34 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.
I don't feel anyone was surprised that this "game" was a flop. It's the perfect example of a project that solely has (grotesque) legs only due to its shock value and stellar visuals. While I adore the art style and excessive gore, it just isn't an enjoyable or compelling experience. Also, the fact that it's a short romp ends up being fine by me--I was pretty much over it after the first couple of acts. I didn't have…
I'll start this off by saying that Cyberpunk 2077 is not the game it needs to be, or the one it tries to be, at this point in time. It may get there eventually but what we've got at release time is an incomplete, bug-riddled, mostly lifeless form of what most of us were envisioning. The opening video sequence seems to paint that vision well, with a dystopian city that's oozing with action, crime, sex, drugs and…
I'll start out by stating that my expectations for this game were moderately high, given how much I enjoyed the last installment in Australia. I figured the game would adhere to mostly the same structure and overall design but possibly feature something to keep returning fans happy; that's basically what the game is. At its core Horizon 4 is much like previous iterations but a new map w/ dynamic seasons and weather,…
This game isn't bad, but it's just not that good either; it's sort of what I figured it would be for the most part. I play a lot of (too many) racing games so I've got a lot of experience with evaluating handling models, track layout designs, and true-to-life world physics. Gravel just seems to aim at the middle of the road when it comes to said components and doesn't really favor one over the other--it's just okay.…
I haven't actually spent much time with the Far Cry series since dealing with Vaas and Hoyt in the third installment, admittedly. I kept tabs on the following games but ultimately didn't vest myself in them. I can say that this will end with Far Cry 5—the latest and greatest of the Ubisoft open-world shooter. Here are my early thoughts, based on roughly 3-4 hours of playtime on PC. I wasn't sure how the game would…
...it's the exclusive and realistic racing game the PS4 desperately needed. I've played most of the GT games from the very start, with my favorite being 2001's A-Spec on PS2. I probably still have my progress from that game saved on a memory card, somewhere. GT: Sport is the latest game to be released by Polyphony and, despite some obvious omissions, the game looks great and feels even better. The iconic handling…
I've played quite a bit of this game across two platforms, and three characters. I'll try my best to clearly identify what I liked and what I did not from the PC version, coming from the PS4. Firstly, the game looks and feels great... but that's to be expected from this developer. The most important piece here is that the game itself is a lot of fun to play (more so if you have a friend or two) and is rewarding in a…
Back in 2011 I was (too) enthusiastic about Human Revolution, to say the least. Perhaps I did praise the game too much but, in my defense, I did really enjoy it--enough to play through multiple times. Like many fans, I got reprimanded over the stale boss battles and sub-par graphics but in the end I rather enjoyed the game very much. So... deal with it. Now we have Mankind Divided though, which I have played through…
I wanted to write a late review of this game, now that I've had adequate time to invest in playing it. It is great, but just shy of being absolutely amazing. I will also go as far as stating that I haven't had as much fun with an open-world racer since Burnout Paradise. Obviously the two games are very different, each having their own outstanding qualities, but BP placed the bar quite high back in 2008. I really…
No other series captures that "lost-in-space" setting quite like Dead Space. The atmosphere that these games create needs no introduction, and I've been a fan since the beginning. However, the latest addition to the franchise is a bit trickier to decode. On one side you get a really good game that for the most part stays true to its core, but on the other you find yourself wading in shallow waters, wishing that the…
The TrackMania series is, by now, a well-known cult racing phenomenon that has entertained players from nearly every county in the world. Millions of users have logged countless hours racing, building, and competing online for top spots and the fastest recorded times. While vastly different from the majority of racing games, TrackMania has always featured some of the craziest over-the-top driving action and the…
I can recall a time when first person shooters and PC gaming came hand in hand; where games relied on simple core gameplay mechanics. While it's obvious that the majority of today's shooters have come a long way from their corridor roots, once in awhile someone who appreciates the old formulas churns up a little piece of gaming nostalgia. New Polish developer Flying Wild Hog has done just that with their new…
Human Revolution is the much anticipated third installment to the award winning Deus Ex first person role playing series. Players take the role of Adam Jensen, an ex special weapons agent, as he is plunged into a grim world that is infested with organized crime and unsupervised human augmentation. Jensen himself becomes the recipient of such practices after a black ops team kills a team of scientists he was hired to…
I'll admit, if it weren't for autocross, drifting and rally auto racing would be dead to me. Being a car enthusiast, I'm always playing the latest driving/racing games and finding one that really stands out is a rare occurrence. I'm quite fond of Codemasters' Colin McRae: DiRT series and the latest iteration, Dirt 3 , is truly a winner in my book. Building upon the solid racing formula that made Dirt 2 a success,…
There's something really special about the Portal franchise, and it's not just because of the dark humor or brilliantly-designed puzzles that escalate the experience. It may be the fact that with each time the game is played someone, somewhere is having a good laugh and enjoying the unique atmosphere that the game creates. Portal 2 is the continuation to 2007's game, a true gem in modern gaming, and one that…
Criterion Games got it right with the release of the new Hot Pursuit , and it seems that Slightly Mad Studios has also managed to zap a little more life into an exhausted franchise. Need For Speed: Shift 2 Unleashed is the continuation of 2009's NFS: Shift . The game is an arcade-style racer that tailors to the simulation audience, and offers players the chance to drive some high-performance race cars on some of the…
Crysis is a game that needs no introduction, at least for PC gamers. In 2007 Crytek released a game that was considered to be far ahead of its time, and which shocked the PC gaming world with jaw-dropping visuals like no other. For those fortunate enough to own a system capable of running the beast, Crysis was surely an unforgettable first person experience featuring the most realistic graphics ever seen. Crytek…
Some first person shooters are slow-paced, realistically driven, and feature tactical gun play. Bulletstorm has none of those elements, but what it lacks it makes up for in over-the-top comical shooting craziness. Unlike other games in the genre, this new fps title from Epic Games and People Can Fly breaks all of the rules in order to provide players with a fun and unique gaming experience. You will blast your…
Test Drive Unlimited 2 continues the open-world driving experience featured in the original and aims to correct some of the first game's many flaws. For the most part, this beefy sequel does a good job addressing some of those problems but ultimately leaves more to be desired. In may ways TDU2 is better than its predecessor, but at the same time it's just not much of a leap forward and doesn't really stack up…
The original Dead Space surprised gamers in 2008 by resurrecting and improving a nearly forgotten genre. This year, Dead Space 2 continues the story of lone engineer Isaac Clarke as he is once again plunged into the darkness and horror of an alien infection, the Necromorphs. The USG Ishimura was lost in the events following the first game, and Isaac now finds himself on Titan, one of Saturn's moons. The game takes…
If you're a fan of the Need for Speed racing franchise, you would probably agree that it's been a roller-coaster of a ride featuring mostly low points. It seems like with every game it was either hit or miss and I know a lot of people who have been greatly disappointed in some of the more recent installments. This time Criterion Games, the minds behind the great arcade racing series Burnout, have taken the wheel in…
I don't usually play multiplayer games online, and when I do it's typically short-lived, but when a mainstream franchise makes a 360 million dollar splash on the first day of sales it's hard to not take notice. Call of Duty: Black Ops is the latest game in the series and the second developed by Activision subsidiary Treyarch--who gained a lot of respect from gamers after World at War hit store shelves in 2008.…
I won't lie... when Fallout 3 dropped in late 2008 I wasted hours upon hours exploring the vast Capital Wasteland and it's DC counterparts, and earning the ever-so-rewarding XP points that chimed in after every kill. Needless to say I've been following New Vegas ever since its debut and was exited to give a western wasteland a go. I was very pleased with what the Obsidian developers did with the game franchise....…
I'm fairly uneducated in the world of Formula 1 racing, but that didn't stop me from trying out Codemasters' newest F1 series title (plus I really like the EGO engine!). I typically play the more traditional racing games and I didn't really know what to expect from playing the game, but I do know that only 10 or so minutes in I was already hooked! Unlike most racing games, and simulation titles for that matter, F1…
I love when games get me spooked, and this rather dark little game was a near perfect recipe for suspense and jumpiness. It's rare that a title comes along and provides players with such a rich atmosphere to be immersed in. Like the intro states, the game is not to be played to win, its purpose is to give players a dramatic first person survival horror experience. I can honestly say that the game freaked me out a…
I will admit, I did not play the first game--so i really had no idea what to expect from Dog Days. I was weary of the game's relatively poor reputation but I decided to give it a go anyways. I'd like to point out that the game is not terrible, but lacks severely in some areas. Unfortunately, one of these areas is the combat itself which you really do not want to hear in a shooter. The gun physics are a little…
While I am not typically a fan of RTS games, there is something to be said and appreciated about just how complete this game is. StarCraft II is about as complete and engaging as they come when it comes to strategy games and should not be missed by fans of the genre. The game needs no introduction and is sure to remain the industry standard for complex, yet simple real time strategic game play. I can't think of any…
My first impression of this game, when it was unveiled, was it looked to be just another Quake 4 or Wolfenstein–but after playing for a few hours I was pleased to realize that it was a bit more. The game itself plays a lot like traditional shooters, but utilizes some pretty interesting mechanics that make the game play stand out a lot more. Think Bioshock meets Doom and FEAR, well sort of... The game uses the Unreal…
Being more of a traditional racer, I had mixed feelings about Blur from the start. On one hand, it's action-packed and a lot of fun, but on the other hand it can be a downright frustrating arcade/combat racer. The racing itself is fun enough to keep you going around the track, but the power-ups can either make or break each race. Like Blackrock's Split/Second, the idea here is not to simply outrace your opposition,…
My first reaction to Split Second was how nicely everything exploded and fell apart, until I realized that the power plays were actually quite annoying. Now that could be the very point of the game's main mechanic, in which that case it succeeds, but when it comes down to it the whole "screw your opponents over" sort of ruins the actual racing aspect. The game is fun; don't get me wrong, but I found myself more…
I've played a good deal of sandbox type games but none have been quite as fun as Just Cause 2. Firstly, I'd like to point out how great the game environment looks, and how amazing the Panau map really is. There's an overwhelming amount of exploring that can be done and the diverse regions flow together seamlessly and offer plenty of variation to players. The engine is very solid and there's barely a hitch when the…
I'm a long time fan of the post-apocalyptic genre and I've always gravitated towards games like Half-Life 2, Fallout, and the Stalker series. Metro 2033 is a new take on the genre in that it takes a story written by Dmitry Glukhovsky and turns it into something players can experience from a first person perspective. 4A games has done a great job of creating the world described so vividly in the book and applies the…
The STALKER series is definitely underrated, and I feel that although these games aren't up to par in the graphics department, they are unmatched when it comes to atmosphere and immersion. This latest addition to the franchise is also the most stable and rewarding. While the previous two games have been riddled with annoying bugs and AI glitches, Call of Pripyat seems to have significantly reduced that factor…
I went back into Rapture with mixed feelings, and left the same way. I didn't go in with the expectation that the sequel would triumph over its predecessor, but I have to say I'm mildly disappointed with the game. Being a big fan of the original, BioShock 2 came across as sort of a "build-off" rather than a completely new game. Sure, the first game is a really hard title to top, but I just felt like something was…
