30 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.
Pros Awesome graphics. Nice enemy variety that keeps you rigid. Incredibly immersive thanks to having the HUD built into your character. The story, while somewhat weak, has great storytelling. Yes, I just contradicted myself. Everything is brutal. From crushing your foes with the heel of your boot, to kicking a mutated baby. Cons Replayability is limited due to mostly linear pathing, and a consistent amount of…
Pros The game looks amazing from the racers to the environment. Tricks are fun to watch, great sense of speed reminiscent to Burnout. Online play for up to 16 people. Simple control scheme that works well. Cons Would have been nice with more modes. AI is frustrating to deal with, seems like it's based a bit with rubber-band mechanics World Tour Mode is a bit too short. G ameplay can be condensed into a comparison of…
Pros Cinematic moments are great. Fire looks and spreads realistically. Cons Everything seems to be disjointed, broken, or awkward. Controls are unforgiving. Game is short with no replay value. Story is questionable with no rewarding ending. The story of Alone in the Dark tries to be overly epic, incorporating Central Park with a demonic tale involving Lucifer and a spawn of unworldly creatures. To say the least, it…
Pros Explosions are somewhat entertaining, probably the best aspect of the game. Game does not take itself too seriously. Co-op is very fun, at least for a few hours. Cons Said co-op is brought down by the inability to be more than a couple hundred meters from your friend. Filled with glitches, bugs, and overall a sense of no polish and a consequent "rushed" feeling. The 3 characters are ugly, boring, and…
I have a few questions to ask you before I begin the review. These questions will figure out if you, the reader, would love this game. Do you love constantly upgrading loot despite being level capped? Can you deal with the same small array of enemy types over and over? Is spending time with a friend complaining about an unskippable death scene your idea of fun? If so, Too Human is for you. Pros A large array of…
Pros Brilliant art design. Fun puzzle mechanics. Cons Those same "fun puzzle mechanics" get old somewhat fast. Little to no replayability. Costs 1,200 Microsoft points. Most likely, due to Microsoft's excessive advertising for the Autumn XBLA releases, you've heard of Braid. It is, above all, based on the likenesses of Mario. Not only do you have "Goomba-esque" characters, but piranhas, a Princess to save, and so…
Pros Great to enjoy with friends. Fairly easy to learn, requires practice to master. Amazing graphics complemented by a functional art direction. Creating characters is diverse, unique, and has limitless possibilities. Enough modes and online play to keep you busy. Cons Practice mode lacks an option to streamline moves. Online needs a tag team option. Story mode is lacking any real incentive. A trait more notable in…
Pros It'll make sure your controller is sturdy. Cons It will also wear out your controller. Mediocre graphics, bland gameplay, no substance. Laggy online component. The reason I gave Beijing Olympics two stars is simple: it's not broken. Granted, it's repetitious, tedious, and boring; but not complete trash. (Cheers to you, Jumper!) I have not kept up with recent releases of the Olympics games, but knew they were…
Read the full review Beijing 2008: The Official Video Game of the Olympic Games
Ever wondered what a considerably less violent free-roam Rockstar game might be like? Well Bully is that experiment. Place yourself in a school, where you do 2 classes a day, or can ditch, and adventure about the town mowing lawns, racing bikes, visiting the carnival, boxing with Preps; it's all here. While I do make that sound like a wide range of things to do, this game will last about 20-25 hours if you're going…
GTA IV packs a lot of stuff into one disc, and as such it has a lot of things to talk about. Basic premise is any other GTA layout. You play as Nikolai, "Nicky" as his friends call him, and you're an immigrant from overseas. You've come to Liberty City for numerous reasons, many being laid out as the story unfolds. Regardless, as far as you are concerned, you are there to live a new life with your cousin Roman. The…
Iron Man, another game you could have predicted what it would turn out like. Yes, it's based off a movie and yes it is mediocre. To begin with the story, I skipped all the cutscenes. Not only were the characters and voice acting bland, but it put me to sleep. That being said, the gameplay is a little bit better. But before I venture off into the gameplay let me go over the graphics. Iron Man himself looks pretty…
6 extreme levels, 9 weapons, 21 collectibles, 3 sets of combos and 45 minutes of gameplay. What a bargain! 6 levels of "intuitive" combat against a variety of blobs (polygons?) that have legs and try to kick you. You use your trusty weapon and useless "Nightcrawler-wannabe" skills to attack them. At the end of each level is a boss that you use the same combat against. Credits roll after 45-60 minutes, and you play…
I assume the viewers of Lost, at least the gamers as well, were looking forward to this game. I hear all about Lost and it's numerous plot mysteries and the show being great just in general. It led me to believe this game might be decent, but it truly fails on that front. I mean take any game, add average graphics (which is above-average than most developers), uninspired puzzles, take away any form of action, and…
So pretty much, I summarized this game in the headline. Take the wealth of bullets, blood, and shooting third-person action of Max Payne and you can imagine what Stranglehold is like. It basically revolves around a cop (Chow) out to save a couple of hostages (his wife and some other girl). I didn't really pay much attention to the story, in fact I skipped it all, mainly because the action is so great and it just…
Story I assume the story stays true to the movie counterpart. I say this because I was never really interested in the books, the movies, and this is the first Chronicles game I played. That being said, I know it follows the movie plot for the most part because while there are cinematics, there is also movie clips to go along with the current scene. So if you like the movie, you can expect the same here. Gameplay You…
I will keep this review fairly short, and if you have any questions or comments regarding anything feel free to message me. Pros Resurrection of a classic. Great time to be released. Easy to pick-up and play. Awesome cast of characters. Cons No online play. Little reason to play after achievements (e.g. no unlockables). Gameplay If you were ever interested in a fighter game before, Soul Calibur is no different for…
To put it plain, Penny AA is not the most in-depth RPG but it's amazing at how easy it is to just pick-up and play. No, you won't be dissapointed if you are a hardcore RPGer, you'll just be caught off-guard. Gameplay So, as previously aforementioned countless times, it's an RPG. When not in combat, you roam the current environment. The environment itself is fairly linear, but it has a lot of things to "inspect" and…
Read the full review Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness - Episode One
You play as Spider-Man of course, and can switch between him or your sidekick of which there are 14. I only played SM because he was the most interesting, I just chose my favorite villains to fill in as side-kick. The story doesn't matter, as we all know. All you have to understand is that there are 6 worlds, each world featuring 4 levels, and the same enemies over and over. It offers easy pick-up and play combat, a…
Lost Planet: Colonies is the same game that was released in January 2007, approximately a year and half ago. While I rented Lost Planet when it first came out, I didn't enjoy it very much and never bought it. That being said, I've changed my mind about this title. I'd like to break it down first by the Pros/Cons, then gameplay, multiplayer, sound/graphics, and value. But before I go into that, you may be asking…
Pros Fluid combat with a variety of combos. Slick presentation. Character models are excellent. Cinematics are impressive to watch. Cons Chest physics, no woman needs a chest that big nor with physics. Storyline is convoluted, confusing, and throw-away. Environments need more work. Achievements are unjust, and take a lot of time. Gameplay As Ryu, a ninja of course, in a storyline that doesn't matter, you're going to…
So, Lego Indiana Jones is from the makers of Lego Star Wars. As you might expect, there's nothing new here, same Lego formula from the Lego Star Wars series replaced with Indiana Jones. Pros Colorful and humorous. Legos. Covers the original 3 movies. Cons Same old Lego game. Nothing new, which is disappointing. You can cheat from the get-go. Somewhat boring if you are playing by yourself. Gameplay So, you can jump,…
Read the full review LEGO Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures
Pros You feel like Jason Bourne, really captures the movie's feel. Slick hand-to-hand combat. Graphics are well-done, and character skins are detailed. Cons Short game, 6 hours long. Too much shooting, I liked the fisticuffs combat better. The story is confusing if you have not seen the movies. Gameplay So the gameplay is varied and fun. At one point you will be in hand-to-hand combat. You can chain attacks by…
Pros It captures the concept of Deadliest Catch. The wave animations of the ocean are fairly realistic. Cons Pacing is totally off, it goes way too slow. Very repetitious setting Pots and then picking them up later. Not worth $60, maybe $40 at most. Nothing "next-gen" about this title. Terrible acting. Gameplay From the get-go you will be presented with 5 missions that teach you the basics. The premise of each…
This game does come out about 2 weeks before the movie, which is peculiar. That is, until, you learn it has nothing to do with the movie's story. You can still call this game a movie-game, but it doesn't really try to. It just happens to stumble upon that curse. Pros The graphics and artistic direction is mostly original. Hellboy has a pretty nice model. Cons Simple combat gets boring fast. Online co-op is boring…
The best compliment I can give BD (Blue Dragon) is just how simple and classic it is. If you've ever played an older Final Fantasy, you know the formula. Pros Simple, classic RPG mechanics. Monsters are on-screen, not random encounters. Field Barrier allows you to avoid fights, which is nice once in a while. Cons The Dragonball look just isn't cutting it. Framerate drops for no reason. Terrible story with ill-placed…
Pros Captures same feeling as the movie. Easy to play, kid friendly. Multiplayer options. References to other Pixar movies. Cons A few bugs/glitches can catch you off guard. Short game with little replayability. Gameplay This game is definitely based moreso on simple puzzles and platforming then straight-up action. At first Wall-E is disorienting to control, but once you get the handle of him it's pretty easy. You…
The Orange Box includes 5 great games: Half-Life 2, Half-Life 2: Episode One, Half-Life 2: Episode Two, Portal, and Team Fortress 2. I'll compact my reviews into the following: Half-Life 2 (this includes EP 1 and 2), Portal, and TF2. Half-Life 2 Bundle In Half-Life 2 you play as Gordon Freeman, a scientist who, in the first Half-Life, unleashed a portal to Xen. In HL2 you face an alien race called the Combine, and…
Pros Fast, frantic fun. Easy to learn, driven by competitive leaderboards. The multiplayer, while not very original, is good fun with friends. Cons Story mode is over in as little as 4 to 5 hours. Lack of a real narrative or story. The package as a whole is somewhat scarce. Gameplay The Club has no story, so let's get that out of the way. Now, this game plays like a racer and a shooter in one. You begin by choosing…
Pros Updated look that's a welcome change. Catchy soundtrack. The new features and game modes are a fun addition. Cons Ghosts are just as frustrating as always. Dieing in this game is harsh. Pac-Man Championship Edition is a revival of the classic game that I feel is the best in the entire array of Pac-Man games out there. This release for the Xbox Live Arcade costs 800 Microsoft Points ($10), is Single-Player, has…
Civ Rev is the first game of the series that I have touched. From what I hear, this is a more stripped-down version of the game, but just as addictive and fun. The reason for this is because it's on a console, and what they do with the game is take away the more tedious processes while tuning the controls making it easy for any strategy lover. Pros +Addictive and strategic. +Intuitive interface. +Charismatic…
