson Hunt, you can kick and slide into foes launching them into the air, where you can string together some nice combinations that will further your kill count and score. You'll hear lots of bad language here, and blood & gore aplenty, but it's all done in good health…
It’s hard to believe the original Dead Space came out in 2008. It feels like yesterday that we were introduced to Isaac Clarke and his mission to board the Ishiamura and find out what was going on there alongside a crew of others. Besides helping on the ship, Issac wanted to go for personal reasons since his love Nicole was on board before all hell broke loose. In his quest to find her, Issac discovered the Marker,…
Over the past years in videogames we’ve been able to experience a world post nuclear attacks and struggle against new enemies, scavenge around for tools, and try and survive to see another day. Metro 2033 was released in March of 2010, and gave us a different take on that type of experience. I finally had a chance to play the game, and I was pretty impressed. Taking elements from Fallout, Bioshock, and a little…
Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood is pretty much a direct sequel to AC:II. Things pick up right after the end of the of that game, and without giving anything away, just know that you’ll be controlling the Assassin Ezio Auditore da Firenze once again and for certain bits Desmond as each get closer to obtaining the information they are seeking. Hungry for Apples The mysterious Apple of Eden is an item that everyone seems…
Red Dead Redemption was one of my favorite games of this year. It was initially supported with DLC focused on multiplayer, but with the Undead Nightmare, Rockstar has created content on par with the Lost & Damned and Ballad of Gay Tony. Undead Nightmare is a ton of fun, and one that worth picking up either with the retail disc or simply downloading it for Xbox Live. Something funny’s going on here Taking place…
Hydrophobia is an arcade game known in it’s previews for the impressive water effects it can bring. The ability to change the terrain with water and take out enemies using good ol’ H20 is a strong point in this game, but a few control issues and story flow provide unnecessary bumps in the overall ride of this game. Danger lurks around every wet corner in Hydrophobia Hydrophobia has been set up as an multiple game…
Call of Duty: Blacks Ops is a high octane ride through a surpringly legthy campaign, accompanied by the always addictive multiplayer and the return of a Zombies mode. Black Ops has it all, and all of it is great. 4815162342 Numbers play an important role the story of Black Ops, and as special forces operative Alex Mason, it’s up to you to figure out what they mean. Strapped to a chair and questioned by unknown…
Fable III follows in the footsteps of the previous games by allowing to you play as a male or female hero, but this time you are Royalty to the world. As prince or princess, you have lived alongside your brother Logan, the ruthless ruler who does not tolerate anything getting in his way when it comes to the decisions he is making, and the people that do suffer greatly for it. Now old enough to make a difference,…
The Original Force Unleashed was all about fast lightsaber action and dispatching of any one in your way as Darth Vader’s apprentince, and the end of that game brought up two choices. The sequel assumes you made one so that the story could make sense. The story in this game is great, and the action has been ramped up quite a bit, so fans who enjoyed the original will like this game. Who is Starkiller? Once again you…
Surrounded by the undead Horde with three strangers depending on your help, you look down at your watch and discover that Katey will need Zombrex in 20 minutes. The only problem is that you don’t have any at the moment. What will you do? After four years of waiting, Dead Rising 2 is finally here. Our small taste of the action in Case Zero was great, but now it’s time for the main course. Since the main portion of…
Before we began our journey as the quiet and deadly Master Chief, Spartans were almost as common as the marines of the UNSC. They formed Elite squads that were ready for anything, but the Covenant proved to be more prepared and unleashed an all-attack on the planet Reach. Step into the shoes of Noble 6 and fight alongside the Spartans in Bungie’s last hoorah with Halo. If you could only buy one FPS this year, it…
Chuck Greene doesn't need to cover wars. He's tough enough to be in them. Before we uncover the truth in Dead Rising 2 on September 28, Capcom and Blue Castle games have given Xbox 360 users a chance to understand the motives of Chuck Greene, and why he eventually winds up in . When Chuck makes a simple stop for gas, he unfortunately gets his truck stolen, losing his personal items which includes the last of the…
Arriving in with his family as a child, Vito Scaletta grows up and finds that a normal life is not going to get him where he wants to be, so he teams with his best friend Joey “Joe” Barbaro and together they commit petty crimes. One night of stealing goods, Vito and Joe get spotted by cops, and attempt to escape. Joe is able to get away, but Vito is seen and gets arrested. Offered one chance to avoid jail time by…
Monday Night Combat is a multiplayer focused game that features two modes of play and a great cast of classes to control. Both modes of play allow you to level up and earn money, which is used to purchase call signs and custom slots that enable you to choose the perks you want for your favorite classes. Assualt and Assassin talkin about their gameplan Blitz is a cooperative mode that supports four players taking on…
Alan Wake is a best-selling author who is in need of a break. After completing his series of popular books, he suffers from writer’s block. Wanting to help him clear his head, his wife Alice convinces him to take a vacation to a small town called where they can relax from the big city life, and get Wake back on the writing path. Once they get to , things make a turn for the worse… Bright Falls isn't the vacation…
Spike TV’s hit show arrives to Xbox Live Arcade and provides a solid fighting engine and mechanics, while staying true to the warriors in the show. Eight of the best are here with the Ninja, Spartan, Centurion, Viking, Apache, Knight, Samurai, and Pirate making up the default roster of fighters, with more promised down the line as Downloadable Content. Combat is very deadly, and a great game for fans to play. At…
He wakes to find no one. The forest does not grant him a warm welcome. It is quiet, dark, and scary, the very epitome of a nightmare. Unaware of the danger ahead, he stands up, ready to begin his search. The Boy in the forest At it’s core, Limbo is a simple puzzle platformer in terms of it’s game-play, but that’s not the focus of what you will take away from this game. The dark and unforgiving atmosphere, and the…
Notoriously know for “That game with the Halo 3 Beta”, Crackdown turned out to be a pretty solid game. It made collecting things fun, and featured co-op through the entire game while allowing you to be a bad-ass agent for . The story was second, and the gameplay came first giving you one goal: Take out all the enemy gangs. The second one is more of the same, but that is a good thing. 4 Player Co-op is awesome. Not…
