54 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.
Limbo is a love/hate experience. It casts a brilliant, haunting atmosphere thick with tension and horror against an empty though thought-provoking narrative of a boy in search of his sister. The trials he faces are threatening, but also cheap and frustrating for basing each one around its gimmicky death animations. It begins with the boy awaking in a dark forest. How he ended up here is left to the imagination.…
Ever since Ubisoft introduced us to the lovably psychotic rabbids, Rayman, who was technically the star of the first couple of Raving Rabbids games, has gone into an unexpected retirement. The limbless wonder was the star of a couple well-renowned platformers during the PlayStation and Nintendo 64 days, but has had a very small presence in console generations since. The action gets appropriately crazy when multiple…
Crytek's shtick has always been to deliver ground-breaking graphics that push people's PCs to their absolute limits. In late 2007, Crytek's latest first-person shooter, Crysis, arrived on PC and quickly gained infamy for its at-the-time absurd system requirements needed to run the game at maximum settings. It also garnered much praise for its open-ended gameplay, which let players approach any situation however they…
You get game requests a lot if you log onto the right server. The plan's perfect. You've run your units through it a thousand times, checking for any openings your opponent could use to dismantle your attack. There's nothing more to do -- nothing except prime your turn and watch the events unfold. In the seconds between, anxiety starts building. What if you missed something? That rocket launcher might be able to get…
1309 deaths in 2 hours and 43 minutes of gameplay. The total amount of times I died by the time I finished VVVVVV. I think that alone says something for how brutal this game is. Don't let it's simple unsuspecting appearance fool you. Beneath the Commodore 64-esque visuals lay a game of absolute terror. Not the usual sort of horror, mind you; it doesn't make you jump or mess with your mind. No, this game terrifies…
Interesting fact about Burnout: Crash: it originally started off as a Wii game. Take a look at any screenshot and that becomes apparent, it's low-fidelity cartoon visuals being a far cry from the gritty realism the series has been moving toward. Instead, it's traded all that in for character. For novelty. Though Burnout has always been a series full of character, never has the series achieved so much of it as it has…
A small slab of land rests suspended in the sky; a young boy sleeps peacefully, unaware of the cataclysm that's transpired around him. You press a key and -- "he gets up," says a deep, male voice. You start walking toward the small archway to the left the boy's bed. As you do, the ground begins re-forming beneath him. He keeps moving, not stopping to think about this strange phenomena. That mysterious voice,…
It's common for a sequel to build vastly upon the foundations of their predecessors, but to do so on such an immaculate degree... not so much. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves happens to be one of those games, addressing every problem from its predecessor and then improves upon its improvements. Where the last game's gunplay was weak, Uncharted 2's is powerful, satisfying. Where the story of its predecessor had a few…
One of the greatest challenges in making a sequel lies in keeping things fresh while still retaining the base qualities of previous entries. Oftentimes the answer to this little quandary is to add a couple of new characters and toss in some more minigames. You know -- to add variety, spice things up a bit. Spryro: Year of the Dragon follows this logic line to a T. In an attempt to mix up the already fantastic…
Read the full review The PlayStation Spryo trilogy draws to a close on a high note
I'm not usually one to start off reviews with such hyperbole, but in the case of Portal 2 it's necessary. Because the above isn't simple hyperbole; it's fact. Portal 2 is a game made of nothing but the utmost excellence. Not a single element falls short. Everything delivers only the absolute best. The writing, witty and humorous, giving the characters infectious personalities; the gameplay, constantly challenging…
Outland is more than a simple homage to Treasure's classic shoot-'em-up Ikaruga. A game that marries the fluidity of platforming with the madness of a bullet-hell shooter in spectacular fashion, Outland crafts a stylish, nail-bitingly challenging two-dimensional action side-scrolling game. A game where the simplest of jumping puzzles become extraneous death courses, bullets of red and blue hues flooding the screen…
To say that MDK is "quirky" would be an understatement. Accurate, but understated. It looks simple enough on the surface -- a typical third-person shooter of the '90s -- but underneath that veneer is an assortment of oddities and an off-kilter sense of humor. If you're familiar with Shiny Entertainment's work, they're involvement will come as no surprise to you, their penchant for whimsy being clear. If you aren't…
Believe it or not, there is such a thing as a racing game that moves too fast. One such game is Wipeout HD, the latest from Sony's futuristic hovercraft racing series. A series always known for moving at insane speeds -- 600 mph being the average -- the action is often hard to follow. Turns arrive without notice, your craft ramming into them time after time; explosives go off all over constantly, covering the scene…
Ivy the Kiwi is hard. Hellishly hard. It may look like something out of a children's storybook, but make no mistake: beneath its charming, inviting exterior lies a frustratingly difficult game of escort. It coaxes you in with its unassuming storybook aesthetic only to run you down hard with myriad obstacles with relentless abandon. This is a game that single-handedly disproves any claims of games becoming too easy,…
I'm gonna go ahead and make a harebrained statement: The cake referenced in the popular Internet meme, and line from Portal, "the cake is a lie," isn't actually a lie; rather, that cake is Portal itself. My basis? Like cake, Portal is a treat -- a very special treat. One that doesn't last long on account of our tendencies to quickly devour it (or in Portal's case, quickly play through it). While it lasts, though,…
Ah, Spyro 2: the game that jump started Spyro 's videogame career into the limelight during the PlayStation one days. Hard to believe how far he's fallen since then, staring in a nearly endless stream of mediocre games after his creators gave him up so many years ago. At least we still have the PlayStation originals to enjoy. Though it's been more 12 years since its release (and it certainly shows), Spyro 2: Ripto's…
Cave Story is a classic example of what's considered to be an indie game these days. It's got retroesque visuals and music; its gameplay is a throwback to hits from gaming's past like Metroid and Castlevania ; and it's got one of those rags to riches stories that everyone loves oh-so-much attached to it. (In this case, the game's developer, Daisuke Amaya, who made Cave Story single-handedly, had gone from a nobody…
If I were to summarize Okamiden in one word, it would be familiar . The reason being because it's heavy with references to and reuses locations from Okami , its predecessor. The entire game-world and its inhabitants are all instantly recognizable (assuming you've played the first game), and its gameplay unaltered. Okamiden therefore creates a very cozy atmosphere for fans in this sequel; one that doesn't alienate…
Upon starting Space Invaders Infinity Gene's campaign, one is met with the following quote from Charles Darwin: "It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change." Strong words. Words that say a lot about the state of Space Invaders over the past few years and its efforts to stay relevant. It's many evolutions have, for…
Don't you just hate it when, while being interviewed for a television program of some sort, you suddenly turn to stone? Ask anyone in the Dragon Realms and I'm sure they'd respond with a resounding "yes," since the premise of Insomniac's easy-going platformer Spyro the Dragon explores that premise. It all started on what seemed to be just another ordinary day. Some dragons were off taking questions from some…
If there was any way to best summarize Just Cause 2 it would be thusly: Thrilling, but mostly aggravating. Just Cause 2 attempts to deliver a huge playground of destruction that offers limitless entertainment, and though it mostly delivers on that premise, numerous rough edges cause it to stumble through varying degrees of annoyance. There's plenty of fun to be had, of course, which Just Cause 2 is able to deliver…
Board games, like movie tie-ins, are just one of those things that often doesn't work in videogames. Risk: Factions, however, the latest adaptation of the classic board game from Electronic Arts , is one of the few exceptions. The reason for that being because it's one of the few to actually make the board game experience entertaining on the console front by removing they're usual arduous nature. It doesn't evolve…
Shatter is, at a glance, just another Arkanoid clone with excellent production values. But to say that would be like saying Geometry Wars is just another Robotron clone with those same values. The point is, that's selling the game short. What Shatter really is is a brilliant new take on the Arkanoid formula. A strong competitive component, cool new gameplay mechanics, and great production values are what make up…
The old saying, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" is something that could easily apply to Pac-Man 's winning formula. After all, thirty years after its initial release and still people play it? That says more about the game's quality than anything a critic like me could. Namco obviously still saw some room for improvement, though. How else would we be blessed with the Pac-Man nirvana that is Pac-Man Championship…
An important part in the production of music is the conductor. Ensuring that everyone is playing their roles correctly and at the right times, the role a conductor plays is rather understated. Without him, the aural delights produced by orchestras would be but aimless noise in the background, blocked out by our ears as to ensure it doesn't distract us from whatever our current preoccupations may be. If given visual…
Unconventional is easily the best adjective to describe the Bit.Trip series' approach to gaming. From turning Pong into a rhythm game of sorts to blending an on-rails platformer with the element of rhythm, Bit.Trip is quickly proving itself as a leader in the realm of the unconventional. Its latest entry, Bit.Trip Fate, takes on the form of a bullet-hell shooter. It's not as intense as its brethren in the genre, but…
I'll be honest with ya: I don't understand much of what's going on in Bit.Trip Runner . I have no idea why CommanderVideo (the series protagonist) is running or where he's going; I don't know why he has to collect gold bars (maybe he needs the money?); and I definitely have no idea how this all ties into the series' overarching narrative. None of this is explained at all in-game, either, but that's not important.…
After having been featured in a few minigame-based titles, the Rabbids have grown tired of their old life and have decided to head home... to the moon. (I guess that means they're aliens?) How? In the most ridiculous way possible: by building a humongous pile of junk to get there. The plan: Run down to the nearby city and steal whatever isn't nailed down and transport it back via shopping cart. The target: Anything.…
The choice between good and evil is commonly explored ground in videogames. Heck, almost all games these days has some sort of choice between being good or evil in it, and inFamous is no different. And while it may not innovate on that part, the game surrounding it makes up for it. With excellent, if somewhat finicky, platforming, a vast city full of secrets to explore, satisfying combat, and an enthralling story,…
Serious Sam: Next Encounter is one of those games that looks good on paper, but fails in its execution. Its concept to provide players with a fast-paced, madcap shooting experience where hoards upon hoards of enemies are coming at you non-stop may work on a basic level, and capture the spirit of the series perfectly, but the end result is an absolute mess. Numerous technical issues, generally poor design choices,…
I'm gonna be honest with ya: for the first few hours, I wasn't really likin' Final Fantasy XIII. The story wasn't grabbing me, I wasn't really caring about the characters, the gameplay wasn't terribly engaging, and, worst of all, it just wasn't much fun. But then, after a few hours of enduring that, the game clicked. Everything just started coming together: the story had picked up and had gotten me hooked, the…
How do you improve something that is essentially perfect? Well, in the case of Space Invaders , you just add some flashy, psychedelic visuals, and make a few changes to the gameplay. That may have worked for the original Space Invaders Extreme , but for its sequel, Space Invaders Extreme 2, it just feels old. Instead of trying to build upon the foundation of its predecessor, Space Invaders Extreme 2 simply makes a…
"What does it mean to be a prosecutor?" Well, if the Ace Attorney series is any indication, it means that your basically a lawyer who does a lot of detective work. You know, investigating crime scenes, searching for evidence, questioning witnesses, and all that other detective stuff. In the latest in the series, titled Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth, you'll be doing more of that, but from the…
Read the full review Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth
Let's get one thing perfectly clear, and don't take this the wrong way but: Flower is not a game -- it's a relaxation tool. It's goal is not to challenge you, but to calm you. Relax you. Put your mind at ease as you drift through beautiful landscapes carried by the wind, picking up flower petals off newly bloomed flowers along the way. It's through this unique approach that the game creates what is easily a…
It's many years in the future, and mankind has expended its reign across the galaxy by colonizing planets far and wide. But with resources depleting as a result of the colonization, expeditions begin being launched across the universe in search of new resources. On one such expedition, however, something goes awry, leaving a mining crew trapped on planet Apoxus Prime, along with numerous monsters. Having picked up…
First-person shooters may be lacking in quantity on Wii and DS, but dual-stick shooters are practically nonexistent on those platforms. Or rather, were nonexistent before Geometry Wars: Galaxies, the first and only Geometry Wars game to take the bullet-hell action outside Microsoft boundaries, arrived. Taking the series to these platforms no doubt raised some eyebrows. "How could a dual-stick shooter work on a…
First-person shooters may be lacking in quantity on Wii and DS, but dual-stick shooters are practically nonexistent on those platforms. Or rather, were nonexistent before Geometry Wars: Galaxies, the first and only Geometry Wars game to take the bullet-hell action outside Microsoft boundaries, arrived. Taking the series to these platforms no doubt raised some eyebrows. "How could a dual-stick shooter work on a…
The works of thatgamecompany have always been more like relaxation tools than games. Their unconventional gameplay, soothing melodies, and gorgeous imagery all work together to make a calm atmosphere that puts the player in a relaxed state as they explore the majestic beauty of the game world without worry of death, time limits, or any other thing that presents a challenge. This is especially true with flOw.…
It seems that developer High Voltage Software wasn't able to ascertain the secret to making a successful shooter. Their first attempt at tackling the genre, The Conduit , is a good technical showcase, but it falls flat in just about every conceivable way. From a dull, uninteresting story full of cliches, to derivative, less than stellar gameplay, The Conduit just doesn't deliver. The story is your typical sci-fi,…
You know that term, "Paint the town red"? Well, taken its most literal sense, it's what best describes what de Blob is all about. In it, you, as de Blob, are tasked with repainting the monochromatic Chroma City however you want (hence the "paint the town red" reference). How you'll do this is by stealing paint from spider-like machines called "Paintbots" (the things responsible the city's color loss), and using that…
The Crystal Chronicles side series in the Final Fantasy franchise has always been quite different from the main series, focusing instead on a multiplayer focused experience than the narrative driven single-player experiences of its siblings. Though that wasn't always the main focus of each installment, as it has begun to lean toward the single-player side of the spectrum instead of its multiplayer focused roots.…
Read the full review Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers
I'll be frank with you: This is essentially a refined Sly 2 with some new additions. Everything gameplay-wise is all here: you'll still switch between characters completing missions in large semi-open world levels, and participate in various mini-games among other things. That said, I still enjoyed my time with Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves , despite the numerous similarities. It's many new additions such as more…
The land of Hyrule has gone through many types of transportation over the years. Link, the Zelda series' protagonist, has traveled the vast land by horseback, boat, and even teleportation. And now, in the latest installment, Spirit Tracks , he uses trains to get around. But while his form of travel may be different, the game itself isn't. From its gameplay mechanics, to its controls, and to its visual style, the…
The advent of digital distribution has been a true blessing to this industry, as without it, we wouldn't have gotten the opportunity to revisit favorites or classics from gaming's past, or experience games from small independent developers that might not have otherwise seen the light of day on consoles. The Bit.Trip series for the Wii, for example, takes us back to a time when games were rendered in 8-bit graphics,…
In 2002 the world was introduced to the odd mixture of stealth and platforming elements in the form of Sly Cooper and The Thievius Raccoonus , and was hailed for its successful marriage of the two gameplay types. Since then, there haven't been many (or rather, any ) games -- well, outside of the Sly Cooper series, that is -- that have tried this emulate this concept. Then 2004 came around, and with it came, Sly 2:…
As someone who finds most stealth sections and/or elements of videogames to be poorly designed, tacked-on atrocities, I was a little wary of Sly Cooper and The Thievius Raccoonus . But, at the same, I was intrigued by its concept of blending platforming and stealth into one. A concept that, surprisingly, comes together beautifully in its execution, by delivering simple, fluid platforming, and stealth mechanics that…
Though Kingdom Hearts has seen much success since its debut in 2002, the concept remains somewhat mind-boggling. Merging the Final Fantasy franchise with Disney's many movie properties, seemed impossible, if not downright crazy. The fact that it was able to do so, was an achievement given how radically different they are. Since then, it gone on to spawn many sequels, with the latest one, Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days ,…
Let's face it: We're all a bunch of Tetris addicts. Some of us to point where the mere fact that it's Tetris is enough to sell us on it (like me). Which probably explains why a new version or two is released every year, almost as if they're attempting to place Tetris on every platform imaginable. And if so, then they are definitely making progress. As it has almost made its way onto all the current generation…
