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Recent Reviews
Review: Spectrobes: Beyond the Portals
The information age has had an unfortunate effect on novelty. We are so aware of everything that's out there that we can't possibly look upon a thing without drawing comparisons to things similar to it, supposed things that are "better" than this derogative... - Read the full review
After years upon years of what seemed like constant waiting and being told it would just be another three months, thank you, Spore finally charges onto the market with a whole bunch of fire nipping at its heels. The flood of penis monsters, the anti-piracy software debacle, the threats of TV tie-ins, it seems like the game the world was finally ready for came into a world that wasn't all that interested anymore.
But game politics are only interesting to guys who play with spreadsheets all day. People who actually play games will see that it took that long to make because there are a lot of variables that needed to reconfigure and whatever. I mean, there is so much going on, you almost wish that you had a lot more control.
Find out what makes Spore almost worth the wait after the jump
Mass Effect for the PC is a beautiful, beautiful game.
It's amazing what a 12GB data install will do to almost completely eradicate texture pop-in issues. Throw in a nice video card, and Mass Effect becomes a visual treasure, with stunning graphics and a solid framerate.
But while the PC version of Mass Effect makes for great eye candy, the actual game is still a less than stellar experience that is lacking in a few areas. While the texture pop-in problems that plagued the Xbox 360 experienced have been mostly eliminated, the other issues in the game are still there. It doesn't live up to its own potential and barely meets the bar that the game sets for itself. Ultimately, Mass Effect's PC release feels just as incomplete as the Xbox 360 version.
We're hitting the jump in 5... 4... 3... 2... 1...
After the so-so experience I had with Moai Better Blues, I sat in my office chair, pondering the perils of success. You see, after the incredible premiere episode of Ice Station Santa, I was wondering whether or not they'd ever be able to surpass its awesomeness. Moai Better Blues was a bad sign, an omen of foreboding danger, that perhaps the creative team at Telltale Games might have blown their creative wad early in the season.
Because of this, I approached Sam & Max - Night of the Raving Dead with more than my fair share of trepidation. I love Sam & Max as a parent loves their favorite child, but that love means I hold the pair to a high standard. And after the trip to Easter Island took the wind out of my sails, I was reluctant to jump into Sam & Max again so soon. My heart was bruised, and I didn't want to face that pain again.
And here I am, with the game's experience behind me. Once again, I'm sad. Not because the game is bad. No, Night of the Raving Dead is good. In fact, it's a little too good. Night of the Raving Dead has it all. Horror movie references, humor that ranges from subtly sublime to supremely slapstick, dialog that's worth listening to several times, solid puzzle design, vampires with nipple rings... Raving Dead takes what was wrong in the last episode and does away with it, streamlining the adventure experience. In the process, it delivers an enjoyable experience that will leave anyone laughing, whether or not they're a fan of Sam & Max. Can the rest of the season possibly match this new benchmark?
Hit the jump. The dead have returned, and they've gone emo!
T'was the day after saving Christmas, and wouldn't you know it, Sam & Max are back for another adventure.
After spending their premeire episode for the second season in the cold environs of the North Pole, it's time for a tropical getaway. This time, Sam & Max are headed to Easter Island for an unwilling vacation, courtesy of the Bermuda Triangle.
It's just a shame that after the Grand Slam of Ice Station Santa, Moai Better Blues is just so-so. Sure, the comedy is here, and the writing is top notch. But the puzzles leave something to be desired, the interaction with characters just isn't that great, and by the time it's all said and done, you don't quite get the warm fuzzies.
Hit the jump, we've got a full review of Moai Better Blues for you.
In 2007, a dog and a hyperkinetic rabbit thing were sent to the White House, the center of the Internet, and the Moon to stop a series of hypnotic crimes. This duo promptly escaped from a lifetime of outer space imprisonment to a small, unassuming office space in a brick building. Today, still wanted by the government, they survive as Freelance Police. If you have a problem, if no one else can help, and if you don't mind senseless bloodshed for the sake of comedy, maybe you can hire .. Sam & Max.
It's Season Two for the beloved Freelance Police, and this time around, there's trouble brewing up North. Santa's Workshop has been taken over by an encroaching Corporate Entity, the everpresent threat of outsourced Elf labor in the face of increasing manufacturing costs, and a mysterious purple crate. It also doesn't help that Santa has turned into a gun-toting maniac that's threatening to blow up the North Pole. But tricky, quirky cases are what Sam & Max do best.
And so begins Ice Station Santa, the first episode of the second season of the Sam & Max adventure games. After an amazing first season, Ice Station Santa starts off with a bang, literally. But does it improve over the first six games? Has Telltale evolved? And at $9 per game, is Sam & Max still worth the money? Hit the jump to find out more.
If you know the story of Flagship Studios, you’ll understand why their new title, Hellgate: London, shares so many similarities to Diablo, and why it’s necessary to make comparisons to Diablo as part of an analysis of Hellgate.
Flagship was formed by some of the original developers and executives that helped make Diablo (and by extension, Blizzard) a household name for PC gamers. They helped create and shape the franchise, and their roots are firmly planted in some of the most basic concepts of the game. So it should come as no surprise that Hellgate: London plays very much like Diablo. It has the same addictive blend of hack-and-slash combat and cinematic storytelling that made Diablo so wonderful.
But in remaining true to the spirit of Diablo, Hellgate: London also finds itself stuck in the same mire as its inspiration title. The pace of the game can crawl at times, the dungeon crawling gets repetitive, and the game is still a bit too buggy despite having been released a month and a half ago. A questionable multiplayer subscription model leaves you wondering about the future of this game, too.
Is Hellgate good? Yes, with a few caveats. Is it the new Diablo? Well... let's jump and find out.
Running on a top-spec gaming rig no other game can compete, on any system. As much as visuals aren’t the be all and end all of video games, in the case of Crysis they’re hard to ignore. If you haven’t got the right hardware, forget about it.
But, if your PC needs a power plant to keep it going, it’s time to play the most beautiful game on earth.
Hit the jump for our full review on EA's newest first person shooter.
Review: Spectrobes: Beyond the Portals
The information age has had an unfortunate effect on novelty. We are so aware of everything that's out there that we can't possibly look upon a thing without drawing comparisons to things similar to it, supposed things that are "better" than this derogative... - Read the full review
Mass Effect for the PC is a beautiful, beautiful game.
After the so-so experience I had with Moai Better Blues, I sat in my office chair, pondering the perils of success. You see, after the incredible premiere episode of Ice Station Santa, I was wondering whether or not they'd ever be able to surpass its awesomeness. Moai Better Blues was a bad sign, an omen of foreboding danger, that perhaps the creative team at Telltale Games might have blown their creative wad early in the season.
T'was the day after saving Christmas, and wouldn't you know it, Sam & Max are back for another adventure.
In 2007, a dog and a hyperkinetic rabbit thing were sent to the White House, the center of the Internet, and the Moon to stop a series of hypnotic crimes. This duo promptly escaped from a lifetime of outer space imprisonment to a small, unassuming office space in a brick building. Today, still wanted by the government, they survive as Freelance Police. If you have a problem, if no one else can help, and if you don't mind senseless bloodshed for the sake of comedy, maybe you can hire .. Sam & Max.
