63 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.
In 2014, Sean Murray came out on Sony’s E3 stage to show off the incredibly ambitious No Man’s Sky . After that announcement, gaming communities and publications started desperately searching for more information explaining what this game actually was. The level of secrecy and perceived ambition surrounding No Man’s Sky generated a level of hype that could only led to some disappointment along the way. Regardless of…
After the unsuccessful multiplayer beta, there wasn't much hope for the reboot of the grandfather of all first-person shooters. DOOM looked as though it's fate was already sealed as a major disappointment of the year. Even some of the initial trailers made the gameplay look fast but not necessarily DOOM -fast. And it seemed there was a very limited amount of enemies on the screen at once. But upon release, the…
When the closed beta dropped for Tom Clancy's The Division , I was a little less than thrilled with the product. The missions felt flat and while I knew the enemies were bullet sponges, I wasn't expecting the amount of bullets it would take to take down a single enemy on hard. There's been several games I've enjoyed over the years with damage absorbing enemies including Destiny and Borderlands . But I guess when you…
Available on: PlayStation 4 Xbox One PlayStation 3 Xbox 360 As much as I played vanilla Destiny, I never got around to writing my review for the original game. I was very optimistic with the original game and found there to be enough content overall, even though I didn't really know what was going on in the campaign nor cared. The gunplay is terrific. The graphics are beautiful with a locked frame rate and a…
As much as I played vanilla Destiny, I never got around to writing my review for the original game. I was very optimistic with the original game and found there to be enough content overall, even though I didn't really know what was going on in the campaign nor cared. The gunplay is terrific. The graphics are beautiful with a locked frame rate and a beautiful aesthetic sci-fi setting. The music is great. And the…
As much as I played vanilla Destiny, I never got around to writing my review for the original game. I was very optimistic with the original game and found there to be enough content overall, even though I didn't really know what was going on in the campaign nor cared. The gunplay is terrific. The graphics are beautiful with a locked frame rate and a beautiful aesthetic sci-fi setting. The music is great. And the…
As much as I played vanilla Destiny, I never got around to writing my review for the original game. I was very optimistic with the original game and found there to be enough content overall, even though I didn't really know what was going on in the campaign nor cared. The gunplay is terrific. The graphics are beautiful with a locked frame rate and a beautiful aesthetic sci-fi setting. The music is great. And the…
As much as I played vanilla Destiny, I never got around to writing my review for the original game. I was very optimistic with the original game and found there to be enough content overall, even though I didn't really know what was going on in the campaign nor cared. The gunplay is terrific. The graphics are beautiful with a locked frame rate and a beautiful aesthetic sci-fi setting. The music is great. And the…
When you think of Marvel, Deadpool isn't the guy that first comes to mind for most. He's not really the poster child for Marvel and I personally don't know anyone who knows who he really is or has read his comics. But none of that really matters as Deadpool's game manages to comically tell you who exactly he is and what he's all about. The only problem is that you have to sit through some boring gameplay to get to…
There's a lot to love about Sleeping Dogs if you loved open-world games from the previous generation of consoles. Everything feels real arcadey from driving around in various cars to the ridiculous shooting mechanics. In our day and age, games strive to be realistic to a degree. Realistic settings with realistic graphics and faux-realistic shooting. Sleeping Dogs puts everything about open-world gaming into a…
Obsidian made me respect their authoritah. They managed to put together a TV show into a fun and fully functional video game. I guess it helps when the creators of South Park, Matt Stone and Trey Parker, actually help write the script and provide voice acting for their characters. What really makes this game so enjoyable is it's deception. It forces you to forget you're playing a video game instead of just watching…
My most anticipated launch title for the PlayStation 4 was Battlefield 4. And now that it’s out, I want to return it and get something less broken. This is a review for the game before the patch but I felt I needed to get a warning out for excited Battlefield fans: this game rarely works currently. I’m not just talking about the multiplayer either. The single player is bugged as well. If you happen to crash (which…
My most anticipated launch title for the PlayStation 4 was Battlefield 4. And now that it’s out, I want to return it and get something less broken. This is a review for the game before the patch but I felt I needed to get a warning out for excited Battlefield fans: this game rarely works currently. I’m not just talking about the multiplayer either. The single player is bugged as well. If you happen to crash (which…
It’s 1989. A red light blinks on your answer machine. You check your messages and you’re asked to go to a certain address to “help out” with various jobs. It’s time to suit up and the most important question is do you wear your dog mask or your chicken mask? Hotline Miami is a truly bizarre game featuring some of the most violent content I’ve seen in a while. It’s a top-down shooter with pixelated neon graphics and…
War is hell, if you didn't already know this . Hatred erupts into a firestorm of death, leaving behind only tears and destruction. It’s what breaks humans down into a blanket of depression for years to come. In the midst of military shooters arises a different type of story that doesn't praise war but expresses the discomfort of being in war. If you haven’t already had the story spoiled for you, you might be in for…
Conker the Squirrel is not your average friendly red squirrel that would be featured in a variety Nintendo games. He’s an alcoholic, sex-crazed, greedy squirrel that only wishes to get home after a hangover. His adventure didn’t start out this way. Originally, Conker’s tale was going to be played out as a Banjo-Kazooie kid’s game. Instead of making another game with just a cute little fuzzy animal, Chris Seavor had…
Fans of the hybrid-genre strategy-RPG have probably already played through a Disgaea game before. It’s a parody of the genre itself, making fun of every aspect the genre keeps sacred and exaggerates it. Disgaea’s known for it’s ridiculous stats, level caps, and gameplay length (try over 1,000 hours). And with each installment, everything becomes more and more ridiculous. For example in Disgaea 3, one of the trophies…
Remember when arcades and home consoles were full of wonderful 8-bit and 16-bit beat-em-up games? You’d spin a quarter down into a machine to give life to a character whom died within a few minutes only to spin another one back down for an extra life. That feeling, along with a friend, and usually pizza somewhere else, seems to be lost for the upcoming class of gamers. Scott Pilgrim’s role is to create new nostalgia…
Yakuza 4 is set around Kamurocho, one of the fabulous crime-filled fictional districts of Tokyo. If you’re not into gambling, dining, or hostess clubs, you’re sure to find something violent to do in this mob infested location. This was my first experience with the Yakuza series and what an experience it turned out to be. I was recommended the game from a friend who knew I liked the Shenmue series from the SEGA…
Diablo III is finally out! You can now leave the hype train and proceed to play one of the most anticipated games of the year, if not the past few years for PC gamers. There was a lot of concern about some of the particular paths the developers took the series. There’s an auction house that allows you to buy and sell loot for real money, something Blizzard has banned users for doing in the past. They’ve taken out…
If you’re looking for a great Silent Hill game to play, you’re in luck. Two came out this month; Silent Hill: Downpour and Silent Hill HD Collection . Only one of them is worthy of a purchase and let me tell you, the one I’m reviewing isn’t it. For those unfamiliar with the Silent Hill lore, it’s based on a real city that haunts your conscience. It features some of the most horrific creatures of any video game…
Coming from a Harvest Moon background, I didn't know what to expect when I ordered this game. When I ordered it, it seemed to be just a different style of Harvest Moon game. I've actually never played the Rune Factory series before this one. My expectations were in the middle. I figured it would have a bit of some nostalgia to it and then be relieved out of the PlayStation 3 shortly after. Before I begin this…
I had so many doubts about this product. I questioned how this game was going to know which tabs/chords I was playing. I didn't know if it would actually help me learn to play any better than the countless YouTube vidoes had before. But my questions were soon answered thanks to GameStop having a good sale on the "game" a couple of weeks ago. I've had a guitar since 2001 and I've learned to do absolutely nothing on…
Mortal Kombat Arcade Kollection is another throw-back to gaming of the 90s. Love it or hate it, this game caused more eyebrows to raise than the Lewinsky sex scandal . It was ultra violent, kids were playing it (and turned out just fine), and blood was spilled everywhere. But after nearly 15 years, are the games even any good anymore? Included in this bundle is Mortal Kombat , Mortal Kombat II , and Ultimate Mortal…
If you are thinking Rockstar's L.A. Noire is going to be anything like their previous titles ( Grand Theft Auto, Red Dead Redemption ), you're going to be greatly disappointed. If anything, L.A. Noire is an evolution of the adventure genre. Just because this game is open world doesn't mean you're free to do whatever you want in every aspect of that meaning. You're going to be tied down to solving crimes and driving…
After years of thinking this game wasn't going to come out, if finally hit. This is the real sequel to the original Duke Nukem 3D, a terrific example of how great old school shooters really were. Sure, we had several console games, such as Duke Nukem: Zero Hour and Duke Nukem: Planet of the Babes, but this is the Duke Nukem the gaming community has waited for. The question is, does it make you hail to the king, or…
Bundling Portal with The Orange Box a few years back was a great move by Valve. Portal , while fun, was a short almost side game in the series, but felt complete and well tuned. When Portal 2 was first announced, my first concern was length, and how well the puzzle fun would translate if the game were longer. I’ll admit it: I was very skeptical a stand-alone title such as Portal would work. I was even more shocked…
I’ve been playing the Pokémon games since the Game Boy Color days. I didn’t know anything about it until my cousin was talking about it. It sounded stupid, yet interesting. Sure enough, I ended up wasting quite a few batteries playing this game. Pokémon is basically built for children. The game isn’t that difficult. There’s not a lot of moves. It’s turn-based. But it holds it’s charm and has such an addictive…
General Sarrano, apart of the Confederation of Planets, is the antagonist here and apart of the secret army, Dead Echo. He leads groups of soldiers into missions that slaughter innocent victims. Years ago our hero, Grayson Hunt, discovers he's been lied to so he decides to take revenge on Sarrano. Years after the event, alcoholic Grayson decides to fight a battle with hired mercenaries to battle Sarrano, only to end…
The new heroes are here to kick butt and take names, and after a decade of wondering if this game would ever come into being, Marvel vs. Capcom 3 is finally here. If you’ve never played the series before, let me just inform you this is not your typical fighting game. This is more of an action fighting game, in the sense that the first few matches are going to be chaotic looking. There’s characters popping in and out…
Read the full review Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds
DJ Hero consist of one thing: good music. They fact that it’s a game is just a lite icing on the cake. By that, I mean I don’t understand why this was turned into a game. The DJ peripheral is pretty cool looking. It looks like a real DJ kit, but not a very expensive one. It’s a game, so why would we really need a high dollar DJ studio to unlock achievements and trophies with? The hardware is sturdy and after beating…
For Wolverine’s first stand alone game in a long time, Wolverine holds nothing back. It’s action packed, gory, and full of generic Wolverine humor. It almost feels like a God of War or Devil May Cry clone, but falls short in few factors. If you’re followed the movie, you’ll pretty much know the story. Wolverine has a dark past set in Africa, where his crew of United States mutant marines are looking for “something”.…
The last time I purchased a Need for Speed title new was Most Wanted. If felt like Hot Pursuit, but was missing something. That something is what Hot Pursuit brings to the table. Much like the original Hot Pursuit, this one is all about speed and running from the cops. If you're new to the series, here's a heads up. Need for Speed is not a racing simulator. It's not trying to be. If anything, it's a Fast & The…
Mafia II is set in 1943 to 1951 in a fictional city of Empire Bay, USA, a city so familiar with crime, you'd assume Congress vacations there after time spent in Washington D.C.. There's definitely crime afoot in Empire Bay. The city is controlled by three families, and the question is who are you going to befriend and who are you going to kill? You play as protagonist, Vito Scaletta, a Sicilian immigrant who doesn't…
The Terminator is a childhood classic for me. Violence, gore, steroid men fighting not-so-steroid men, and cool music. This game is none of that. Aside from the mild violence. The game starts out with you, John Conner, learning how to maneuver over an obstacle such as a wall. You're in Los Angeles, California, and things look about the same in 2016. You take your battle across the street to fight aero units. They…
Known as the birth child of Diablo and the Monkey Island series, DeathSpank is all about loot, slashing things up, and comedy. If you’re not a fan of Diablo -style gaming, this is not going to be your cup of tea. And if you enjoy Diablo but take your games seriously, don’t bother. DeathSpank does everything but take itself seriously. You play as DeathSpank, a dumb-as-bricks “heroic” hero, trying to locate the…
It’s here. After twelve long years, StarCraft II is finally here! And I’m here to give you the run-down of how things are in the world of StarCraft . Enjoy your stay! I bought the collector’s edition. I normally don’t buy collector’s editions, but I actually really respect Blizzard’s games. They’re pretty much perfect on release, and when you buy a Blizzard game, you know you’re buying quality. It’s like buying a…
If you've played the original Legend of Zelda, then you'll instantly know how to play this game. If you haven't, you'll still know. The game needs no tutorial on how to play. It's the quickest way to just jump right into a game. 3D Dot Game Heroes is about a legendary hero that has to save the land from an evil curse that has turned this poor 2D world into a twisted 3D abomination. You'll go from town to town,…
There was little said about Red Dead Redemption before I became extremely excited about it. I heard the terms "western", "sandbox", and "Grand Theft Auto 4 engine". This was enough for me to already put in my top listed games. I even wanted the game so bad, I went back and picked up Red Dead Revolver to play through it. I can safely say that Redemption is nothing like the spiritual father of the game. Redemption is…
WCW Nitro is great fun. It's not perfect, but it's not bad by any means. Wrestling games on the PC are few to none, and with consoles dominating the sports area of video games, this is probably one of the last wrestling games PC gamers will get to experience. And it's a pretty good one to boast. There's a huge selection of wrestlers to choose from. You have the works of the WCW and the nWo (new World order). Each…
The Legend of Kyrandia is a trilogy of games that all complete the overall story. In the first 'Book', you are a prince on a quest to find Malcolm, a jester who dabbles in a bit of magic, who has killed your parents, the king and queen. Unlike LucasArts point-and-click adventures, this game actually features coincidences much like King's Quest. For example, an item you are holding you may need actually later on in…
T his is a killer car-combat game, and by killer, I mean a really cool game. It's a car-combat game with a story, and one well above those of "Twisted Metal". You star as jive turkey, Groove Champion, that is on a vigilante mission to find out who killed his sister with the help of his friends, Skeeter and Taurus. This is also during a huge oil crisis in the south-west during 1976. The game is based on the…
This is definitely Sony's answer to Halo. This doesn't mean Halo is a horrible game or anything, but Microsoft has Halo and now Sony can brag with it's Killzone. Before going into the technical aspects of the game, I think it's key to discuss the controls and story. The controls, regardless of the endless complaints, are just fine. Anyone complaining about 'stiff controls' should know they could just go into their…
Nothing brings back good memories such as sniping on a CTF map, hidden in a tower, and after hearing head shot several times, hearing the announcer scream "HOLY S*%$!". Unreal Tournament is a well known franchise so there's little introduction to what you need to know about this game. If you've unfamiliar though, all you really need to know is shoot the other colored team. Shoot them good! UT3 feels really familiar…
Thank the heavens that Max Payne paved a way for slow-motion in gaming, or else, we might not have a game like F.E.A.R.. F.E.A.R. stands out from shooters today for it's ability to slow down time with the click of a button, and because it's really gory, which is a good thing. The graphics are superb and the audio is really amazing. Only downfall of having a high-profile game is it comes at a hardware cost. You'll…
Read the full review F.E.A.R.: First Encounter Assault Recon
I beta tested the game through FilePlanet and was mildly impressed with some of the features, such as fatalities and the graphics (when the beta wasn't crashing on me). I ended up buying the game with a few friends since I figured the game would end up just being fun with a few glitches at first. After a few weeks, I put in a request to cancel my account. There just wasn't anything new and exciting I hadn't already…
Back in the late 90's, when I first heard the tail... err, tale of a red squirrel (who looks orange to me) that would be caught into such mischief, I figured another kids game. One that I'd probably end up getting because Rare made it. Then I saw the first set of trailers for it on IGN. Boy, was I shocked. Blood galore. Violence at every corner. It was actually funny. Singing poop. And language that would make a…
Quake II is one of the original gems of PC gaming, if not just gaming itself. The graphics were pure gold for it's time (and really, they didn't age too bad). The soundtrack was killer. And the enemy types and guns were just huge. This is probably one of the best shooters to ever hit the scene and is still very much enjoyable to this day. The single player is incredible fun and can be played in co-op, much like all…
