70 public reviews
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Tony Hawk's Pro Skater HD is a weak ass attempt by the folks at Activision to bring the THPS series back to basics. Featuring the "greatest hits" of the early games in the form of remade maps (e.g. School II, Warehouse, Downhill Jam etc) and a retro inspired soundtrack complete with music from the first two games, on paper this might seem pretty neat. Don't be deceived. Not only does this game feel unfinished,…
From the offset, you'd assume Blade 2 is like any other movie licenced tie-in: generic, buggy and overall missing out on the potential of the property in which it's based on. While Mucky Foot's interpretation of of this series definitely has a fair few tricks up it's sleeve (aside from the usual garlic, silver and sunlight) it could have been better endmost. So before any of that let us make it clear that Blade is a…
Bulletstorm is a dumb game. Not saying this is a bad thing, Bulletstorm isn't abominable or anything to that degree. On the contrary, Bulletstorm is one of the few surviving arcade focused shooters: a score-line built, full tilt shooter its developers People Can Fly could only deliver. Even so, it falls slightly wide of the mark. The reason for this is that it tries too hard being something else. The game is healthy…
Bulletstorm is a dumb game. Not saying this is a bad thing, Bulletstorm isn’t abominable or anything to that degree. On the contrary, Bulletstorm is one of the few surviving arcade focused shooters: a score-line built, full tilt shooter its developers People Can Fly could only deliver. Even so, it falls slightly wide of the mark. The reason for this is that it tries too hard being something else. The game is healthy…
Reading this review is unlikely to make much a difference if you've already got a clear mindset on Duke Nukem Forever. I suppose, given the fourteen years' worth of hype and anticipation, the writing was on the wall for 3D Realms' notorious sequel to Duke Nukem 3D. Yet Duke Nukem Forever has got boobs, unique weapons, dozens of pop culture references and a dirty sense of humour that keeps it afloat atleast for…
The biggest problem with Mario Power Tennis lies in the price-tag. Originally released on Gamecube back in 2004, this Nintendo exclusive is part of the long-line of sport related Mario bros. Titles. Considering the Nintendo mascot's passion for Golf, it wouldn't be a wild guess to assume he has a taste for other physical activities and hey presto, Miyamoto called upon the moustached plummer to use a tennis racket…
The resounding success of Modern Warfare 2, both critically and commercially left no room for error as Treyarch unravelled Call of Duty Black Ops. It could easily represent the most ambitious entry into the series, disregarding the upcoming Modern Warfare 3 ofcourse. Treyarch battled hard to convince fans that this experience would be better than the last, merging the greater concepts of Modern Warfare and Modern…
The resounding success of Modern Warfare 2, both critically and commercially left no room for error as Treyarch unravelled Call of Duty Black Ops. It could easily represent the most ambitious entry into the series, disregarding the upcoming Modern Warfare 3 ofcourse. Treyarch battled hard to convince fans that this experience would be better than the last, merging the greater concepts of Modern Warfare and Modern…
The resounding success of Modern Warfare 2, both critically and commercially left no room for error as Treyarch unravelled Call of Duty Black Ops. It could easily represent the most ambitious entry into the series, disregarding the upcoming Modern Warfare 3 ofcourse. Treyarch battled hard to convince fans that this experience would be better than the last, merging the greater concepts of Modern Warfare and Modern…
The resounding success of Modern Warfare 2, both critically and commercially left no room for error as Treyarch unravelled Call of Duty Black Ops. It could easily represent the most ambitious entry into the series, disregarding the upcoming Modern Warfare 3 ofcourse. Treyarch battled hard to convince fans that this experience would be better than the last, merging the greater concepts of Modern Warfare and Modern…
There only needs to be a sentence to sum this one up: Devil Kings is Samurai Warriors on crack. From the minute you step foot on the battlegrounds, on your first fight, it'll be clear that Capcom's bizarre 3D brawler takes a number of steps in the same direction as Koei's Shin Sangoku Musuo methods. The RPG elements, the tactical desertion of delicately placed officers throughout the map and the tens of footsoldiers…
Steam punk… What a ridiculous concept. Futuristic technology in a dated society is no new ordeal in the media world, but it only seems that with it your product is almost certainly destined for the kiss of death. Let's face it now, there are only a handful of steam punk related products that have actually been any good and simply put, to me, it doesn't quite have the same fascinating subtext as its proper neo…
Steam punk… What a ridiculous concept. Futuristic technology in a dated society is no new ordeal in the media world, but it only seems that with it your product is almost certainly destined for the kiss of death. Let's face it now, there are only a handful of steam punk related products that have actually been any good and simply put, to me, it doesn't quite have the same fascinating subtext as its proper neo…
Gears of War on the PC is one of the most maladroit computer ports I've encountered since Halo 2. While that doesn't mean it is bad, I think Epic Games should of done a whole lot more for their former target audience of Unreal fans when you put a number of things into consideration. Primarily, Epic Games didn't even handle the conversion. It was left in the hands of Polish developers People Can Fly who previously…
In an age where Gran Turismo, realism and authenticity reign supreme in the racing world it does come to some slight relief that developers still have a knack for the classic pick up and play nature that was once fundamental to a lot of car games. I think Criterion have succeeded in doing so because once Burnout has you in it's grasp you'll remain gripped. Keep your suspension of disbelief in flux, your…
The reward winner for least improved sequel is a debatable one. There have been a lot of game sequels that have failed to go beyond the original's potential, I'm sure alot of people would like to point their finger to the more recent Bioshock 2 in this regard. Alot of sequels have also practically ridden on whatever success the first game had to begin with, have a look at Ubisoft's Far Cry 2 and you tell me how it…
Army Men Green Rogue is typical 3DO. It is a broken, half-finished disaster of a game and lacks any sort of originality or potential to be bettered. I guess that would have been a shame had I cared for the series. It is a shame that I had any hope at all, because when I first played it, I tried to like Army Men Green Rogue and was atleast able to get over some of the more tedious problems with the game for a time.…
I'm sure a lot of people were sort of mutual about Lost Planet on Xbox 360. It was a solid part action adventure, part mecha romp back when console exclusives still did mean something. Yet if you fast-forward a year later into 2008, besides having a PS3 AND PC port, the re-released Colonies edition made Lost Planet even more readily available outside of the Xbox circles. So much so that I eventually took the plunge…
Read the full review Lost Planet: Extreme Condition - Colonies Edition
When I first heard about Vanquish, being dubbed as the "Gears of War on crack" that it was alleged to be, I almost sighed. Such an expression is over-done, and nearly everytime I hear the idiom "on crack" the thoughts that translate in my head are "RIP-OFF" in plain capitals. Heck, I'm sure many gamers might remember when Duke Nukem Time to Kill was given such a title against Lara Croft. We PC gamers though are…
I hate Splinter Cell. I've practically always done so. When Splinter Cell Conviction was announced I took the same reserved opinion that I had with the rest of the games. I thought to myself, "as luscious and promising the engine and presentation would seem, the game itself would always fall flat to poor design choices". And like Peter Molyneux would over-hype his own creations, Ubisoft would fail to impress me with…
Sonic The Hedgehog on 360 is the first Sonic game to be released on the current generation of video game systems. This time you play as three different hedgehogs, Sonic, Shadow and Silver, all with their own scenarios and stories as they battle Dr Robotnick and new enemies to save The Kingdom Of Soleana and Princess Elise. Sounds a lot similar to a certain OTHER platformer to me… Lets get things straight however,…
Tekken 4 could've been a much better game, especially considering the fanfare it received during the build up to its Playstation 2. And while it lacked in terms of bringing the series to the next level, it laid the foundations for its far better sequel: enter Tekken 5. If you imagine the best of Tekken 4 mixed in with the better parts of Tekken 3, you're on the right path to what adjustments Namco have made to the…
Remember Doom? The game that systems struggled to play back in 1993. The Super Nintendo struggled to play it, the 32x had problems with it, and heck, even the Panasonic 3DO shrugged at playing the game at a decent quality. But where there are bad versions of Doom there are also good versions of them as well. Doom on the Playstation is an example of this. Featuring almost every enemy and every level, Doom on the…
If you're already familiar with Takara's Playstation launch title, Battle Arena Toshinden, chances are you'll think Toshinden Remix on Saturn is almost completely the same game. Now while it is obvious there are going to similarities between Remix and the original itself, the developers Nextech ought to have seriously worked up the formula when they remade this game on the Saturn, By 1996, Toshiden was already fast…
The Playstation version of Doom was a great way to set off the Playstation back in 1995, because at the time, Doom was an absolutely outstanding game in almost every way. Midway had improved the visuals by including lighting effects and upgraded textures, recreated the soundtrack, added new sound effects and moulded the game to also include link-up two player co-op and death match modes. What made the Playstation…
There are more than a few Final Fight clones. Some good (Streets Of Rage) and some absolutely god awful (Riot Zone). Rival Turf sits in-between of that. Jaleco's entry into the beat em' up genre on Super Nintendo is a promising fighter. It has solid looks, two player co-op play, tons of levels and lots of variation. It is cool what ideas Jaleco have implemented into the genre. One idea is the angry mode which has…
Movie-tie ins aren't always as good as Batman Returns, the game that you're currently reading the review of. And we should expect no better from Konami, the geniuses behind such great Super Nintendo games like Super Castlevania IV and Contra 3. Tim Burton's image of the caped crusader is depicted wonderfully in this game, right down to the core. The gritty nature of the film is captured by the graphics and sound of…
Applaud Midway for coming up with the idea of Mortal Kombat Trilogy. A combination of three of the best one-on-one fighting games of the 16 bit era, coming together is just perfect or atleast pretty damn close to it. And that's exactly what Mortal Kombat Trilogy did, on Playstation and PC that is. The tale is slightly different on Nintendo 64. While indeed, we're playing Mortal Kombat Trilogy featuring favourite…
House Of The Dead 2 & 3 is a real bargain on Nintendo Wii, reason being is that it contains complete versions of two highly acclaimed lightgun shooters: House Of The Dead 2 and House Of The Dead 3. First and foremost, these conversions are impressive. There is no slowdown, the details are as good as they were in the arcade editions and everything works the way you would expect. Because of this, it makes the games…
After much waiting and anticipation, I can tell you now that Red Steel is a very fun game and a decent starter's title to add alongside your brand spanking new Nintendo Wii. Ubisoft have done an excellent job in producing the game for the Wii's launch and it plays much like how you would expect it to perform. Red Steel is Ubisoft Paris's answer to a Wii first person shooter and an exclusive Wii title as well. The…
Tekken fans will have no doubt squirted a nostalgic tear back in 2005 with Tekken 5. It did a great job of restoring what made the Tekken series great in the first place with new combos, traditional 2D combat and an impressive array of extras to play and unlock. So it's a real wonder how Namco were able to restore that goodness in a portable version of the game, Tekken Dark Resurrection. Originally, Dark…
Undeterred by being released two years too late, Midway finally releases the famous PC shooter Quake on Nintendo 64. It's the same gory and action packed shooter of 1996, with tons of guns of find, enemies to kill and levels to explore. If you take into consideration that we've now seen Goldeneye, Turok: Dinosaur Hunter and more recently Unreal on PC then Quake looks a little stale. With that been said, Quake on…
The combination of zombies and hot babes could've been a winner with Onechanbara: Bikini Zombie Slayers. Attractive scantly clad women, zombie limbs flying everywhere and fantastic gameplay from beginning to end, it would've made for the best game ever. While the first two points are present, the latter is a tad bit of a disappointment. And seeing as it's the seventh game in the series as well, it is a wonder Tam…
With a concept as simple as GTA's, it is a real wonder how Rockstar North are still capable of wowing gamers with each sequel. It has revolutionised the action adventure genre and innovated gaming itself to the point that there are even games that are now imitating it or almost copying it entirely (such as Saints Row). It does that once more with GTA IV, going all out with a stunning amount of activities and…
The expression "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" should have been the tagline to Infinity Ward's Modern Warfare 2. Let's be honest here. 2007's Call of Duty 4 was literally as far as any developer could possibly go to relight the dim candle of innovation in the first person shooter market. While it did the obvious thing by improving the cinematic quality of the gameplay and in-effect enhance the immersion of the…
The expression "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" should have been the tagline to Infinity Ward's Modern Warfare 2. Let's be honest here. 2007's Call of Duty 4 was literally as far as any developer could possibly go to relight the dim candle of innovation in the first person shooter market. While it did the obvious thing by improving the cinematic quality of the gameplay and in-effect enhance the immersion of the…
Virtua Cop Elite Elite Edition is a compilation of enhanced versions of Virtua Cop 1 and 2. However, despite this, the games have both aged poorly and aren't quite up to the Playstation 2 standard, in any area regardless of its claims of re-claiming "It's crown as the king of shooters" So for those who don't remember, Virtua Cop is a on-rails light-gun shooter where you have to rely on your reflexes and precision in…
Activision have been a little pathetic with their releases at the Xbox 360 launch, as both Gun and Tony Hawk's American Wastleland are both direct ports of their 128 Bit console equivalents. Although they can at least hold their heads up high for filling the void of the mandatory launch shooter for the console as well. And while it's no Timesplitters or Halo, both of which are known for being landmark launch…
The Star Wars universe is one that has received a very mixed reception in recent years and while this applies heavily to the high budget, blue screen dependent, prequel movies it also applies to video game series. The Force Unleashed, the latest of Lucasarts Star Wars video game exploits, is truly an intriguing addition to the franchise as Lucasarts really went all out with this one. Havok, Pixelux Entertainment and…
"Travis Touchdown: Otaku Hitman" is what the back of No More Heroes says boldly in Red letters. If that isn't enough to emphasise how lucrative Suda51's original Nintendo Wii adventure is then nothing is. But not every Otaku Hitman is an anime obsessed, porn crazed, Lucha Libre trained assassin either. Boy isn't No More Heroes an odd game? So as you might've guessed, you're Travis Touchdown. After meeting a…
Its sad to see Unreal Tournament 3 getting little attention on Xbox 360. Developers Epic even ironically stamped "From the studio that brought you Gears Of War" as a last ditch effort for their once highly acclaimed online FPS series to sell as it disappears into obscurity. Which is a darn shame because this is pretty much going to be the only time console gamers will ever experience Unreal Tournament for what it's…
Welcome back to Liberty City, the worst place in America. You might remember that in 2005, PSP owners finally had the ability to play GTA wherever they liked thanks to GTA Liberty City Stories. LC Stories was an entirely new game in the series that had you play as Toni Cipriani who has had returned after serving Don Salvatore Leone a favour. As a prequel to GTA 3, you perform numerous missions to new and old GTA…
It is a bit annoying that so many of the better Nintendo Wii games consist of last generation console ports, with games such as Zelda Twilight Princess, Okami, Resident Evil 4 and Bully having already had a great deal of success during the 128 bit generation. So it is a great shame that we have another title to join the ranks of Wii re-releases, Prince Of Persia Rival Swords. Rival Swords is a repackaging of 2005's…
If there is one game genre the Xbox 360 is robust in it would quite easily be the first person shooter genre. But while that isn't necessarily an issue, with games likes Perfect Dark Zero, Prey, Call of Duty 2 and even Halo 3 picking up the FPS limelight with innovative and immersive gameplay, Timeshift developers Saber obviously had a real issue of making their game stand out from the rest. This issue proved so…
Sandbox games. What isn't to like about them? Having an entire world to explore and city to interactive with hold as the template to GTA 3 and Spiderman 2 of previous sandbox fame. Now imagine this; an action B-movie inspired sandbox release, complete with all the stunts, explosions, weapons, vehicles and tools a guy could wish for - this is indeed Just Cause. Anyway, you're Rico Rodriguez, a guns for hire who has…
Activision's Guitar Hero has managed to twice over win the world of gaming and pop culture during the past few years, granting such popularity that even hit TV show South Park produced an entire episode based on the ridicule of Guitar Hero's success. Its crazy to see how Guitar Hero has developed so far, especially as all it is a fake guitar with five buttons replacing the strings. It has even enabled previously…
In this common age of gaming it is mind-blowing seeing the number of classic game compilations released and ignored each year; with Capcom, Midway, Atari, Activision, Taito and more recently SNK delivering a number of re-releases of some of their old classics onto our modern day machines. So when System 3 comes along with Impossible Mission and sells their "adaptation" of the game at the same price of these…
It's fanfare will of died down since it's climatic finale back in 2007 but Halo 3, and the rest of the Halo series in general, still has a powerful legacy as the Xbox's major IP. It has seen books, comics, multiplayer DLC, references in all forms of pop-culture, an RTS spin-off and an upcoming series of short anime developed films. Yet an actual expansion pack for the main game itself still hasn't been fleshed out,…
