25 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.
2018 has seen a plethora of roguelikes hitting the marketplace, and (nearly inarguably) one of the most publicized and generally praised has been Dead Cells . Though it originally came out mid-2017 as an Early Access game, its official 1.0 release came in 2018, so here we go! A 1.0 review of this much beloved game! I am personally a huge fan of roguelikes, and one of my favourite games of all time is Rogue Legacy .…
One of my favourite things is when you get randomly introduced to a piece of media, go in with zero expectations, and come out the other side completely blown away. That was my experience with Battle Chef Brigade - I was not previously aware of Trinket Studios ' Kickstarter, I had not been following its development at all, and I wasn't even aware it existed until Ben brought it up on a Bombcast. Almost impetuously,…
I would not call myself an active Call of Duty fan, though I have certainly enjoyed previous entries in the series. I played a ton of Call Of Duty 2 back in 2005 (though, for PC-based WWII MP shooters of that era, I think I'd still prefer Medal of Honor: Allied Assault from 2002), and thought that the original Modern Warfare was a revelation for console shooters. I can still remember sitting in my room with my brand…
Racing games are in a league of their own. You can't really compare their experience to the likes of an epic RPG, intense FPS, or relaxing puzzle game. They have their own brand of peaks and valleys - for example, the highs of pulling off the perfect corner, and setting a great pace; the lows of wiping out on the final turn, and losing a race you were handily in control of. Racing games also tend to come in two…
Pre-review note: Generally I try to avoid reviewing Early Access games. It is too easy to get caught up in the promises of what should be there in coming updates, and proclaim "I bet this game will be great!" but, for this review, I am strictly reviewing only what is currently present as of June 3rd, 2017. I don't know what the formal name is for the genre PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds occupies. Shooter/Battle…
Back in 2016, I continually caught myself saying “games haven’t had a year this strong for a very, very long time.” I’m thankful to be eating these words a bit, because so far, 2017 has provided us with an even greater bounty of amazing experiences - some of which I now consider among my all-time favourites. We have games like Persona 5 , Zelda: Breath of the Wild , Resident Evil: 7 , Horizon: Zero Dawn , Night in…
Sometimes there are certain series' of games that you carry with you through your lifetime. When I was very young, that series was Mario . When I was a teen, they were the id Tech 3 games ( Quake 3 , Jedi Outcast , STV: Elite Force, etc). When I was a young adult, it was Persona . Persona 3 hit when I was in high school, and I can look back and say it caught me at just the right time. I was enraptured by its dark…
The term "dichotomy" comes to mind when I think about Playdead 's Inside . It is two things at once - it is a beautiful piece of art, one which demands your attention; but, of equal measure, it doesn't really feel worth the time invested (even though there it isn't that long). My enjoyment levels for Inside read like a sine wave - Top level, down, bottom, up, top level, et cetera. Let's break down exactly why I feel…
Naughty Dog is, unquestionably, one of the world's most respected developers. This is for good reason, seeing as they have been around since the 80s, and have created some of the industry's most memorable games across the course of their legacy (with the occasional blemish ). Among the most celebrated of their series' has been Uncharted - the series which finds players controlling adventurer Nathan Drake across a…
Games such as Gone Home and Kentucky Route Zero are great examples of how creative-types can use games as a unique way to express themselves, and their stories; one which is different from how traditional conventions (such as films or books) likely ever could. Their audiences are no longer confined by the stories told. They can poke, they can prod, and they can discover/interpret the messages these creators have…
I'll be totally honest, I never played the first Titanfall . I am just not the type of person who enjoys competitive online first person shooters, and to me, that seemed to be the focus for that particular game. I watched a significant amount of it, and always thought the movement looked fantastic, along with the dynamic of alternating your play between being on-foot, and in a Titan. It also seemed interesting how…
A significant number of us have likely had a similar observation: As a medium, video games have evolved a substantial amount over a relatively short period of time. I know that when I was young, and in our basement playing games like Mario 3 , the last thing I would have thought would have been "I wonder if Video Games can make me cry." Now, here we are twenty-some-odd years later, and to a lot of people, Video…
There are times when you play a game, and it resonates with you in an emotional way. Something about it grabs you by the hand, urges you to experience every moment of it, and - even years later - you never forget your time with it. I have many vivid memories of games like these - Super Mario Bros 3 , and playing it for hours and hours with my cousin; Metal Gear Solid , where we rented it for a weekend at my…
A bit of preamble: To review a game like Tabletop Simulator is difficult for me, much in the same way that a proper review of Minecraft is difficult. You are putting a score to a tool - something to be used to facilitate the playing of a game, not so much an actual "game." It also requires a bit of decision-making as to whether you should simply review the base game, or if the mods should be considered. For the sake…
In recent years, there has been a certain subset of games which enjoy taking your expectations, crushing them, and handing you a different experience than you were expecting. There are big-name games which have done this, such as Spec Ops: The Line , or even Black Ops II to an extent; but there have also been smaller games which have done it with varying amounts of success. Some of my personal favourites have…
Much like some very specific personalities on the popular video game website Giant Bomb , when I was young and impressionable, I was a fan of the Mario Party series of games. Granted, I only really considered myself to be a fan of the first two; but, nonetheless, I considered myself a "fan." When you had friends over, it was a fun alternative to boring old board games! Of course, as the years went by and I outgrew…
Sometimes you need a break from AAA blockbuster games, and simply want a game that is mindless, slight, casual, and a quick way to lose fifteen minutes. There are many fantastic examples of these kinds of games, the kings of the genre being Popcap (makers of Peggle , Bejeweled , PvZ , etc). Husband and wife team Grey Alien Games has brought us another casual game that ticks all of the boxes previously mentioned, and…
Dota 2 is not a new game - I mean this in multiple ways. For one, its official release was in July 2013 (at the time of writing, it is currently May 2016); but, even before that, it was put into a playable beta in 2011 - five years ago. But, if you are aware of the origins of the game, you already know that Dota 2 is a facsimile of its progenitor - Defense of the Ancients, a Warcraft III mod that was popular in…
The Division is a game which hooked me early, and hooked me hard. Its fantastic sense of place, attention to detail in its world, and general vibe was very appealing. I played through a fair number of story missions solo, and as I progressed further, decided to try some matchmaking - the experience was fantastic. No noticeable latency, well-tuned AI, players being able to use skills which synergized in a satisfying…
I am an absolutely huge fan of all things that Studio Ghibli does, and has done. Nausicaa is among my top 3 favorite films of all time, and I could name you nearly every main character from every one of Miyazaki's films. When I heard that Studio Ghibli was teaming up with Level 5 , I pre-ordered the Wizard Edition the moment it was available in North America. The idea of having the guys who did the Layton games (and…
I walked past a man in a pink suit several times at PAX East . Every time I had walked by, I noticed there was always something really bizarre happening on the screen behind him. Hallways changing, perspectives shifting, turning around and moving into a room you weren't in before - it was impressive, but a little daunting. I never played the game for fear of being "too dumb," but found myself watching it many times.…
When the first Devil May Cry was released, my friends fell in love with its stylish action, intricate combat system, and dark tone. The first time I played it was at my cousin's house, and within 45 minutes I realized the game was impressive; but not for me. As the years rolled by, I watched its sequels roll out; but never really gave them a chance. The last Devil May Cry game I played was 4 , when the same cousin…
As an avid gamer during the 90s, I was more than excited upon the release of Eidos' epic game Deus Ex in 2000. Having lived through and loved the highs of Quake and Half Life , I was excited for the notion of a more cerebral FPS. I fully believe that the original Deus Ex delivered on all of its promises, and was an amazing showcase of what first person games should be like. Unfortunately, my excitement for its…
Star Wars: Jedi Knight 2 - Jedi Outcast is a direct sequel to the 1997 game, Star Wars: Dark Forces II - Jedi Knight . The story continues that of Kyle Katarn , a mercenary who discovered that he has a strong connection to The Force . Over the course of JK1, Kyle finds himself to be a Jedi apprentice; but gives up his Jedi status as he nearly became a slave to the power of the Dark Side of The Force. At the start of…
Read the full review Star Wars: Jedi Knight II - Jedi Outcast
The early 2000s were an exciting time in the gaming world. Computer games were getting established with online communities for the first time, aided by programs like Gamespy and The All-Seeing Eye. One of the most prominent games I remember from that time was Star Trek Voyager: Elite Force. Let's begin with the campaign. Though it wasn't the longest campaign of the day, it was certainly an interesting and well…
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